Which camera/scanner for returner?

I'm getting back into photography after a long time away. I have
something of a high definition fetish, but limited funds.

My main interest is landscape, and I do quite a lot of hiking,
including high level (3000 feet -- that's high here) in winter
conditions -- snow and ice. I'm also interested in photographing
"interesting" weather conditions, ie low cloud, wind and rain.

At the moment I'm looking at a Fuji GW690II, which at GBP 595 would
max out my current budget. I'd like to get a film scanner too, but can
wait the few months it might take to save for it. Except: would a
6x9cm capable scanner be affordable? I don't want to pay more for it
than for the camera. And, am I going to be restricted to a very small
range of labs that can handle these negs, and/or have to pay through
the nose for printing? Leafing through Amateur Photographer mag I only
found one lab that seemed like it could handle 6x7 (mentioned 4x5).

I'm in the UK, in case that's not obvious.

On Wed, 15 Sep 2004 17:31:28 +0100, Robin Faichney
wrote:

SNIP
At the moment I'm looking at a Fuji GW690II, which at GBP 595 would
max out my current budget. I'd like to get a film scanner too, but can
wait the few months it might take to save for it. Except: would a
6x9cm capable scanner be affordable? I don't want to pay more for it
than for the camera. And, am I going to be restricted to a very small
range of labs that can handle these negs, and/or have to pay through
the nose for printing? Leafing through Amateur Photographer mag I only
found one lab that seemed like it could handle 6x7 (mentioned 4x5).

I'm in the UK, in case that's not obvious.

Hi
I have just bought an Epson Perfection 3170 Photo. I am
delighted with it as it does flatbed, 35mm and MF negs/slides. I got it
to do my 6 x 4.5 but it will do bigger, I think it is 6 x 9 max. If you
need any more info, I will dig it out for you. BTW, it cost me £125-00
from Simply Computers online. HTH

Ian

--
Ian Pollard//Wooler//Northumberland//UK

On Wed, 15 Sep 2004 17:31:28 +0100, Robin Faichney
wrote:

SNIP
At the moment I'm looking at a Fuji GW690II, which at GBP 595 would
max out my current budget. I'd like to get a film scanner too, but can
wait the few months it might take to save for it. Except: would a
6x9cm capable scanner be affordable? I don't want to pay more for it
than for the camera. And, am I going to be restricted to a very small
range of labs that can handle these negs, and/or have to pay through
the nose for printing? Leafing through Amateur Photographer mag I only
found one lab that seemed like it could handle 6x7 (mentioned 4x5).

I'm in the UK, in case that's not obvious.

Hi
I have just bought an Epson Perfection 3170 Photo. I am
delighted with it as it does flatbed, 35mm and MF negs/slides. I got it
to do my 6 x 4.5 but it will do bigger, I think it is 6 x 9 max. If you
need any more info, I will dig it out for you. BTW, it cost me £125-00
from Simply Computers online. HTH

Ian

--
Ian Pollard//Wooler//Northumberland//UK

On Thu, 16 Sep 2004 10:06:48 +0100, Ian Pollard
wrote:

Hi
I have just bought an Epson Perfection 3170 Photo. I am
delighted with it as it does flatbed, 35mm and MF negs/slides. I got it
to do my 6 x 4.5 but it will do bigger, I think it is 6 x 9 max. If you
need any more info, I will dig it out for you. BTW, it cost me £125-00
from Simply Computers online. HTH

Just checked the website and it does do 6x9. Thanks for this.

I'm now thinking about getting an old Moskva 4 6x9 folding camera for
about £60, which would allow me to experiment with that format and
decide later whether I want to sink £600 into it or not.

On Thu, 16 Sep 2004 10:06:48 +0100, Ian Pollard
wrote:

Hi
I have just bought an Epson Perfection 3170 Photo. I am
delighted with it as it does flatbed, 35mm and MF negs/slides. I got it
to do my 6 x 4.5 but it will do bigger, I think it is 6 x 9 max. If you
need any more info, I will dig it out for you. BTW, it cost me £125-00
from Simply Computers online. HTH

Just checked the website and it does do 6x9. Thanks for this.

I'm now thinking about getting an old Moskva 4 6x9 folding camera for
about £60, which would allow me to experiment with that format and
decide later whether I want to sink £600 into it or not.

Robin Faichney wrote:
On Thu, 16 Sep 2004 10:06:48 +0100, Ian Pollard
wrote:
=20
Hi
I have just bought an Epson Perfection 3170 Photo. I am
delighted with it as it does flatbed, 35mm and MF negs/slides. I got i=
t
to do my 6 x 4.5 but it will do bigger, I think it is 6 x 9 max. If you
need any more info, I will dig it out for you. BTW, it cost me =C2=A312=
5-00
from Simply Computers online. HTH
=20
Just checked the website and it does do 6x9. Thanks for this.
=20
I'm now thinking about getting an old Moskva 4 6x9 folding camera for
about =C2=A360, which would allow me to experiment with that format and
decide later whether I want to sink =C2=A3600 into it or not.


