Camera Equipment

by | Oct 28, 2002 | Imported Entry

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about my current equipment situation. The problem is that I’m very much caught in between the analog equipment I’ve learned on and the new digital equipment that more and more people seem to be using. My problem is this: if I buy a nice medium format camera package, how long will I be able to use it before I have to go digital? OR If I buy a totally digital package, will it break the bank? My solution is to get that medium format camera package but to buy a digital film back for it as well. That way I have both the camera and the digital. The camera can still use film, which I love, and the film backs average between 11 and 16 megapixels and should give me all the digital resolution I need. The problem with that is, that I don’t have anywhere to dump the images to. Those all-in-one digital cameras, the one’s with built in memory or memory sticks, or flashcards etc are all well and good but a professional film back doesn’t have any memory of it’s own. A 16 Megapixel CCD array takes up quite a bit of room and so the images need to be dumped somewhere. More accurately the digital back needs to be attached to a computer or laptop that can receive those images. So, in a perfect world I’d have a medium format camera, a digital camera back and a laptop with USB/Firewire ports and cd burning capabilities or networking capabilities.

Ouch. Just thinking about how expensive this is going to be is making me worry. Where am I going to be in a years time? I’m planning on being married but where will we live? Texas? New England? Both have their share of ad-agencies, photo studios and representatives. Will I have a good job? Will I have a shitty job? Will I be in debt my whole life? I don’t know and it’s starting to worry me. The problem is that I can’t be worried about what I can’t control. All I can do is concentrate on here and now, put together a kick ass portfolio and send it off to as many places as possible. That’s all I can do. If it’s in the cards that I get a job at one of my “top choices” then awesome, if not, then I’ll figure something out. But there’s no sense in worrying about what might or might not happen. You never know, I may get a job at the very first place I send my portfolio and then all that worrying would have been for nothing. Anyway, I’ve gotten off topic.

My main point somewhere was that I need to buy equipment. So, how about some links and some top picks for what I feel would be a nice package. Now, if only I could get it all at a student discount.

Package A:
– Mamiya 645 SV II Medium Format SLR Manual Focus Camera Kit with 80mm f/2.8 Lens, FK402 SV Auto Exposure Reflex Finder, 120 Film Back and SV Power Drive Grip – $2,599.00

– Kodak DCS ProBack 645 – $12,000

– Dell Inspiron 8200 – $1,500

– Accessories – 120 Roll Film backs, multiple lenses, firewire card, cables, etc – Approx $1,000

Total: $17,100

Package B (total digital):

– Nikon D1X – $4,650 + accessories (lens, microdrive, flash, etc) $1,000

– Dell Inspiron 8200 – $1,500

Total: $7,150

Package C (total analog):

– Mamiya RZ67 Professional II Value Pack Medium Format SLR Camera Kit with 110mm f/2.8 Lens, Folding Waist Level Finder and 120 Film Back – $2,999

– Accessories: $2,000+

Total: $5,000+

Note: none of these packages include lights, stands, tripods, and studio supplies or equipment. Most often these things are provided on professional shoots or can be rented at equipent houses. For personal work, they too would need to be purchased.

So there you have it. Money, it’s a shame I don’t have any. Any way you slice it I’m either looking to pay for at least another semester of school ($6000) or another year of school ($20,000). Somehow I don’t see being approved for loans for equipment while I’m still paying off student loans. I think the solution here is to buy the analog package since it’s the cheapest and most useful immediatly and to save up for the digital back and laptop since they’ll most likely drop in price over the next few years. We’ll see what happens.

As for right now, I’ve got to jump in the shower, I’ve got class at 3:00. Later.

Update

by | Oct 27, 2002 | Imported Entry

Well, incase you’ve noticed, you’re not looking at a new design quite yet. Mainly that’s because I’m not done (surprise) with the layout. Layout is always my sticking point. There’s so many options when it comes to layouts these days. Remember when everything was simple and EVERYONE had a navbar on the left and content in the middle? I’ve also not finished because I’ve yet to scan a few very important negatives that are needed for the design. I’ll get those back on tuesday and scan them immediatly thereafter. I still have three weeks to finish this, it isn’t due until then end of the semester but I had wanted to get it done this weekend or next so that is was one less thing to worry about.

Anyway, besides working on the page, dealing with financial stuff and helping my roommate out with a film shoot, it’s been a rather standard weekend.

I’m also debating whether or not to wipe my Win2k box and install something insane, like linux or FreeBSD. I’ve never really played with either before. Also the idea of Lycoris is interesting. Especially since its a blatent attempt to get some of the XP crowd to jump ship (see example). Anyway, thats more of an after thought at this point however. As for today, I’m not really sure what I’m going to do. I could work more on the new design but whats the point if I don’t have the graphics to move forward. I think I might take today as a relax day and simply rest a bit. There’s some movies on AMC and Bravo this afternoon that will keep me entertained.

Oh, I almost forgot. My payment for hosting fees has been shipped. By Monday Hindenburg should have a nice new hard drive. (WD 80G w/8MB buffer).

That is all.

