HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: duane@cbnewsj.cb.att.com (duane.galensky)
Subject: Re: Time to boycott Photo CD
Organization: AT&T
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 17:18:18 GMT

In article <l9okqpINNnc6@almaak.usc.edu> ajayshah@almaak.usc.edu (Ajay Shah) writes regarding Photo CD:

>
>Kodak wants to tie up the file formats under lock and key.  You can't
>write a program to open their files.  You can't even write a program
>which generates their files.  Don't expect to ever see interfaces
>between Photo CD and pbm or TeX.  If you write a neat program which
>does XXX to a file in Kodak format, you can't give that program to
>anyone else.

...stuff deleted..

>
>It's not too late; Photo CD is not a "standard" yet.  We can help make
>it no more than an expensive blunder on Kodak's part.  If we keep away
>from it right now, we will escape being locked in like Microsoft/DEC
>lusers have been.


actually, there's no need to worry.  regardless of kodak's position,
there will be vendors who are more than willing to provide open
interfaces to the formats.  it could well be that the kodak
people have not recognized that regardless of how strong a
position they might hold in the market today, all it takes
is for some nickel-and-dime competitor to offer an open system.
all of a sudden they're months or years behind in getting
their method accepted as a standard.    better yet, instead of
a nickel-and-dime competitor, how about fuji?   kodak would be
out of the running overnight.  

hey!  you market research types listening out there?

it would be a tremendous tactical blunder to keep this as a
closed system for any length of time.  what unabashed
corporate arrogance!   i know where it comes from...i work for
the same kinda outfit!

duane
Newsgroups: rec.photo
From: M.Steven@uws.edu.au (Mike Steven)
Subject: Canon T50Help Needed on Operation
Organization: University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 1992 22:30:53 GMT

A friend has given me a Canon T50. It has a Canon Zoom lens FD 3570mm
with macro, all pre-owned. Unfortunately it comes without
manuals, instructions etc.

First question: How do these rate as cameras? 

Second question: how do I operate it? On the top to the right of the viewfinder
it has a dial with the options Self, Program (in green), L (in red) and B.C. How
do I set it and what exposure options does it have?

All assistance gratefully received. E-mail will do fine

Mike
Newsgroups: rec.photo
From: jacobson@cello.hpl.hp.com (David Jacobson)
Subject: Re: Photograping Whales [8008s autofocus problem]
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 05:33:47 GMT
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Laboratories

In article <6031@transfer.stratus.com> savoia@sw.stratus.com (Rick Savoia) writes:
>This past weekend, I went on a whale watch and brought
>along my 8008s.  I was hoping to get a good picture of 
>a whale as it breached.  Well, when we got to the site,
>I started snapping the tails flapping and blowholes 
>blowing and everything was going fine.  Then one of 
>the whales started breaching.  I went over to the side
>of the boat pointed my camera in the general direction
>(you really can't tell where they will come up!)  and waited.
>The whale was a few hundred yards off of the boat and I
>was using a 35-105 AF Nikkor lens.  The problem I had
>was when the whale breached, the camera would rack 
>back and forth trying to find the focus.  The whale 
>doesn't stay up for long (you try keeing that many tons 
>in the air for long!) and I would usually get the whale
>falling back into the water.  
>
>My question:  Given that I should have just focussed on 
>a point in the approximate area and held the auto-focus
>lock (I realized afterwards), was there any other way 
>I could have done this and insured accurate autofocus?
>I finally switched to manual focus and let it remain on 
>infinity.  I would have preferred autofocus, but it seems
>that AF cameras can't focus that quickly!  Any ideas for
>next time?

First, this is a manual focus situation.  The what is probably 100 or
more feet away.  (I'm just guessing.)  It bright sun you can probably
be using f/16.  With ISO 400 film you could still shoot plenty fast
enought.  If you believe in the .03mm circle of confusion, a 105mm
lens at f/16 and set to 75 feet will get everything in focus from 38
feet to infinity.

