[rollei_list] Re: OT: Getting into 4x5 for the first time...

I guess it's price is high because it is a college textbook and focal press 
books are somewhat expensive.  We used to use the Stone book here, but it is 
now over $70!!  We use the Simmons book now at $24.95.    VCT by Stroebel will 
always be THE book on view camera for me, having had Stroebel for several 
classes at RIT, and as my thesis advisor.  He is legendary - do you recall the 
John Houseman role in "Paper Chase" where he plays an imposing law professor of 
Harvard first year law students?  That is the stature of Les Stroebel.  Very 
quiet and dignified, authoritative, and above all, a most excellent teacher.  
As a student of Stroebel, it wasn't ever good enough to just know the answer - 
he made sure that you really understood the principle involved.  



We once had a Friday guest lecture from a representative from Linhof.  He made 
some statement about circle of confusion or something when a calm quiet voice 
from the rear asked if he didnt mean X instead of the Y he stated.  The Linhof 
dude reiterated Y.  20 minutes or so later he stated Y again to which the same 
calm voice asked again if he didnt mean X.  Joe Linhof said yes, Leslie 
Stroebel in View Camera Technique says blah blah blah Y.  To which the calm 
quiet voice replied, "but I AM Leslie Stroebel"




I actually went to court with Stroebel - a classmate bought a convertible lens 
from an upperclasswoman who ripped him off - NO rear element, and he didnt 
recognize this til we showed him.  Friend sued in small claims court and 
Stroebel accompanied us as expert witness showing the judge how the lens 
focused at longer than marked focal length because it was a convertible lens 
without the rear element.




Sorry if this was TMI !!  Stroebel has written or contributed greatly to many 
photo books including Dictionary of Contemporary Photography, Materials and 
Processes of Photography (we called M&P "Misery and Pain of Photography" - it 
was our equivalent to Paper Chase's Harvard 1L class!




Bob

RIT '79


-----Original Message-----
From: Jeff Kelley <jlkphoto@xxxxxxxxx>
To: rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Thu, 27 Mar 2008 2:30 pm
Subject: [rollei_list] Re: OT: Getting into 4x5 for the first time...








Mark,


 


Since I already have the Minolta thingamabob, I figured it might be worth 
toying with but it's already obvious there's too much stuff to deal with as it 
is.  I stepped on the scales with the Sinar kit in the case and it is 22 lbs.  
I sould be figuring out how to remove weight, not add more!



 


I played with bellows factors 30 years ago with 35mm Yashica, but will have to 
relearn some of this manual camera stuff.  I just got a copy of the Steve 
Simmons book.  


 


Anyone know why the Stroebel book is $60+?
http://tinyurl.com/2gy5sb



That's college textbook territory!


 


Jeff



On Thu, Mar 27, 2008 at 11:06 AM, Mark Rabiner <mark@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:








Jeff - 
No, no need to recalibrate for different lenses.  Dont know personally how well 
the Sinar meter works - they were always terribly even ridiculously expensive - 
I have always used a handheld light meter and then corrected for bellows 
extension if necessary, and for reciprocity law failure for long exposure if 
necessary.


Bob




I've never heard of anybody any good using them. Not even on the internet.
Run around and Take spot readings. "down spot down"

And run out and take an incident reading from the subject.
Add them up and divide by the lowest common denominator.
A tripod frees you to do all that stuff.
Climb out from behind that ground glass and smell the roses.



And learn the bellows factor thing. Its easy. 





Mark William Rabiner
markrabiner.com

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