Hello From New Zealand

[Robert Jaques]

Hello to everyone at APUG.

It great to find a site dedicated to film. My interest in photography is mainly colour slide film (Ocassionally some B&W). I like to shoot Landscape, Nature and Still Life. Up until recently I have used manual focus 35mm gear but have now aquired a 4X5 large format which I use for landscapes. The quality of 4x5 is simply stunning, I find my self using 35mm a lot less now though I still find it has a use (particularly for macro close ups).

I do not own a digital camera mainly because I have not been impressed with the image quality obtained from these devices and I think film is a safer storage device. I also don't like sitting at a computer for hours fiddling with images in photoshop and maintaining a relentless regime of image management which you need to have if you own a digital.
For printing however I can see the benefits of going digital and for colour work I think digital prints have proberly surpassed the quality of conventional analog printing methods (Cibachomes still look great). It think its great that photographers can utilise the strengths of both technologies today to create beautiful prints.

I look forward to contributing to this forum.

Cheers

Robert

 

[jd callow]

welcome.

If you think your 35mm is good for macro work wait until you do it w/ your 4x5.

Dead Link Removed​

 

[roteague]

If you think your 35mm is good for macro work wait until you do it w/ your 4x5

That's something I'm planning on trying out this weekend. I have old light meter that is designed to take readings off the ground glass, I'm going to take it out, calibrate it, and see what I can come up with.

 

[roteague]

Welcome Robert,

New Zealand is one of my favorite countries; I have a close friend living near Alexandra. Spent a couple of weeks there a few years ago, planning on an extended trip there next year.

 

[Robert Jaques]

If you think your 35mm is good for macro work wait until you do it w/ your 4x5.

I haven't tried close ups with large format yet but I thought that as lens resolution falls off at high magnifications and large format lenses have much lower resolution than 35mm that large format wouldn't be well suited to close ups. Am I wrong with this reasoning?

 

[TPPhotog]

Welcome Robert from another recent member, sure your have a wonderful time here. Also looking forward to some of those stunning views you have over there. First I've every heard of macro's with 4x5 so will look forward to those as well.

 

[roy]

Welcome Robert. We look forward to your pics.

 

[jd callow]

If you think your 35mm is good for macro work wait until you do it w/ your 4x5.

I haven't tried close ups with large format yet but I thought that as lens resolution falls off at high magnifications and large format lenses have much lower resolution than 35mm that large format wouldn't be well suited to close ups. Am I wrong with this reasoning?

Although some lenses are designed for macro work and others to be used at infinity. By design a lf camera is well suited to macro work. If an lf lens is not perfectly suitable for macro work the neg size more than makes up for it. I have done some very pleasing macro work with a nikkor 75mm f/4,5 sw. The image posted was of a bud that might have been the size of my thumb nail. The film was e100sw 120 cross processed and shot using a 6x9 roll film back on a sinar.

 

[roy]

By design a lf camera is well suited to macro work.

I am wondering if this is a thread that could be opened up, albeit in another section perhaps. I tend to get closer rather than take landscape shots and have an old 1/2 plate camera which is near enough 7x5". I would like to continue with my type of subject matter, which is photographing white flowers in b&w which I have done up to now using 35mm macro also Mamiya RB, which is suited to close work. Any advice on technique such as exposure adjustments and metering would be appreciated. Are we still looking at zone placements here ?

 

[Robert Jaques]

Nice Photo I like the bold colour.

 

[John McCallum]

Hello Robert and Welcome to APUG .

I feel I should mention Robert and I are friends here over the ditch, so I know how particular he is about macro photography. And with good reason, some of his macro work and landscape is the best I've seen.

 

[BWGirl]

Welcome Robert!

Looking forward to seeing your pics!

Jeanette