Secondly, and this is no help to you, I have often been wishing camera
manufacturers would include what I call "demand focusing".  On the
8008s there is a little button just right of the lens near the bottom
that serves as focus lock in S (single shot) and C (continuous).  Just
add D (demand).  In this mode it AFs only when this button is pressed.

You use this when before the whale comes up to make it focus on the
spot you want.  But at the moment of action, it can't go off hunting. 

  -- David Jacobson
Newsgroups: rec.photo
From: brad@wubios.wustl.edu (Brad Wilson)
Subject:  Info on Minolta X-300s
Organization: Division of Biostatistics, WUMS, St. Louis, MO
Date: Sat, 29 Aug 1992 16:35:05 GMT

	I recently purchased a Minolta X-300s.  It is an
	aperture priority/manual mode 35mm SLR.  I've enjoyed
	taking pictures with it and have a few respectable
	photos, but I'm a little curious about its origins.

	I purchased it on sale at a local chain (Creve Coeur
	Camera and Video) as part of a package (camera, lens,
	gadget bag, etc.)  I recently took it to another shop
	while looking for a compatible wide-angle lens.  The
	guy behind the counter said that the X-300s wasn't
	an American model and expressed some concern about
	the warranty.

	Anybody know more about it?
-- 
						    Brad Wilson
 Internet: brad@wubios.wustl.edu                    Box 8067, Biostatistics
 uucp:     uunet!wuarchive!wubios!brad              660 South Euclid
 Washington University Medical School               Saint Louis, MO 63110
Newsgroups: rec.photo
From: CCGM000 <CCGM@MUSICM.MCGILL.CA>
Subject: Re: Photograping Whales [8008s autofocus problem]
Organization: McGill University Systems Inc (MUSIC/SP)
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 00:35:26 GMT

In article <1992Sep2.172115.11704@clark.edu> gsnow@clark.edu (Gary Snow) writes:
>
>I'm not really impressed with my 100-300xi either. Its really soft wide open
>at 300mm.  Do you have a suggestion for a sharper lens within the same
>zoom range?

   No, I don't. I wasn't addressing optical quality so much as the
various physical factors that went into the design of the xi lenses.
I think Minolta is committing an error by over-automating various
features on their latest cameras - autozoom is one example. The xi
lenses were introduced to support this, in my opinion. However, the
9xi stands out from the other members of it's "family" - you must have
read just as I that, for example, the builtin flash was omitted from
the 9xi due to a survey taken from the expected buyers - it was almost
unanimous in favour of NOT having a builtin flash.

   Perhaps also, expecting sharp focus from any lens wide open is
asking for a lot, particularly with zooms, where corners have been
cut (I'm sure) in order to reduce weight, retain sufficient speed, etc.
all at an affordable market price. I have a 70-210 zoom (i-series)
and I haven't had unusual problems with softness - but I do notice
that my 500mm mirror lens is perceptably sharper. I opted for that one
BTW for the extra stop or so in speed at the lower focal length.

Glen Matthews
MUSIC Product Group, McGill University
550 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 3C5
Phone: (514) 398-4477 Fax: (514) 398-4488 BitNet: CCGM@MCGILLM
Internet: ccgm@musicm.mcgill.ca   Anonymous FTP: vm.mpg.mcgill.ca
From: cmcdowel@en.ecn.purdue.edu (Charles E. McDowell)
Newsgroups: rec.photo
Subject: Re: selenium wash
Date: 26 Aug 92 13:35:35 GMT
Organization: Purdue University Engineering Computer Network

Yes, selenium toner gives the slight reddish brown tone and also makes a
black and white print more archival.  If you simply check out the back of
a bottle of kodak selenium toner, it'll explain the procedure.  All it
amounts to is immersing the print in a bath of the toner. You can even do
it to prints that have long since beenb printed.  It makes the blacks
beutiful and rich, but on prints where you may be losing detail in the
shadows you might be careful because it brings down the tones just a little.

