 David Coombes |
Bronica, Velvia 100f and MLU Hi, I've been messing with a bronica sq for landscape shots and I'm not at all happy with the sharpness of my images. Quite often I am shooting in the danger zone ( 1/15...) I'm using a tripod and a cable to trip the camera but I'm still getting softer images that I'd expect to see. This thing kicks like a mule which I assume is the problem. The other part of the equation is I'm using velvia 100f and an epson4810 scanner.. but I've been fairly impressed with the results from the scanner using ilford hp5 from a 50 year old russian folder... Velvia100f slides from that camera look soft too though... so I'm wondering if its too saturated for the scanner or maybe 100f just isn't that great.. I think I'll try a different film in the camera and then either give up ( on the bronica) or buy a body with the mlu? Has anyone been down this road before me? Cheers
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Andrew Laverghetta |
I only know one part of the equation and that's the film. I used Fuji Velvia 100F 35mm for all over last semester for my photo class with a Canon Rebel GII and usually a 50mm f/1.8 lens. My pictures were really sharp, even projecting them through some cheap university equipment and through a sheet of glass to about 8-10 feet on a projection screen at the front of the class. What I'm saying is, I don't think it's the film. How does your lens look?
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Kerry L. Walker |
If you are only having this problem at low shutter speeeds, sounds like it may be shake caused by the mirror. With Bronica exiting the market, you may be able to pick up an SQ-A pretty cheap.
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David Coombes |
Glad you like the film! The lens looks good as far as I can tell but at 1/15 I can see the camera move and hear the waistlevel finder wobble... Its got a huge mirror... I guess I'll try an mlu body and see if that helps!
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Andrew Laverghetta |
Yeah, I feel dumb now. I totally forgot about the shutter speed part of it. I guess I figured the tripod would take care of it, unless it's not as stable as it could be.
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David Coombes |
Well the fact that you like the film helps me a lot! I think there a bunch of variables at work... the camera wobble being the worst.. My scanner isn't the greatest either but I was thinking once I got some sharp slides I'd get them scanned properly. Its ironic because conventional wisdom says medium format is a leap up in quality but I'm not seeing it yet... Its a lot more demanding on every level. Cheers
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Andrew Laverghetta |
Depending on what kind of scanner you're using, you may check to see if there's a manual focus option. Some popular photo magazing (don't remember the name) has a section called The Fix and I think they had a scan from a slide that wasn't mounted as well as it could have been and they decided to focus on the most important part manually or at least choose the point of focus themselves and that helped I guess. Maybe try that?
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David Coombes |
I got so frustrated with the scanner at one point that I cut a 6*6 down to fit in a 35 mm slide carrier and fed it into my coolscan... it was better than the flat bed but definitely the slide isn't sharp... and I think its not the films fault. Going to try bolting the camera to something heavy... like a car battery... see if that solves the problem :-P Dave
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John A. Lind |
I use medium format regularly . . . a 645 Mamiya . . . with MLU . . . likely as heavy a beast with very nearly as large a mirror. It requires a sturdy tripod to eliminate shake! I have yet to see a garden variety, consumer department store tripod that can hold a medium format properly. Check out the Bogen (aka Manfrotto) line of tripods and heads . . . and go up one notch from the very bottom of their line to find tripods and heads that can support medium format well . . . should be rated at least for 10 lbs. Satch how you're using the cable release . . . that can also jar the camera if you don't leave some flex in it and push the plunger slowly. The alternative for a very flexible cable relese . . . for non-moving subjects when timing isn't critical . . . is using the self-timer in addition to the MLU. The most flexible remote release least likely to induce any camera shake is an air type that has a rubber bulb and thin hollow neoprene tube. Squeezing the bulb forces air through the tube and pushes a piston at the shutter release end. -- John Lind
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Kevin Ekstrom |
Yea, I own a Bronica ETRS. You need a very stable and sturdy tripod. You should be able to get sharp, spot on images with the Bronica. I never have had a problem.
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