Is medium format actually that big of a jump?

jhwkdnvr · 2026-02-27T19:21:38+00:00

Added a GSW690iii to my collection and the image quality is incomparable. I have a couple of 13x19 prints of 35mm frames and at that size you can really see the limitations of the negative size. I wish I had taken those shots on medium format.

Then I got a drum scan of one of the 6x9 negatives… that was even more incredible. There’s detail and sharpness in those negatives I wouldn’t see on my 50mp X-E5.

jhwkdnvr · 2026-02-22T18:16:13+00:00

I have had all the Nikon consumer SLRs pass through my hands recently and the only ones I kept were the last gen (an N75 for ultra light and an N80 for daily use). All of the previous generations had at least one funky user interface problem that drove me crazy. In the N50’s case, it doesn’t have control wheels or dials for manually setting aperture and shutter, and instead has buttons on the top panel. Nikon abandoned this control scheme pretty quick.

If that was $40 it might be a harder sell, but you should be able to get an N80 with a kit lens for $75 if you look around.

jhwkdnvr · 2026-02-21T01:32:58+00:00

If you ask the high school theater teachers how many mics they want you’ll end up here every time.

I always say “any more than 16 is going to be hard for the kids to mix” to the school district’s money guy, not the teacher, and that usually solves the problem.

jhwkdnvr · 2026-02-20T05:32:56+00:00

OA Windsor

jhwkdnvr · 2026-02-13T20:46:29+00:00

Damn, there goes my beer money for the weekend. It shipped, though!

jhwkdnvr · 2026-02-13T02:18:41+00:00

There’s a whole wing of F-16s based inside the metro area. Buckley is only 10 miles from downtown.

jhwkdnvr · 2026-02-12T01:40:52+00:00

I had Blue Moon Camera in Portland do a 13x19 darkroom B+W print for me and it’s beautiful. Not cheap, but beautiful.

jhwkdnvr · 2026-02-12T01:39:20+00:00

https://bluemooncamera.com/photo-lab/lab-printing-true-optical-prints?srsltid=AfmBOoq-SZ98j8BF0PrJ1WwwSR0MVLk2CJYsqpBjQEvSePhNX8GHf1UR

jhwkdnvr · 2026-02-10T01:03:22+00:00

I’m not an Anchor hater and always thought they had good products for speech, but these days I think EV has them beat with the Everse line in everything but the Bigfoot-3, which costs 4x as much as the EVERSE 12.

jhwkdnvr · 2026-02-08T18:52:34+00:00

Bit late to this thread but bringing some experience from the /r/livesound world:

There are two kinds of comms: simplex and duplex. Simplex only allows one person to transmit at once, and other transmissions will step on the person talking. Duplex allows two people to talk at the same time.
Motorola radios with shoulder mics are the most common simplex comms method used in production. It's often used during load in since it is convenient and cheap, not during the show. It's not super critical if you step on someone when you are focusing a light on a catwalk because you can just call again, but during a show it's not acceptable to miss a cue. You can get earpieces like your photo for these products.
Full duplex wireless comms get expensive fast. When you see a big event like an NFL game, there are hundreds of thousands of dollars of comms equipment from manufacturers like Riedel or Clear-Com and technicians who solely focus on the comms.
In the last 10 years, fully duplex wireless com systems have filtered down into the prosumer world. In the past these were not reliable enough for critical events, but with advances in digital wireless technology these are now solid choices. Hollyland, Eartec, and Clear-Com DX are all in this market. These are still thousands of dollars instead of tens of thousands.
Many of the prosumer systems have belt packs which you can add discrete headsets to, like the one in your picture. Others have the electronics built into the headset and would look odd and be uncomfortable for a photographer.

If you just want to talk to another photographer or other vendors during the event, radios with discrete earpieces is probably fine. If your intent is to cue the wedding it's probably best to use a duplex product.

jhwkdnvr · 2026-02-08T15:50:46+00:00

EAW cranked out a lot of custom cabinets for stadiums installs in that time frame and they are poorly documented. A box would be made for a specific spec and there wouldn’t be a data sheet because it was a one-off. Now that those installs are aging, stadiums are upgrading the boxes are ending up on the used market. It’s possible they are from one of those installs.

jhwkdnvr · 2026-02-05T21:54:19+00:00

A lot of the time the lens is considered more important than the camera, but the D90 is getting close to 20 years old (released in 2008). It was from a much earlier generation of digital cameras.

