Iron Creek Photography

Jackson Hole Web Gallery

2012-01-29T17:07:00.000-07:00

Finished the last image for next months show in Jackson and added a new gallery in our web-gallery. I invite you to open "Jackson Hole Wyoming" in the Galleries section.

You may notice that we do not have a shopping cart in our galleries. This lack of a shopping cart enables us to speak to you the client to ensure you're getting what you want both in size and media type. It might slow the process down a bit and stop the occasional instant buying urge however it's for the best both for you and us. Contact us regarding availablity of an image.

Click here to enter Iron Creek Photography.

Sandy & Don

One week with the Epson 9900

2012-01-27T11:53:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd sit down and try to convey my thoughts about the 9900 after having it for a week. Don't expect to see weekly or monthly updates as I just wanted to share what I've learned to date.

There's no reason to use the best photographic gear you can find; process images using the best software on the biggest computer you can afford if your images suffer in the final stage. It's senseless to print an image on inferior media or a lackluster printer. The printer is just as important, and in some cases can be more important than anything else.

As noted before, I used an Epson 9800 for over 5-years. It got to the point the printer was just another fixture in the studio; just sitting there waiting for the next printing session. I see the 9900 doing much the same.

There has been somewhat of a learning curve this week as I've not only changed printer but media as well. I won't lie and say everything has gone smoothly; however, I'll admit the problems were all caused by operator error and not the fault of the printer.

The majority of my work is printed on canvas, using Epson canvas for as long as I've owned the 9800. I'd still be using Epson canvas if they hadn't changed it. Instead I now use Breathing Colors Lyve. The reason I add this here is that using Epson media on an Epson printer is easy as everybody talks to one another. You set the type of Epson media you're using and the printer takes care of the settings. Not so using another brand.

Little things like setting the media type. In the case of Lyve the setting is for Watercolor Paper-Radiant White (Matte Black) or Premium Glossy Photo Paper (Photo Black ink) (I choose to the watercolor setting). Setting the platen gap to wider will also go a long way to creating a perfect print. All this reinforces the need of using an ICC profile for the media used.

So what have I learned/observed this past week? Glad you asked.

The print quality is better. The tone in general is richer than I've seen before. This can be the result of using new media as well as the printer itself. However, I've seen this in the paper prints as well as the canvas. I've been using Hahnemühle Baryta for a number of years and had enough left on the roll to print 3-images of an order for Jackson Hole. The paper images looked better than I'd ever seen them.

I think I can explain the quality difference (to my self) on the canvas. Previously I'd been using Epson satin which used photo black ink. I'm now using Lyve which is a matte canvas and uses matte black; that small difference is significant.

Changing from matte to photo black and back. One word. Easy. Or if you prefer, super easy. Set the media profile (I'm using CS5) and click either matte or black then sit back and let the printer take over. It's that easy.

Changing media. Again, easy. It now takes less than 1/2 of the time it used to in changing the media. The lack of the spindle reduces the weight and in general makes the process so much faster. I've changed rolls of Lyve canvas from 42" down to 36" then changed it again to a 36" roll of paper without feeling like I was wrestling an alligator. Press the button (no lever) and the media rolls back onto the roll. Open the lever and move the locking mechanism to release the roll and remove it from the printer. Release the end caps and store the media. It took longer to explain it than it actual takes.
Ink. I just logged onto www.myepsonprinter.com (nice touch Epson) where I see that in the week I've had the printer I done 23 prints jobs, used 546 mil ink for 119 sq ft. (Epson warns this is an estimate).

One last thought - the cutter. This thing is a work of art. And scary. The first couple times the cutter activated I nearly jumped out of my chair. It's fast. A little noisy compared to the printing process. But gives a clean smooth cut. It's nice to be able to cut canvas without having to first add a $400 manual cutter which I had to do on the 9800.

Speaking of cost. The printer ended up costing less than the 9800 did even with the rebates. I'm also surprised that I've been able to print so much using the original 110 mil cartridges as I'm now just about to change 8 of them.

The 9900 might not be for everyone due to cost and size; however, I'd recommend anyone thinking of purchasing a new printer, either as a first or replacement visit the Epson site for more information.

In case you haven't been able to tell, I'm very pleased.

Thanks for allowing me to share.

Don

Epson 9900

2012-01-22T11:15:00.000-07:00

I'm uncertain the exact date Epson released the 44" 9800 however I bought one December 15th, 2006. The 9800 has served ICP well the past 5-years without problems or hiccups. Put the print media in, make sure there's ink and away you go. In short its become a fixture in the studio.

Since then there's been the release of the 9880 and the current 9890. Epson is currently offering the 9890 and 9900 concurrently with the 9890 having almost the same specification as the 9900. Actually Epson in releasing the 9900 stated it was not a replacement for the 9890.

So what's the difference and why did I replace the 9800? Good question.

As good as the 9800 is, there is a limitation; the 9800 holds 8 ink cartridges, photo black, cyan, yellow, light cyan, light black, light light black, magenta, and light magenta. There's also matte black. In order to switch from photo black to matte black requires 3-pages in the printer guide to explain which I won't even attempt to do here. I will say that there's a certain amount of draining of photo black ink involved. It always seemed a waste of ink to me therefore I never attempted the switch.

The major difference for me with the 9890 is that it has 9 ink cartridges with the 9th being matte black. The 9890 allows for automatic switching between photo and matte black. The printer reads the ICC profile of the media used and automatically switches the ink for optima print resolution.

On the stand and loading the first ink cartridges

The other major difference is the spindle-free media loading. The 9800 has a spindle which must be inserted into the roll of media before placing it in the printer. A paper roll of 36" x 100' or a canvas 44" x 120' is very heavy. I've always thought the 2-most dangerous times for any media is the act of loading and unloading; it seems Epson thought the same. There are other advances however these are the 2-that struck a cord with me.There's other little nifty things like the ability to print a bar-code on the media to track how much of the media remains. As well as a new improved rotary cutting system.

So what's the difference with the 9900?

The 9900 offers the same as the 9890 and adds 2-additional inks making it an 11-ink cartridge printer. The 9900 offers the addition of Orange and Green cartridges. The addition of these 2-colors helps to produce "the widest color gamut ever from an Epson Stylus printer" (see the following link).

Spooling the first print

This isn't so much a printer review, rather an excuse to talk about the new 9900. While the 9800 is 5-years old it worked well and more than paid for itself. However the advances made and rebates offered by Epson were just too good to pass up.

So what's in store for the 9800? It's being donated to a local high school that has a photography school. What better way to keep a great printer working.

First print almost finished

First Impressions:

I ordered the printer on Tuesday and it was delivered Friday afternoon. The shipping weight is noted as 417 pounds so be prepared. Five years ago Sandy & I took delivery of the 9800 and it was just the 2-of us to set it up. No so this one; we hired 2-guys to help unload the printer off the pallet then with their help set it up on the stand. While it took less than 45-minutes to set the printer on the stand it nevertheless requires more than just 2-people. This thing is a beast.

The setup is straight forward, just follow the directions. I ran into one problem which turned out to be operator error. I had loaded all the cartridges in the left side and began the right when one wouldn't lock in. Turned out I had attempted to load in incorrect cartridge and the printer was telling me that.
Noise. Our studio isn't that large and I find the 9900 to be much quieter than the 9800.

First print: Amazing. As good as the 9800 is, the 9900 is light-years better.

Odds and ends: Paper loading is almost completely automated. Press a button push the media in and the printer takes care of the rest. I'm using the optional barcode to keep track of media usage. The barcode is larger than expected taking up 3 1/4 inches (82.55 mm). Reload the media and the printer reads the data then cuts it off. The data is also displayed on the color monitor; print an image and the remaining length is updated as you print.

Barcode

There's more to it than just this however in the end I feel it was money well spent.

Let me know if there's any questions.

Don

One last thought; be prepared for a lot of trash including cardboard and wood pallet.

Images taken with a Droid...

A final good-bye to Epson Canvas

2012-01-15T16:30:00.000-07:00

It wasn't easy leaving however after seeing the difference in the finished print and the easy of stretching leaves me without a choice in the matter.

I've been fighting with the Exhibition canvas now for a month as I print the images for Jackson Hole. The images would print just as I felt they should, however the major problem was the stretching. The Epson website advertizes the Exhibition as being 23 mil thick however when you go to an on-line store you'll see differences of 22, 23, and 24 mil. I've been stretching images as small as 20x16, and 40x30 with little to no problems; going to 50x30 and 60x30 showed huge inconsistencies in how the images would lay on the stretcher bars and how easy it would lend itself to be stretched. I had noticed that even with the smaller pieces my stretching time increased.

As an artist I simply can not accept the inconstancies at the final moment of stretching. I also can't accept that it would take me close to 3-hours to stretch a 60x30 and even then still not be pleased. And don't think I'm bashing Epson canvas. Very simply put, I don't like the newer Exhibition canvas. It doesn't work for me.

If Exhibition doesn't work for me, what will? That was the question I was facing. It's good to have a relationship with another artist; one that can be as anal as I am in presenting the best possible work. Ken Doo and I have been friends for many years; while we don't shoot the same subjects we are equally concerned with our end product. It also helps that we both use medium format as our primary capture method and print on the same printer, an Epson 9800. It helped that Ken also prints on canvas. Ken has been using Breathing Color products for as long as I've known him and he speaks very highly of them; he's the one who got me hooked on using Glamour II to protect the canvas. Bottom line is when he recommends something I usually listen; that's how I came to Breathing Colors Lyve canvas.

As reported earlier, I had ordered a test roll to try out and was immediately sold on Lyve canvas. When my actual order arrived late Friday afternoon I immediately printed the 60x30 Oxbow Bend Panorama. Again, I was immediately pleased with the image quality. I let the image thoroughly dry overnight before putting a coat of Glamour II on it yesterday morning. While I could have stretched the image later yesterday I decided to wait until this morning.

The stretching was easy. I felt I was back to using Epson Premium it was so easy. I encountered no cracking, the corners are close and tight and overall the image looks great; one that I'll gladly display for sale. I'm back to stretching an image once; not stapling looking at puckers and removing staples in order to re-stretch. I'm sad to say that I had one image that I had to completely remove all the staples and redo before I got it to my liking; not so this morning.

I'll admit I was uneasy this morning as I began the stretching however I soon fell into the groove I'm accustomed to finishing the image in less than an hour. Don't get me wrong. I don't care how long it takes to stretch an image. I want to do it right the first time and not fight it.

There wasn't a fight this morning.

Don

Finished stretched image - "Oxbow Bend Panorama"

Note: This is an edited version of the bog from this morning. I've found that I shouldn't print, talk on the phone and edit a blog all at the same time.

