Some time ago while going through some files, I came across an old negative that brought back memories. It was a close-up of a flower taken with an old folding roll film camera we had around the house. I was 15 years old with no budget for equipment but I had a library book showing the elemental design of a camera. I discovered that I could make a ground glass by removing the film and taping a piece of tissue paper across the film plane. I found an old pair of eyeglass lenses, which I used to make a close-up lens, and held them in place with scotch tape. I carefully measured the distance from the lens to the focus point, removed the tissue paper, loaded a fresh roll of film, and shot the entire roll at the same 5 inch distance.
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Agfa folding camera |
Over the years my equipment has gotten better. When I signed on with the Geographic, I was told I could have anything within reason and one thing not within reason. I was using Leica cameras at the Toledo Blade newspaper where I had been working and wanted to continue with them. Bud Wisherd, who was in charge of the equipment at that time, gave me a Nikon F which he suggested I try. I took it and used it primarily for close-ups and extra long lens shots. Eventually I had two systems. Nikons got better. I vividly recall a row of engineers from Nikon sitting and taking notes about what we liked and didn't like about their cameras. We'd make a comment such as "the rewind lever is too sharp and cuts our finger." A year later, the new model came out with a broader rewind lever with the end covered with plastic. The engineers would be back and would ask, "Here is our new camera, how you like it?" And year after year, the cameras would improve. Nikon's competitors brought their new models too but with the attitude, "Here is our new camera, you will like it."
Eventually, I switched to Nikon and use them for virtually all my work. Currently I'm using a D2xs as my primary cameras. I have a battery of other equipment for specialized work which I consider tools and select the best one for the job.These include conventional Nikons, Leicas, a Pentax 6x7 system, Fujiwide 6x17, and a Linhof Super Technica. One of my favorite lenses is Nikon's 35mm f2 - it's super sharp, fast, light weight, and focuses to inches. I suggest it's often faster to back up a few steps to get a wider view or to step closer a few steps to get closer view. I'm not fond of most zoom lenses, however the Nikons new 70-200 f 2.8 VR lens is spectacular. Other Nikon lenses range from 10.5 mm to 500.
My darkroom has been used for storage during the past 6 years, since my switch to digital printing. In the office I use a PowerMac G5 with 2 gigs of ram and in the field I use a G4 Powermac and an IBM 600x (battery eating) laptop. For scanning, I use a Nikon LS4000 35mm scanner guided by Lasersoft scanning software which gives me scans approaching high end drum machines. The same software controls my Epson 836 Expression flat bed scanner, my LS8000, and an Epson 4990 flat bed. Images are viewed on an Eizo F980, and a Mac 23 inch flat screen monitor. Both are calibrated with Moncaco's software. Prints are viewed on a Soft-View calibrated transparency/print viewer. Support equipment includes 3 300 gig Maxtor drives.
Most of my printing is done on myEpson 4800. For large prints I have an Epson 10000 set up with pigment inks and calibrated for luster paper. Mat prints are made on an Epson 9600. Both of these printers are playing second fiddle to my 24inch Epson 7800. Other printers include Epson's 2400 and an R800 for printing on CD's or DVD's.
I have a LaserJet 4 printer for high speed black and white and I still use my Epson 1280, which matches my monitor within a few cc's, to produce my most accurate color match prints.