Frank Petronio photographer

The Cameraholic

May 25, 2005

This list is getting a bit unwieldy so I retired it during the Summer of 2009. After trying hundreds of cameras, my conclusion is this: It doesn’t matter what you use. It’s all in how you use it. You don’t need a better camera — you just need to work harder.

I currently own two serious cameras: a 4x5 Crown Graphic with a 135/4.7 Xenar lens and a Panasonic G-1 with the 14-45 kit lens. Looking around I have a Treo Centro smartphone in my pocket, a Canonet QL-17III hanging on the door, and a moldy old Polaroid SX-70 in my closet. The MacBook Pro laptop has a webcam that I use once in a while too. My wife has a Panasonic DMC-FX10. My youngest daughter has a $60 no-name 7mp point and shoot digtial (replacing the ancient Fisher Price toddler camera) and my older kids use $100-whatever digitals. I also have a cheap Canon digital video camera that comes out once a year for dance recitals and such.

Since I have little self-control or discipline, I have found that I need to limit my equipment choices to only a few items or otherwise I am conflicted about which format and gear to use. Also I am a cheap bastard, and even though I would love to have more expensive and exotic gear, I believe that you can make just as good an image using more proletarian equipment. Opting for the nicer stuff is just that — a bit of luxury and vanity — that I indulge in myself when my budget allows. Right now I rather spend money on experiences, not toys.

What follows is a chronological list of cameras I’ve owned since childhood. I also write about how I travel, lighting gear, and related topics at the bottom of this page, so scroll away….

Kodak Instamatic 110 (when I was ten or twelve years old)

Canon AE-1 35mm (bought when working at Alta)

Olympus OM-1 35mm (My first wife Nina found this under the chairlift at Sugarloaf.)

Wista DX Cherrywood 4x5 with 180/5.6 Nikkor (I learned it all with this camera — this marks the start of my photography studies and career in 1983.)

Rolleicord 120

Olympus XA 35mm (a sentimental favorite)

Olympus OM-1n 35mm with cheap no-name zoom and wide lenses

Kodak DuoFlex 620

Wista Rittreck 5x7 with 90, 135, 210 Rodenstocks (One I really miss - traded it for a Wista SP to save weight. Now these cameras sell for $4000. Dumb!)

Nikon FM-2n 35mm (three bodies) with 24/2, 55/2.8, 85/1.4, 180/2.8ED lenses, Md-12s, NPC ProBack (I shot $150K worth of jobs with this. And it all fit into a Domke F2 bag too.)

Fuji 690 GW II 120 (I was very productive with this, it had a great sharp lens.)

Nikon S2 with 50/2 Nikkor 35mm

Korona Banquet 7x17 with 19 inch Ross (a wobbling beast)

Wista SP 4x5 with 65/8 Angulon (sweet)

Zenit 35mm (gave to Audrey M.)

Canon Xap Shot digital (first on my block!)

Mamiya 6 (three bodies) 120 with 50, 75, 150 lenses and NPC Proback (great idea, nice lenses, lousy bodies)

Nikon N-60 and 28-85 zoom 35mm (P.O.S.)

Hasselblad 501cm (pair of bodies) 6x6 with 50 and 120 CFE lenses and several backs (too fancy to use outside. I sold this system to Tom Hussey.)

Olympus Stylus 35mm (given to Meagan, Jan. 08)

Rollei 2.8E2 Planar 120 (sweet)

Sinar F 4x5 with 135 Sironar (old Sinar Fs are junk)

Nikon F3HP (pair of bodies) 35mm with MD-4s and 24/2, 85/1.4, 180/2.8 lenses plus a FM body with NPC ProBack (another money maker I should have kept)

Calumet C2 4x5 with cheap lens

Ricoh GR-1 (great little guy)

Santa Barbara Pinhole 4x5

Kodak DCS 420 digital (with external hard drive and SCSI)

My Papa’s original Polaroid SX-70

Graflex Super Graphic 4x5 with 135 Symmar-S and 90/6.8 Angulon (nice set)

Fuji 690 GSW III 690 6x9 (too wide for me at the time)

Fuji MX-2700 digital (shot a billboard with this 2mp camera)

YashicaMat G 120

Olympus Stylus 35mm

Leica SL 35mm (D. A. G. replaced prism, great bright finder)

Leica SL-2 35mm with 28, 50, 90 lenses (I’m really sorry I sold it now. Leica lenses are better. Really.)

Konica Hexar Silver 35mm

Sony FP-3 digital (My worst screwing as it cost $2400 and it was a terrible camera. I hate Sony cameras.)

Lubitel TLR 120

Pinhole Resource 4x5 WIde

Fuji 6800 digital (shot a book with this 4mp camera)

Graflex Crown Graphic 4x5 with 127 Optar (as good as anything, only $175)

Rollei 2.8F Planar 120 (My favorite favorite, made many photos with this baby. Rolleis are the most beautiful cameras.)