If you are interested, Ansel Adams' "The Print" explains his alternate
procedure which involves mixing the selenium toner with other chemicals.
I think it might be hypo-clear but I'm not sure.  He says he does (did) it
to all his B&W prints for the deepening of blacks and archival effect.  If
you don't do it (tone it) for very long, the color change is not very
noticeable.  If you can`t get hold of "The Print" and want to know the
Adams procedure, send me some mail, I'll look it up.

[ Charles McDowell                   Purdue University - Lafayette, Indiana ]
[ cmcdowel@ecn.purdue.edu            School of Electrical Engineering       ]
Newsgroups: rec.photo
From: aaron@binah.cc.brandeis.edu (Scott Aaron)
Subject: IR advice
Reply-To: aaron@binah.cc.brandeis.edu
Organization: Brandeis University
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 15:50:23 GMT

I just shot my first roll of B/W infrared film (Konica 750).  The results were
disappointing, but that is to be expected for the first time.  I got interested
in IR photography after seeing the surreal, Van Gogh like, sky in photos of
lighthouses (I forget the photographer's name).  The one good print I got had 
a nice dark sky with white, puffy clouds.  It wasn't bad, but not what I had 
hoped for.  What kind of sky would give such surreal results? 

    -- Scott @Brandeis
Newsgroups: rec.photo
From: monta@image.mit.edu (Peter Monta)
Subject: Re: media permanence (was Re: photo-developing, specifically nudes)
Organization: MIT Advanced Television Research Program
	<2k_nzw_@dixie.com> <1992Aug23.044802.1693@cello.hpl.hp.com>
Date: Sun, 23 Aug 1992 17:43:16 GMT

In article <1992Aug23.044802.1693@cello.hpl.hp.com> jacobson@cello.hpl.hp.com (David Jacobson) writes:

> This is just one more reason that digital media will be difficult to
> read in 100 years (to say nothing of 1000).  Not only will the media
> have to have survived (probably not too much of a problem) and the
> technology be available to read the raw bits, but if the bits were
> compressed, the decompression algorithm must be available.  If there
> was an error correcting code applied, that probably will need to be
> known.  And even if the data is just organized into blocks with
> headers, addresses, etc., all that has to be known or deduced.

This reminds me of the anticryptographic messages the SETI people
try to construct.  Are there any off-the-shelf examples?  A header
containing an explanation of the source coding algorithm, ECC, etc.
could be constructed once and used many times.

Peter Monta   monta@image.mit.edu
MIT Advanced Television Research Program
Newsgroups: rec.photo
From: konkkola@jyu.fi (Markku Konkkola)
Subject: Fingerprints
Reply-To: konkkola@jyu.fi
Organization: University of Jyvskyl, Finland
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 06:16:19 GMT

Hi!

How do you clean fingerprint from slides?

Make



---
Markku K|nkk|l{   Computing Centre of Jyv{skyl{ University   Jyv{skyl{, Finland
Markku Knkkl   Computing Centre of Jyvskyl University   Jyvskyl, Finland

E-mail: konkkola@jyu.fi        phone: +358-41-603594        fax: +358-41-603611
===============================================================================

Newsgroups: rec.photo
From: glp@fig.citib.com (Greg Parkinson)
Subject: Re: disposal panoramic
Originator: glp@merlin
Keywords: wide-view
Organization: Citibank IBISM
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 21:14:25 GMT


In article <rnewell.714933585@sol.UVic.CA>, rnewell@sol.UVic.CA (R.COLIN NEWELL) writes:
|> Threw away a few dollars to try out the popular disposible
|> panoramic camera by KODAK.
|> 
|> It is no Linhof Technorama but the lens is very sharp for the
|> price.
|> 
|> Any other opinions on this or any other ultra-wide systems?
|> (wide-angle lenses not included) I was curious about the
|> Widelux and other such arrangements.

