Great Australian
Images
A
quick look at the main equipment that I use
The
following provides a look at the main pieces of equipment that I use to capture
images. In the past I have tended to use two cameras for most of the work
I do. These are the Noblex panorama camera and the Nikon F100 35mm camera.
Whilst I will continue with the Noblex camera as the panorama format is my
favourite, I will be doing more work with the Horseman 4x5. This results from
the need to produce larger images.
The
Noblex panorama camera is technically an excellent piece of equipment. It contains
a revolving aperture that exposes the film via a 29mm lens. The image ratio
is 2.75:1 giving a nice wide angle of view. Whilst I use a tripod 99% of the
time, this camera is easily hand held for those images that do not lend themselves
to the use of a tripod. This is my work horse camera.
This
F100 is a great all round camera. For the majority of my landscape work I set
the F100 to manual and generally use a hand held light metre. This technique
enables me to create the image that I am looking for. Having said that, the
metering system on the camera is extremely reliable and gets used when time
does not permit hand metering. Children are a good example here. It was children
that caused me to use auto focus as they are too fast for my manual focusing
when shooting "wide open". As with the Noblex, I use a tripod with
this camera when shooting landscape images. Not only does this ensure pin sharp
photographs when using slow film like Velvia, but it slows me down and ensures
that I give adequate time to composition and the like.
Even
though I have had this camera for some time now, it has not been used very much.
This is about to change. The transparencies created by this camera have such
a tremendous impact on any viewer. Prints created from these scanned transparencies
hold a tremendous amount of information and enable very large prints containing
fine detail to be produced. Whilst it is possible to hand hold this camera,
a tripod is a must if the maximum benefit is to be obtained from a view camera
such as the Horseman. The set-up time with this camera is quite long, and as
focusing is carried out by looking at the image via a loupe on the ground glass
back, the whole area of exposure is inspected prior to making the image. This
reduces the chance of anything unwanted being included.
The
Mamiya 645 1000S is a very solid and very reliable piece of equipment that produces
extremely sharp images. Whilst it now gets limited use as I have been concentrating
on the panorama format, this will also change. I like the 6 x 4.5 format for
landscapes that don't call for a full panorama display. This is not a light
camera to take on location and really needs a tripod to ensure nice sharp images.
This
is a camera that was originally purchased for portrait work. Whilst the Hasselblad
500C does not see a lot of landscape work, I use it where a square format looks
good, as well as being a backup for the Mamiya 645. However, for portrait work
I just love this camera. Particularly in a studio environment
As a backup to the Nikon F100 I use an F65. This is a light weight 35mm camera
that is compatible with the lens used on the F100. Whilst not as sophisticated
as the F100 it takes excellent photos and is more than suitable for the purpose
for which it was obtained.
When heading off on location my equipment is packed
into a Lowpro Photo Trekker. The basic fit out shown here is the Nikon F100
and F65 plus the Noblex panorama camera. A range of filters for use with
transparencies is carried along with three filters for black and white work.
An SB28 flash is included for use on the Nikon cameras if required. Several
lenses are available with some visible in the above photo, and others below
the flash cover in the centre partition. Also shown is a light meter used
for incident readings.
Various
accessories are stored on the top of the pack. These include such items as
spare batteries, filter rings, small torch, compass, and lens cleaner. Not
shown, but kept in the Lowpro, is a book for keeping information relating
to each exposure.
When
using the medium or large format cameras the configuration of part of the
pack is altered. At times I might carry a second bag - location permitting.
My
main tripod is a Manfrotto 079 with a 029 Mk2 head. This is a solid combination
that satisfies most of the work I do. It has stood in sand, creeks, and salt
water for about 15 years now, and is still going strong.
And
finally, my venture into digital photography. With a view to testing the water
before making the plunge I obtained a Nikon Coolpix 5000. This is a fine camera
to explore the digital world with. It comes with a good range of features
that produces photographs in excess of A4. To compliment the digital camera
in this move into the digital world I use an Imacon Flextight Photo to scan
negatives and transparencies. An excellent piece of equipment.
