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| Question: Buy Direct Discount?
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Can I buy a camera directly from Fotoman at a discounted price?
Answer ( Click to view answer ) 2006-6-14 8:15:06
| While we do occasionally sell directly to a client (usually to customers located in countries where we currently have no authorized dealer) we offer no discount. Furthermore, if you purchase directly you will be responsible for both freight charges and any applicable import duties. We therefore advise that you purchase our products from one of our authorized dealers. |
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| Question: How do you focus the Fotoman 617 Camera?
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I have been shooting with an autofocus DSLR (my first camera) for the last three years. It does a fine job in most respects, but I'm limited to making smaller prints than I would like. Especially as I tend to crop many of my landscapes to panoramic ratio... I guess I just "see" that way. I would like to start making bigger prints fom 617 transparencies and am thinking seriously about the Fotoman 617.
I've looked at the pictures of your cameras on your website, but I'm not getting something... how do you focus?
Answer ( Click to view answer ) 2006-6-13 23:38:21
| Focusing our cameras is accomplished in one of two ways. Either via Helical Focus Mount, or visually via Ground Glass... Helical focusing utilizes a distance scale engraved on the focus mount. The subject distance is aligned to a focus indicator mark, and presto... you're in focus at that distance. I'm sure you're thinking "that's not very accurate". Actually, the helical focus mount is extremely accurate. Knowing the distance is the key, although it needn't be all that accurate when working with wide angle lenses. Further, when you factor in DOF at the typical apertures used for panoramic photography (f16-f32)... wide angle panoramic photography is very generous in this regard. A typical landscape with a 90 mm lens amount to setting the aperture at f22, and focusing to 16 feet... everything from 8 feet to infinity will be in focus! The longer the lens, the less DOF. So a 135 mm lens focused to 12 feet at f22 would only yield acceptably sharp focus from 11 to 28 feet. Knowing the distance in this case becomes more critical. With practice one's ability to guesstimate distance can get very good. Alternatively, an auxiliary rangefinder (easily found on eBay) can come to the rescue. You simply measure the distance through the rangefinder and transfer the info to the helical focus mount. Ground Glass focusing is the classical method of focus for the majority of large format photographers. While our cameras have been designed to excel at hand-held or tripod mounted photography using helical focusing and optical viewfinder, with the optional Magnetic Ground Glass and a loupe, 100% accurate focus (and composition) can easily be observed. |
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| Question: Do I need a center filter?
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I'm thinking about getting a 90mm lens for my Fotoman 617 camera... do I need to use a center filter?
Answer ( Click to view answer ) 2006-6-1 16:57:30
| When using wide angle lenses, you will observe that the edges of the image are darker than the center. This is referred to as light "fall off", the amount of which varies by focal length and the manufacturers lens design. Generally speaking, the wider the lens the more "fall off"... and the more likely you will feel a need to use a Center Filter. Center filters are neutral in color, and are graduated from the center towards the edges to compensate for the effects of light fall off. They generally require between 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 additional stops of exposure compensation, and they are also fairly expensive. The answer to whether or not you require a center filter in many cases is a subjective decision. Some find the darkening at the edges of the photograph pleasing, while other wouldn't dream of shooting without a center filter. Ansel Adams was known to have intentionally darkened the corners of his prints, in order to "draw the viewers eye" into his photographs. On the other hand, for documentary work this technique would be nothing short of blasphemy! In the end, we recommend that you test your lens both with and without the use of a center filter to better understand it's characteristics. On a budget? Try your lens without the center filter first, and see if you find the results acceptable... or even desirable. If you don't, you can always purchase the center filter afterwards.
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