“So much for #800″ or “How I learned to hate SCAD”

by | Oct 23, 2002 | Imported Entry

Sounds like the title of a long lost Kubrick film but it is not. It is the raging antithesis of my anger and utter disbelieve that is directed at my institution for higher learning. You see, tomorrow (or today rather), at 8am, I’m supposed to register for 3 of my very last classes here at SCAD. Unfortunatly at 8am I’m going to be beating (literally) on the door of the lovely Bursars Office demanding an explination for a grevious error in judgement on their part. I’m sure you’re wondering what horrible offense SCAD has comitted this time and are waiting with baited breath for an answer like “they killed my dog” but you’ll get no such narrative today I’m afraid. What SCAD has done is something they’ve done since day one. They fucked something up.

Now, having played the “financial aid” game with them for four years I’m usually ready for just about anything. Lost paper work, misfiled applications, slow processing of my loans, anything. This time however, I don’t even know what they could have possibly done to fuck up my account, but they sure did. You see, all month I’ve been going to the financial aid office, filling out forms, getting everything squared away for when my loans arrive (shortly). Since they weren’t here at the begining of the semester like they should have been I was forced to sign a “Promissary Note” which allowed for the due date of my loans to be pushed up until November 1st. I was told that this would take care of everything and that when my loans came in they would be automatically applied and I was all set.

So, paper work in order I continued along in my classes believing everything would be fine. Imagine my surprise when looking at the registration website this evening that I have a “hold” on my account. A hold is a little red flag in their system that prevents you from doing normal every day things like REGISTERING FOR CLASSES for instance. I’ve had holds on my account before, and usually they’re no big deal but this one is different. In the space reserved for the “reason” why you have a hold, which usually says “missing paperwork” or “late payment” or something, there was a simple one line phrase that I’ll be beating the explination for out of loan officials tomorrow. That phrase was: “Registration Hold – See Bursars Office to remove.”

This alone set me off. Not only do they tell me I can’t register but they don’t give me ANY reason what so ever. None. The second reason my blood is boiling at the moment is that I’m a senior, I have 6 classes left, 2 of which are impossible to get into. At 8:02am, those classes will be full and I’ll still be in the Bursars Office demanding an explination of their stupidity. Have I mentioned that I needed those two classes to graduate? Yup, so there’s a good possibility that SCAD just fucked up my graduation from SCAD. Way to go SCAD! You bunch of ass-hat, mother-fucking, no-brained, cock-smoking, sons-of-bitches!

*breath*

So, at 8am, I will be physically threatening another humans life if they don’t straiten my shit out and quick. Then, I run three blocks to the library where I try to register for classes that are already full, then at 10am I have a meeting (pre-planned, althought it’s a coinsidence) with my advisor over what classes I have left to graduate. That should be a VERY interesting conversation. Begining with the phrase “Now listen you ass-face” and ending with “no officer, I’m not giving you attitude.” I exagerate, I’m not going to call my advisor an “ass-face”, it’s not her fault after all. I’m just super pissed at the moment and I figured that writting curse words would help me to vent.

Hopefully I can get this all straitened out tomorrow. If worst comes to worst, I can talk to the teachers teaching those classes and try to get “over-flow” forms from them to let me in anyways. They’ll probably say no but it never hurts to ask.

Ok, I’m going to bed now. I hate going to bed pissed off, it usually means I won’t get any sleep. Wish me luck and if you don’t hear from me… check the police logs…

…kidding.

Aces wild

by | Oct 22, 2002 | Imported Entry

By “Ace” I mean a good grade on a project. Actually, 3 good grades to be precise. My last few photo projects erned me a 93 and two 95s. So, I’m quite happy at the moment, which is good since it softened the blow of the 75 I got on my history test. Who needs to know about German Expressionism anyway? Actually, art history is an interesting subject (at least to me) but I’m dreadful when it comes to remembering names and dates and that usually doesn’t boad well for a history exam. Oh well, at least my photos kicked ass.

I also asked my buisness practices teacher about the web site redesign and she said that would be fine. So, believe it or not, I might try and finish that this weekend. If you find the site down for a few hours then you’ll know why.

As for tonight, I’m getting ideas for the afor-mentioned redesign as well as ideas for my next photo shoot on Thursday. I also have to remember to register for classes tomorrow morning. I hope to take “Personal Vision” and “Photographic Portrait” but from what I’ve heard Portrait is the hardest class in the department to get and at least 20 of classmates want to take it as well. Have I mentioned that 15 is the limit on the class size. Yah, sucks doesn’t it. I’m sure there’s quite a few other students who want to take it besides my friends so we’ll just assume a larger round number, such as 50, want to take the class and will be fighting over 15 spots. Joy. We also have online registration so it’s not like I’m fighting face to face with people. Mere seconds can seperate students and if they get the classes their after. Oh well. Good luck and may the fastest typer win.

I should also mention that this is post # 799 that you’re reading and that I’ll reserve post # 800 for the first with the new design. I’ll also be throwing some goodies at you guys (wallpaper, icons, etc) but I’ll reserve a few of them for post # 1000. Wow. I never figured I’d have a journal that would last more than a few months. It’s also a year now and it feels like I just started this thing. Time flys when you’re talking about absolutely nothing important for long periods of time.

Later.