Rangefinder Magazine
October 2005

Click Here for printable version of this article.

Please accompany your questions with a self-addressed stamped envelope if you wish an immediate reply. Alternatively, you can email me at: bhurter@rfpublishing.com.

In the August issue of Rangefinder in the Nikon D2X First Exposure by John Rettie, the phone number for Nikon (pg. 69) is incorrect. The correct number is (631) 547-4200. We apologize for any confusion.

Also in the same issue, in the article on Charr Crail, the photo on the bottom of page 86 is not of Charr’s friend Kevin Graft, but of Robbie Nelson, the drummer from the band Shortie.

From: Bill Adamson
support@portolasierravalleychamber.com
Last year we spoke on the phone, and I asked for replacement businesses doing 3D development. I had used Image Technology in Norcross, GA and was surprised the company was no longer in business. I will go back to doing 3D photos once I learn of a company I can rely on to do the developing. Your timely response will be appreciated.

You may be interested in a company discussed this month by John Rettie (page 34). Mission3-D (www.mission3-d.com/, 800-531-3378) makes a digital 3-D system that incorporates a camera and software to create stereoscopic images that can be viewed on monitor or printed out. The glasses required to view the images in 3D are included in the kit. As to your original question, I have not uncovered any new labs that do 3D processing and prints.

From: Anonymous sender
I, along with many others I’ve talked with, were very offended by the “Last Word” picture of President Bush, in the June ’05 issue. It was obviously some sort of political support from the photographer and/or your magazine (even if you didn’t intend it to be), and believe it or not, many of us do not agree with the current political agenda.

Your magazine is not the place for such effervescent prose and lack of substance. To have the writer feel that the “President seemed to be using us as a focal point” and “he appeared to be responding directly to us,” really reduced the professionalism of your magazine. We almost dropped our free subscription right after reading this page, but I just hope things will be more content-rich and relevant to photographic technique in the future, and less involved with generating political PR.

Thanks for the note. The article you refer to marks a high point in those young photographers’ lives: i.e., the opportunity to photograph the President of the United States.

This article was not meant to be political by any stretch of the imagination, only the story of a great photo op that turned out well. If you can cite any examples of when we (editorially) have taken a political stand outside the realm of professional photography, or presented a po litical point of view, please let me know, because our staff works hard to avoid those situations.

From: Richard Dunford
Richard.Dunford@vmmc.org
I am trying to find information on controlling the development temperature of my film and paper baths using recirculating temperature control (water) systems for my non-industrial (home) photographic darkroom. I was referred to you by Kathy of Photo Therm (www. phototherm.com). They sell systems but didn’t have much in the way of information beyond their product. Is there anything in you archives or perhaps a resource or direction you can point me to?

There are a couple of ways to solve your problem. By using a temperaturecontrolling valve on the water supply, you can control the temperature of the water in the bath tray. Systems such as this require the temperature of the water bath to be slightly higher than the temperature of the processing solution because there is temperature loss when the film or print tank lifted out of the bath to be agitated. Kodak’s web site recommends to keeping the bath temperature +0.5°F higher than the process solution.

Also, Jobo (www.hirtech.com/Jobo DrumProcessors.htm) makes two processors for film and prints (the CPP-2 and CPA-2 Processors) that come with a self-contained water bath that keeps the processing solutions within ±0.1°C or ±0.2°C, respectively, of the water bath solution.

Both units recirculate the water in the bath and constantly adjust temperature to maintain the preset temperature. The CPP-2 and CPA-2 Processors use a bi-directional rotation system to agitate the solutions. It’s important that the rotation is bi-directional because it prevents the chemicals from forming flow patterns, which would result in flawed processing. Both processors provide lab-quality processing of film and prints, and both have the same maximum capacities.

From: Norman Phillips
mphotographer@sbcglobal.net
I hope all is going well for you and everyone at WPPI and Rangefinder.

At the convention there was a company that offered to buy used equipment, and I am unable to track down their info. Is it possible for you to find the address for me?

There are at least two companies that buy and sell used camera equipment: KEH Camera Brokers in Atlanta (www. keh.com) and Used Camera Buyer (www. usedcamerabuyer.com). Both specialize in buying and selling used camera equipment, including camera bodies, lenses, flash and accessories. You might also have good luck selling your equipment on ebay. To see a list of categories of ebay equipment for sale visit: photography. ebay.com/. Hope this helps.