More in the way of not buying things: instead of buying a dark cloth, I, and many others, just use a black t-shirt: stretch the neck around the ground glass, and put your head in from the bottom of the shirt. Compact, works well in breezes (less to blow around), and most of us already had one.
Email sent regarding Zone VI directions.
"One of the greatest necessities in America is to discover creative solitude." Carl Sandburg
You can be even smaller and lighter with the harrison tents if you leave the poles at home. A little length of para cord and a binder clip will still let you hold the top of the tent up off the film and holders.Originally Posted by lenser
-Chris
Once again, amazing responses so thank you all (again). More comments/Questions:
- I got a dark cloth with the camera and was going to stick with that for awhile until I figure out what I like/dont like
- For reasons of financial efficiency, I was going to stick with my ball head for the time being. Good points about the pan/tilt and leveling being a tad harder, but I can't justify spending money on another head when I have one now. LF is all about shooting and working slowly and methodically, so I might as well take the same approach to the tripod!
- Thank you for the reading list. I've been reading the Ansel Adam's series and purchased "Finely Focused" and am just starting that. Both have been good reading material and help alot.
- Special thanks to Lenser re: the email you sent me.
- Question on the tent: Some of you mention just using a dark room, but my issue there is when I travel I can't guarantee that I will always have a dark room handy. I assume (maybe incorrectly) that if you are flying, you wait to load your film in your destination, so you need something like a tent in the event that you dont have a light tight room at your hotel, etc. I would hate to travel somewhere to discover I couldn't load film without huge risk of light exposure! If you don't have a tent/changing bag, then what do you do when you travel?
- Another question on film - I assume as a newbie I'm going to burn through film as part of my learning curve. Are there places that sell in larger quantities at better prices than B&H? And if you buy in bulk, why do you freeze it? My dad always put film in the fridge, not the freezer..... that seems like it'd be harder on the film (but it could taste like ice cream!)?
- Another question on brushes - some of you mention the shop vac, air compressor, etc, but what do you do when you travel? I suspect you're not checking a shop vac in your luggage, so do you also use a brush?
Thanks again for the responses, this is giving me lots of material to research further and to think about. Y'all are saving me alot of money as I'm probably not making some of the "usual mistakes" as a result of your help. Where the heck was this advice when I started shooting digital!
The Dark cloth is fine until you get into a high wind situation. Then it will drive you nuts unless you can clamp it down or have a shooting partner hold it on the camera while you fiddle with the controls. Big clips from an office suppy help with that problem, but the BTZS hood is almost the ideal solution.
There are many great used tripod heads out there such as the Bogen 3047 that often go for well under $100. I can almost promise that you will hate the ball head after the first five minutes trying to level your Zone VI.
I used to rely on motel bathrooms and just sit on the floor to make the film changes with towels stuffed under the door and duck tape along the outline of the door. Then Calumet came out with the changing room years ago and then I found the Harrison, a dream to work with. Those are also available used, but research carefully before buying one. They had problems with the fabric becoming very sticky on some of the older ones. I still don't have info on why, but they were a real pain. The newer ones are wonderful and they have changed storage recommendations to keep them set up and hanging in a closet, etc. instead of long term storage in their bags. This is a true investment and worth every dime and then some.
Look at the EDU films from Freestyle. Some swear by them and they are quite cheap. Also, I've been using B&W Ilford film from the late nineties that I got at an estate sale a few years ago. I still get gorgeous negatives. Have little fear of outdated black and white film even if it hasn't been refrigerated. This stuff was in a storage unit (NOT climate control) in hot Missouri summers for at least two years before I got it. Color is a big other matter and should only be bought outdated if it has been kept frozen.
I haven't cleaned my holders with anything but canned compressed air in years. I don't remember the last time I had dust problems. In a super dry climate, I might be more worried due to possible static attraction, but so far so good. Just brush them before leaving on your trip and don't be too worried.
"One of the greatest necessities in America is to discover creative solitude." Carl Sandburg
Kristen,
While you usually can make a hotel/motel bathroom light tight with towels and tape, it can be a hassle. Do that for a week or more and it grows tiresome. You might consider going that route when you are starting out if you want to save some $$. But it sounds like you may be traveling, likely by air, to photo locations and a tent will be a real convenience.
Regarding ball heads vs 3-axis heads, if you are shooting mostly landscapes, then a ball head should be OK if you take a little time - getting things absolutely plumb is usually not critical. If you shoot architecture, where you need the camera back to be absolutely level and parallel to the subject plane, then a 3-axis head will shine. Since you've got a ball head already, I'd suggest sticking with that to begin with. Later, you can decide whether a 3-axis head will work better for you. Also with regards to traveling by air, I think most 3-axis heads are heavier than ball heads.
For cleaning, a "rocket blower" is travel friendly. You may already own one for your digital gear.
Bob
Arista.edu Ultra from Freestyle is certainly a good economical film (it's Fomapan) but I recollect you mentioning low light photography and reciprocity appears to be an issue with .edu Ultra which is why I didn't mention it. For normal exposures i think it's good stuff (I've got 3 or 4 boxes in the freezer!) For Ilford films I order from Badger Graphic. They usually have the best prices and besides, state sales tax is horrible for California residents who buy film in California (and sales taxes don't benefit the California State Parks as per the recent scandals)
For travelling you can certainly use a brush, just get a good one that won't shed bristles. IIRC there are specialized anti static brushes, or try a Giotto blower(it looks like something used for giving an enema!) or even your lens cleaning brush (which probably also has a bulb for blowing air) If you really want to spend $$ a better alternative is a Micro-Vac, about the size of a small "c" cell flashlight with an assortment of brushes that is packable---I used one until it finally gave out (in all fairness it did last me several years) It wasn't very expensive but I have no idea what they go for now. I prefer a dedicated mini shop vac at home because I don't like the idea of brushing or blowing dust off of gear as the dust can float around and sneak back on aboard when i'm not looking. With a vacume, the dust is captued and contained where it can't get out an run amuck (at least thats my theory)
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White
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