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Post by dwight on Aug 3, 2011 5:45:55 GMT -4
As time and time again the HB argues that the Hassleblads were not up to the task of operating on the moon, I'd thought I'd share this little book with y'all. It is put together by a French Hassleblad enthusiast and documents the variety of cameras used by NASA to photograph the lunar voyages. A must have to help counter the baseless HB claims. Is in french/english. If you are interested, here are the details: Hassleblad and the Moon (Hassleblad Et La Lune) Alain Lazzarini Info can be gotten directly from his website: www.clubhasselblad.com/new-book-hasselblad-and-moonThe book is an amazing labor of love, preserving the history of the cameras, much like another fantastic book I know about dealing with the TV cameras...  |
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Post by banjomd on Aug 3, 2011 7:06:33 GMT -4
. . . much like another fantastic book I know about dealing with the TV cameras... But the TV camera book is only in English! ;D |
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Post by dwight on Aug 3, 2011 10:48:44 GMT -4
. . . much like another fantastic book I know about dealing with the TV cameras... But the TV camera book is only in English! ;D True. True. |
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Post by chrlz on Aug 4, 2011 8:01:43 GMT -4
Cool! I used similar Hasselblad's (and Bronica SQ's) in the 70's/80's for weddings and portraiture. And yes, they occasionally gave us a few hassles, despite their cost and reputation...
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Post by ka9q on Aug 5, 2011 13:42:44 GMT -4
Tell me, chriz, did you ever use those Hasselblads without their viewfinders? Many HBs insist you can't take any good pictures without a viewfinder...
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Post by chrlz on Aug 5, 2011 19:04:38 GMT -4
Tell me, chriz, did you ever use those Hasselblads without their viewfinders? Many HBs insist you can't take any good pictures without a viewfinder... Yes, frequently. Not because we removed the viewfinders! One of the things that all decent photographers (which would not be an HB, or David Percy, or..etc) learn, is 'shooting from the hip'. That is not meant to be taken literally - it simply means that often an image opportunity will come along where you do not have time to compose - so you just point the camera in the right direction and fire. (Or sometimes you may be forced to not use it, eg overhead shooting in a crowd.) Again, it doesn't take much knowledge of photography to understand that: - the wider the view of the lens, the easier it is to just aim.. (the standard lens fitted to the lunar Hasselblads was quite wide) - if the camera is kept at 'reasonable' exposure settings for the conditions (eg ~ 1/250, f5.6 for Apollo EVA), it will give a usable exposure. - if the camera is set to a sensible focal distance (look up 'hyperfocal'), it will keep a reasonable depth of field in focus. As a wedding/portrait photographer, you always keep the camera ready as per above so you can shoot without raising the camera to your eye. This can also help to capture candid moments - the subject is less camera conscious if the camera isn't up to your eye. Keeping a camera roughly level and pointing in the right direction is hardly rocket science, and even if it is isn't, the results will often be very usable. You only have to look at the most famous lunar eva pic of them all..  Sure, if you have a longer lens on, then a viewfinder helps. But it is NOT by a long shot essential and with a wide lens it's almost superfluous. A HB who claims otherwise either doesn't know photography or is simply pushing the agenda with the usual deliberate lies or sad ignorance. BTW if anyone not from the dark side wishes to pm me, I'll happily point you to my little 'hobby' gallery site and even point out a few shots taken without using a viewfinder or screen... (I don't do it professionally any more, so no wedding shots thankfully!) |
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Post by redneckr0nin on Aug 8, 2011 7:33:06 GMT -4
Cool! I used similar Hass elblad's (and Bronica SQ's) in the 70's/80's for weddings and portraiture. And yes, they occasionally gave us a few hass les, despite their cost and reputation... being a pro photographer I would certainly like to pick your brain one of these days! |
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Post by Kiwi on Aug 8, 2011 8:53:51 GMT -4
