e-mail sent.

I agree with Howard. The original image is ever-so-slightly out of focus. Almost there, but not quite.

We have a photo co-op here. There are five of us, all experienced photographers, and together we have quite an array of very good stuff:
two Beseler 4X5 enlargers, one Simmons/Omega B22XL, huge tub sink, and in the studio part all kinds of Novatron stuff, soft boxes, umbrellas, various pull-down backdrops, etc.

However, none of can figure out how to get my istDS to work with these studio flash systems, even with the Wein SoftSync. Otherwise, it's a fine camera, and I'm saving for the 10D.

My question is this: Will the 10D work with studio flash systems?

I and my partner have been photographing in studio a number of local artists' paintings, oil, acrylic, gouache, and watercolor.

It's not easy. We finally quit fooling around with our Novatron and began using available light. Studio has huge bay windows facing West, so we do the photos just after the sun dips below the high mountains and use a Photoflex LightDisc (14X10/1.5" to bounce light onto the East side of the painting.

Seems to work well. We've also managed to move softboxes about the studio to the point that we get good colors and no reflections. We do that on cloudy and dismal days, of which we've been having many this winter. Including snow! And below freezing temperatures?

I might also add that we are very precise in aligning the camera to the painting.

Ted

I'm having serious trouble understanding the point of Aktivo's "experiment."
More specifically, WHY would it occur to anyone to do such a thing?

I've been a photographer for a mere 40 years, but hey, ain't no tellin' what a man can do with a camera if he puts his mind to it.

George:

You mentioned that you were primarily a studio man. Perhaps you might give me a bit of advice. Last June I leased the ground floor of an old hotel (1500 square feet) with 14 foot ceilings, built quite a nice and roomy wet darkroom and still have lots of space, including a walled-in courtyard - 20 foot high concrete walls so no direct sunlight - that's wonderful for available light work.

Getting to my point here, I formed a co-op with four very good photographers to keep the rent share manageable, and they've contributed various gear, including fine Norman and Novatron studio lighting systems, but I'm damned if I can get the istDS to work with either. I bought the Wein Safe-Synch hotshoe adapter with the pc socket. With the Wein fitted to the camera's mount nothing happens, although the Wein will fire both systems when you press its test button. And, by placing a white 4X5 card in front of the pop-up flash I could get the systems to fire, but that's silly business.

I'm wondering if I'll have the same problem with the 10D I'm on the point of buying. They are now available in Tucson, Arizona.

Ted

Drew:

Perhaps I did go a bit overboard. (I also ordered the Epson R2400 printer and the Epson 4990 scanner). However, I've been earning money with the istDS and saving it, so I managed to avoid a second mortgage on my house, plus I'm going to sell my Kawasaki W650 as I don't use it enough to justify keeping it.

In addition to images on a CD, some of the people I do work for also want BIG pictures. Not only couldn't I provide that service with my old Epson 820, but when I farmed it out to a local shop I could see that the kit lens wasn't quite up to the job of producing a quality 13 X 19 inch print, so I opted for 11 X 14 instead.

Most of my recent business has come from the burgeoning bed-and-breakfast industry here in this ex-mining town that's re-invented itself as an art colony. These owners want images for their websites, both exteriors and interiors, and they find that their point n' shoots aren't up to the job, and the 16-45 will do a better job with inside room shots than my current lens. The idea is that a prospective customer can go to the website and take a virtual tour of all the rooms. Someone else does the web stuff. I couldn't create a website if you put a gun to my head.

I'm looking forward to playing with the new lenses. Also, the 50-200 might eliminate having to fit some of my Super Takumar lenses, but I'm not about to get rid of any of them, especially the SMC 300mm f:4.

Where my istDS falls on its face is in studio photography because we can't make it work with either the Novatron or the Norman systems, even with the Wein safe-synch hotshoe adapter, so when we photograph local artists work I have to use my partners N*k*n. Yuck.

I'll definitely let you know about the lenses.

Ted

Just bought the 16-45 and the 50-200. Purchases based on reviews by owners here and also from wide reading on the internet.

Looking forward to using them instead of the 18-55 kit lens. Plan to buy the 10D and carry both bodies (my other body is the istDS) with one of my new lenses attached to each. As the 10D has anti-shake, perhaps it would be wisest to fit the 50-200 to it?

Ted

Ali, thanks for the heads-up on over-exposure.

I learned on another (Spotmatic) forum that some istDS owners routinely use the Wein Safe-synch 990-550 hotshoe adapter. It reduces voltage to the camera to 6 volts and they have no problems.

I ordered today from Adorama the 990-560 which is apparently a newer iteration of the product. At $57.95 delivered to the door it's not exactly cheap, but then neither was the camera.

After it arrives and I put it to use I'll report back on how it works.

Ted

A friend just donated an unused complete Novatron studio lighting system, umbrellas, softboxes, pulldown backdrops, etc.

I've rented an old art gallery, built a very nice darkroom and am planning on doing portraiture in the large gallery space.

Immediately discovered there's no way I can connect the istDS to the Novatron system without a hotshoe adapter.

Is the Pentax hotshoe adapter FG the one to get? Looks rather strange.

Are there others?

Ted