Sinar Norma 4x5 with 90/6.8 Grandagon, 135 Sinaron-SE, 210/9 Ronar lenses (A very nice camera I would buy again. Woody Packard got mine running up to speed.)

USSR Horizant 35mm (fun when it worked)

Leica IIIc with Summitar (Fun to shoot Kodachrome with a pre-War camera.)

Brooks Veriwide 100 6x10 with Russian finder

Leica M2 with 50/2 Summicron collapsible (beat to hell but it worked great)

Rolleiflex 2.8F Xenotar

Brooks Veriwide 100 6x10 with Leitz finder (Avoid these cameras! They have nice lenses and lousy film transports. Great idea though, I wish they were better executed.)

yet another Olympus Stylus 35mm f/2.8

Graflex Crown Graphic 4x5 with 150 Sironar-N and 75/5.6 Grandagon-N lenses (75mm lenses are too wide for 4x5, IMHO)

Noblex 150UX 6x12 rotating lens panoramic (pretty nice, made $1000 on resale)

Arca-Swiss 4x5 Model C (great value)

Bilora Bella 6x6 (a toy)

Linhof Kardan Super Color ST 4x5 with 90/6.8 Grandagon and 160/5.6 Wollensak Pro-Raptar (very inexpensive)

Linhof Technika IV with 90/6.8 Grandagon-N and 180 Sironar-N (Stripped of RF and leather, modified with a Graphic focus hood and bellows. A very tough camera.)

Leica III with 50/2 Summitar

Kodak DCS 520 with 28/2.8 and 85/1.8 EOS lenses (A cheap way to get into digital.)

Konica Hexar Black 35mm

Nikon D70 with 18-70 DX, 20/2.8, 24/2.8, 35/2, 50/1.4, 85/1.8, and 180/2.8 AF-D lenses (Not all at the same time. Of the lenses, the 24/2.8 is the sharpest. The 18-70 is very good for a compact zoom. And the 50/1.4 would be good except for its five-bladed aperture creating ugly hexagonal flare. Nikon (and Canon) should make a couple of nice, professional quality, compact DX AFS prime lenses, like a 24/2 and 60/1.4. And a rectilinear 18/2.8 and compact 30/1.8.)

Another D70 body for back-up.

Sinar Handy with a 47/5.6 Super Angulon.

Arca-Swiss Discovery with 90/6.8 Sinaron-W, 90/4.5 Grandagon, 180/5.6 Sinaron-SE, 240/5.6 APO Sironar-N, and 300/5.6 Sinaron lenses (This is the near perfect view camera, although it can be rather cold feeling compared to a warm camera like the Linhof Technika or Sinar Norma. The design is rather hard and unforgivingly Swiss.)

Polaroid 110 modified to use 4x5 film by Dean Jones (not Willam Littman)

Noblex 150 Pro 6/150 F (Which is less expensive than the other versions while giving up very little capability.)

Rollei 2.8E Xenotar

Rollei 2.8E3 Xenotar (Both of these were dogs, be careful when buying Rolleis.)

Leica M6 Classic with 35/1.4 Summilux ASPH (The very best lens I’ve ever used. And I got it for only $2200 for lens and body. I miss it now. Somehow I made better pictures with it.)

Konica Hexar Black 35mm (A great value and better than a Leica in many ways.)

Leica II with 50/3.5 Nickel Elmar (quite lovely to fondle)

Linhof Technika IV with 90/6.8 Schneider Angulon and 210/6.8 Rodenstock Geronar (Perhaps my best 4x5 set-up in terms of practical everyday usability.)

Leica M6 Classic with 40/1.4 Voigtländer (Such a crappy lens!)

8x10 DeGolden Busch (Hoo boy, what a boat anchor!)

Nikon D70 with 35/2 AF-D lens (a great lightweight combination)

Nikon D2X with 14/2.8 Sigma, 28/1.4 AF, 17-55/2.8 DX, and 60/2.8 AF-D lenses (The $250 35/2 proved to be sharper than the $1600 28/1.4. The expensive 17-55/2.8 zoom is clunky, the Sigma is crap, and the 60 is really slow to focus at normal portrait distances. The D2X is a fine camera, although it is a bit too much lug around casually.)

8x10 Fatif (very nice for $200) with 12” Calumet in Acme ($100) lens

8x10 Arca-Swiss A with 300mm Schneider Xenar in a Copal 3 shutter (An excellent lightweight 8x10 outfit and a great value.)

Another Nikon D70. I have owned four D70s so far, they are great.

4x5 Graflex RB Super D SLR, modified with a Graflock back, using either 190mm Ektar or 180mm Voigtländer Heliar lenses (A wonderful portrait camera for tall people with excellent vision, although I miss the 8x10 more in hindsight. I shot a lot of out-of-focus portraits with this camera because it is hard to focus in darker situations. Once the sun came out I did much better.)

Another Polaroid 110B modified to use 4x5 film by my friend Dean Jones. This is a great travel camera with a couple of Grafmatics, excellent for environmental portraits and outdoor photos.