being a pro photographer I would certainly like to pick your brain one of these days! Start a thread. I was a pro photographer too in what now seems like a former lifetime. JayUtah is a skilled photographer and I think there may be others here. I mostly shot portraits, kids, weddings, model portfolios, and a little stage work. Had considerable expertise in high-quality black and white film-developing and printing. (The Ansel Adams and Fred Picker systems, if those names mean anything.) Also worked in, then later managed, and later still owned a camera shop and studio and sold many of the better-quality and collectible second hand cameras. I never used Hasselblads or Leicas, but sold a few and often drooled over their quality, and if my memory is right, even had a Hasselblad stolen from the shop. However, my knowledge and experience with movie, video cameras and electronic still cameras is not far off zero. |
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Post by chrlz on Aug 9, 2011 6:45:48 GMT -4
..being a pro photographer I would certainly like to pick your brain one of these days! Careful! - given the way CTists and HBs claim all sorts of professional skills (Hi, Fattydash!), I think the term 'pro' might be an insult..! I don't do photography commercially any more, in fact even when I did, it was mostly just on weekends (for the weddings and portraits) and then some contract work for tourism. I gave it up because i found I was no longer enjoying what was my favorite hobby! so nowadays I'm doing it strictly for fun again, mainly landscapes and cityscapes with a current interest in panoramas. But I've been around cameras and film since the early sixties with a strong bent towards understanding all the technicalities. I've now thoroughly embraced digital and have even been known to use cameras on automatic settings .. occasionally...  Anyway, feel free to pm me, start a new thread, or just fire away here. And if that was a hint, yes, I love investimagating and analysing stuff, so if you want opinions... Added PS - Kiwi sounds like he has more experience than me  , and there's also GonetoPlaid who has done some superb ontopic analysis - lots of *very* talented people here... |
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Post by ka9q on Aug 9, 2011 17:41:39 GMT -4
Speaking of photography, both my wife and I enjoy it, and we both feel we could benefit from some formal courses on the subject. We see photography courses listed at local community colleges and universities and I wonder how beneficial they'd be. While I think I understand the technical basics reasonably well, I could definitely use some training on the artistic aspects -- how to compose shots, how to light them, and so on. Is this something that can be taught, or is it really something you have to learn by doing?
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Post by chrlz on Aug 12, 2011 7:20:21 GMT -4
Speaking of photography, both my wife and I enjoy it, and we both feel we could benefit from some formal courses on the subject. We see photography courses listed at local community colleges and universities and I wonder how beneficial they'd be. While I think I understand the technical basics reasonably well, I could definitely use some training on the artistic aspects -- how to compose shots, how to light them, and so on. Is this something that can be taught, or is it really something you have to learn by doing? Absolutely!!! I can tell you that when I used to teach photography (at an adult education college), I spent maybe 30-40% at most on the technicalities, and the rest was on the aesthetics, using lots of examples, self-critiques, analysing the masters, etc. Indeed the whole course was based on using the technical knowledge simply as a means to achieve the sort of images that make people go 'wow'. I was lucky enough to be given free reign on the course content, so I can't speak for the content of other courses - I think a LOT will depend on the abilities and personality of the presenter.. And I would (very immodestly ;D) report that my students all loved the courses (as I loved giving them -we all had a ball!) Often in adult education, the course numbers dwindle as the weeks go by and people lose interest, but I never lost an attendee.. I still have some (poor quality, but usable) photocopies of the little course booklet I created way back then - I've stupidly lost the original file (well, more correctly it is somewhere in a large box of CD's that I'll go through one day..) but might put it online one of these days. ka9q, if you are interested, pm me a postal address and I'll send a copy over to see what you think. But anyway, the answer is definitely yes, you can learn this in the conventional manner - but doing it helps, of course... If you like, why not start a thread in General Discussion? I might do that anyway, given there are now a couple of folk who seem to have photography questions.. I don't claim to be a high level pro, but I can talk about photography for days without pausing for breath...  |
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, and there's also GonetoPlaid who has done some superb 