Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "Garry Sarre" 
<gazzzzperth@y...> wrote:


> Ideally I would like to shoot digital, but the medium format 
digital 
> backs for hasselblad are a bit pricey here ($50,000 by the time you 
> upgrade the blad) and the next step down is to 35mm maybe a Nikon 
d1X 
> (I think) but I can't see the subjects expression big enough 
through 
> the viewfinder. I need to see exactly what the eyes are doing so 
that 
> I can choose the moment to click. This was a big dissappointment 
when 
> trying 35mm digital for portrait. Subject expression is everything  
> in my stuff.
> 

Garry,

I am not a portrait photographer, but I shoot a lot of kids for 
advertising. Because I seldom have to do extreme enlargements, I 
don't need to shoot medium format. I DO have to see the eyes, so 35mm 
just doesn't get it for me.

Lately I started experimenting with digital camera equipment. I'm 
waiting for the dust to settle a little before I invest any real 
dollars into equipment. In the meantime I got a Nikon 990, just to 
fool around.

A neat feature that I didn't know about is the video out port. I can 
mount the camera on a tripod and hook up a regular TV as a monitor. I 
took this setup to a shoot and halfway through the shoot, turned the 
monitor around so that the kids could see themselves. I worked great!

I can get a very respectable image from the little camera in full 
TIFF mode, but the refresh rate at HI setting is just too long (about 
45 sec.) to be used for serious work.

I mention this because you MAY want to consider something like the 
D1H or D1X (very fast refresh rate, much higher quality output) with 
a video monitor, just to get your feet wet.

David Brugge