Graflex Crown Graphic 4x5 with top rangefinder and a 150/5.6 Schneider Xenar. These cameras are pretty much bullet proof and still very inexpensive (>$300). One of the best values in photography.

Anba-Ikeda 5x7 Field Camera with a 8.5-inch Kodak Commercial Ektar. This is a super lightweight outfit.

4x5 Sinar F with 210/5.6 and 300/5.6 Rodenstock Sironar-N lenses. While a Sinar may not be as finely crafted as a Linhof, or as nicely designed as an Arca-Swiss, they do have the advantages of being solid, cheap, and plentiful. Twenty years ago, when this gear was popular with studio photographers, it was frightfully expensive. Now it is one of the best bargains in photography.

Nikon D80 with 35/2 AF-D and 50/1.4 AF-D lenses. This camera goes everywhere and I shoot with it handheld, sometimes using supplemental tungsten lighting. The fast 50mm lens makes me feel like I’m cheating when I do portraits. Honestly, I don’t understand why anyone (other than a sports or wildlife specialist) needs any more than this in a DSLR? The performance improvements between the D80 and D2x are fractional at best — the rest is marketing.

4x5 Sinar F2 with a Wollensak Verito 8 3/4-inch f/4 diffused focus in an Alphex shutter. I also used a few different Schneider Symmar lenses in Prontor Professional shutters. While I found the Verito not to my taste, I heartily recommend Tim Sharkey at Lens N2 Shutter for custom lens mounting. He knows everything about view camera optics and is a true craftsman.

4x5 Crown Graphic with a Schneider 135/3.5 Xenotar and Linhof Grip for handheld work.

Palm Treo 650 Smart Phone

Agfa Isolette 6x6 folder, restored by Jurgen Kreckel of Vintage Folding Cameras. These are very compact, simple, and inexpensive medium format cameras. I used up the last of my 120 film with this little toy ;-)

Linhof Super-Technika V with a cammed Schneider 135/3.5 Xenotar in a Linhof Compur shutter. (During 2007 I used a 150mm f/5.6 Linhof Symmar-S in a Prontor Professional shutter.) The Linhof combines the solid stability of the Sinar with the ability to shoot handheld using a rangefinder, like the Graphic — all in a compact package that I can actually manage to fit into my carry-on luggage. I had this camera set-up at Marflex Service and they did an excellent job. One modification I had done was to replace the Linhof focusing hood with a metal focusing hood from a Crown Graphic. The hood is stiffer, easier to use, and more durable.

To be honest, most of my photos could be done with the much less expensive Crown Graphic rather than the Linhof. But I love the Linhof ;-)

I also bought a 210mm f/5.6 Symmar-S in a Prontor Professional shutter but sold it after a few months because I never used it. The intent was to have it just in case I needed to do a more traditional commercial portrait, but screw that…. For going wide, I think I prefer stitching multiple photos over using a wide angle lens. So I am more or less a single lens user, and the 150mm on 4x5 suits me well. It distorts faces and figures just enough to be slightly odd, without looking too strange. The rangefinder is very accurate with this lens as well, even at close range torso-shot distances wide open. The Linhof is heavy to handhold but well balanced, so I can shoot sharp photos handheld in a tungsten-assisted interior at 1/30th second at f/5.6, using ISO 320 film. In most medium-sized rooms I can add enough bounced light to shoot white people at 1/125th at f/8.

Over the Summer of 2007 I got idealistic and tried several Leicas. First I used a slightly dinged-up Leica M6 with a 50/2 Summicron-M and an older 35/1.4 Summilux. The Summilux was too small and stiff for my fingers to operate easily, and after a few rolls I sold the kit. Then I met my friend Ed Lopez and he let me try his digital M8 and I fell in love. Trying to rationalize spending $7000 on a M8 outfit was hard, so I decided to try 35mm film once again. I found a lovely 1949 Leica IIIc that had been professionally repainted to black while also being cleaned, lubed, and adjusted. I paired it with a clean Summarit 50/1.5 and the results were dreamy, soft yet sharp photos. Shortly afterwards I found a clean M6 with a nice 35/2 Summicron. But after shooting for a few weeks I realized that my lowly little Nikon D-80 was still faster and more effective as a photographic tool. Using a 35mm film scanner just wasn’t that appealing either . And when my Leica lust cooled and I could compare the results objectively, the digital files from the Nikon were nearly as good as those from the Leica M8 (which costs 6x more). I love Leicas and maybe someday I will come back to them, but for right now I need to save money and make photos.

When I sold the Summarit and IIIc I accidently interchanged the buyer’s addresses and sent the body to Japan and lens to Denmark… instead of the reverse. So I may end up with that camera again (if everyone is honest), which frankly, I kind of miss. I may get an Elmar lens instead just to have a more compact camera. I kind of like just using the local mini-lab for processing and not-so-shabby automatic scans to CD for $6 per roll. (note: no Leicas left, I sold them all.)

