On Wed, 5 Dec 2001 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > I would like to introduce myself. I just recently found the PUG and > its message list/group. It looks interesting and so far the posts > have been educational (outside of the whole street imaging OT > threads).
Welcome to the list! It's actually a pretty fun and informative list most of the time, with a few occasional lapses into OT wars. > I have the following camera/equipment: > > Pentax PZ-20 > Pentax 28-80 f/3.5-4.7 SMC-FA (lens was dropped, still works, but held together with >duct tape) > Pentax 28-80 f/3.5-5.6 SMC-FA (just purchased used from B&H) > Pentax 70-200 f/4-5.6 SMC-FA > Pentax 100-300 f/4.5-5.6 SMC-FA > UV and Polarizer filters > Vivitar 285HV Thyristor w/ vari-power > Monopod > > I am testing different types of film - so far I've tried T400CN, T-Max > 400 (I used to shoot and develop this back in college), Portra 400 B&W > and am now onto slide films (Kodak E100VS to start, with more on the > way). I'm looking at posting to the PUG as well as starting to get > involved with my local camera group competitions. > > My subject matter is landscapes/outside, people and street photography > and maybe sports (local, town teams, etc). > > Question 1 > > Looking at my equipment, what would you suggest to be the next > purchase? A prime lens? A newer or better body? Which accessories? > (A tripod is scheduled to be purchased.) Why do you need more equipment? There's no one way to answer this, as you can make great photos with one body and one lens. Some general thoughts... (1) If you shoot sports (or anything else) for money, then you *need* a second body. This is not optional. If your main camera dies for any reason, then having a back-up body (even if it's a basic one) will let you continue shooting. (2) If you plan on making enlargements from your photos, or want to maximize their quality, pick up some prime lenses. The zooms you mention are okay if you're printing at smaller sizes, but they aren't capable of producing as sharp and distortion-free images as primes are. (3) As a general rule, think about what you're finding the limitations of your equipment to be. If you find that 28mm isn't wide enough, pick up a 24mm (or wider) prime. If you find that the quality of your shots isn't good enough when they are enlarged, pick up some primes. If you find that you wish your body had faster AF, more features, or whatever, look at newer bodies. It depends on what you want from your equipment. > Question 2 > I don't have a slide viewer, but want to continue with slide film. > Should I watch B&H/KEH for used viewers/projectors or should I lean > towards a light box? Whichever you prefer... or both. Would you like to give slide shows for other people, or are you okay with just looking at the slides on a light box with a good loupe? > Question 3 > Digital scanning...Should I look into purchasing a film scanner. If > so should I really go for one with ICE/FARE technology, or can I get > good results with a less expensive model without the dust removal, > etc? Money is a slight deterrent right now. Only you can answer the first part of this question. How do we know if you should get a film scanner??? I can tell you that the quality of the scanners is high enough that you shouldn't let concerns about the quality of the scans stop you from buying one. If you do get one, get one with the ICE (or similar) technology, as it can make a *huge* difference in the time you have to spend retouching each slide after the scan. > Question 4 > Printing from slides. If I get a scanner, which printer should I get > (I'm waiting for the results of the December print-off). Or can I get > my local lab to print prints from my slides? These would be to show > off around and keep a mini-portfolio for myself. There's no one printer that really jumps out in terms of quality and price. Epson, Canon, HP, etc. all make some really nice printers that are capable of producing very good results. As for whether your local lab can make prints from your slides, why not ask them? It's certainly possible, and many labs can do it, but I can't say whether or not your lab does, or what process they use to do so. chris - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
