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Chockstone Forum - Gear Lust / Lost & Found

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Topic Date User

camera gear 6-Jan-2005 At 5:03:14 PM bapak

Message

Hi JCP (thought you were "Mighty Mouse" for a moment)

## My 2 Bobs Worth (some of this is in one of my earlier postings)

(a) 35mm Slide/Neg Scanners. Check the http://kenrockwell.com as well.

* As per Neil's post = you only get what you pay for = save up for a good scanner !
* "Bulk Scanning" is tedious, some have auto feeders for > 50 slides @ 10 minutes
each @ High res = you load up at night & wake up to a completed batch.
* I use a Epson 2400 DPI @ home for Images I want to see on a Computer
VGA Screen/Email/Burn on CDROM = files between 100K and 2 Mbytes.
* As per Fat Boy's post = you get better images from scanning from an enlargement
than the Tranny/Neg via a Flat Bed Scanner. I prefer to use 8" x 12" prints to scan from.
* For poster size enlargements from Digital Files I have Trannys/Negs scanned on
Drum Scanner (Pegasus Machine) ICW having them enlarged = 75 Mbyte Files.
* Drum Scanning = Expensive process as they need help to pay for the $50K Scanner
= Labs charge $10 to $30 per Drum Scan, some will include with processing if you are
having an image printed.

(b) Tripods.

* Manfrotto gear is good, robust, not that light & not that cheap.
* Good, light & rubust tripods = more expensive again ! ($1K for my LF set up)
* I use a "mid range" slik carbon fibre tripod & small Manfrotto ball head
for long haul hiking/landscape work = around $300 all up.

(c) Underwater Housings for SLR's & Underwater Photography.

* Underwater Photography is one of the most advanced money hoovers available !
* I curently use a Subal system dedicated to Nikon F90X. (very versatile, eay to use)
* Total "System" (new) = around $10K for Housing/Ports & 2 x SB104 Strobes/Arms/etc
* You can pick up S/H Housings with a single port for arouynd $1K but will need to be
serviced & pressure tested.
* Suggest buying a S/H Nikonos/TTL Nikonos Flash, have them serviced & Dive.
* If you are only skin diving ther "bag" option is a good compromise.
* I have been Diving/Shooting UW for 20 yrs & (no matter how careful you are) every
3 to 5 years/50 dives "something" (camera/strobe) has a drink of salt water = adds
another $3K to $5K to travel budget.
* Am currently considering selling my Subal Gear/Strobes/Diving Gear as my
GP has warned me re diving with asthma = considers Rock Climbing to be much safer !!

Steve.M :-)