Thanks for following the saga of the canvas.

Breathing Color Lyve Canvas

2012-01-13T19:15:00.001-07:00

My Breathing Color Lyve order arrived here later this afternoon thanks to UPS. I was going to wait till the morning to do my first major print (60x30) however I decided to jump right in.

I've spent the day printing test images on the 17" roll I had ordered and am very pleased with the results. I normally run my own profiles however Ken Doo has been using Lyve for some time now volunteered to send me his (we use the same identical printer and ink) so that saved me a lot of time.

The image being printed is of Oxbow Bend which is 60x30 or 64x34 actual print image before stretching. After making certain all the boxes that needed to be checked were, I started the print process.

The images were all captured using my Droid cell phone (yeah I know high tech) at various intervals during the printing process. It took slightly over 86 minutes to complete the print which looks great. The plan is to protect it in the morning using Glamour II before stretching early Sunday morning.

Stay tuned as I plan on updating this to include my thoughts of the stretching.

Don

Saying good-bye to Epson Canvas

2012-01-11T14:32:00.001-07:00

I've been printing on Epson canvas for as long as I've owned an Epson 9800. The first canvas I used was Epson Premium Satin that had a base weight of 350 gsm (grams/sq meter) and 19 mil thick. I was very pleased with the canvas in not only the image quality but how well (and easily) it stretched.

Sadly Epson discontinued the "Premium" line of canvas and introduced the "Exhibition" canvas. Exhibition canvas has a base weight of 450 gsm and is much thicker at 23 mil. The thickness is much like what you might find in sailcloth. Okay that might be an overstatement however it is thick.

I've tried to learn to love the new "improved" canvas; I failed to see any real improvement in image quality. Likewise, stretching the images became a real chore. The smaller images like 40x30 and 50x30 began taking up to twice the time as before. This morning I attempted to stretch a 60x30 and after close to 3-hours I gave up. The canvas is just too thick for my taste.

So what will I be replacing it with? After talking over the list of gripes I have with the canvas with Ken Doo I took his suggestion and contacted Breathing Color. After all, Epson from my understanding doesn't actually manufacture their canvas - someone else does. That aside, I'll be using Breathing Color Lyve which is 19mil. 450 gsm poly-cotton canvas that is archival certified and OBA (optical brightener additive) free.

I've seen images Ken has printed using Lyve and they are stunning.

So good-bye Epson canvas.

Don

Update January 12th - Added a link to Breathing Color. Also need to say just how impressed I am with the customer service there.

Happy New Year

2012-01-07T14:57:00.000-07:00

Oxbow Bend WY

50x30

Moose

40x30

Its been awhile since our last blog and we wanted to take the time to wish all our friends and followers a very Happy New Year.

Aspens Meadow

60x30

Fall Reflections

40x30

We've been busy since returning from Jackson. Busy getting ready to return next month. Jackson has been very good to us having sold images before we left and taking orders for more. As we reported earlier, we'll be displaying our art at the Homewood Suites by Hilton in Jackson and are very excited. The hotel is hosting a get-together for us on Friday February 17th so if you're in the neighborhood please stop by. We'll give more details on the get-together as we learn them.

Tetons

40x30

Mist

30x20

We've be busy doing the final processing on the images than are retuning to Jackson. This processing has been an ongoing thing that's taken just about all our energies. After we process an image we run a test print before printing full size. Once the final print is done Don gets to stretch the image which is a challenge at times. We've had to go to our venders to order the supplies necessary which is normally not a big deal. Unless it's 2-weeks before Christmas.

Buffalo

28x36

John Moulton Barn (sunrise)

50x30

The images included here are those that we've sold as well as those that will be on display. While we took an order for a few images on paper, these are all printed on canvas. We have been using Epson's Exhibition Satin canvas for sometime now and find it gives the effect we want while being somewhat easy to stretch.

Oxbow Bend Panorama

(parent image of Fall Reflections)

60x30

Twins

30x20

There's little more to add here other than enjoy the images and we'd like to see you if you're in the Jackson Hole area the week of February 13th.

Can't forget this one....

Again, Happy New Year to all!

Sandy & Don

Queston on Testing the Phase One 645AF and P65+

2011-12-28T13:01:00.007-07:00

Sometime ago Henry Domke posted the following comment in reply to the "Testing the Phase One 645AF and P65+". As I was busy at the time in Jackson Hole I was unable to adequately respond until now.

"Thank you for the ongoing discussion of high-end gear. I wonder if you could offer some advice again. My goal is to be able to create landscape images that will look good when printed 20-feet wide. Now I have a P65+ back with a Contax body. Could you help me understand the Pros and Cons of Medium format vs. Technical camera?"

Twenty-feet? Wow! And here I thought I printed large images....
I've used a Phase One P30+ and got excellent results. I've been able to produce a 2-image stitched panorama of the Grand Canyon that is now almost sold out of the edition. This image has been licensed by Phase One for use in trade shows and has been used in several print articles. I used a Mamiya 645 AFD body connected to the P30+ for the capture.

The P30+ was replaced with the P45+ when I went to using a technical camera. I've been using a Cambo WRS1000 for slightly over 3-years now and still love it. In terms of keeping equipment longer than 12-months, keeping something for 36-plus months and still constantly use it shows how well the gear is. I continue today to use the same body and 3-lens kit I bought when I first moved into using a technical camera; there's a saying, "if it isn't broke why fix it" and it applies here.

I've used the P45+ for well over 30-months and finally upgrading to the P65+. I'm now kicking myself for waiting so long.

Enough of digital backs; now for the body.

No matter what you use, be it a Contax, Mamiya or Phase DF you will run into the same problems in capturing multiple images for a stitched panorama. I've used a Canon 1D, 1DsII and 1DsIII attempting to capture multiple panoramic images and ran into the same difficulties.

Really Right Stuff has a great article on obtaining multiple images for a stitched panorama and recommend everyone read it. The bottom line is that the entire camera moves thus creating a cylinder set of images. When you go to stitch the images together you end up with what I call a bowtie effect. The sides are taller than the middle and you end up with wasted dead space. Try and be as careful as you may, spend countless minutes in setting up you tripod and camera finding what you think is the lens nodal point and you'll still end up with the same result. Sometimes you get lucky and there's less wasted area and sometimes more.

This bowtie effect is what drove me to a technical camera. And boy am I glad I did.

A technical camera allows for a flat set of images. The lens remains static and only the digital back moves around the lens. Try this. Make a circle using your left hand - that becomes your lens. You right hand is the digital back and is flat open. Place you flat open palm up against the "lens" and move it side to side and up and down. You're seeing the same principal as what a technical camera does. The back is moving around the lens while the lens stays in one place. A DSLR can't do that. The lens and body move side to side and up and down. The technical camera uses the full image circle of the lens by being able to move around it. The DSLR doesn't.

So what are the Pros and Cons of using a technical camera vs a DSLR (medium format or 35mm)?

Pros:

The lens used in a technical camera are in my opinion superior to that offered by 35mm or for that matter medium format. The medium format lens are getting closer. Remember - using a technical camera and a digital back and shooting a 645 Contax, Hasselblad, Mamiya or Phase One - they're all medium format. Only the camera bodies and lens are different.

A technical camera allows for flat stitching. Set it up correctly and you'll get near 99.99% of usage image on a stitched panorama.

A technical camera offers a very slow workflow and everything is manual. Manual focus, manual f/stop, manual shutter. You'll be on a tripod over 99% of the time. However the end result is well worth it.

Cons:

A technical camera offers a very slow workflow and everything is manual. Manual focus, manual f/stop, manual shutter. You'll be on a tripod over 99% of the time. However the end result is well worth it. And yes, I know I have this as a Pro as well.

From a landscape and nature point of view the pros outweigh the cons. Otherwise I wouldn't still be using one.

So just how good is a technical camera when combined with a great digital back such as a P65+? I shot a 2-image capture at Ox Bow Bend WY this past trip. The printed image is 60x30 and can go larger. While checking the image at 100% for dust spots I noticed an "image within an image". That image has been printed at 40x30 and while an abstract is sharp enough to stand on its own.

I hope I've answered your questions Henry. And again sorry for the delay.

Capture Integration has been my "go to" source for many years when it comes to medium format. They offer Phase One, Leaf, and Cambo to name just a few. They are also Canon and Leica dealers as well. Doug Peterson is one of the brightest minds in the industry and following Dave Gallagher's lead, everyone you'll meet is well versed and very willing to help answer any questions and solve any problem. When it comes to finding the right dealer I did and count them as both friends and partners. I highly recommend contacting Capture Integration to discuss any questions you may have regarding the use of technical cameras, medium format DSLR or 35mm.

Don

Leaving Jackson Hole WY

2011-12-08T15:42:00.000-07:00

Jackson Lake

Canon 1DsIII 300mm f/11 1/250 ISO100

Coulter Bay

Canon 1DsIII 50mm f/11 1/250 ISO100

Phase One 645DF P65+ 150mm f/11 1/350 ISO100

Coulter Bay

Phase One 645DF P65+ 80mm f/11 1/700 ISO100

This is the day before we leave Jackson Hole heading home; to say we have mixed feelings would be an understatement. We were here last October for just shy of 30-days and we made plans then to return and stay even longer; and we did, 2-months. The past 2-months have gone like a blink of an eye. We saw colors in late fall and have experienced early winter colors.

Canon 1DsIII 300mm f/11 1/250 ISO100

Phase One 645DF P65+ 300mm f/11 1/350 ISO100

So what have we gotten for the time spent? We've got well over 300 GB of images taken with Sandy's Canon 1DsIII, Don's Cambo WRS1000 and the Leica M9 and a Phase One 645 AF and DF. We've set aside 24-images we believe are "Gallery Images" and have already sold 7-prints, and may very well double the number of gallery images once we load and process them on the studio computer.

Phase One 645DF P65+ f/11 1/250 ISO100

Phase One 645DF P65+ 300mm f/8 1/250 ISO100

We've been able to reconnect with friends we made last year and gained new ones on this trip. Thanks to a wonderful chef named Kelly we've enjoyed great meals Friday night at the Jackson Elks Club. Don has given rides into the backcountry demonstrating the off-road capabilities of the 2011 Ford Raptor. He was even successful in helping one person in ordering one.

We feel we've accomplished way more than we set out to in the beginning. It's easy to say we were here to capture the beautiful landscape of Jackson Hole and while we did, we accomplished much more. We've made friends, tested equipment and more importantly discovered the heart and soul of Jackson Hole--the people. Everywhere we've gone we met friendly open honest people. People who made us feel welcome. This isn't about tourist dollars, it's a genuine feeling of being welcomed.

