I have a further question about FoV and light meters.
We talked about DoF equivalencies earlier. I know I can use some of the online calculators to do specific calculations, but is there a general way to equate a lens between formats in a practical sense. DoF concerns aside, what does a 45 on 6x7 equate to in 35mm terms? Or a 65 on 6x6?
A question about light meters: what is a good one to look at for this application. I was thinking of getting a new sekonic for a while now, but if there is a cheaper alternative that will tide me over, I should consider that.
Will a vintage light meter work with all makes/formats?
Joe,
As a longtime Pentax 67 user, I would stay away from the old non-MLU body. Parts are no longer available. For landscape type work, you'll want MLU anyway. It's easy to figure equivalent FOV with 6x7, just divide the 67 lens focal length by 2. For example, a 200mm lens on the pentax will give approximately the same FOV as a 100mm lens on a 35mm camera.
I usually handhold my RZ. With a neckstrap and a WLF, it really is easy to handle. You don't need the hand grip, the motor drive, or the prism. And, honestly, compared to my 1v with a grip and a lens, it isn't that much heavier. For fun, I just compared, my RZ is 5.1 lbs, my 1v walkaround setup is 4.7 lbs. There's the proof.
Joe; a lightmeter is a lightmeter, really. User interface can differ, as can features, but as long as it is accurate, that is all the matters. The old selenium meters are nice and cheap, but the quality is unpredictable, some have dead cells, which isn't worth fixing. However, the good ones are just a reliable as the battery powered ones. I used to use a Sekonic L-38 selenium meter until I got a meter with more functions with my RZ, it worked fine. Some good inexpensive meters are the Gossen Luna-pro, the Polaris Flash meter, the Sekonic Twinmate, and the classic Norwood Director/Sekonic L398. If you're going to be shooting with your 5D, you can just use that as a meter as well. Just remember to set the ISO to the film correctly!
I can't imagaine trying to handhold a view camera! That just looks insane. When I see things like that I feel spoiled and I feel like a brat for thinking my 85L won't focus fast enough or is soft at 1.2. On second thought, he does look like he is shooting a 4x5. I have an 8x10 and there is no way I would attempt that.
As far as mf goes, it is very fun and easy to get into if you shop around and read. Like many have mentioned hear, the pentax 67 is probably the best bargain out there. I love the fact that it has leaf shutters in some lenses. To me that is amazing.
My friend used to shoot with a RB and it was, well, big. You could drop it, pick it back up and continue shooting.
I have a rollei 3.5 with a zeiss lens that I picked up off of ebay for $100. I cleaned it up, put a new mirror in it and I am waiting to put a brighter screen in it but I like the square format.
If you just want to have some fun, grab a brownie hawkeye. Search that on flickr and you will see some pretty nice stuff. I got one for $2.
I use a l-758dr light meter only because I got a deal on it. Any light meter will do you good.
joekraft wrote:
I'd like a little advice. I have a line on a pentax setup at a price I was looking for, but it is not an MLU unit. I have a landscape project in mind, and I am wondering how to value MLU. Is the mirror slap so great that even on a tripod I can't hope to get a sharp picture without MLU, or when is it really required? If people reply saying that MLU was really only necessary on 5% of their shots or something, I might go for it. Otherwise, I'll hold off. Thanks!
The major advantage of MLU is not MLU itself but serviceability. Pentax still services the MLU bodies but does not service the pre-MLU bodies.
MLU is a big win for landscapes at slower shutter speeds. Especially down below 1/125
Not all light meters are the same so I completely disagree that "a lightmeter is a lightmeter". The old selenium meters that do not require a battery are very slow to react to changes in light conditions. Furthermore, they are not accurate at all in very low light. Stay away from them if you can afford even a basic, battery operated seilicon or CdS meter.
joekraft wrote:
I have a further question about FoV and light meters.
We talked about DoF equivalencies earlier. I know I can use some of the online calculators to do specific calculations, but is there a general way to equate a lens between formats in a practical sense. DoF concerns aside, what does a 45 on 6x7 equate to in 35mm terms? Or a 65 on 6x6?
Here are equivalent 35mm focal lengths for various formats:
I'm pretty excited. At the risk of ruining the puzzle for someone, it is a c330 pro-s. Got a decent deal on a unit locally from craigslist. The seller wants to spend more time with his RB67, so sold the 6x6.
I came across a posting in a blog this week coincidentally, the author of which does mostly, if not exclusively, film work. The posting was about how liberating digital is, all the shooting you can do for free, without having to develop film, etc.
Funny how I am looking forward to escape from the megapixel race for awhile.
I have a lot of research to do still based on some of the postings here, but I can't wait to run my first roll through this one.
Thanks. I wasn't totally sure what to expect. I liked the concept, but from the pictures, it looked like maybe a lot of knobs jutting out. But the build quality is great, weight is just right, and dialing in the focus is just as cool as I hoped it would be. Totally exceeds my expectations. Now I just have to live up them myself, no mean feat there
Tariq Gibran wrote:
Not all light meters are the same so I completely disagree that "a lightmeter is a lightmeter". The old selenium meters that do not require a battery are very slow to react to changes in light conditions. Furthermore, they are not accurate at all in very low light. Stay away from them if you can afford even a basic, battery operated seilicon or CdS meter.
And CDS cells die over time and can be impossible to replace. I try to stay away from them since I have 2 Pentax Spotmatics with inoperable CDS cells.
I think Adams did use either the digital version or maybe its analog predecessor. An outfit called Zone something produced a calibrated version of the digital meter and also one can get a stick-on zone system-friendly chart for the meter.
Very addictive are handheld meters if you shoot high DR scenes...I remember John Shaw saying he still used one long after he came to trust the Nikon's in-camera meter.
User interface can differ, as can features, but as long as it is accurate, that is all the matters. The old selenium meters are nice and cheap, but the quality is unpredictable, some have dead cells, which isn't worth fixing. However, the good ones are just a reliable as the battery powered ones. I used to use a Sekonic L-38 selenium meter until I got a meter with more functions with my RZ, it worked fine. Some good inexpensive meters are the Gossen Luna-pro, the Polaris Flash meter, the Sekonic Twinmate, and the classic 
On second thought, he does look like he is shooting a 4x5. I have an 8x10 and there is no way I would attempt that.