Real panoramic cameras cost lots.  After playing
with the disposable Kodak panoramic I bought
an Olympus 220 P&S Zoom that I like a lot.
The lens is sharp and has a ~25-55 zoom, the
autoexposure is good as is the autofocus
(no overrides).

The biggest problem with this format is that
a normal print has the resolution of a 35mm
frame blown up to 8x10 - so grain becomes an
issue.  I've been using Reala and am happy with
it, but not so happy that I'd stop looking at
other films.  

Another problem is that you can't use a film
below ISO 100 - I'd love to be able to use
Ektar 25 or Velvia......

-- 
Greg Parkinson                  Phone: 212-657-7814  Fax: 212-825-8607
Citibank,111 Wall Street        E-Mail: glp@fig.citib.com
New York, New York  10043
The opinions expressed are my own and not those of the big 'ol bank.
From: tklai@acsu.buffalo.edu (Tobysze K. Lai)
Newsgroups: rec.photo
Subject: Re: Prints from XP2?
Date: 28 Aug 92 13:54:28 GMT
Organization: UB


	On article "Prints from XP2?", ferd@Bridge.COM (Ferd Ferfel) wrote:

> (I'm hoping I got the name of the film right.)

> Does this Ilford film produce regular b/w negatives with C-41
> processing that need to be printed on b/w paper, or can mass retail
> photofinishers  print them on the color paper in their machines?

	Yes, this Ilford XP2 film does produce regular B/W negative with
C-41 processing, and it can be processed by E-6, also.  You can have the
picture printed on either B/W paper or color paper, but in the case of
color paper, it really depends on how each individual retail photofinishing 
lab does their prints.  I worked in a 1-hour photo finishing shop this past
summer, and they really do a pretty good job on printing picture on the B/W 
XP2 negative onto color paper.  I've seen them testing the color with those
XP2 negatives all the time.  Of course, those B/W pictures from color paper
are not EXACTLY B/W, but it's (I think) good enough.  A friend of mine had
his pictures (also from XP2 negative) done in other 1-hour photo store and
the pictures came out terrible.  The color came out not black and white but
brown and white!  So, it really depends on how each photo store do their 
pictures.

Toby Lai
tklai@acsu.buffalo.edu
Xref: sparky rec.photo:15039 alt.cd-rom:2819 misc.int-property:884
From: gsnow@clark.edu (Gary Snow)
Newsgroups: rec.photo,alt.cd-rom,misc.int-property
Subject: Re: Time to boycott Photo CDd
Date: 28 Aug 92 16:04:43 GMT
Article-I.D.: clark.1992Aug28.160443.29598
Organization: Clark College, Vancouver, Wa.  USA

In article <64803@cup.portal.com> ts@cup.portal.com (Tim W Smith) writes:
>
>A few years later, Nintendo comes along, and recreates the home video game
>industry.  I read an article somewhere about how they did this.  It said
>that before entering the market, they analyzed the collapse of the previous
>market.  They decided that the cause of the collapse was too many low
>quality games from fly-by-night game companies.  They determined that the
>home video game market could only thrive if game quality was high.  Hence,
>they had to make sure that no fly-by-night companies could come in and
>start making bad games.

Thats a very good analysis, and most likely quite true.....I know it was
for me.