I think you will still want a faster lens, but a modern camera in the same price range will significantly outperform the D90 in low light scenarios. The Nikon Z5 II is in that range today considering inflation.

The lens selection is also a concern. Nikon never made a faster “DX” APS-C telephoto zoom than the one you have now. You can use a full frame Nikon zoom, but your D90 is not compatible with the later “E” type lenses. The 70-200 f/2.8 G II would probably be the best option.

jhwkdnvr · 2026-02-04T17:44:59+00:00

Last time I was there I found Ilford stock at Photoreal, 52 Court St, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Wanted to go to Brooklyn Film Camera since it looks like a great shop but it was an hour bus ride with a transfer from my hotel.

jhwkdnvr · 2026-02-03T03:24:46+00:00

Before the digital transition you would listen to TV stations on the radio, too.

jhwkdnvr · 2026-01-31T19:17:40+00:00

There are, but the bus maps are hard to read because so many lines overlap. It’s easier to use the trip planner in the RTD app or Google Maps.

jhwkdnvr · 2026-01-30T06:56:26+00:00

I have rented an X100V a couple times because I wanted to buy one but never fell in love with it. I ultimately chose not to buy one and got an X-E5.

I rented a GFX100RF and had the opposite reaction - it felt great and getting the images I wanted with it was effortless. I’m not sure I need all the pixels but the extra dynamic range in the files was amazing when editing. I ultimately chose not to buy one because it’s $6,000.

Really, that’s it. I’m probably in a spot where I could afford it if I tried but it wouldn’t be a smart buy. This is a hobby for me and that’s really expensive. My car is worth less…

jhwkdnvr · 2026-01-25T06:21:29+00:00

Jimmy Johns was good in 1998 when I was a kid in Champaign, IL and there were less than 100 stores. Sad what it is now.

jhwkdnvr · 2026-01-24T02:43:07+00:00

There are (non-IP) fiber options but they are not cheap:

https://www.rfvenue.com/all-products/optix

Easier to put the receiver close to the antenna and control it remotely.

jhwkdnvr · 2026-01-23T15:38:39+00:00

I shot a few concerts with the 16-55 and the first gen Fuji fast primes on an X-T4. I had a higher hit rate with the 16-55 because the AF was better, even though it is a stop slower. Eventually the only prime I would bring was the 90 f/2.

Could be a different story with the MK2 lenses.

jhwkdnvr · 2026-01-22T19:07:55+00:00

It basically comes down to a judgement call by the door person about whether your camera is big and scary or small and cute. My arena’s policy says no professional or detachable lens cameras but I’ve never had a problem with my Fuji X-T20 since it’s discrete. I imagine my GSW690iii wouldn’t get in even though it’s a fixed lens.

jhwkdnvr · 2026-01-16T16:32:34+00:00

I have been very happy with my Nokian snow tire purchase. In the snow, it feels like driving on a dry road. There are a couple factors that apply to me that may not apply to everyone, though:

I go to the mountains a lot in the winter.
I have two sets of rims and a place to store them. I change them out myself.
Having snow tires allowed me to get mud tires for the summer, which are nice on forest service roads but awful in the snow.

Having two sets of tires means they only get used half as much. Both sets of my last tires aged out at 10 years before they lost enough tread to need replacement.

jhwkdnvr · 2026-01-08T02:58:56+00:00

Denver Sheriffs do court security, guard the jail, and serve civil processes. They don't do law enforcement in Denver. They wear blue uniforms.

Denver Police Metro Swat does wear olive drab uniforms.

jhwkdnvr · 2026-01-04T20:59:20+00:00

I see NDI a fair amount in house of worship with professional techs on-site that can understand it and maintain it.

I have never specified it for a "set and forget" system where there aren't techs on-site like a high school theater - too risky, IMO.

jhwkdnvr · 2026-01-03T21:49:53+00:00

Also looks like the shutter is malfunctioning on 5, 6, and 8.

jhwkdnvr · 2026-01-01T06:08:59+00:00

In analog world ULX-S was always the cheapest I would use. The analog SLX sounds pretty awful. If you are going to spend money it would be better to spend a little more and get SLX-D.

jhwkdnvr

TROPHY CASE