advice on a portrait setup

[Graham Mitchell]

I love the 110mm f2 (Rollei mount) lens and use it frequently. If you shoot it wide open you do need good eyes and technique to avoid missing too many shots. When you nail it, the results are wonderful.

 

[homeiss]

Ah, I missed the part where you said available light. Mirror lock up should help with mirror slap. I shoot with an RB67+ZD; at 1/60 or slower I use the MLU and get great results.

I like that idea on how to focus for portraits with the Alpa. I look forward to seeing the results.

 

[dizzyg44]

If you want to avoid a big investment, an old AFD/I/II/III and the 150 3.5

The 150 3.5 can be had for really cheap yet renders beautifully. I think I got mine for under $300 and it's nauseatingly sharp and very creamy bokeh. I can only dream of how good the 150 D is though.

Also, if you go DF. The Paul C. Buff Cybersyncs can sync at full 1/1600th with no light loss as well (I'm sure others would cringe just on the name but they're inexpensive, and damn reliable and small, and not sold by the DMF dealers so obviously they'll tell you they suck haha)

 

[kdphotography]

If you want to avoid a big investment, an old AFD/I/II/III and the 150 3.5

The 150 3.5 can be had for really cheap yet renders beautifully. I think I got mine for under $300 and it's nauseatingly sharp and very creamy bokeh. I can only dream of how good the 150 D is though.

Also, if you go DF. The Paul C. Buff Cybersyncs can sync at full 1/1600th with no light loss as well (I'm sure others would cringe just on the name but they're inexpensive, and damn reliable and small, and not sold by the DMF dealers so obviously they'll tell you they suck haha)

Dan, this is probably the least expensive and most reasoned approach (this type of thinking doesn't belong in Dante's Forum...). No doubt it has more flexibility in different situations and be relatively easy to focus. It's just so much more fun to spend other people's money, albeit acquiring much more capable equipment.

If you do go this route with the older generation Mam/Phase bodies, remember to use only Energizer Lithium AAs, as they for some reason address the slight power draw issue and last longer.

For the DF, it's true---the Cybersyncs do work for high flash sync, but not bulletproof quite. Pita with batteries (coin watch type) which aren't as easily available, and extras should be packed along. The Einstein monolights do have a short flash duration so work well in this regard.

ken

 

[JoshMerwin]

I also think the cheapest option would be an older Mamiya body AFD/I/II/III and a used MF 120 macro. I used that almost exclusively for portraits when I had a mimya/Leaf Aptus 22 setup.

 

[danlindberg]

I really appreciate all of your advice here. Excellent. Thanks!

 

[dizzyg44]

Dan, this is probably the least expensive and most reasoned approach (this type of thinking doesn't belong in Dante's Forum...). No doubt it has more flexibility in different situations and be relatively easy to focus. It's just so much more fun to spend other people's money, albeit acquiring much more capable equipment.

If you do go this route with the older generation Mam/Phase bodies, remember to use only Energizer Lithium AAs, as they for some reason address the slight power draw issue and last longer.

For the DF, it's true---the Cybersyncs do work for high flash sync, but not bulletproof quite. Pita with batteries (coin watch type) which aren't as easily available, and should be packed along. The Einstein monolights do have a short flash duration so work well in this regard.

ken

I speak from probably being the most broke and cheapest guy in this section so I speak from what I've used

Definitely agree on the batteries, Eneloops also do very well also.

For the Cybersyncs, i disagree. I've never had issues with them or finding batteries. Wal-mart/BestBuy/local drug store/RadioHack etc all had them every time I've perused. I have three of them and only have had to replace 2 batteries in 2 years. The only thing I do not like is lack of a good battery indicator, usually you know it's dieing when your lights start randomly firing. The CyberCommander on the other hand has been a total PITA for me though it's one of the very first ones. Crappy made and only goes to ISO50 on it's meter. Hopefully the updated version is more reliable.

btw, you can by 4 transmitters for the price of 1 profoto Air transmitter or a transmitter and a couple receivers.

 

[alan_w_george]

Forget the DF for Children. It is too slow for this.

For chasing around an event or the house, I would agree. But for a formal studio situation, the DF does an excellent job with with childern, IMO.

 

[OliverM]

I use an alpa with 35 and 60 mm lenses for landscapes and love the sharpness, colors and DOF.
For portraits, I never reached what I get from my contax 645 and 45/55/80/120 mm lenses. Not only it is difficult to focus accurately with the alpa, I don't use the leica d4 laser on people, but even so, the contax gives a smoother transition between in and off focus areas, isolating the subject with a 3D look on the picture. I find portrait with alpa more "technical", less organic in general.
I use the same back on both cameras (sinar 54 lv).
I use the waist vf, that I really like for portraits. The 120 manual focusing is easy to achieve. I also noticed that the relation with people is more relaxed with this kind of vf.
The only issues are that you take some risks when moving the back between cameras, and that you have to carry 2 cameras when you travel.

I can get very nice portraits with the D3x, easier to use, higher iso, etc. But again not in the same league than the contax/sinar.
Yes I can take 100 good pictures with the nikon in situations where the contax couldn't work, but the 5 pictures I make with contax are the ones I like to look at again and again.

My 2 cents only.
Oliver