Gary

-- 
-----
Gary Snow
uunet!clark!gsnow  or  gsnow@clark.edu
Newsgroups: rec.photo
From: zrepachol@cc.curtin.edu.au (Paul Repacholi)
Subject: Re: Sto-Fen Omni Bounce?
Organization: Curtin University of Technology
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 1992 21:54:10 GMT

In article <1992Aug30.003229.27841@jarvis.csri.toronto.edu>, acs@csri.toronto.edu (Alvin Chia-Hua Shih) writes:
> I'm interested in getting a flash diffuser for my 430EZ.  I'm curious
> about the Sto-Fen.  I'd like to know if it can be used effectively without
> having the flash in the bounce position.  I'd also like to know if it is
> useful in situations where there are no surfaces to bounce from.
> 
> The reason I'm intersted in a flash diffuser that doesn't require setting
> "bounce" mode is that the 430EZ shows the recommended flash-to-subject
> distance on its LCD display when the flash is set to manual mode.  However,
> this display is only active when the flash head is in the direct-flash
> position.
> 
> Any other comments about diffusers and flash photography welcome!
> 

Warning Warning... Take your 430 mounted, point it at you and press to the 1st
pressure. You will notice a red rectangle light up below the head. Lift the head
a fraction and repeat, the flash will fire at VERY low power.

If you stick a difuser on the frount, and don't lift it a little, it will
believe the IR pre-flash and underexpose the shot. The exposure info will
lie. With the flash up a little ( I stick a match under moine so it won't
'reset' on me ) the low power flash passes through the diffuser, and is
factored into the exposure calcs.

~Paul

Newsgroups: rec.photo
From: donl@glass.esd.sgi.com (donl mathis)
Newsgroups: rec.photo
Subject: Re: selenium wash, "clearing the whites"
Date: 27 Aug 92 18:05:14 GMT
Reply-To: donl@glass.esd.sgi.com (donl mathis)
Organization: Silicon Graphics, Inc., Mountain View, CA, USA


In article <1992Aug27.044858.28222@craycos.com>, sog@craycos.com (Steve
Gombosi) writes:

|> From _The_Print_ (Basic Photo Series), 1st edition, 1950:

I think we've cleared this up.  I don't believe the current series
talks about this sort of thing, leading me to believe that Adams
changed his approach.

|> 	reduces brilliancy and sparkle. The veiling occurs
|> 	with many modern papers, especially when fully developed

The definition of "modern papers" has changed quite a bit since 1950.  :)
That could be why this is no longer the recommended technique.

- donl mathis at Silicon Graphics Computer Systems, Mountain View, CA
donl@sgi.com
From: badboy@netcom.com (Jay Keller)
Newsgroups: rec.photo
Subject: Re: Seeking Comments on NIKON F4 and on a P&S
Date: 27 Aug 92 06:55:16 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)

In article <1992Aug25.183846.27418@pilot.dmg.ml.com> steveh@pilot.dmg.ml.com 
(Steve Hannoford) writes:

>My apartment was recently robbed, and the main thing stolen was
>my Nikon F3, flash and lenses, etc,  and a Fuji Discovery 800 P&S.
>
>Fortunately, I had replacement value insurance, and now have around
>$3000 to spend on replacement equipment.
>
>I am looking for suggestions as to how to spend this money.

[stuff deleted ...]>

>I would also like feedback from you F4/Nikon AF owners as to what (AF) 
>lenses to buy.  I plan on the F4s and SB-24.  
>I was considering the 80-200/2.8 ED, a wide angle fixed or zoom, 
>and a normal ( maybe the micro 60 ).
>
Let's for the moment say that money is no object, we just want to design
a set of Nikon AF lenses for maximum versatility and excellent quality.

Start with:
  35-70 f/2.8 and 80-200 f/2.8
These 2 should cover about 80% of all situations.  

Take the next thousand bucks and add:
 20 f/2.8 and 105 f/2.8 micro
Now we've got a great wide angle and a superb macro.
 
Next I'd go for length and buy the 300 f/4 and the 1.4x and 2x teleconverters
to go with it.

I've got 6 Nikon AF lenses (not exactly the above 6), but if I had it to do
all over again, I'd do it as described above.  I don't own (but I do crave)
the 35-70 or the 80-200.  All the rest of the stuff listed I do own and I
love it all.  I could easily part with my 50 f/1.4 and 70-210 f/4.5-5.6,
they're just not as much fun as the other ones.