For a tripod I am using the new four-section Gitzo 3540XLS carbon-fiber tripod with a vintage Linhof 3-D head (I gave up on the Arca-Swiss quick release system because I don’t own that many cameras and using a tripod screw isn’t that big a hassle). This Gitzo/Linhof combination is the finest tripod I have ever used. I also use three Lowel Tota-Lights, and several small silver umbrellas. Oftentimes I will simply bounce lights off the walls. Most of my grip gear is from Lowel because it holds up really well (except for the time I was shooting drunk and fell off the bed onto a stand… ouch).

All of my grip gear is packed into a 33-inch Lightware Cargo case. The advantage of the Lightware case is that it is lightweight, which allows more of the 50-lb. limit for checked baggage to be used for gear. However it doesn’t have rollers, which add weight. Usually I take a stripped down light kit packed into a smaller Domke sling bag, which helps me organize things in the larger case. I’ll also toss in clothing and toiletries, and have even packed a large skateboard and pads into the Lightware case.

I carry my cameras and film fit in a Think Tank “Airport Antidote ” backpack, which is sized to carry a laptop and still fit underseat in a regional “puddle-hopper” plane. I also carry a Timbuk2 Commute laptop courier bag, as I need additional room for paperwork, portfolios, drugs, and books. In a pinch I could get everything I need into the backpack.

Earlier I used a Pelican 1510 carry-on with rollers for the cameras, but a latch failed in the middle of a trip and left me worrying about the case flying open for the rest of the week.

One time I flew the TSA took apart one of my lightstands to search inside the tubes… Air travel is rough these days.

I bring a Harrison Pup Tent for film changing, along with six loaded six-sheet Grafmatic film holders. Previously, I used the Calumet Changing Room (which is more ergonomic than the Redwing model that I also tried, at the same price point and quality). I got the Harrison Pup Tent because it is larger and has a flat bottom, which makes loading more holders in one session easier. So far the Harrison has held up well, with none of the flaking material problems that some people have reported.

When I am out shooting I leave the Linhof open and ready to grab, and have a daypack with several Grafmatics and a Polaroid 545i holder. I usually use my Nikon D-80 with the 35/2 lens as a light meter, although I also have a tiny Gossen Digi-Flash meter that works well. In the side panel of the pack is a loupe, spare digital battery, and a baggie with a spare cable release, Polaroid coaters, lens wrench, microfiber cloth, flashlight, and a small level.

For 4x5 film I like Ilford HP-5 but I have had quality control issues with the packaging and even the size of the film, none of which have ruined a shoot but been slightly disturbing. I also use Polaroid Type 52 for proofing, and I try to discipline myself from using it too much because it is expensive. For the occasional color shot I like Kodak Porta 400NC. For 35mm I’ll use whatever Kodak 400 ISO color negative film is handy. All of my sheet film is processed by Edgar Praus at his lab in Rochester. I shoot a lot of film, often 4-8 sheets per set-up, and I used over 1500 sheets during the Summer of 2007.

I scan the 4x5 on an Epson 4990 (complete with a cloudy glass platten). Frankly I think there is way too much mumble-jumble and hocus-pocus spoken by photographers about scanning and digital conversions. I just make sure to hit a white and black point and put my tones where I find them pleasing, using Photoshop’s Curves, Layers, Burning and Dodging and anything else to get the job done. I do everything on a laptop screen and get decent prints from my Epson. I think part of my success is that I’ve been using Photoshop since Version 1.0, and can pretty much adjust a scan without actually using the monitor (I look at the numerical values and Histogram). And I think I can make lovely black and whites from digital camera files. Most of the complainers and naysayers are simply rationalizing their prejudices….

My moods vary… as I write this (October 2007) I am thinking that a cheap Crown Graphic would be a lighter, more carefree camera than the Linhof. I was on a pier out on Lake Ontario earlier today and a wave splashed the Technika. And while all I had to do was to wipe off the water, it scared me all the same. I know that I’m a gearhead, but I actually am kind of relishing how simple and sparse I can get while still doing professional quality photos, as opposed to merely accumulating a pile of pro gear that sees little use.

In November 2007 I bought a Graflex Crown Graphic with 135/4.7 Schneider Xenar for $500 — which was high — but it is a clean, late-model top rangefinder edition from a well-respected dealer. Photos made during November and December were made with this camera. The Crown is so much lighter than the Linhof, and the lens is fine. I also picked up a Nikon 18-70/3.5-4.5 DX lens for the D80. Finally I have something wide enough for the odd industrial job.

December 2007: I decided that I really like the Technika way too much, so I stripped it down to make it lighter and more compact. The Multi-Focus finder is replaced with a wire frame. I think the wire frame works great with a normal lens and it save weight and space. The expensive Multi-Focus finder is useful if you have several lenses and not much sense for what they cover, so some photographers use it as a slightly ridiculous previewing device. I also replaced the Ergo Grip for a hand strap, but then I went back to the bulky Ergo Grip because I really like it and it feels more secure (now I have the option to use either.)

