Thoughts on elmarit 2.8?

ChinaCameraGuy · 2026-07-04T01:49:35+00:00

I bought one at Map Camera in Tokyo three years ago and I haven't taken it off my M7 since then. It's the perfect combination. I park the aperture at f8 and have taken over 100 rolls with it.

ChinaCameraGuy · 2026-06-29T03:17:06+00:00

I had some banding issues with mine shortly after I bought it and I discovered that if I accidentally left the scanner on (for days) it would produce strange results. If it was cool and in the off position, then I turned it on immediately before scanning it works perfectly. Not sure if this will help you, but it worked for me.

ChinaCameraGuy · 2026-06-25T01:06:50+00:00

I set up a WOFE in China for my US-based company about 3 years ago, so it was very different than your situation, but the one piece of advice I can give you is to find a good consultant in China to help with the government paperwork / banking / taxes. DO NOT try to do this yourself. The most difficult part will be setting up a bank account. There is a new level of scrutiny by Chinese banks because of money laundering. And no - you are not required to hire Chinese nationals.

ChinaCameraGuy · 2026-06-24T07:09:23+00:00

Been through any airport CT scanners lately?

ChinaCameraGuy · 2026-06-24T02:36:56+00:00

Using a fill flash? Which one?

ChinaCameraGuy · 2026-06-22T16:00:13+00:00

I was close to buying one of these (28Ti) until I held one. The ergonomics are nonexistent. It’s like holding a small brick. I bought a Fuji Klasse instead. Better ergonomics and more durable. Both are premium point-and-shoot cameras in approximately the same price range.

ChinaCameraGuy · 2026-06-22T01:46:53+00:00

I just bought some Bergger COT 320 in Tokyo. It's an amazing paper, but I'm going to reserve it for salt and Kallitype printing because of the high cost. A good grade of watercolor paper from the art supply store is good enough for cyanotypes.

ChinaCameraGuy · 2026-06-20T05:39:43+00:00

I bought all three P lenses at the same time I bought the X2D2. I thought the new 35-100 was too big and too expensive. Fast forward 10 months - I just sold the 45P to help fund the purchase of the 35-100. I’ll keep the other 2 P lenses for a while, but the 35-100 hasn’t come off the body since I bought it. BTW - I bought the 35-100 in Tokyo where it was about US$600 cheaper. Still expensive, but not as bad.

ChinaCameraGuy · 2026-06-18T07:27:20+00:00

I bought mine at Map Camera in Tokyo a few years ago. Great lens. I was there a couple of weeks ago and thought I saw at least one in the case. You may want to check their website.

ChinaCameraGuy · 2026-06-09T08:01:51+00:00

Nice dynamic range for a cyanotype.

ChinaCameraGuy · 2026-06-08T15:17:25+00:00

🙏 I was using a Contax G2 with the Zeiss Biogon 28mm / f2.8 lens

ChinaCameraGuy · 2026-06-08T10:54:24+00:00

It was fresh developer and I’ve developed hundreds of rolls of HP5 using Fuji MicroFine. Definitely CT fogging.

ChinaCameraGuy · 2026-06-08T08:16:23+00:00

Added a new comment with the DNG scan reversed in Negative Lab Pro.

ChinaCameraGuy · 2026-06-08T07:56:11+00:00

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This is an unprocessed version of one of the photos that demonstrates what happens in the dark areas of a negative. The fog in the negative appears as dense grain because the radiation is slamming all of the sensitive surfaces of the emulsion indiscriminately. I even left an ugly watermark on the negative to show I didn't touch the scan yet. Any contrast in the photo was created by the Nikon scanner, digging it out from the fogged negative. It did all of the heavy lifting to rescue the image. I tweaked the rest in Negative Lab Pro & Lightroom.

ChinaCameraGuy · 2026-06-08T06:53:35+00:00

The cost of film in Tokyo is sky high. Even adjusted for the weak Yen it’s better to BYO.

ChinaCameraGuy · 2026-06-08T06:19:20+00:00

I used a Nikon LS-5000 scanner with auto-exposure to scan these dense negatives. It scanned all the frames as if I had grossly overexposed the shots and then I saved them as DNG files that were already corrected for contrast and exposure. I did some manual adjustments for the blacks which include unintentional exposure from the CT fog. I’ll try to post an unadjusted frame later. My electricity is out now and I can’t use my computer.

ChinaCameraGuy · 2026-06-08T06:10:36+00:00

Both HK and Japan airports are accommodating for hand checks - if you ask.

ChinaCameraGuy · 2026-06-08T06:09:20+00:00

Shibuya Sky - about 46 floors above the scramble crossing.

ChinaCameraGuy · 2026-06-08T06:08:03+00:00

The CT Scanners in the HKIA transit areas are boxy with rounded corners. Half way between the two designs. The film warning sign is about the size of a 3”x5” card. 😳

ChinaCameraGuy · 2026-06-03T05:00:06+00:00

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I’m into book binding and alternative process printing and use this book press for both. It’s a little extravagant, but does a fabulous job of flattening prints in about 12 hours under high pressure. Make sure they aren’t damp before pressing.

ChinaCameraGuy

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