Regards,

Jay Keller
Sunnyvale, California, USA
badboy@netcom.com
Newsgroups: rec.photo
From: pd@sics.se (Per Danielsson)
Subject: Re: 300 mm/f2.8 - Which is the BEST for the ELAN?
Organization: Swedish Institute of Computer Science
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 08:27:02 GMT

In article <1992Aug13.135653.865@lmpsbbs.comm.mot.com> chucksi@stc.comm.mot.com (Charlie) writes:

>Subject line says it all - I need some help. Who makes this lens for the ELAN?
>I know Sigma does, does anyone else? What's the general quality of third party
>lenses of this size (and expense). I was appalled at the price difference 
>between the Canon ($2700) and Sigma (~$2000) ----

In a recent issue of the swedish photo magazine "Aktuell Fotografi" in
which sixteen 300mm lenses were tested, the Canon EF 300/4.0L was rated
third overall, only beaten by the Canon EF 300/2.8L and the Leica R
APO-Telyt 280/2.8. (The rating given is a number between 0 (worthless)
and 5 (perfect)).

They measured the Modulation Transfer Function with the lens focused
at infinity. The MTF was measured at 10, 20 and 40 lines/mm.
A weighted average was computed with the result from 10 lines/mm
giving 57% of the average, the result from 20 lines/mm giving 29% and
the result from 40 lines/mm giving 14%.
This and some other biasing gives a theoretical maximum MTF of 0.9
(MTF is normally between 0 and 1).

Canon EF 300/4.0L
MTF at f/4.0: 0.84
       f/8.0: 0.83
Weighted average: 0.83
Distorsion: +2.4%
Rating: 4.5

And here is the data for the two lenses that rated better.

Canon EF 300/2.8L
MTF at f/2.8: 0.87
       f/4.0: 0.87
       f/8.0: 0.85
Weighted average: 0.86
Distorsion: +2.6%
Rating: 4.9

Leica R APO-Telyt 280/2.8
MTF at f/2.8: 0.85
       f/4.0: 0.87
       f/8.0: 0.83
Weighted average: 0.84
Distorsion: +2.1%
Rating: 4.6

And some data on a few other lenses (I'm only giving the rating, not
the MTF-data).

Minolta AF 300/2.8 APO:       4.1
Nikkor AF 300/2.8 IF ED:      4.3
Nikkor AF 300/4.0 ED:         3.9
Pentax SMC-F 300/4.5 IF ED:   4.1
Sigma AF 300/2.8 APO:         3.8
Tamron SP AF 300/2.8:         3.1
Tokina AF 300/2.8 AT-X:       4.0
Zeiss Tele-Tessar T* 300/4.0: 3.1

Of the above, the Sigma, Tamron and Tokina should be available in a
Canon EF mount.
--
Per Danielsson				pd@sics.se
Swedish Institute of Computer Science, PO Box 1263, S-164 28 KISTA, SWEDEN
Newsgroups: rec.photo
From: feldman@hal9k.cxo.dec.com (james feldman)
Subject: Re: Rumor Mongering
Reply-To: feldman@hal9k.cxo.dec.com (james feldman)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1992 18:10:03 GMT

In article <BtxMuo.GKr@world.std.com>, dp@world.std.com (Jeff DelPapa) writes:
|>Heard a rumor that mamiya was to be closed down by it's parent fairly
|>soon... Anyone care to prod their sources for confirmation??
|>
Given the popularity of their product line among pro's, the fact they just
retooled the old RB line, plus coming out with a new 645, that doesn't seem
to make much sense. 
--
Jim Feldman

My opinions and ideas are, in fact, not mine at all, but the property of
Digital Equipment Corp. (provided they relate to computers).  Opinions I may
have concerning other subjects are not really mine either, but are the product
of the environment I have been exposed to.  Thus, I am totally without
responsibility for anything I may say or do. 
Newsgroups: rec.photo