6x9 is pretty close to the perfect MF format IMHO. OTOH you're kind of
limited when it comes to modern choices and they can be expensive. 60
pounds sounds expensive to me for a Moskva. Look for the English Ensign.
They made several models. Or the Agfa models. The Ensign would be the
cheapest normally. But unless it's abused it should be much better made t=
hen
the Moskva. The Agfas can be expensive if you aren't carefull.=20

You might be better off asking in the medium format group.
=20=20=20=20
=20=20=20=20
Nick

Robin Faichney wrote:
On Thu, 16 Sep 2004 10:06:48 +0100, Ian Pollard
wrote:
=20
Hi
I have just bought an Epson Perfection 3170 Photo. I am
delighted with it as it does flatbed, 35mm and MF negs/slides. I got i=
t
to do my 6 x 4.5 but it will do bigger, I think it is 6 x 9 max. If you
need any more info, I will dig it out for you. BTW, it cost me =C2=A312=
5-00
from Simply Computers online. HTH
=20
Just checked the website and it does do 6x9. Thanks for this.
=20
I'm now thinking about getting an old Moskva 4 6x9 folding camera for
about =C2=A360, which would allow me to experiment with that format and
decide later whether I want to sink =C2=A3600 into it or not.


6x9 is pretty close to the perfect MF format IMHO. OTOH you're kind of
limited when it comes to modern choices and they can be expensive. 60
pounds sounds expensive to me for a Moskva. Look for the English Ensign.
They made several models. Or the Agfa models. The Ensign would be the
cheapest normally. But unless it's abused it should be much better made t=
hen
the Moskva. The Agfas can be expensive if you aren't carefull.=20

You might be better off asking in the medium format group.
=20=20=20=20
=20=20=20=20
Nick

On Thu, 16 Sep 2004 07:54:47 -0500, Nick Zentena
wrote:

6x9 is pretty close to the perfect MF format IMHO. OTOH you're kind of
limited when it comes to modern choices and they can be expensive. 60
pounds sounds expensive to me for a Moskva. Look for the English Ensign.
They made several models. Or the Agfa models. The Ensign would be the
cheapest normally. But unless it's abused it should be much better made then
the Moskva. The Agfas can be expensive if you aren't carefull.

Thanks. I did a search on eBay and found quite a few 6x9s, so I've got
some thinking to do to decide what to go for, but I think I'm
committed to getting a cheap one first, probably with a film scanner.
Apropos of which, I see Simply are now quoting £165 for the 3170,
while Amazon are doing it at £126 with free delivery!

On Thu, 16 Sep 2004 07:54:47 -0500, Nick Zentena
wrote:

6x9 is pretty close to the perfect MF format IMHO. OTOH you're kind of
limited when it comes to modern choices and they can be expensive. 60
pounds sounds expensive to me for a Moskva. Look for the English Ensign.
They made several models. Or the Agfa models. The Ensign would be the
cheapest normally. But unless it's abused it should be much better made then
the Moskva. The Agfas can be expensive if you aren't carefull.

Thanks. I did a search on eBay and found quite a few 6x9s, so I've got
some thinking to do to decide what to go for, but I think I'm
committed to getting a cheap one first, probably with a film scanner.
Apropos of which, I see Simply are now quoting £165 for the 3170,
while Amazon are doing it at £126 with free delivery!

Robin Faichney wrote:

On Thu, 16 Sep 2004 10:06:48 +0100, Ian Pollard
wrote:
=20
=20
Hi
I have just bought an Epson Perfection 3170 Photo. I am
delighted with it as it does flatbed, 35mm and MF negs/slides. I got i=
t
to do my 6 x 4.5 but it will do bigger, I think it is 6 x 9 max. If you=

need any more info, I will dig it out for you. BTW, it cost me =A3125-0=
0
=20
from Simply Computers online. HTH
=20
Just checked the website and it does do 6x9. Thanks for this.
=20
I'm now thinking about getting an old Moskva 4 6x9 folding camera for
about =A360, which would allow me to experiment with that format and
decide later whether I want to sink =A3600 into it or not.
=20

Careful, you may find yourself buying and shooting five to ten 120=20
folders and/or TLRs for the price of one modern medium format camera,=20
and liking it. I have a Moskva 5 that I'm very pleased with; huge=20
negatives that scan well, and I have the mask so I can also shoot 6x6 if =

I'm in the mood (I've even thought about modifying for 6x4.5, since I=20
like the effect of the 105 mm lens on the smaller frame in my Wirgin=20
Auta, and would love to have a rangefinder to go with it). BTW, sixty=20
pounds seems high for a Moskva 4; you should be able to buy a Moskva 5=20
(nicer to use, IMO, and 4-7 years newer), recently serviced, from a=20
Ukrainian or Russian dealer on eBay for under fifty pounds, shipped,=20
with format mask (that's based on USA prices and shipping, your import=20
tax might add to the cost). I paid a total of $72 US for mine, shipped=20
and including the format mask, and as far as I can tell, it was freshly=20
serviced.

--=20
I may be a scwewy wabbit, but I'm not going to Alcatwaz!
-- E. J. Fudd, 1954

Donald Qualls, aka The Silent Observer
Lathe Building Pages http://silent1.home.netcom.com/HomebuiltLathe.htm
Speedway 7x12 Lathe Pages http://silent1.home.netcom.com/my7x12.htm

Opinions expressed are my own -- take them for what they're worth
and don't expect them to be perfect.