I also switched to Kodak Tri-X Professional after getting several boxes of Ilford HP-5 with packaging problems. First I had several boxes that were not safety interleaved — the two outer boxes were inserting into each other rather than reversed, which made the boxed film more prone to light leaks (it was fine). Then I got a batch of 4x5 film that was cut short by 5mm on the long end. I told Ilford about both problems, they seemed indifferent, and I started to fear that the next problem might be more serious. So I went back to the Great Yellow Father (Eastman Kodak Company) and good old Tri-X. And I have to admit, the Tri-X has nicer highlights and overall range than the HP-5, at least for the way my lab (Praus Productions) does it (using a Jobo and XTOL).

I did shoot some 4x5 Portra 400NC in the studio recently. It sucked and I have a hard time getting pleasing fleshtones and neutral greys (together) from my flatbed scanner. I might just give up on color film. Digital color seems so much more in control — I forgot about cross curves and such but those scans reminded me all too well of them.

January 2008: I just got a well used Leica M6 from a National Geographic photographer; a worn 35/2 Summicron v.3 is on it’s way from Europe, and a hazy old 50/2 Summicron is coming down from Canada. I have a couple of bricks of Kodak TMY (T-Max 400) to shoot and I got another Konica-Minolta Dual Scan IV film scanner (my third time) and a copy of VueScan software. I am going to shoot 40 rolls and see where I am with the Leica. I have a feeling that 2008 may be a small format year.

That said, I just shot with the “new” 135/3.5 Xenotar and it was pretty wonderful to gain 1.5 stops over the previous lens. The old Compur shutter also has more aperture leaves, so the opening is more like a circle, compared to the modern Prontor that had a hexagonal opening when stopped down (as do the Nikon prime lenses — their major downfall imho.) So stay tuned, I think I may have some old school state-of-art equipment duking it out for my favor this Winter.

I know I shouldn’t ever sell the Technika now that I have it the way I want it. Please kick me if I do (same for the old Olympus XA). All the other gear is fugitive, easy to replace, and always for sale ;-).

February 2008: So the Leica experiment was great fun — I actually bloodied my fingertips during one shoot from winding too fast — and I can’t think of a better camera to actually shoot with. But then I had to wait for the film… and then I had to scan it (I scanned 80 frames in a day on the Minolta!) And when I looked at the scans I loved their grain but I also realized that it was pretty harsh grain all the same. And I missed the fine detail I could get from the digital shots. And the easy control of the ISO. And so I made another rash decision and swapped the Leica stuff for a new Nikon D300 and older manual focus Nikkor 50/1.2 AIS. And while I miss the Leica, the initial tests of the new digital are inspiring — and a lot more practical — I should be able to update the blog a lot more frequently. I also picked up yet another $190 Nikon 18-70/3.5-4.5 AFS DX, a sleeper bargain of a lens, for those times when I might need to shoot some odd job.

Note that I could have bought a full frame Canon 5D for the same money… but I think the Nikon interface and build quality is that much better. It really is a nice camera and the older metal lens is such a pleasure to use after years of using plastic auto-focus toy lenses (not that they weren’t fine performers). I figure that I can shoot at ISO 800 easily and the new Auto ISO feature seems to be really nice so far.

I had a Panasonic LX-2 for a few weeks too. I guess it is the best of the compact digitals but I hate those things! I can’t deal with all those little buttons — I rather use my Treo cell phone for crappy pictures. (Actually Martha has the small 7mp model Panasonic that seems friendlier — shooting “RAW” on the LX-2 model is absurdly slow anyway.)

Since I was in such a gearhead tizzy I also put the Linhof and Xenotar up on eBay and went out and bought another mint, late model, top rangefinder Graflex Crown Graphic 4x5 with a nice Schneider Xenar in a Compur shutter. After flying out to LA I realized that the Linhof is just so much heavier, and honestly I like the way the Xenar is sharp in the center and soft on the edges — where the Xenotar is sharp overall but has lower contrast than a modern lens. I will miss the nice rounded aperture of the Xenotar’s shutter — and the extra stop of speed — but I mostly shoot the Xenar wide open anyway, and I rarely get bad bokeh from the 4x5 even when I stop down. I rarely need movements and the Crown’s rangefinder is spot on, at least this one’s is. Of course I know this is somewhat of a rationalization — the price difference is about $1200 between the two cameras — but it makes my pack a lot lighter and less valuable, which ultimately are good things.

The photos of Meagan, Aimee, and Nerlande were done with the previous Crown Graphic I used this Fall — I think they represent well — so onward Christian soldiers… Sah-Yoh-Nah-Rah to the German gear (mostly) and Hello to what gets the job done most efficiently… for now.

I still have the Olympus XA that I bought in 1982…. I’ll shoot off the rest of the film I bought for the Leica… I often add vignetting to my photos so the lens does just fine, although the XA’s electronics do act up sometimes….