Buffalo at Sunrise

Canon 1DsIII 300mm f/8 1/200 ISO200

Canon 1DsIII 300mm f/7.1 1/200 ISO250

Canon 1DsIII 300mm f/6.3 1/200 ISO250

Don made a deal to purchase the Phase 645DF and lenses he used during the testing/evaluation and he's very pleased. The Leica M9 and lenses will be going to a new home upon our return to Arizona.

Canon 1DsIII 300mm f/6.3 1/200 ISO250

Canon 1DsIII 300mm f/6.3 1/200 ISO200

We'll be returning to Jackson Hole in February 2012 to deliver the images we've sold and to hang additional ones for display and purchase at the Homewood Suites in Jackson. We've also been informed the hotel will be hosting a gathering to introduce our work while we're here.

Phase One 645DF P65+ 300mm f/11 1/700 ISO100

Buffalo at Sunrise

Phase One 645DF P65+ 300mm f/8 1/250 ISO100

Phase One 645DF P65+ 300mm f/8 1/350 ISO200

We highly recommend the Homewood Suites as a place to stay while visiting Jackson. The staff is first rate, the food is wholesome, and it's within walking distance of the Town Square with great restaurants, shops, art galleries, and much, much more.

Kelly Hotsprings

Canon 1DsIII 300mm f/6.3 1/200 ISO200

Sandy at Kelly Hotsprings

Phase One 645DF P65+ f/11 1/250 ISO200

We'll be sharing more information and images in the coming weeks so please stay tuned. Also remember, your comments, suggestions and questions are always welcome.

Enjoy the images, and safe travels.

Sandy & Don

Phase One 645DF

2011-12-02T12:56:00.000-07:00

Phase One 645DF Mamiya 300mm P65+

100% Crop (Handheld)

Phase One introduced the 645DF the end of 2009 which makes it 2-years old. I've been away from shooting either the Mamiya or Phase One 645 for slightly over 3-years having instead gone to using a Cambo WRS1000 technical camera to capture landscape. A lot has changed in 3-years - for the good.

Phase One 645DF Mamiya 300mm P65+

100% Crop (Handheld)

Phase One 645DF Mamiya 300mm P65+

I had a conversation with Dave Gallagher of Capture Integration several weeks ago. The conversation was part gloating on being in the Jackson Hole area for so long and part just catching up with one another. Dave asked if I'd be willing to take a Phase body along with a couple lens and try to capture landscape and wildlife. I accepted. The original plan was to use the Phase 645DF however I had to "settle" for the AF for a couple days until Dave's DF demo became available. I'm glad I did.

100% Crop from above. (Handheld)

Phase One 645DF Mamiya 300mm P65+

100% Crop (Handheld)

As reported in previous posts I've been using a Phase One 645AF along with a Mamiya 300, 150D and Phase One 80D lenses with what I consider great results. The weather pattern here has made getting any meaningful landscape image nearly impossible so I've become what I like to say a junior wildlife photographer. The lens I've used the most has been the Mamiya 300 followed equally by the 150 and 80mm. The 300mm has proved its worth in capturing Buffalo, Elk, Moose, Mountain Sheep and horses not to mention close-ups of Aspens.

Phase One 645 DF Mamiya 300mm P65+

Can you see the Sheep?

100% Crop (#1) (Hanheld)

100% Crop (#2) (Handheld)

What I found was the AF was slow to focus often hunting for several seconds before locking in. The hunting occurred in both morning and afternoon light and more often than not I'd have to switch to manual focus. I also found that I had no real problems in capturing landscape however I did when trying to capture a moving subject.

Phase One 645DF Mamiya 300mm P65+

Phase One 645DF Mamiya 300mm P65+ with a slight crop

I received word Monday the DF was available and on its way. I went out yesterday morning to shoot with the AF waiting for DF to arrive. The DF arrived earlier than expected and after letting it warm up a bit (its been cold here) headed out to the National Elk Refuge in search of Mountain Sheep. I figured Mountain Sheep are just the right size to test the auto-focus of the DF as they tend to be much smaller than anything else I've photographed.

I followed this guy as he came down from the top shooting as he walked down. I never had to hunt the focus and I captured his journey.

All the literature I've read on the DF says it's 30% faster on auto-focus. What I found is it's light-years ahead of the AF. I ended up shooting 124 images yesterday afternoon and ended up hunting only twice. I also had 2-images that were out of focus due to user error on my part when I inadverently moved the auto-focus ring on the 300. The images captured were all handheld standing on a level dirt road with the sheep ranging high in a cliff several hundred feet above to as close as 50 feet.

The following are 100% crops of the images above. Again these were all captured hand-held.

I found the auto-focus to be very quick and decisive which resulted in a much smoother shooting session than I've had before.

I've made a big deal of letting everyone know the images during this testing were captured handheld. While I prefer to shoot on tripod that simply isn't always available. I also thought that if I could capture sharp or near sharp images using a method that invites movement then I can prove the usefulness of the equipment used. I've been pleased to see that I have added several images to my gallery folder; a folder I keep with an eye on images that deserve processing and printing with the real possibility of offering them for sale.

I've got a couple more days in Jackson Hole before heading to Tucson and will continue to test and repost my findings. Again, Dave thanks bud!

Let me know if you have any questions, concerns or comments and I'll see about addressing them.

Stay tuned for more to come.

Don

Testing the Phase One 645AF and P65+

2011-11-28T11:01:00.000-07:00

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 300mm

P65+ f/8 1/1250 ISO100

100% Crop

Phase 645AF Mamiya 300

P65+ f/11 1/350 ISO100

100% Crop

Phase 645AF Mamiya 300mm

P65+ f/11 1/1000 ISO100

I've been sharing images and thoughts on the Phase One 645AF and 3-lenses, Phase One 80D, Mamiya 150D and the Mamiya 300. Most of the past entries have centered on the wildlife capability of the 300mm; now I want to share what the lenses can do with landscape.

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 300mm

P65+ f/11 1/180 ISO100

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 300mm

P65+ f/8 1/250 ISO100

Phase One 645AF Phase One 80mm

P65+ f/11 1/700 ISO100

Jackson Hole WY is a wonderful place to be for a landscape photographer and since there is so much wildlife here it's also easy to slip into a mode of junior wildlife photographer.

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 300mm

P65+ f/11 1/320 ISO100

100% Crop

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 300mm

P65+ f/11 1/250 ISO100

100% Crop

I've been away from using a Phase/Mamiya body for close to 3-years having decided to move to a technical camera. I added a full-frame 35mm about 2-years ago thinking I needed a smaller light-weight system. While I've been very pleased with the images I've gotten with the Leica M9 the one major drawback for me was the printing limitations with the 18 megapixel files. This limitation is more notable with the upgrade from the P45+ to the P65+.

T.A. Moulton Barn

Phase One 645AF Phase One 80mm

P65+ f/11 1/500 ISO100

Phase One 645AF Phase One 80mm

P65+ f/11 1/500 ISO100

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 300mm

P65+ f/11 1/500 ISO100

I remember upgrading my Mamiya 645 to the newly released Phase One 645 body late 2007, about 30-days before getting the Cambo WRS; I sold my complete Phase/Mamiya kit within months of adopting the Cambo WRS.

Phase One 645AF Phase One 80mm

P65+ f/11 1/500 ISO100

I cropped out some of the sky

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 300mm

P65+ f/11 1/500 ISO100

I've been using a Mamiya 300 for several days now and find it a great lens both for landscape and wildlife. I haven't been able to set this on a tripod simply because I lack the proper plate for the lens. I also feel that if the lens works as well as it does handheld it will be a stellar lens on a tripod. The Mamiya 300 lens has been around for a great number of years now and it simply works no matter the digital back; I've used this lens 3-years ago on a P30+ and P45+ and now see amazing results from the P65+. This is the one non "D" lens that I can highly recommend.

I've also been able to use the Mamiya 150D and Phase One 80D and find these lens to be very good. As good as the 300 is, the 150 and 80 are better.

I heard about using a soft release on the shutter button. These devices are designed to screw into the shutter release button to reduce camera shake when handholding. It also offers a better platform to use when shooting in cold weather and gloves. Either way this little device helps to reduce vibration and allows handheld shots at slower shutter speeds. It works as advertised. I decided to remove it from the M9 and try it with the 645AF which weighs considerably more and found it works just as well.

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 300

P65+ f/8 1/250 ISO100

100% Crop

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 300mm

P65+ f/11 1/250 ISO100

100% Crop

So what does all this mean to me? Great question. While Sandy will continue using 35mm and her Canon 1DsIII, I've decided to shoot strictly medium format. As good as the Phase One 645AF is I've also decided on the Phase One 645DF simply for the increased focusing ability. I've also decided to keep the 80mm, 150 and 300 focal lengths to compliment the 35, 72 and 120 that I have with the Cambo WRS.

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 300mm

P65+ f/8 1/180 ISO100

100% Crop

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 300mm

P65+ f/8 1/125 ISO100

100% Crop

The weather turned nasty for a couple days and I found myself shooting in -5 degree temps with a wind chill past -15. We've had periods of snow with high winds which caused blowing snow on top of everything else. We've also had a period of time where visibility could be measured in feet. I used the Phase One 645AF in all this as well as the lenses and the P65+. Everything worked as it should without any problems. There were times when it just wasn't possible to use auto focus and when that happened manual focus worked fine.

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 300mm

P65+ f/11 1/500 ISO100

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 150mm

P65+ f/11 1/700 ISO100

The sample images included here were all opened in Capture One Pro and eventually processed in CS5 sometimes with a little help from Nik Software.

Once again I wish to thank Dave Gallagher, friend and owner of Capture Integration for allowing me to test and review this equipment.

Stay tuned for more.

Don

Testing the Mamiya 300 with wildlife

2011-11-22T11:37:00.000-07:00

Full-frame image

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 300

P65+ f/11 1/350 ISO100

Handheld

100% Crop

I've been writing and showing samples of the Mamiya 150D and 300 since Dave Gallagher sent the 2-lenses and a Phase 645AF to me while I'm here in Jackson Hole WY. The only thing Dave requested was that I get a few images of buffalo. Up until late yesterday that request had not been filled. And truthfully I feel I can do better however it really is hit or miss in finding the buffalo herds close enough to capture.

"Moran Herd"

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 300

P65+ f/8 1/320 ISO100

Handheld

100% Crop

We've been stalking 2-separate herds the past couple days; one in the Moran area, the other near Kelly. The heard in the Moran area have been staying far from the main road and only really accessible by a single track road which now has over 6" of snow. Thankfully we have 4-wheel drive and can cross 30" of water. Going out to a place named Elk Ranch we cross approximately 18" of ice encrusted water then on to a unplowed road which has 6" to 8" of snow. Traveling the road about 2 miles will get you close to where the herd is. Sometimes we're lucky and get within several hundred yards of them as they graze while other times we're no closer than 1,000 yards. Makes for very difficult shooting.

