A medium format and tech camera newbie gets started (P40+ and Rm3D)

[Guy Mancuso]

I really like the idea of the use of the Lasers. I tried to guess a few times and I am pretty good at short distances . I was off more times than not. The Leica Disto 5 looks like a photographers friend to me.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

this is really a great strength of this camera!

However it's not impossible to hit focus with other tech cameras...
At closer distances focussing on the ground glass works really accurate for me. The real challenge are farther distances close but not quite ininity.
I came up with this workaround ... the increments are still quite rough but it works really well... as long as my laser distometer works.
(in case that the snapshot is too soft... I taped additional indications on the lens and listed them on the side of the lens panel. In this case 4 indications for 12, 16, 27 and 50 meters distances on the 70HR lens).

Very nice idea here very nice indeed

 

[thomas]

Very nice idea here very nice indeed

thanks! just a "classical" workaround.
You can also make indications for DOF... i.e. an indication from where on infinity is sharp at f11 or f16 or so (on the 70HR my 50 meters indication also works like this).

I am curious about the new Alpa focus rings that will be introduced at Photokina. I guess they will adress the issue with the too wide and too inaccurate focus indications on the traditional focus rings.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Yes looking forward to Alpa's announcements as well and see what they have up there sleeve. I want to get a system someday and maybe end of the year I can pull the trigger on something.

What I am impressed about this one is Terry never using one of these before already able to get going so fast. Threads like this make my day.

 

[thomas]

BTW... Terry, make sure to download the "Alpa Lens Corrector" (it's free!).
There is a profile for your P40+ & 35XL.

 

[Don Libby]

Welcome to the wonderful world of technical camera photography; I love using mine and I certain you will too.

I can't help but feel using a technical camera has helped me getting better landscape images as these aren't the type of camera where you simply pick up point and shoot.

Best of luck and keep sharing the images!

Don

 

[Jack]

On the Rm3D - as far as my understanding goes - you can also set up the camera to a subject that is, say, 5 meters away (exactly 5 meters). Now set the lens to the respective value and take a capture. See if focus hits the right spot. If not, figure out how to compensate... If the compensation is, say, 5 steps more (or less) you can use those plus/minus 5 steps for all distances and all lenses (as long as they are accurately adjusted ex factory).

Exactly -- the distance you use to calibrate is irrelevant, since the scale is linear. If it's plus one point off at 3 meters, it will be plus one point off at infinity.

Sidebar note: The helical itself is about 4-1/2 inches in diameter and scaled with 34 index points each about 1CM apart. Hence "estimating" the 0.1 point increments is pretty easy as each one is basically 1mm of travel on the ring...

 

[Jack]

BTW... Terry, make sure to download the "Alpa Lens Corrector" (it's free!).
There is a profile for your P40+ & 35XL.

Her lens came packaged with a flash drive with the correction software on it direct from Schneider -- However, it's virtually irrelevant if using C1 and LCC...

 

[kdphotography]

If you've read this far.... if you thought the cube instructions were pretty funny considering the product price....be prepared the Rm3d instructions are very similarly presented.

Considering the Cube instructions and having the Cube seemingly fall apart in my hands on adjusting one of the screws a half-turn too much----I can't imagine the angst of turning an adjustment screw and having the Rm3d completely implode.... Did it come with a nice black corrugated cardboard box?

Congratulations----you certainly didn't waste anytime on acquiring two great platforms!

 

[thomas]

Her lens came packaged with a flash drive with the correction software on it direct from Schneider -- However, it's virtually irrelevant if using C1 and LCC...

Jack, the Alpa Lens Corrector doesn't correct light falloff and/or color cast. It corrects distortion. It can also correct distortion on captures taken with shift (consequently you can also use it when you are stitching multiple images). IQ is outstanding - you see literally no image degradation.

 

[Jack]

Okay, got it.

 

[David K]

Terry, best of luck with your new kit. You've come a long way, baby !!!

 

[Terry]

Learning Day Two -
Have to work on framing. Not used a viewfinder that sits so high....I need a step!
The fog rolled in a little too much to make a good effort at the lighthouse itself....then a quarter mile down the road where I couldn't turn around the light was amazing LOL

And some close focus practice (four feet to the vertical on the anchor)

 

[Terry]

Oh and I learned a lesson in Phase WB yesterday....I had it on auto from the night before when I was playing with settings and seeing how it did in my apartment on Tungsten vs Auto...lesson....don't use auto. I've cleaned up the color on my shots from yesterday and they are a lot better now.

 

[thomas]

And some close focus practice (four feet to the vertical on the anchor)

Terry, to my eyes (based on that web image) you got back focus in this image.
Focus seems to be behind the anchor...

 

[Terry]

Thomas. I may have grabbed the wrong file. I did a series at different points. However, since posting last night I've made my way from San Francisco to Philadelphia and can't check anything until Monday.

Edit - I was on my iPhone before and didn't see your red circles. When I was in C1 and looked at focus (using the function where you can see the best contrast, on most of them the area in your left circle was showing up in focus but so was the ice plant surrounding the "vertical" portion of the anchor. Again, I will have a look when I get back to SF also I still need to go through my calibration process. Next weekend I should have two full days to concentrate on it instead of an hour here and there for the last two days at work.

Very excited with using the whole setup....

 

[yaya]

Nice One Terry!

Be sure to master the LCC process as this will help you get even cleaner results, colour wise

yair

 

[tokengirl]

Wow! Well that certainly explains why you were selling off all that gear.

Congratulations! Now we just need to get you a 6X9 film back for that puppy.

 

[Terry]

Wow! Well that certainly explains why you were selling off all that gear.

Congratulations! Now we just need to get you a 6X9 film back for that puppy.

:ROTFL: that was just the random gear. Waiting for all Photokina announcements to figure out if my small system is M4/3 or NEX. Then there will be a whole new round of purging.

Film what is that????? Won't happen! :ROTFL:

 

[PeterA]

It takes some time to figure this or that out with a totally new system...
all the bells and whistles that go with these cameras - control over time gets added to the pure joy of using such great examples of industrial technology ..

I am fascinated by the Arca - it is a pity down here that I can't get my hands on one to compare against the artec. that being said - I have my Alpa gear for hyperfocal focussing using wides which is plenty easy for me anyway - and will probably go with artec for the inbuilt ground glass for wide and longer ...

ultimately the limit of using the shifts and tilts is the small viewing area on gound glass ..getting to know and feel this gear is a steep learnign curve..

looking forward to your images and journey TEB! ( maybe a tech camera forum makes sense?!!)

cheers.