I can finally get everything into one carry-on that won’t break my back… Crown, XA, D300, Treo cell phone — that’s it!

Early Summer 2008: Bought, used, and sold a Leica IIIc with 35/3.5 and 50/3.5 Elmars. I used it to shoot in Florida and with Jessalyn in March but in the end I decided that it was too much of an overlap with the digital, and really a distraction rather than an asset. Still it was a fun camera and I did get some nice vintage-looking photos with it. The image quality of the lens is fine except for my mental exposure meter being a bit funky… along with the flare and grainy film, the photos are quite “crunchy” to spin it nicely.

While the manual focus 50/1.2 was nice on the D300, I decided that I was missing a lot of shots because I wasn’t focusing accurately enough, especially for any rapid movement in low light stuff. My eyes are going…. But instead of getting the same Nikon 50/1.4 AFD that I’ve had several times before, I opted for the $100 Nikon 50/1.8 AFD. And now I am of the opinion that it is the best 50mm lens ever. I thought that its plastic construction would be a huge negative but now I see it as a positive — it is so lightweight that it focuses faster. It is also quite sharp and compact as expected. But the best part is that when I shoot wide open at f/1.8 it has just the “right” amount of depth-of-field to have a lovely transition from sharp to blur while holding focus on both eyes when the subject’s head is turned slightly. I am getting more “keepers” than I did with either the /1.2 or the /1.4AF lenses. Of course I try to only shoot this lens wide open, and had I shot with the other lenses at f/1.8 I may have gotten similar results. But the current Nikon AF primes have ugly hexagonal apertures which make for lousy bokeh — so I try to only shoot them wide open so the aperture is rounded. Oh and did I mention it only cost $100 new? Sweet.

There is an internet rumor that Nikon will release a “professional” 50/1.4 AFS lens with more aperture blades and better build quality. I’d jump at that, as I would any new “professional” prime lenses in the “normal” 20 to 50mm range.

I have things pretty stripped down at this point. With Polaroid going away I have been trying to ween myself off the Type 52 film — it is also over $4 a sheet — but damn nothing else really is as good for testing. But at least I won’t have to carry the heavy 545i holder and the bulky film anymore, which saves some weight.

July 2008: Swapped the Nikon 18-70 AFS DX zoom lens for a smaller, faster, more compact Nikon 24/2.8 AF-D. Surprisingly the bokeh of the 24mm lens is quite nice. Also it has a field of view of a 35mm lens on a 35mm film camera, so it feels “almost” like the Leica/35mm combination that I like so much.

I also bought an inexpensive used Leitz Tiltall tripod in black.

August 2008: Sold all my 4x5 gear, including that wonderful and expensive Gitzo tripod. I will be using the Nikon D300 for awhile while I assemble a new 8x10 camera outfit. I have access to several other Crown Graphics should the need arise to do some more 4x5 work, but I think my models project has drawn to a “soft” close with the New Mexico trip (I’ve done some casual shoots since, but New Mexico time was really the end point for a multitude of reasons.)

I also got a Think Tank Urban Disguise 50 shoulder bag to replace the Timbuk2 laptop messenger bag and Think Tank Airport Antidote backpack. I now can carry everything — Powerbook, DSLR, books, lots of small items — in one fat briefcase type bag. I also rounded out my digital gear with some extra hard drives, a new Wacom Bamboo tablet, and travel/air/car chargers for my camera and laptop.

September 2008: I now have an 8x10 Sinar Norma with a 14-inch Kodak Commercial Ektar lens. I also got an older 5-series Gitzo tripod that goes about 75-inches tall, along with the Sinar Pan-Tilt head. I also have nine holders (I need one more at least) and am still looking for a good deal on a larger Harrison Changing Tent and either a Lightware or Pelican case. I’ve pretty much given up on the prospect of airline travel with this beast, unless a client will pay for the shipping overage charges. Film prices are high but I am a more careful photographer these days… so I think it won’t be much more expensive than 4x5 if I am careful.

October 2008: Needed money for 8x10 film so I sold my D300 and lenses, also picked up a nice Harrison mid-sized 8x10 Tent and some odds and ends. I took $500 and bought an Olympus 420 with a 25mm f/2.8 “pancake” lens — this combination being the smallest DSLR ever made — and after a week of use I hated it. Not only were the controls too cramped for my large hands, but the image quality didn’t begin to compare to the Nikon. What especially bothered me — and this is true with Canon cameras as well — is the funky auto-focus and exposure metering — it sucks! Anyway I found a mint Nikon D70s w 50/1.8 AF-D for $395. I used a D70 from 2004 to 2006 and I think the image quality compares nicely with the latest cameras, provided I use a lower ISO and don’t enlarge too much. It’s funny that a 6mp Nikon from 2004 outperforms the latest 10mp from Olympus… Nikon has completely won my brand loyalty with DSLRs.

I have a line on a genuine Sinar 8x10 Norma case which should be coming soon, so that completes my 8x10 set-up. Please shoot me if I try to sell it within the next year or two!