"Moran Herd"

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 300

P65+ f/8 1/320 ISO100

Handheld

100% Crop

This is the herd we encountered on our first day of testing the Mamiya 300 and was unable to achieve any clear images due to blowing snow. The images below were all captured from a distance of close to if not over 1000 yards. We've been keeping a close eye of this herd has they have 2-new born calves which is unusual this late in the year. We're told the coat of a new-born are reddish-orange which gradually turns brown as they get older.

"Kelly Herd"

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 300

P65+ f/8 1/320 ISO100

Handheld

100% Crop

The other herd is near Kelly WY and appears to be more mature. We happened on this heard late yesterday afternoon around 4:30 as they were crossing the road. This has been the closest encounter of a herd for several weeks.

"Kelly Herd"

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 300

P65+ f/8 1/320 ISO100

Handheld

100% Crop

Shooting conditions:

The Moran herd was captured in near perfect conditions with bright skies with falling or blowing snow. The only difficulty was the distance involved.

"Kelly Herd"

Phase One 645AF mamiya 300

P65+ f/8 1/320 ISO100

Handheld

100% Crop

The Kelly herd was captured as the sun had pasted behind heavy cloud coverage making the area almost dusk. There was no snow falling and very little wind; just very cold.

"Kelly Herd"

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 300

P65+ f/8 1/320 ISO100

Handheld

100% Crop

The Moran herd was shot using manual focus while the Kelly herd has a combination of auto and manual focus. I later switched to Sensor-Plus for the Kelly herd which helped.

"Kelly Herd"

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 300

P65+ Sensor Plus f/8 1/320 ISO200

Handheld

100% Crop

My preference is to shoot using a tripod and I do that nearly 99% when capturing landscape. While I haven't been shooting off tripod I've nevertheless have been very pleased with the results both in the landscape images as well as the wildlife. I feel the weight of the body and either the 150 or 300 along with the balance makes it very easy to shoot handheld.

"Kelly Herd"

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 300

P65+ Sensor Plus f/8 1/320 ISO200

Handheld

100% Crop

My thoughts on the Mamiya 300: I feel I've gotten a couple "Gallery" shots (images that are good enough to print and sell) not only of landscape but wildlife and am looking forward to working them up after I get home. The lens is easy to hold and use and switch from auto to manual focus and has been providing me with crystal clear images. I said earlier that I'm not totally pleased with what I did with the Kelly herd; that was user error and not the fault of my equipment. In my haste to capture the buffalo I made a rookie mistake in not checking the camera settings and ended up shooting too fast for the conditions; thus the darker colors. We're returning this evening to see if I have learned my lesson and will report later.

Bottom line - I like it. This lens serves both as a great landscape and wildlife lens.

I'll continue to test and use the 150D and 300 in the next couple days and will begin adding images from the 80D which should arrive later today.

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments and I'll attempt to address them while I have this kit.

Don

Testing the Phase One 645AF Part II

2011-11-19T12:55:00.000-07:00

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 300

P65+ f/8 1/250 ISO50

This is not a crop

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 150D

P65+ f/8 1/250 ISO50

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 150D

P65+ f/11 1/250 ISO50

I wrote earlier on how I came to test the Phase One 645AF. I've spent the past two days using the Mamiya 300 and 150D mm lenses. This time has been spent in getting reacquainted in using the 645AF as well as the 2-lenses. The weather has turned a little worse than it has been with close to 10" of snow being dumped in a 2-day period. High winds have caused blowing snow which is an obstacle in capturing objects that are further away. The high winds have also caused problems in auto-focusing as the camera/lens hunt for a focus point and with the blowing snow between me and my subject it can be hit or miss, thus manual focus is a must.

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 300

P65+ f/11 1/250 ISO50

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 300

P65+ f/11 1/250 ISO50

this is not a crop

I've promised Dave buffalo however the conditions just haven't been good enough so he'll have to settle of more horses.

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 300

P65+ f/11 1/250 ISO50

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 300

P65+ f/8 1/250 ISO50

this is not a crop

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 300

P65+ f/8 1/250 ISO 50

I've found auto focus to be quick and on the flip side I've found manual focus to be easy and sometimes just as fast.

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 300

P65+ f/8 1/250 ISO50

this is not a crop

Phase One 645AF mamiya 300

P65+ f/8 1/250 ISO50

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 300

P65+ f/8 1/250 ISO50

this is not a crop

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 300

P65+ f/8 1/250 ISO 50

I've also noticed that I'm much more willing to switch to Sensor Plus on the P65+ and that those images are just as good as without it.

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 300

P65+ f/8 1/350 ISO200

Sensor Plus 1-hr before full sunset

100% crop

I enjoy shooting with long focal lenses and both the 150 and 300 fit that bill. I've found the 300 to be just as good a lens as I remember it from 3-years ago. Reminds me of the saying "if it isn't broke why fix it". I never had a prime 150 lens; instead I used a 75-150 which to me was very good. That is until I started using the 150D. The lens rocks. The lens is fast, both in f/stop but more importantly focusing.

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 300

P65+ f/8 1/250 ISO100

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 300

P65+ f/8 1/250 ISO100

The images included here are all from the second day of shooting. The conditions were much as described in the previous post; snow, blowing snow, wind gusting past 12MPH and in general very cold. The 645AF performed as needed; any problems or concerns were all user caused. The lenses worked. Auto-focus worked when conditions were favorable and when not, manual focus filled the gap. Please note all the images presented so far were all captured handheld. Also of note, the images were opened in Capture One where they were all converted to Jpeg for internet use; very little to no other processing has been involved.

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 300

P65+ f/11 1/350 ISO100

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 150D

P65+ f/11 1/250 ISO100

It's only been 2-days for using this equipment however I've had a ball. The 2-lenses Dave Gallagher sent fit the bill for long focal points. I called the office late yesterday afternoon and not being able to get anyone in the Atlanta office the call immediately rolled over to the Miami office where Doug Peterson answered. A quick conversation later and a 80D is being shipped.

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 150D

P65+ f/11 1/250 ISO100

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 150D

P65+ f/11 1/250 ISO100

Shooting medium format is slightly different from a 35mm. One of the biggest differences is the focal length of lenses used. Sandy has been using her 35mm full-frame Canon 1DsIII and a Canon 300mm lens which remains a 300mm. The 300mm lens I've been using on the 645AF is the equivalent to a 193mm lens, the 150mm is equivalent to 96mm and the 80mm is equivalent to 51mm. This equivalent factor is based on using the Phase One P65+ which is a full-frame medium format digital back. If I haven't lost you yet stay tuned for more technical information.

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 150D

P65+ f/11 1/250 ISO100

Phase One 645AF Mamiya 150D

P65+ f/11 1/350 ISO100

Capture Integration has a great focal length equivalent calculator which can be found here.

Again, many thanks to Dave Gallagher and the many great people at Capture Integration.

Don

Capture Integration, Atlanta GA

2011-11-19T10:43:00.000-07:00

Phase One 645AF, Mamiya 150

P65+ f/11 1/250 ISO100

Anyone following this blog will know I'm currently in Jackson Hole WY attempting to capture the beautiful landscape. I've been here 6 out of a planed 8 weeks and so far have exceeded my expectations for landscape and wildlife images.

Buffalo Herd (manual focus in blowing snow)

Phase One 645 AF, Mamiya 300

P65+ f/11 1/250 ISO100

Baby Buffalo (manual focus in blowing snow)

Phase One 645 AF, Mamiya 300

P65+ f/11 1/320 ISO100

So what does this have to do with Dave Gallagher and Capture Integration? Actually quite a bit as close to 99% of my photographic gear came from Capture Integration. Besides being my number one photographic dealer for everything dealing with Cambo and Phase One digital backs, they also are responsible for me getting into Leica & Dave happens to be a very close friend. This friendship has helped Iron Creek Photography get the gear to capture my work as well as keep my wallet flat.

Aspens

Phase One 645AF, Mamiya 300

P65+ f/11 1/250 ISO100

Aspens

Phase One 645AF, Mamiya 300

P65+ f/11 1/250 ISO100

Dave & I don't speak to each other as much as we sometimes would like however I know that if I ever run into a problem I can call and get it resolved. There was no problem to be resolved the last we spoke other than Dave being a little jealous over my length of stay in Jackson Hole. The conversation turned into a question of whether I would have the time to try using a Phase 645AF and maybe a couple lenses for landscape and wildlife; I of course said "yes" without any hesitation.

Lava Flow

Phase One 645AF, Mamiya 300

P65+ f/8 1/80 ISO100

And that's how I am now using a Phase One 645AF body along with the Mamiya 300 and Mamiya Sekor D 150mm lenses. I started using my Cambo WRS October 2008 and quickly sold all my other medium format gear so this makes the first time in 3-years that I've held a Phase One 645 body and Mamiya lenses. I've experimented using the Cambo WRS to capture buffalo and will now use the Phase DF to do the very same using the 2-provided lenses. I will of course be using my P65+ digital back to capture the images.

I've found horses to be much more difficult to capture than herds of buffalo. While buffalo have a tendency to move slow, horses move fast often jerking around. Auto focus on a good day is fine however add snow and blowing snow along with a horse who just won't stop moving means manual focus is a must.

Phase One 645AF, Mamiya 300

P65+ f/8 1/500 ISO100

100% Crop

Phase One 645AF, Mamiya 300

P65+ f/8 1/500 ISO 100

I've had the Phase system for a very short couple days and want to show a sample of what I've been able to accomplish so far. This will be the first of several posts to highlight what can be accomplished with the Phase 645, 300 and 150mm lenses, so stay tuned.

T.A. Moulton Barn

Phase One 645AF, Mamiya 300

P65+ f/11 1/320 ISO200

Shooting conditions: The past two days I have experienced snow, blowing snow, cold temps in the teens with winds gusting in the upper teens. All in all great weather for winter landscape however it sucks (a technical term) for wildlife.

The above samples were all captured on the first day; the following is from the second. I found that even after a 3-year absense from shooting this type of camera it came back quickly. I want to add a very special thank-you to the extraordinary Doug Peterson for his help while sitting on the side of a road.

6-8" of snow and it only got deeper

I've said this before and feel it's worth repeating. Finding the "right" camera dealer is very important for many reasons among them are they will be there for support when you need it. The right dealer is closely related to forming a partnership where they help you succeed. Dave Gallagher and his staff at Capture Integration are that perfect fit.

