Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/11/17
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I seem to recall a Popular Photo article from the 70's that talked about Nikons being modified. Wasn't there some connection to the photography of an "eyes only" document in Kissinger's hand with those cameras? S.d. On Nov 17, 2009, at 10:55 AM, Roger Hart wrote: > The Associated Press hired Forscher to modify a bunch of long Canon > glass > (like the 800mm F/5.6) to Nikon mount. I believe the lenses were > modified > for shooting the 1980 Olympics, and then were put into the equipment > locker > in New York and shipped out for various assignments. I used the 800 > several > times shooting auto racing in the 1980s. > > > > On Mon, Nov 16, 2009 at 6:24 PM, Lawrence Zeitlin > <lrzeitlin at gmail.com>wrote: > >> Slobodan writes: >> "Didn't Forscher modify a Nikon with lights, in order irradiate the >> >> elmusion for low light shooting?" >> >> ------- >> >> I don't know if Forscher was the first to do this but pre-exposure >> and >> latensification used to be old tricks of available light >> photographers and >> cinematographers to eke out the last residue of sensitivity of films. >> Pre-exposure involved exposing the film to low light levels either >> prior or >> after exposure. The idea was to get the image exposure over the toe >> of the >> sensitivity curve. It effectively provided an increase in apparent >> sensitivity of 1/2 to a full stop. Latensification involved >> exposing the >> film to mercury or ammonia vapors prior to exposure. It could also >> gain a >> one stop increase in sensitivity. These techniques are rarely used >> today in >> this era of ultra high speed films. You can find more about them by >> looking >> through old photo books and magazines. The use of lights in cameras >> was >> described in 1950s era magazines such as "35 MM Photography". >> >> One construction article suggested gluing 4 grain of wheat >> incandescent >> bulbs on the inside of a Leica M camera near the corners of the >> frame. The >> lights would be illuminated briefly by a battery switched on by the >> flash >> contacts. The article suggested that this would work well with B&W >> film but >> might give problems with color film because the lights would upset >> the >> color >> balance of daylight emulsions. >> >> I never tried gluing bulbs to the inside of my camera but I did >> experiment >> with pre-exposure and latensification. Both worked but there was >> too much >> variability in the process and it proved to be far more trouble >> than it was >> worth. >> >> Larry Z >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >> > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information