Scanning 8x10 on the Epson 4990 without getting Newton’s Rings is a pain. I tape my film emulsion facing the matte side of a 9x11 inch Anti-Newton Glass, which I place matte/film side down on top of four pennies (at each corner). This is pretty fool-proof but it takes longer — still it beats wet mounting, which I don’t see the point of doing for “only” an Epson scan. The scans at 1200 ppi come in pretty large (281mb for greyscale) but I downsample them after cropping and making a global tone curve adjustment. I archive the images at 8x10 inches at 600 ppi, which seems to me to be the quality threshold for an Epson scanner. If I want a larger file — with more information, not just pixels — I should buck up and buy a drum or Creo scan.

My next intention is to shoot a lot of 8x10. I’ve purchased a lot of film — I have about 250 sheets waiting for me. When I have some more cash I’ll get a good 35mm film scanner, like a Nikon Coolscan 5000, and get back to shooting 35mm film in older Leicas — even though digital outperforms most 35mm in practical terms, it is still so much more satisfying to shoot film. The latest, greatest DSLR would be great to have as well, but I’ll let that wait until I really, really need it. Same goes for the Creo flatbed, the 32gb Mac workstation with dual monitors, and the wide-format Epson printer, lol.

Update January 2009: I ran out of money. Or at least I didn’t want to run out of money. So I had to sell the lovely 8x10 gear because it is just so damn expensive to operate — I like to shoot a lot of film for my portraits, I can’t help it. Instead I purchased yet another 4x5 Graflex Pacemaker Crown Graphic (top rangefinder) with a late model 135/4.7 Schneider Xenar lens for $300, plus a dozen film holders ($40) and a vintage number two sized Gitzo tripod ($120). I am a patient and frugal eBay shopper — buy low, sell high and all that jazz. I also picked up another 35mm black Konica Hexar AF with its excellent 35/2 lens ($405) — in an attempt to satisfy my Leica lust — along with another Minolta Dual Scan IV 35mm scanner (notice that I re-buy the same things two or three times over and over!). And just to explore my roots, I snagged a clean 6x6 Rolleicord Va for only $150. I will have to scan the 120 film on my flatbed, which is not even close to ideal, but I want to see how I like using a twin lens reflex after a five-year break.

I’m still using a five-year old Nikon D70s with the 50/1.8 lens ($395) purchased a few months back — a combo that makes excellent portraits quite easily — the image quality, even though it is “only” a 6mp camera, is quite good at low ISOs. I have 11x14 prints from the D70 mixed in with prints from the later cameras and it is difficult to see a difference — the later cameras have better high ISO performance and larger file sizes, but it is hard to beat the D70 for value. In any event, my thinking is that you don’t use a DSLR for the ultimate in resolution, and if you’re a good photographer it shouldn’t matter — if I get some huge campaign I can easily buy a pair of the latest and greatest as needed, but for right now it is nice to have clear credit and to be able to save some money instead of being held hostage by my equipment.

For the record, a few other cameras made brief visits this Fall. I had a pair of Leica IIIc bodies (the best LTM shooters) along with several nice 50mm lenses — a Summitar, Summarit, Nickel Elmar, and a cheap Russian Elmar copy. They all behaved nicely but I ended up going over to the dark automatic side with the Hexar instead. I love the LTM cameras for their novelty, but for regular shooting they get so tedious! I have decided though, that when funds allow me to, I will get another Leica M6 and 35 Summicron — I think that is the right combination of automation and control for me — the Hexar is a little limiting — although it is a great silent camera and the lens rocks, especially for the price.

I also tried a “steampunk” vintage Rolleiflex K2 from the 1930s, which was very funky but the viewfinder was so hazy and dim that I could only guess at the focusing. Still it was an entertaining lesson in photo history to use it.

Before I got the 8x10 Norma, my friend, photographer Scott Hamilton gave me a sweetheart deal on his vintage Calumet C-1 8x10 with a 10” Ektar. I used it for about 20 sheets but the bellows was very rotten and a replacement cost $350. It was still a great way to try things out. i simply put my darkcloth over the bellows and that prevented most of the leakage (plus a little cropping and Photoshop work to the finals.)

If you read between the lines here, you can probably guess that financially I am not exactly “rolling in it” these days. I am not in any danger, thanks to my wonderful wife and family, but the photo business sucks, even though I am loath to bitch about it on the front side of this website. One has to present a positive outlook, which I genuinely have, but nevertheless, the reality is that I am not making any money and there is a ton of bullshit attached to being a professional photographer. So don’t be too envious. Shooting models isn’t all it’s cracked up to be either for that matter. Most of those girls end up disappointing me on a personal level and their gossip is ruinous, so there are only a handful that I maintain friendships with. Many of the models are vain and self-absorbed, which should be no big surprise I guess.

