ABOUT ME

I live in a camper van with a West Highland Terrier for company.
My passion is creating images but it is a work in progress.
I am always willing to share what knowledge I have and can be contacted through the comments on this post or e-mail ADRIAN
ALL IMAGES WILL ENLARGE WITH A LEFT CLICK

Sunday 30 September 2012

ESOTERIC OR EXOTERIC. (30/09/12)

These two words have opposite meanings…..I love playing with similar sounding words. My favourite pair are oscillation and osculation. This is going to be an esoteric post. Esoteric means understood by a few….bear with me as the subject today is so esoteric it fails to include your host. I’m going to stop using these Eso and Exo words before I get them muddled up.

About a year ago I fell upon hard times and sold all my Olympus gear with the exception of an old E-3 and a prime 25mm lens.

As I’ve mentioned before finance should be available soon to allow me to get some decent equipment. I love editing stills….I hate editing video. I want a still camera. I want a Canon DSLR. I want a water tight one. So I’ll get an older top end model second  hand with three lenses. I’m also convinced that a view camera would provide endless entertainment. I love the look and build of this one. the Ebony RSW. Seems just right for a beginner. I also know someone who can’t work the one he has. Bit of a dumb cluck he is.

_mg_6935_1      If anyone wants to know more about it then go to ROBERT WHITE. It  is a basic large format camera. The rear standard, that's the bit where the film goes and the bit where one composes the image doesn’t move except fore and aft for fine focus adjustment. The front has no swing but it will shuffle up and down and tilt.  Posh light box is what it is.

I then started further research….ain’t T’internet a wonderful thing……No, it is bloody annoying. I found this little gem of a medium format camera…….

alpa_swa_190     This is it……Doesn’t look much, Doesn’t even give tilt. It’s ever so light though. It costs a paltry couple of grand.

get it usable like this…..

ALPA_swa_36_w (1)    And you quadruple the cost. The bloody handles are the thick end of eight hundred pounds a film back is almost a grand. It is drop dead gorgeous though. They are available through LINHOFF. Again think bottomless pit. None of this equipment comes cheap. All these cameras use Schneider or Rodenstock lenses. They do them in digital or analogue versions….Wowee! Thank God!… I’ll get one of each. What’s the odd ten grand here or there. Forget the digital bit I’m a realistic dreamer…..The digital back for this camera is almost forty thousand pounds it’s the Phase One IQ 180. It can spot a freckle at a thousand yards. The film backs for 120 and 220 are a mere thousand pounds. One would think that they could give two settings on the pressure plate for nine hundred odd quid. No they can’t this is pure esoteritamism. It’s dream world.

So to sum up. I keep my snappy happy camera, re purchase Posh Canon gear for every day.  Hire a Sherpa for large format gear carrying, Buy an Alpa medium format cos it is drop dead gorgeous, Buy a Land Rover to cut down on the walking. Hire two helicopters to ferry gear in and out from where the land Rover stops.  Hire two fit totty to advise on light levels…..Then I’ll miss the shot lusting after the assistants..Forget the latter. I‘ll guess as I used to. Film is forgiving with a ten to twelve stop dynamic range. Could always snap with the Canon and use the exposure settings.

I’ll go now I have woken from Esoteric……I suspect the fit assistants are more Exoteric. No matter it is only a dream.

Additional mega money would be required to show off the fruits of my labour……Seriously for a minute…..you still have a minute that is……look at big prints taken with big gear by big photographers and they are wonderful. The Internet does not do them any favours.

Have a wonderful week.

It’s a damn good job I’m broke but on a rainy day it’s good to dream.

26 comments:

  1. Ah Dream....That's something we all do Adrian.

    -Trevor

    ReplyDelete
  2. We do Trevor but I think I maybe take it a touch too far. I never realised how expensive it can get.
    PS Rodenstock do EF lenses....Thought you'd like to know. No more flash sync problems with £5K of lens and leaf shutter lenses!

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  3. I can just see you walking around with two helicopters hovering above carrying all your gear... More seriously, I can understand if you feel need of a watertight camera though!

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    Replies
    1. Monica, watertight is essential for me. I was lucky with the Olympus E series as they are a reasonable price and have never let water in. You have to use their pro lenses though.

      Delete
  4. Wonderful dream. I still have a medium format camera from my pro days. With 3 lenses, a doubler, 3 backs and more. Just can't afford the digital back. So I know a little about dreaming of camera equipment. Dream on Adrian. You never know, that dream may come true.

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    Replies
    1. Horst the price of these backs are horrendous. It's cheaper though less convenient to shoot film and scan,

      Delete
  5. Super example of esoteric!

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  6. Don't wait for the rain, it's good to dream any day.

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    Replies
    1. Pauline it's a long time since I've coveted anything with the intensity the Alpa generated.

      Delete
  7. Thanks for being so exoteric with your esoteric dreams Adrian.

    Fear not though!....when my dream comes true and I win mega bucks on the lottery and, of course, once all my dreams are fulfilled there might just be enough left over to buy you as many cameras and helicopters as you'll ever need!

    But until then...keep dreaming!!....[;o)

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    Replies
    1. Trevor, I'll not hold my breath but thank you for a very kind offer. I'll have to text Hairy....find out if he's dissolved. Or won the lottery and crept off without telling anyone.

      Delete
  8. Well, if you ever come into a big inheritance or win the lottery, let me know if you need someone to assist your assistants.

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  9. Awe, too broke and without images. I love that camera, but, it won't live up to Canon EOS 1D X DSLR Camera, oh I can't have it as well. MONEY.

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    Replies
    1. Bob, the 1D X is a beauty but for landscape or still work it just doesn't compete. It also should have a tilt rear screen for the money they charge.
      View cameras would be no use at all for sports or bird photography.

      Delete
  10. Grande maquina de sonho...Espectacular....
    Cumprimentos

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    Replies
    1. Fernando, A grand machine with an equally grand price.

      Delete
  11. It is always a good day to dream Adrian, go right ahead.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Your writers are enormously tremendous.
    psychic reading 10 minutes

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Palmira,
      This is not what blogging is about.
      Spam is a bloody nuisance and so are the morons that post it.
      Look into your own bloody future but leave me out of it.

      Delete
  13. I have a wonderful safety net for my waking dreams involving unrealistic financial expectations. I have those thoughts when I am putting my head on the pillow. By the time my head has actually made a dent in the pillow I am asleep. Now if I could solve my problem of nightmares.....

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    Replies
    1. Graham,.......Just a slow news day here. Realism soon returned.

      Delete
  14. psychic reading kingston
    You guys out there are performing a great job.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AKON. People like you are bloody annoying. Use your psychic powers to predict your own miserable future.
      Not many of you morons get as far as a comment sticking and it wants deleting. On the off chance you know someone who can read I'll leave this....In future get a life of your own and piss off out of mine.

      Delete