I only have this equipment for a short time as they will be returned to Capture Integration. Please let me know if there are any questions or comments that I can assist with.

Thanks Dave.

Don

Stay tuned for more.

Jackson Hole WY (week five)

2011-11-12T10:21:00.000-07:00

Canon 1DsIII EF70-200 (400mm)

It's Saturday, November 12th and we just noticed we're on our 5th week in the Jackson Hole area.

The past 5-weeks have gone fast - sometimes too fast. We've been fortunate in capturing beautiful landscape and wildlife images. We keep telling people we aren't wildlife photographers however we always seem to stop at any herds of Buffalo and Moose. We've been able to reconnect with past friends and have made new friends during our stay.

The following are for a good friend of ours, Jim K. in Tucson.

Don has been experimenting using his new P65+ shooting at slower than normal (for him) shutter speeds and getting beautiful water images. He's also using his Droid 8 megapixel experimenting with locations before dragging out either his Leica or Cambo WRS.

Droid test shot

Cambo WRS1000,P65+,Schneider 35mm

We've been waiting for the snow to arrive and it finally came last night. Checking the 10-day forecast it shows snow everyday. This means the Elk will finally start heading down from the mountains.

Our truck this morning.

As always, thank-you for allowing us to share our experiences and remember if you have any questions or comments please let us know.

Sandy & Don

Using a technical camera for wildlife

2011-11-07T18:09:00.000-07:00

100% crop

I currently use 2-camera systems to capture landscape images; medium format, technical camera Cambo WRS1000 with a Phase One P65+ digital back and a full-frame 35mm Leica M9. Neither system is all that well suited for wildlife. Anyone who knows me knows I like to think outside the box and decided to do just that last week.

100% crop

We're in the middle of a weather pattern where fall is over and winter is around the corner. There's no more color to shoot and there's too little snow. The skies currently are very overcast with periods of just too much cloud coverage. While I don't want to use the "U" word it has been somewhat ugly.

So what can I do? There's plenty of wildlife to shoot with buffalo, moose and some elk coming into the area.

100% crop

I've found the addition of the new wooden grips on the WRS has added to the comfort level of handholding the camera. We took a day last week and traveled into Yellowstone National Park where we found the buffalo taken here.

All the images were captured handheld with the Cambo WRS1000 and P65+ along with a Schneider 72mm lens. I didn't use the 120mm lens as I couldn't risk getting out of the truck to get the lens and felt the 72 would be a good test.

So the question one might ask is can you use a technical camera to shoot wildlife? My answer is yes. It might not be the best system suited for it but it can be done.

I only had a few seconds to try and capture the color.

100% crop

Thanks for visiting and let me know if you have any question or comments.

Don

Shooting the P65+ at slow shutter speeds

2011-10-27T16:46:00.000-07:00

f/5.6 2.0 ISO100

f/5.6 21.0 ISO100

I wanted to test a theory about capturing rushing water using a neutral density filter (3-stop) attached to a Cambo WRS with a P65+ and 72mm Schneider lens. I packed everything up to return to Granite Creek this morning to see just how well this combination would work.

f/5.6 20.0 ISO100

f/5.6 15.0 ISO100

The majority of the f/stop was set at 5.6; however when looking more directly towards the sun I stop the Schneider 72mm down to f/32 and sometimes just f/16. I kept the ISO at 100 for all image captures. Then there's the shutter; the fastest time used was 2-seconds and the longest 32-seconds.

f/5.6 5.0 ISO100

f/5.6 32.0 ISO100

f/5.6 16.0 ISO100

So what did I learn? The P65+ is more than capable of producing long shutter activations; and, using the equipment described above I was able to get what I refer to as smokey water.

Anyone else see a shark?

f/16 21.0 ISO100

f/32 16.0 ISO100

Let me know if you have any comments or questions.

Don

Wyoming Buffalo

2011-10-26T10:00:00.000-07:00

We're now entering the time where buffalo and elk are heading into the Jackson Hole area. We've been noticing the buffalo herds near Moran Junction slowly growing in numbers with many new born calves.

Don went out with a WY State Trooper Sunday afternoon showing him our Ford Raptor and went by Moran Junction where they saw what looked like the convergence of at least 2-herds of buffalo. We returned Monday afternoon to see that they're still there.

The majority of the images included here were taken with the Canon 1DsIII and the EF 70-200 lens. While we had the new Canon 1.4 and 2 extenders we found they weren't needed as most of the buffalo were very close to the road.

We've included a few of the images attempted with the Leica M9 and 135mm just to give an example of its capability.

We've had great success the first part of the week shooting sunrise to sunset and frankly we're tired so today is a catch-up day with reviewing and initial processing of images as well as equipment cleaning.

We don't want to close this without sharing images of a Bald Eagle we stumbled upon yesterday while exploring the Granite Creek area.

Once again, thank you for allowing us to share and remember your comments, thoughts, and suggestions are always welcome.

Sandy & Don

Shooting the Leica M9 and Voigtlander 50mm f/1.1

2011-10-25T17:47:00.000-07:00

We've been having a busy week going into our 3rd week in the Jackson Hole area. This issue of our blog will center on a great find of ours this morning as we were driving south towards Pinedale WY. Approximately 24 miles south of Jackson we past a small sign directing us towards Granite Creek Hot Springs and we decided to turn off the road to visit the area.

The images included here were all taken using the Leica M9 with a Voigtlander 50mm f/1.1 and a Hoya neutral density (4-stop) filter attached. The lens was closed down f/16, the ISO pushed to 80 and shutter speeds from .5 to a full second.

The images were all taken this morning along Granite Creek.

Once again the Leica M9 has shown me it can be used to capture landscape images rather well.

Thanks for visiting and let me know your comments or questions.

Don

By the way - we never made it to Pinedale....

Jackson Hole WY Week Two (Hand holding the Cambo WRS)

2011-10-23T10:40:00.000-07:00

Old farm house, Squirrel ID

Cambo WRS1000 P65+ Schneider 72mm Handheld

We're at the end of our second week of shooting in the Jackson Hole WY area. This post is the 4th part of recent posts showing sample images taken with the Leica M9, Canon 1DsIII and a Cambo WRS 1000 technical camera coupled with a Phase One P65+ medium format digital back.

Old farm house, Squirrel ID

Cambo WRS1000 P65+ Schneider 35mm Handheld

I won't bore you with how much I like shooting landscape with the Cambo as I've already done that in other posts. I'll add as a bit of reference/history that I chose to shoot landscape with the Cambo WRS1000 3-years ago as a means of getting better images with a combination of cleaner-larger files. I was fortunate to try the WRS shortly after its release and have been pleased.

Snake River

Cambo WRS1000 P65+ Schneider 72mm Handheld

Cambo designed the WRS1000 for the digital shooter; the body is slightly smaller while positioning the movement controls on the rear of the body. The one small downside for me was the handles - they just seemed a little to too small. I shoot a lot in various types of weather and conditions. I've shot in some areas where while it was warm I still required some sort of gloves to get from place to place. Likewise I shot in the dead of winter with very cold temps and snow and need to wear heavier gloves just to feel my fingers. I found the original grips to be worrisome in providing a firm grip while handling the body and often times removed my gloves to set the camera on the tripod. Handholding to me was just not an option as I just didn't feel I had a firm grip with or without gloves.

100% crop of below

The Cambo offered wooden grips and everything changed. I wrote about replacing the grips earlier this year so I won't go into that here. What I will say is that the wooden grips not only makes the WRS1000 great looking they are also extremely functional. We've had some cool enough temps here that required wearing gloves and I've found the handling of the WRS vastly improved from taking it from the pelican case to placing it on the tripod.

Along the Snake River, WY

Cambo WRS1000 P65+ Schneider 72mm Handheld

Then there's the ability to use the WRS as a handheld camera. I've talked to Ken Doo about the general feel of handholding the camera and the best I can describe it is it's like holding and shooting an old press camera. It is easy to do. I've tried it using all 3-lens and in general find no real difference between shooting a 35mm to a 72mm or the 120mm. I do use the viewfinder which helps and also use the 35mm mask with the 35mm and 72mm mask with both the 72mm and 120mm lens.

Test shot for location setup

Cambo WRS1000 P65+ Schneider 120mm Handheld

In short, while the majority of my landscape images are shot on tripod I have found myself much more open to using it off tripod.

This was cropped for more of a panorama look

This is the last post from our second week in the Jackson Hole area; stay tuned for more as we begin our 3rd week.

Field of Buffalo, Moran WY

Cambo WRS1000 P65+ Schneider 72mm Handheld

100% crop

Thanks for visiting and remember, your thoughts, suggestions and comments are always welcome.

Don

Jackson Hole WY Week Two (Cambo WRS)

2011-10-22T17:28:00.000-07:00

Cambo WRS1000 P65+ Schneider 35mm

Cambo WRS 1000 P65+ Schneider 35mm

We spent close to 30 days in the Jackson Hole area last year and decided to return almost as soon as we left. This is the end of our second week with at least 6- more to come.

Cambo WRS 1000 P65+ Schneider 72mm

Cambo WRS 1000 P65+ Schneider 120mm

I've had a love affair with the Cambo WRS1000 since I first held it and 3-years later the feeling hasn't changed. I've added new wooden grips to the Cambo which has made it easier to handle in setting it up as well as shooting it handheld.

2-shot pano

Cambo WRS 1000 P65+ Schneider 72mm

The biggest difference from last year is the upgrade from the 39 megapixel near full frame P45+ to a 60 megapixel full frame P65+. I've written about the difference between the P45 and P65 which include a change from the Kodak sensor to that of a Dalsa not to mention of the huge jump in resolution. Needless to say, I've seen a vast improvement in images this year from last.

Multiple shot images for focus

Cambo WRS 1000 P65+ Schneider 72mm

We've shared images in week one from Oxbow Bend and will include more here as well as Flagg Ranch Road, Teton National Park, and Polecat Creek which is very near Yellowstone National Park.

2-shot pano (cropped)

Cambo WRS 1000 P65+ Schneider 120mm

I've separated images from those taken on tripod from those handheld and will share the handheld later on.

Cropped vertical 2-shot

Cambo WRS 1000 P65+ Schneider 120mm

Once again thanks for visiting and remember your comments and questions are always welcome.

Next up handholding the Cambo WRS1000.

Don

Jackson Hole WY Week Two (Canon 1DsIII)

2011-10-22T16:41:00.000-07:00

Canon 1DsIII EF24-70 (70mm) f/8 1/160 ISO 125

Canon 1DsIII EF24-70 (70mm) f/8 1/250 ISO 100

Canon 1DsIII EF24-70 (70mm) f/11 1/250 ISO 100

We're at the end of our second week in the Jackson Hole area and faced with too many images to share in one blog so we decided to separate the images by camera. We've shown samples of what was done with the Leica M9 and are now showing images from the Canon 1DsIII.