Early February 2009: Tried a Nikon F100 35mm since they are so cheap these days. And a Nikon D200, which was pretty nice for only $500 (best bang for the buck I think.) But I am so sick of auto-focus and digital….

Late February 2009: I realized the best way to deal with my farsightedness is to use rangefinders, so I sold most everything and am just using a Leica for a little while. Whoop. I’m trying TMY, TMX, and CN400 film… I am not sure which looks best scanned yet. I almost got an M2 but I am lazy, I need a meter, so I got a nice clean M6 for $1000 and a 40/2 Minolta CL lens for $300. And yes, I filed the cam so the 35mm frameline comes up on the M-body. The Minolta lens is the same design as the Leica version, except it is multi-coated, whereas the Leicas are single-coated.

A 6x12 Holga pinhole panoramic passed through for a dozen rolls of film. Fun but it gets old quickly.

Finally, I sold my old Olympus XA, the one I bought new in 1983 when I first became serious about photography. I didn’t need the $65 that badly but it was more to follow my philosophy that all these material possessions are transient and they shouldn’t matter to us so much. Obviously I’m really into my gear to have compiled such a long list and to have such strong opinions. But I almost think that camera gear is a separate hobby independent of photography itself. Don’t let yourself get hung up on it too much and just go make pictures!

Tax Day, April 15, 2009: Sold the Leica, which I was reluctant to do but I felt like the 35mm scanning was really bogging me down. Bought a Ricoh GR-D II small sensor digital because, based on the tests I’ve seen, it will produce results similar to ISO 400 35mm film, albeit with a greater depth-of-field and a compressed tonal range. It has a fixed wide-angle lens, not very traditional for portraiture but it forces me to get closer and to think about distortion. It’s basically a reaction to all the photographers shooting lovely, pretty… yet generic short-focus portraits with their 85/1.4 lenses on their dslrs (or Veritos on their large-format cameras). The little sensor gives me tons of “in-focus” detail, while also being noisy as hell. I figure it will be quite a challenge to master it — almost a worst case scenario!

I also have a minty 4x5 top-rangefinder Crown Graphic with a Compur-mounted 135/4.7 Schneider Xenar. Along with 25 traditional plastic film holders (the Grafmatics make me shoot too fast) and a Harrison Pup Tent. TXP and the digicam as a light meter. It all fits into a cheap EMS daypack — all the fancy camera bags are history. It’s pretty much the perfect outfit for continuing the 4x5 work I’ve been doing, I figure I shouldn’t mess with it anymore. If anything I should just get a spare since they only cost $350 if you shop around.

There is an Olympus Stylus Epic out in the Xterra, I have a 15-20 rolls of 35mm film left and a nice Konica-Minolta Dual-Scan IV to scan it — plus the 873,254 ancient Kodachrome slides that have been given to me so I can scan for family albums in my “spare” time. I miss the Leicas but damn I hate 35mm film!

I use my Palm Centro’s camera quite a bit — I wish it were a better camera but I don’t really see why it is any worse than a Holga? People love all that Lomo-Holga-Lensbaby crap.

Sooner or later somebody is going to call up and ask me to do some general-purpose photos for whatever. Even if I’m nearly broke I figure I can just run over to Best Buy and pick up a Nikon D60 (or whatever) and shoot the job with one of those. They do fine, they’re not perfect but for $500 they are nearly as capable as the “pro” models, at least for the way that I shoot. But I’m going to try to avoid doing that — I’d like to get my head into the tiny camera for awhile.

Right now the value of my cameras is hardly worth insuring, a far cry from a few years ago when I had to “have it all” so that I could shoot any job that came along. It’s a weight off my shoulders — I seriously think I should just rent cameras for the jobs that require “professional” gear.

Late June, 2009: Tired of the Ricoh GR-DII’s unlimited depth of field; bought a lovely classic Leica IIc with a 50/3.5 Elmar, shot a dozen rolls and sold it so I could take Shannon on trip; have a Canonet QL-17 on its way to me so I can use up some of the leftover 35mm film; and am using a Panasonic G1 with the 14-45 kit lens all the time, along with my trusty 4x5 Crown Graphic.) I gave the Stylus Epic to Shannon, who will get good photos with it by virtue of being a pretty girl — she likes shooting photos of the drunken louts who ask her out.)

I like the image quality from the Panasonic G-1, considering I paid only $450 used, it rivals a $1600 Nikon D300. I wish Panasonic released a fast prime lens early on, I will definitely get one as soon as they are available. And I wish they made a simpler “pro” camera with larger buttons, a metal body, and a fuller grip. That would be the “game-changer” ultimate digital camera to me.

~~~

What I have concluded from all of this is that the camera you use doesn’t matter — of course you want something of decent quality so it doesn’t fail, but it doesn’t have to be a Leica (or even a Nikon) — it is so much more important to use your camera as often as possible if you want to really become a photographer. If all of your photography money is tied up in cameras, it prevents you from having the resources to have experiences worth photographing. Experience — life — is what is important.

To close, here is a link to the ultimate in camera porn.

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