The modern position with 4X5...

Bobbo · Post by **Bobbo** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 8:57 am Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Quentin,

Thank you for your interesting and informative post. I was not aware of the Howtek scanners and will investigate.

I noticed the link to the ScanHi-End Yahoo group on your website so I have lots to do!

Lee,

Thanks for your interesting message,.....I see you are in the N.W.....How much are you paying for good drum scans, if I might ask?

Thanks again both.

Bobbo · Post by **Bobbo** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 7:55 am Etc/GMT-1+01:00

For anyone who, like me, has a particular interest in this topic and seeks help and guidance in determining whether 4X5 is the worthwhile course in the current state of technology,.....Here is a link to a thread on 'Photo.net' which is getting quite interesting....

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fet ... 0HpVz&tag=

Richard Kelham · Post by **Richard Kelham** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 6:54 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Bobbo wrote:Thinking I might look around for a lighter camera and ideally a SEI spot photometer (I was trained in it's use and miss it despite the 30 year gap!!)

Bobbo

There was an SEI photometer on eBay a few weeks back – so there are still a few of them around.

I too have been lugging an MPP around the hills and dales recently; nice camera. I used a Sekonic L398 meter which is the old swivel top analogue type (with no batteries) which I find perfectly adequate and easy to maintain.

I recently asked a friend to scan a B&W neg on his Epson 4870 – it produced a 96mb 8-bit file which is about the limit my computer can handle!

Richard

Bobbo · Post by **Bobbo** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 8:07 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Hi Richard,...thanks for the message,

Yes, I was watching that SEI on ebay but it suddenly seemed to dissapear so i assume the seller removed the auction. In searching the web it seems that the spot photometer is still in demand and is being modernised by a couple of people as a side-line to other business,.....by fitting modern 'LED' bulbs etc.

I need to research these Sekonic meters as they have come on 'big-time' since my previous photo incarnation,...its a brand name which I associated with really cheap and nasty selenium meters back in the 60's.

I'm currently testing an Epson 3490 scanner Which does not really cover 4X5 with it's light source, and hope to borrow a 4870 for testing soon.

I was out you way today while wearing one of my other hats but stopped off at Pakenham on the way back to shoot the windmill....

Lee Turner · Post by **Lee Turner** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 9:00 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Bobbo wrote:
Lee,

Thanks for your interesting message,.....I see you are in the N.W.....How much are you paying for good drum scans, if I might ask?

Thanks again both.

Bobbo, the guy charges £10 for a high res LF scan, up to a 8x10 neg. I had a look at some of his scans the other day and they 4x5's are quite stunning.

Apple · Post by **Apple** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 9:30 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Bobbo,

If you're looking for a relatively simple spotmeter, lots of people swear by the Pentax Digital Spotmeter or the older Spotmatic V which is analogue. These are ambient light only (no flash measurement) and are completely manual operation - no whizzbang electronic modes to confuse you! Press the trigger and it gives you a reading in the viewfinder which you transfer to a ring on the outside and get you shutter speed / aperture combination - simple.

Sekonic and Minolta meters are fine as they do reflected / incident and ambient / flash measurments / calculations.

IMO keep away from the Gossen Starlite as I have one and it was more bother than it was worth - that's why I got the Pentax Digital and a Zone VI sticker giving me the zone system tone placings. It's relatively a doddle now

Andrew