Canon 1DsIII EF24-70 (70mm) f/8 1/125 ISO 100

Canon 1DsIII EF 135mm f/11 1/200 ISO 250

These images are from the National Elk Refuge , Flat Creek Road area, Curtis Canyon, Flagg Ranch, Grassy Lake Roads, Polecat Creek, and Cascade Creek. We've also included images from Lewis River (Yellowstone National Park) and Teton National Park.

Canon 1DsIII EF135mm f/11 1/200 ISO 250

Canon 1DsIII EF 135 f/8 1/100 ISO 100

We've put a couple miles on the truck and many hours in the field this week and are very pleased with what we've accomplished.

Canon 1DsIII EF 135mm f/7.1 1/250 ISO 125

Canon 1DsIII EF 24-70 (25mm) f/8 1/125 ISO 100

Thanks as always for visiting; remember, your comments and questions are always welcome.

Deep in a medow

Canon 1DsIII EF 135mm f/8 1/250 ISO 100

First elk of the season (we weren't fast enough...)

Canon 1DsIII EF 135mm f/11 1/250 ISO 100

Next up the Cambo WRS1000/Phase One P65+

Sandy & Don

Jackson Hole WY Week Two (Leica)

2011-10-22T15:49:00.000-07:00

Leica M9 Voightlander 50mm f/16 1/1000 ISO 400

We've been busy this second week and decided to separate the images we wanted to share by camera with the first being the Leica M9.

Leica M9 Voightlander 50mm f/16 1/250 ISO 1000

We stayed within the Jackson Hole area this past week driving into areas of the National Elk Refuge we failed to explore last year. The images included here are samples from Flat Creek Road, walking around Jackson city center, etc.

Leica M9 Voightlander 50mm f/11 1/500 ISO 160

We'll be sharing images later from Flagg Ranch, Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park as well as the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

Lunch at Billy's Giant Burgers, Jackson WY

Leica M9 Elmarit 24mm f/16 1/0.5 ISO 400

Leica M9 Elmarit 24mm f/16 1/1.0 ISO 160

This will be part 1 of a multiple part update that will also include samples of shooting the Cambo WRS 1000 handheld using the new wooden grips.

Leica M9 Elmarit 24mm f/9.5 1/500 ISO 250

Leica M9 Elmarit 24mm f/11 1/500 ISO 320

Thanks as always for visiting and remember your comments and or questions are always welcome.

Leica M9 Elmarit 24mm f/4 1/250 ISO 200

Leica M9 Elmarit 24mm f/4 1/250 ISO250

Leica M9 Elmarit 24mm f/4 1/250 ISO 160

Leica M9 Elmarit 24mm f/16 1/500 ISO 640

Images from the Canon 1DsIII are up next so stay tuned.

Sandy & Don

Welcome back to Jackson Hole!

2011-10-16T12:39:00.000-07:00

Canon 1DsIII EF24-70 (70mm)

Canon 1DsIII EF24-70 (42mm)

Canon 1DsIII EF24-70 (38mm)

Canon 1DsIII EF24-70 (24mm)

We've return to the Jackson Hole area for a second time after spending nearly 30-days here last year. The plan was to arrive to catch the fall colors and the beginning of winter before returning to our home in the Southwest. We've actually been in Jackson WY now for 1-week and shooting for 4-days. It appears an early cold snap hurt our chances for the brilliant fall colors we had hoped for. All isn't lost however as there are still pockets of colors left. Weather has been slightly warm so far with cooler weather coming soon.

Canon 1DsIII EF24-70 (28mm)

Canon 1DsIII EF17-40 (17mm)

Canon 1DsIII EF135mm

Jackson Hole area needs little description so we'll let the images speak for themselves.

Canon 1DsIII EF24-70 (46mm)

Canon 1DsIII EF17-40 (17mm)

Cambo WRS1000 P65+ Schneider 72mm

Canon 1DsIII EF24-70 (70mm)

We're back at the Homewood Suites in Jackson just as last year and wish to thank the wonderful staff here for the very warm welcome we received last Sunday. Don's betting they will give us an equally warm good-bye once we leave...

Canon 1DsIII EF24-70 (54mm)

Cambo WRS1000 Schneider 35 Hand-held

Cambo WRS1000 Schneider 35mm

A slight technical note: Last year Don was using a Phase One P45+ (39 megapixels) with his Cambo WRS. In the year that we've been gone Don has upgraded to a P60+ (60 megapixels) and added the new wooden grips to the WRS. The increased resolution has been immediately noticeable. Don has also found the wooden grips has added improvement in handling the WRS; while Don shoots primarily on tripod, he has seen just how easy the WRS is now to use handheld.

Cambo WRS1000 Schneider 35mm Hand-held

Cambo WRS1000 Schneider 120mm Hand-held

Leica M9 Voightlander 50mm f/1.1

Canon 1DsIII EF135mm w/2x Hand-held

We plan on posting at least one per week so please stay tuned. Thank you as always for visiting and please remember your thoughts, comments or questions are always welcome.

Canon 1Ds III EF135

Cambo WRS1000 Schneider 35mm (2-shot pano)

Canon 1DsIII EF24-70 (35mm)

Cambo WRS1000 Schneider 35mm (2-shot pano)

Leica M9 135mm

Final Note:

The images included here have been processed using a combination of Phase One Capture One 6, Adobe Photoshop CS6 and a combination of Nik software, Viveza 2, Silver Efex Pro, and HDR Efex Pro.

Bye for now...

Sandy & Don

Passing through Indian Canyon Utah

2011-10-12T11:40:00.000-07:00

Canon 1DsIII EF24-70 (45mm) f/8 1/100 ISO 50

As many know or will soon find out we've returned to the Jackson Hole area.

We decided to travel along US 191 from Arizona into the Jackson Hole area in order to have a more laid back experience. Which brings us to Indian Canyon Utah along US 191 between Helper and Duchesne.

Canon 1DsIII EF24-70 (60mm) f/8 1/100 ISO 50

This stretch of road offers great landscape opportunities of gentle rolling hills and grazing lands with horses and cattle. We also saw remnants of early homesteading with log cabins, and outbuildings. We discovered such a homestead in Indian Canyon. Driving along US 191 we spotted the remains of a cabin and outbuildings and decided to stop.

Canon 1DsIII 24-70 (45mm) f/8 1/100 ISO 50

Canon 1DsIII 24-70mm (43mm) f/8 1/250 ISO 50

We thought we had to shoot from the road as everything was behind a fence and locked gate. Fortunately shortly after stopping a small pickup pulled off the road and the owner introduced himself and gave us a brief history of the homestead. Mr. Art Taylor, the owner told us the place we were standing at was called the Poulson Place and dated back to between 1905 and 1908 with the first homesteading of the area. Mr. Taylor lived here with his wife in the early years of their marriage before moving to the Duchesne area and evidentially having 8 children and 32 grandchildren. Mr. Taylor was kind enough to unlock the gate and allow us free access to the homestead while he conducted business further down the road.

Canon 1DsIII 24-70 (35mm) f/8 1/200 ISO50

Canon 1DsIII 24-70 (45mm) f/8 1/250 ISO50

Leica M9 Voigtlander 50mm f/1.1 f/11 1/1000 ISO 1000

We want to thank Art Taylor for his kindness in sharing the local history and allowing us access not only to this homestead but another which is located further north. The second homestead, a small cabin was homesteaded by 2-widows shortly after a mining accident cost them their husbands. Barbara Jones and Bessie Gordon built the small cabin with hopes their sons would not grow up to be miners.

Leica M9 Voigtlander 50mm f/1.1 f/11 1/1500 ISO 640

Leica M9 Voigtlander 50mm f/1.1 f/11 1/750 ISO 800

Were it not for the kindness of Mr. Taylor we would not have learned some of the rich history of the area let alone be able to get better images of the homesteads.

Leica M9 Voigtlander 50mm f/1.1 f/11 1/1500 ISO 50

Leica M9 Voigtlander 50mm f/1.1 f/11 1/500 ISO 50

We're back in Jackson staying at the Homewood Suites and hope to share our return experiences.

Art Taylor & Sandy

Thanks for visiting and stay tuned for more.

Sandy & Don

Warning: Break-in and stolen Alpa Products in Zurich

2011-10-02T09:31:00.000-07:00

Alpa of Switzerland was burglarized a couple days ago. Alpa is a small company making some of the finest camera equipment there is and is. While there isn't any idea of who did this the world-wide community of photographers need to be on alert of any "special" deals coming their way and help Alpa recover their stolen inventory. I've cut and pasted a list of items with the associated serial number. You can also click on the title of this post to be directed to Alpa's website for more information.

ALPA of Switzerland 29th Sept 2011 List of stolen ALPA material housebreaking 28/29 September 2011 in Zurich

Art No.         Manufacturer Item                                            Serial No

