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May 2019

02 May

Posted at 10:01h in Blog, Dick's Rant by [social_share]

I always wished I had an Auntie Zelda. She sounds like the sort of lady who would either make cinnamon rolls or get roaring drunk before noon. Both attractive prospects. How delightful, then, to see a Zelda in the Stirling Street accessory rack. In this case our old friends Three Legged Thing have added another L-bracket to their current line. And the name is quite significant. Put aside thoughts of the cinnamon rolls or F. Scott Fitgerald's wife - this Zelda is so named because she is a direct match for the new Nikon mirror-less Z cameras - the Nikon Z6 and Z7. As these are specific models, the bracket is specially cast for them. It is not one of the universal types that have internal rails to let it expand or contract. This is one size for the Nikon Z cameras. This specificity allows a very clever feature to be cast into the basic device - look at the post in the baseplate just behind the tripod screw. That fits into a special socket on the baseplate of the Nikon Z cameras...

01 May

Posted at 09:13h in Blog, Dick's Rant by [social_share]

I frequently pass by the Sigma racks in the storeroom but foolishly never stop to pluck something from the shelves. My fault, because I am missing some of the most intriguing lenses in the place. The shooters who use Canon or Nikon camera bodies get a better chance than I to test things out. And someone with a Nikon Full-frame DSLR will be the one to take an interest in today's lens. The dear old 105mm lens has been the mainstay of the portraitist for a long time - when mounted on a 24 x 36 camera it is perfect for head and shoulders and upper torso shots - such a good combination of focal length and depth of field that these lenses are frequently ground with a wide maximum aperture. f:2.8 is common and then it'll run up to f:1.4 in the premium ones. f:1.4 for this length is a sizeable chunk of melted sand and demands the best design for the resolution and freedom from distortion, It looks as though it also demands the best possible barrel mounting - this is...

25 Apr

Posted at 08:23h in Blog, Dick's Rant by [social_share]

I am amused these days when every product or service I see is preceded by the letter "i " in lower case. It is put there to suggest that the object is considered to be intelligent. I'm prepared to believe this but would like to point out to the manufacturers that this does no good at all when the purchaser's name starts with " D " for dumb. My first name is Dick...

23 Apr

Posted at 07:30h in Blog, Dick's Rant by [social_share]

And for those who follow Game Of Darkrooms, you'll know what this means; cold bathrooms, cold laundries, and cold darkrooms. Harder to keep processing solutions to recommended temperatures - slower processing times. Cold, stiff fingers. Family members banging on the bathroom/darkroom door demanding to use the facilities for something other than photography. Well, you'll have to sort out your family yourself - a Port-A-Loo in the back yard is a possibility - but Adox has a solution that will help in the darkroom; Neutol ECO paper developer. Adox has turned the corner of the analog revival and are making new premises for themselves while pumping out their versions of classic films and solutions. They make the Adonol that replaces the old Agfa Rodinol and now there is Neutool ECO back on the Camera Electronic shelf. Neutol and Neutol WA were always very good matches for many varied monochrome papers when they came out of Leverkusen. Now the Neutol ECO promises to be even more useful due to several factors: a. It is hydroquinone-free. It has no HAZMAT label problems and can be used by...

19 Apr

Posted at 09:59h in Blog, Dick's Rant by [social_share]

How you do anything has a great deal to do with the supplies you have available. Analog photography is no exception - and these days unfortunately the machinery and raw materials are getting scarcer. At this point I'd like to point out that at one time there was no such thing as analog photography - prior to 1826. Between that and 1975 there was only photography. Subsequently there has been digital as well. Which gives you pause...