160.010.060 Rodenstock ALPA Apo-Alpar 4.5/35 mm               11949587

160.010.070 Rodenstock ALPA Apo-Alpar 4.5/45 mm               11905073

160.010.360 Rodenstock HR Digaron-W 5.6/70 mm                 11972463

160.010.590 Rodenstock HR Digaron-W 5.6/90 mm                 11970483

160.010.880 Rodenstock HR Digaron-S 5.6/23 mm                  11999004

160.010.890 Rodenstock HR Digaron-S 4.5/28 mm                  12058941

160.010.890 Rodenstock HR Digaron-S 4.5/28 mm                  12058914

160.010.890 Rodenstock HR Digaron-S 4.5/28 mm                  12058934

160.010.905 Rodenstock HR Digaron-S 4.0/100 mm                11975529

160.010.905 Rodenstock HR Digaron-S 4.0/100 mm                12000476

160.010.905 Rodenstock HR Digaron-S 4.0/100 mm                12000474

160.010.905 Rodenstock HR Digaron-S 4.0/100 mm                11972403

160.018.050 Rodenstock ALPA HR Alpagon 5.6/50 mm            12079810

160.018.070 Rodenstock ALPA HR Alpagon 5.6/70 mm            12079773

160.020.035 Schneider Componon S 5.6/150 mm

160.020.050 Schneider Super-Angulon 5.6/47 mm XL              15018676

160.020.050 Schneider Super-Angulon 5.6/47 mm XL              14697915

160.020.050 Schneider Super-Angulon 5.6/47 mm XL              14990389

160.020.080 Schneider Super-Angulon 5.6/65 mm                  14778972

160.020.114 Schneider Apo-Symmar 5.6/120 mm SB               15009031

160.020.114 Schneider Apo-Symmar 5.6/120 mm SB               14972185

160.025.020 Schneider Apo-Digitar 5.6/24 mm XL                   14809115

160.025.072 Schneider Apo-Digitar 5.6/35 mm XL                   15049075

160.025.072 Schneider Apo-Digitar 5.6/35 mm XL                   15049082

160.025.072 Schneider Apo-Digitar 5.6/35 mm XL                   15049069

160.025.072 Schneider Apo-Digitar 5.6/35 mm XL                   15049077

160.025.073 Schneider Apo-Digitar 5.6/43 mm XL                   15099785

160.025.073 Schneider Apo-Digitar 5.6/43 mm XL                   15099685

160.025.079 Schneider Apo-Digitar 5.6/47 mm XL                   14948400

160.025.082 Schneider Apo-Digitar 5.6/72 mm L                     15038805

160.025.115 Schneider Apo-Digitar 5.6/120 mm M                  14780900

160.025.120 Schneider Apo-Digitar 5.6/120 mm N                  15133121

160.025.121 Schneider Apo-Digitar 5.6/120 mm N SB             15106792

160.025.121 Schneider Apo-Digitar 5.6/120 mm N SB             15118391

160.025.121 Schneider Apo-Digitar 5.6/120 mm N SB             15106793

160.025.121 Schneider Apo-Digitar 5.6/120 mm N SB             15106759

160.028.050 Schneider ALPA Apo-Helvetar 5.6/48 mm           15107738

160.028.050 Schneider ALPA Apo-Helvetar 5.6/48 mm           15107707

160.028.050 Schneider ALPA Apo-Helvetar 5.6/48 mm           15107709

160.028.050 Schneider ALPA Apo-Helvetar 5.6/48 mm           15107710

160.028.050 Schneider ALPA Apo-Helvetar 5.6/48 mm           15107704

160.028.050 Schneider ALPA Apo-Helvetar 5.6/48 mm           15107742

160.028.050 Schneider ALPA Apo-Helvetar 5.6/48 mm           15107745

160.028.050 Schneider ALPA Apo-Helvetar 5.6/48 mm           15107744

160.028.228 Schneider ALPA Apo-Helvetar 5.6/28 mm XL      15116592

160.030.050 ALPA/Zeiss Biogon 4.5/38 mm                        1010041867

160.030.060 ALPA/Zeiss Biogon 4.5/38 mm                        1010044440

Please notify the appropriate authorities if you see any of the above, and be careful!

Don

Eastern Pinal Regional Coalition Against Domestic Violence (EPRCADV)

2011-09-12T11:16:00.001-07:00

Update:

We wrote on August 12th about the raffle being held in support of the EPRCADV and our efforts in donating an artist proof 30x60 of Desert View Panorama.

Tickets went on sale September 1st and while we haven't gotten a count of how many have been sold we have been told by the organizers that they feel they'll have no problems selling all 250.

We're getting ready for another trip however we wanted to share with you that the tickets have gone on sale and that the EPRCADV has been receiving great feedback regarding the raffle. The drawing for Desert View will be held Saturday December 17, 2011. Please note that EPRCADV is a non-profit organization with 100% of the proceeds going to help the Coalition.

The points of contact for the EPRCADV and raffle are:

Linda Kadlecek 520-487-2355

Edie Crall 520-825-3738

Ken Conrad 520-818-0336

Please remember the winner has the sole responsibility of and transport.

We'll continue updating as we get more information.

Sandy & Don

Marble Canyon & North Rim

2011-09-06T13:30:00.000-07:00

Colorado River

Canon 1DsIII f/11 1/100 ISO 50 EF24-70 (48mm)

Marble Canyon is the section of the Colorado River canyon from Lee's Ferry to the confluence with the Little Colorado River and marks the beginning of the Grand Canyon.

New Navajo Bridge

Canon 1DsIII f/11 1/100 ISO 50 EF17-40 (17mm)

We've stayed at the Marble Canyon Lodge many times and have written about the lodge and restaurant there. The Navajo Bridge is located within walking distance of the lodge and has a long history as being the only roadway crossing the Colorado River and Grand Canyon for nearly 600 miles (970 km).

View from the Navajo Bridge

The Colorado River

Leica M9 f/16 1/250 ISO 500 Summarit 90mm

The intent of this trip was to stay at the North Rim spending several days capturing the beauty of this side of the Grand Canyon. We normally don't visit the Grand Canyon in the summer and rarely the North Rim and were looking forward to a stay at on the rim view cabins. The plan was to arrive on Monday and depart on Friday thus allowing us numerous occasions to capture sunsets and sunrises. We ended up leaving after only one-night. We fully expected rustic accommodations and weren't disappointed. What disappointed us was the total lack of any view of the rim other than through the thick foliage. We also weren't expecting to share our cabin infested with mice and a bathroom toilet that wouldn't stop running. In short, we can not recommend staying at the North Rim Lodge. While our trip was cut short we haven't given up on the North Rim and expect to return; this time staying outside the park as we've done before.

North Rim Sunset

Canon 1DsIII f/4 1/160 ISO50 EF24-70 (70mm)

North Rim Sunset

Canon 1DsIII f/4 1/200 ISO 200 EF24-70 (64mm)

North Rim Sunset

Canon 1DsIII f/4 1/200 ISO 200 EF24-70 (51mm)

Driving along Route 89 we saw beautiful clouds to the west and decided to stop at Marble Canyon to photograph the Navajo Bridge as well as have an early lunch at the lodge. We can truthfully say we've never had a bad meal at the lodge and recommend both the lodge and restaurant.

North Rim Sunset

Leica M9 f/4.8 1/750 ISO 160 Voigtlander Nokton 50mm

North Rim Sunset

Leica M9 f/1 1/500 ISO160 Voigtlander Nokton 50mm

North Rim Sunset

Leica M9 f/11 1/500 ISO1000 Voigtlander Nokton 50mm

Don kept testing the limits of the new Voigtlander 50mm f/1.1 this time with a Hoya Pro1Digital FND x16 (4 stop) filter. Sandy used her Canon 1DsIII using primarily the 24-70mm lens.

Sandy

Leica M9 f/16 1/500 ISO 1000 Voigtlander Nokton 50mm

Don

Canon 1DsIII f/11 1/100 ISO 50 EF24-70 (52mm)

Leica M9 f/16 1/500 ISO1000 Voigtlander Nokton 50mm

Note: Don's found the metadata to be extremely erratic even when having the lens selected to the recommended lens. Also, all Voigtlander Nokton 50mm images were shot using the Hoya filter.

Thank you as always for visiting and stay tuned for more.

Sandy & Don

Metadata regarding the lens used has been added to the entry concerning "Is the M9 a serious Landscape Camera"

And one last fun image taken on the road in front of the Marble Canon Lodge.

A bugs view

Droid X2 & photography

2011-09-03T09:26:00.001-07:00

I recently replaced my old Blackberry with a Droid X2; anyone following us on Face Book has seen the mobile uploads. The camera is advertised as being 8-megapixels and that got me wondering. Just how good is it.

We recently took a trip to the North Rim stopping in Sedona before crossing the Navajo Bridge. The original trip was to last several days at the North Rim while staying at the North Rim Lodge. The trip was cut short by several days since we didn't like the idea of spending close to $200 a night only to have to sleep in a cabin that was infested with mice. But I digress. I want to show a sampling of images that were taken with the Droid X2 along the trip.

Sedona

This is the original image taken with the camera

Same image after processing in CS5 & Nik Software and cropped.

Navajo Bridge

Image processed in CS5 and cropped.

North Rim

Original non-processed image other than a crop

After image; processed in CS5 and Nik Silver Efex Pro and cropped.

While the images appear to be clear and sharp I doubt that they would hold up to printing the size we normally display images. They are however good examples of just how advanced we've become in phone-camera technology.

I'm working on images we took with our regular gear and should have something to share shortly. I'm also working on identifying the lenses used on the last entry "Is the M9 a serious Landscape Camera?"

Don

Is the M9 a serious Landscape Camera?

2011-08-25T10:44:00.006-07:00

Mono Lake, Eastern Sierra CA February 2010

Summicron 50mm f/5.7 1/2000 ISO 160

There's been a lot of questions raised on whether or not the Leica M9 can hack it as a "serious landscape" camera.

Monument Valley, July 2010

the rest is unknown more than likely the Summarit 90mm

Along Mt Lemmon Road, Oracle AZ July 2010

Summarit 90mm f/3.4 1/2000 ISO 160

The short answer is yes. The slightly longer answer is why not.

Outside the Chiricahua National Monument, southeast AZ April 2010

Summicron 35mm f/6.7 1/1000 ISO 160

Green River Overlook, Islands In The Sky District, Canyonlands National Park Moab UT, May 2010, Summicron 35mm f/9.5 1/500 ISO 160

Admittedly my exposure to Leica and the M9 only began 18 months ago (February 2010) however in the short time I've had the pleasure of using it I've developed a certain fondness for it; especially in respect to landscape work.

Inadvertent duplicate of #3

The M9 as a rangefinder camera is not an easy camera to use (but then again the Cambo WRS my primary landscape camera isn't either). I think people tend to think that having all the bells and whistles is needed for "good" photography. There simply isn't a camera being offered in any format that will make you a better photographer. Hard work, testing the limits of yourself and your gear does. Experimentation goes a long way as well. That being said I have found the M9 opening my eyes to see the world around me slightly different.

Somewhere along the road to Alpine AZ July 2010

Summicron 50mm f/2.8 1/4000 ISO 160

Alpine AZ July 2010

Summicron 50mm f/9.5 1/500 ISO 320

Alpine AZ July 2010

Summicron 35mm f/2.4 1/4000 ISO 160

I used the M9 in Yosemite shortly after getting it and was more than pleased. Since getting the M9 I've used it in capturing landscape in Yosemite, Death Valley, Hovenweep National Monument, Moab, and Jackson Hole WY just to mention a few. I've used the M9 to capture landscape as well as nature and in some cases even wildlife. Most recently I used it in and around Page AZ where I captured images in slot canyons.

Monterey Bay Aquarium February 2010

Summicron 50mm f/2 1/30 ISO 250

Jackson Hole WY October 2010

APO Telyt 135mm f/5.7 1/60 ISO 160

The original thought in getting the M9 was to use it as a companion camera to my medium format thinking I could use it to scout areas I'd want to return to do "serious" work. I was proved wrong within the first couple weeks. I feel and have written about this before, that the M9 holds its own against my primary landscape gear and I feel the M9 is a full-partner to my medium format system. I recently came back from a week in Utah where I used both the medium format and M9 to capture landscape. I returned from that trip with 2-images, 1- taken with the P65+ the other with the M9. The only caveat is printing size with the largest print size for the M9 being 24x36.

Slot Canyon Page AZ June 2011

Elmarit 24mm f/11 1/8 ISO 250

Fort Apache AZ July 2011

Elmarit 24mm f/13 1/180 ISO 400

Jackson Hole WY October 2010

Elmarit 24mm f/8 1/90 ISO 160

So again the answer to the question of whether or not is a Leica M9 capable of being a serious landscape camera is yes. But you have to work for it.

While my answer here might not be technical I feel the images speak for themselves.

Thank you as always for visiting and please remember your comments, suggestions, and questions are always welcome.

Don

Leica M9 & Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.1 Part II

2011-08-19T11:51:00.000-07:00

Tombstone Arizona, the town too tough to die. Founded in 1879, Tombstone is located in Cochise County and was one of the last wide-open frontier boomtowns in the American Old West. What better place to keep testing a fast wide-open lens than here...

f/8 1/2000 ISO 1000

Courtney

f/1.1 1/250 ISO 1000

Tombstone is a 2-hour drive southeast of Tucson. Arriving late morning and hungry we decided to grab lunch at Big Nose Kates Saloon where we met Courtney. The inside is the saloon is rather dark however setting the Nokton wide-open at f/1.1 and the ISO set on auto we were able to get a couple great images. While primarily a landscape photographer I think I was able to get a couple decent images of Courtney who I wish to thank very much for standing still while I figured out the focus.

The Shady Lady's Closet

406 East Allen, Tombstone AZ

f/1.1 1/500 ISO 320

f/1.1 1/350 ISO 1000

f/1.1 1/350 ISO 200

Geri

f/1.1 1/350 ISO 640

The remainder of the images were all taken while walking Allen Street.

f/1.1 1/350 ISO 640

An ants' view of the sidewalk

f/8 1/350 ISO 250

f/16 1/350 ISO 250

f/1.1 1/2000 ISO 160

There's an old buckboard wagon that's been sitting on a corner for as long as we've been going to Tombstone. The last time I was here I had a Canon G10 and took several images and had to capture more on this visit. While the wagon has seen better days I've always been drawn to the wheels and undercarriage. These were all taken in bright noon light.

f/16 1/350 ISO 160

f/16 1/350 ISO 250

Driving through Benson AZ we happened to pass the Arizona Saddle Blanket Company - too bad they were closed. I feel another road trip coming.....

f/8 1/2000 ISO 1000

We traveled very light on this visit taking just the Leica M9 with the Voigtlander Nokton 50mm 1.1 attached and a spare battery. The images were all processed using a combination of Photoshop CS5 and Nik Software (either Silver Efex Pro or HDR Efex Pro). The plan (at least for now) is to see if I touch my Summicron 50mm before deciding what to do with it. The more I use the Nokton the more I like it and the more I think I'd like the .95 Noctilux however I'll have to wait until my ship comes in and I fear they haven't even laid the keel yet.

I've ordered a Hoya ND filter for the lens and hope to test the combination with wide-open shooting shortly.

I wish to thank once again Courtney at Big Nose Kates Saloon and Geri at The Shady Ladies Closet for allowing me to photograph them. And as always, thank you for visiting and please remember your comments, suggestions and questions are always welcome. Next year Arizona celebrates its 100 year anniversary as a state - if you plan on visiting please remember Tombstone.

Don

Eastern Pinal Regional Coalition Against Domestic Violence (EPRCADV)

2011-08-12T10:20:00.001-07:00

When we learned the Eastern Pinal Regional Coalition Against Domestic Violence (EPRCADV) was seeking ways to raise funds for a new resource center in San Manuel Arizona we thought we'd help. The EPRCADV is a new origination in the area with great ideas. Their plan is to kick off their new resource center in September then later on join the Pima County Coalition and offer a safe shelter in the Catalina area which will serve the needs of the local area within both counties.

We felt that one of the ways we could offer assistance is by donating a printed image for a raffle and Desert View Panorama came to mind.

Desert View Panorama is a 30x60 image printed on canvas and stretched on heavy-duty stretcher bars. This image was captured in the South Rim of the Grand Canyon August 2007 and has received great attention first in a printed article and later licensed by the camera manufacture for use in trade shows. This image is offered as a limited edition of 25 with number 20 currently being offered for sale.

When we decided to donate the image we also decided to make it even more special than what it already is. The image is printed with a higher percentage of ink giving it an even deeper, richer tone quality. The image is also printed on the new Epson Exhibition Canvas that gives professional photographers and fine artists museum worthy image quality and durability.

We offer our standard 30x60 print at $3,100 and have placed a value of this print at $4,000. This print being offered here is not part of the numbered edition and is considered an artist proof. The certificate included with the image specifies this image as being printed specifically for the Eastern Pinal Regional Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

The raffle begins shortly with a minimum of 150 tickets needed to be purchased out of a maximum of 250 total. The raffle tickets are $20.00 each with the anticipated drawing on December 15, 2011. The winner of the image will be responsible for any shipping.

The following individuals are the points of contact for the raffle:

Linda Kadlecek 520-487-2355

Edie Crall 520-825-3738

Ken Conrad 520-818-0336

Please help by contacting one of the above individuals and make a commitment to purchase a raffle ticket. Thank You!

Sandy & Don

Leica M9 & Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.1

2011-08-05T09:04:00.000-07:00

Left - Leica Summicron 50mm f/2

Right - Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.1

I went to Yosemite shortly after getting the M9 in 2010 and found I fell in love shooting landscape with it. I started out originally with 3-focal lengths, Summicron 35mm f/2 and 50mm f/2 as well as a Summarit 90mm f/2.5. I enjoyed using this trio adding an Elmarit 24mm f/2.8 in August and later in September I was fortunate in finding a 135mm f/3.4 APO Telyt juts before going to Jackson Hole WY.

Cheyenne Dog Soldier

f/1.1 1/250 ISO 500

I've used the 5-lenses with great success shooting in Yosemite, Yellowstone, Teton National Parks, as well as in Jackson Wyoming and Arizona and Utah in such places as Monument Valley, and in slot Canyons and Cliff Dwellings.

Cheynne Dog Soldier

f/1.1 1/250 ISO 1000

What I'm leading up to is that shortly after I returned from my first trip with the Leica I met a friend and fellow Leica photographer for lunch and "show and tell". I was a Leica neophyte (and in many ways still am) and welcomed the chance to meet with and discuss various lenses available for my M9. It was here that I was introduced to the Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.1.

Sandy

f/1.1 1/1000 ISO 500

One of the things I enjoy about using the Leica system is the size of the lenses. I can fit 2 or 3 in my hand. I can place the 35mm or 50mm in the palm of my hand and close it and feel like I'm holding something slight larger than a roll of quarters. I've gone on walks (Fort Apache & Kinishba Ruins) where I have a lens connected and carry a spare in my pocket with no need to carry a bag.

f/1.1 1/1000 ISO 500

The size of the 50mm has one downsize and that is often times it's so small my hand envelops it as I try for critical focus. I've learned to work around it however.

Going back to my lunch meeting with the Voigtlander; I remember being very impressed with the size, the general feel in my hands, as well as the all too few sample image files I left with. I remember returning home and telling Sandy about the lens and how impressed I was saying "someday".

"Mr Moose"

f/1.1 1/1000 ISO 1000

Someday came last month. I finally ordered a new Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.1 from Stephen Gandy's CameraQuest paying a total of $1014 including shipping.

f/1.1 1/250 ISO 1000

I've been experimenting with the lens for the past couple weeks shooting in normal to low light normally found in various rooms; all at f/1.1 and have been very pleased with the results. So far what I've done is have the ISO set to "Auto" and changed the shutter speed.

f/1.1 1/250 ISO 1000

I want to thank our good friends Marykay and Mike for allowing me to use them and their puppies in my experimentation.

f/1.1 1/1000 ISO 1000

f/1.1 1/500 ISO 1000

I've found the Voigtlander easy to use handheld as it just feels "right" in my hand. I've also found this lens to be extremely easy to focus and in the end the image files are great.

One final note: Please don't misconstrue the testing as anything other than my attempt to be familiar with what I can hope to accomplish with the lens.

Thank you as always for allowing me to share and please remember your questions, suggestions and comments are always welcome.

Don

Kinishba Ruins

2011-07-27T09:28:00.003-07:00

Located about 2-miles north of AZ State Route 73 outside the community of Canyon Day on the White Mountain Apache Reservation is where you'll find this very unique National Historic Landmark. The dirt road off Route 73 is about 2-miles and leads to a very small parking area. Once you walk through the gate and follow the trail to the ruins you'll be on a 1/3 mile pedestrian loop trail which is very easy to follow.

Kinishba is a large pueblo ruin containing nine masonry buildings constructed between 1250 and 1350 A.D. by the pre-Columbian Mogollon culture. It is thought to originally have 400-500 ground floor rooms standing two or three stories high and may have housed as many as 1000 people. The pueblo was vacated in the late 14th to early 15th centuries for as yet unknown reasons.

We've learned Kinishba is also called "Kin Dalhbaa" (Brown House) by the Apache, "Mäi'povi" (Place of Snakeweed) by the Hopi and "Hesho da so sona" (Brown House of Ancestors) by the Zuni.

We've written about exploring cliff dwellings in the past and as soon as we found there were ruins in the same area near Fort Apache we had to see if we could go there. Kinishba was a surprise and treat for us as it has turned out to be the easiest early American ruin we have had the honor of visiting. The 2-mile dirt road was easy to navigate and once we got to the small parking area the rest was even easier. You can see the ruins from the parking area and the path around the ruin was level and easy as well.

There's several ruins in the immediate area with the primary being the Main Plaza, then just north is the excavated ruins and further north is what's left of the museum and caretakers quarters which include a small guesthouse and carport. There is evidence of past efforts to rebuild and preserve the pueblo however it appears that the effort has largely been abandoned. Walking through the remains of the caretakers quarters we saw evidence of a fire which may account for the overall degrading of the area.

We strongly recommend visiting the ruins if you find yourself in the area visiting Fort Apache. One can't help but feel a thrill walking along the plaza looking into the rooms on either side feeling the presence of those who once called this home.

The images here were all captured either by Sandy using here Canon 1DsIII and 24-70mm lens or Don using his Leica M9 and a combination of either a 24mm or 50mm lens. The processing was all performed using CS5 and Nik software (Viveza 2, Silver Efex Pro and HDR Efex Pro.

We thank the people of White Mountain Apache Reservation for allowing us to visit and share this area.

Thank you for visiting and allowing us to share and remember, your comments, questions and suggestions are welcome.

Sandy & Don