Rangefinder Magazine
Archives

April 2000

Problem and Solutions


From: Jon Dock. Customer Service
Rocky Mountain Film
e-mail: [jondock@hotmail.com]
Wanted to update you regarding Rocky Mountain Film. Our web ad-dress is [www.rockymountainfilm.com] and our current phone is (303) 364-6444. Thanks.

From: Leonard Klisz
e-mail: [klisz@greatlakes.net]
I have a Exakta VX1000TL 35mm camera with a stuck shutter. Would you be able to recommend someone that I could trust to repair. Any in-formation will be appreciated. Thank you.

Here are several good repair sources that should be able to han-dle your Exakta repairs. Try contact-ing either Atlantic Camera Repair Corp., 276 Higbie Lane, West Islip, NY 11795; (516) 587-7959; or Photography on Bald Mountain, P.O. Box 113, Davenport, CA 95017; (408) 423-4465. Good luck. Incidentally, an excellent source for used Exakta cameras, lenses, and accessories is Brooklyn Camera Exchange, 549 E. 26th St., Brooklyn, NY 11210; (718) 462-2892.

From: Marc J. Rohrbacher
e-mail: VSSparky@aol.com
I am desperately seeking someone who is familiar with and can repair my Minicam Professional 1 (No. EQC-2400) portable strobe unit. I’ve done several searches on the web without any luck—checking with as many “repair” houses as I can find, but no one has even heard of this unit. It was/is manufactured by, Minicam Research Corporation, Japan. Any help you might be able to provide will be most appreciated! Thank you.

I don’t know what companies you’ve contacted so far, but here are three good ones, all specializing in unusual strobe repairs, including out-of-production gear:
• Holly Enterprises, 7555 Woodley Ave., Van Nuys, CA 91406; (818) 988-7111.
• Keith Murphy Electronics, 15715 Martin Rd., Roseville, MI 48066; (810) 779-0030; FAX (810) 779-0037.
• Strobesmith, 44 Lispenard, New York, NY 10013; (212) 219-3636.

From: Marshal Rosenthal
e-mail: marshalr@pipeline.com
I recently ran across Aquent, an online site that provides freelancers with a multitude of services—from insurance to job search to talent agency—but the most interesting be-ing that you can submit invoices for work just completed and Aquent says they pay you within two busi-ness days, minus a 5% fee. Aquent takes up with the company that you had worked on and deals with them without you (i.e., the company takes 6 months to pay but that's Aquent’s problem and not yours). This looks like a highly interesting aspect to an online (or off) service. Keep in mind they say they are not a collection service.

For more information, contact Aquent (617) 535-4540 or by e-mail: [jnorwood@aquent.com]. They also have a web site: [www.aquent.com].

From: Brian Gilwee
e-mail: bgilwee@home.com
Valhalla High School
Photography Dept.
1725 Hillsdale Rd.
El Cajon, CA 92019
I teach high school photography. My district just funded a “cooking class” because it “leads to a ca-reer”!?!?. This class is in direct com-petition for students that would sign up for photography. I am trying to promote photography here in anyway I can. I am looking for posters or any other materials that encourage photography. Can you help?

I am running your letter in the hope that many people will see it who may be able to help you out. In the meantime, I suggest you get hold of Photo Marketing Association (PMA), 3000 Picture Place, Jackson, MI 49201; (517) 788-8100 and/or Photographic Manufacturers & Distributors Association (PMDA), 866 United Nations Plaza, Ste. 436, New York, NY 10017; (212) 688-3520.

Both organizations routinely promote pho-tography at all levels, including the schools and I’m sure that there is a ton of promotional material avail-able. You might also contact Fuji Photo Film, U.S.A., which does a lot of work with schools. For more in-formation, contact Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc., 555 Taxter Rd., Elmsford, NY 10523; 1-800-659-
3854.

From: Kris Colbert
e-mail: ckris@erols.com
I have just purchase a Nikon F100 to replace my wonderful Nikon F I have used the Honeywell Strobonar Pressman Auto 880 all these years and have loved it. I do not know if I can use it with my F100. I have writ-ten to Honeywell but they no longer have that product. Thank you very much for any help you can provide.

You can use your Honeywell strobe with a sync cord in manual mode with your F100, and it would prove to be a powerful flashgun, however, it would offer none of the automatic functions that the F100 provides; TTL flash, for example. For this reason and also because the SB-series of Nikon speedlights are so amazingly versatile and fairly power-ful, you might consider replacing your old war-horse with something a little more contemporary.

From: IPerello@aol.com
I thought I would pass on my ex-perience. Years ago when I was working in the newspaper biz, com-plaints about the plastic foot breaking on the bottom of the popu-lar Vivitar flashes were common. When we first saw these aluminum flash feet come out, we thought that they would be the saving grace, but that was far from the case. What began happening was that when the flash was impacted in-stead of the foot being destroyed, the top of the camera was absorbing the brunt of the shock and in a couple of instances tore off the top of the camera. If the equipment is going to be damaged, I would much rather have it be the bottom of the flash foot which is easily replaceable rather than a camera which is not. Just thought I would through my two cents in on this.

Thanks for passing along your ex-periences.

From: Mark E. Greiwe
e-mail: m.lgreiwe@worldnet.att.net
I have owned a Sunpak 120J for several years now and within the past year I’ve had this recurring problem of the flash not going off. I have tried these solutions with no luck; 1) new sync cord, 2) had the pc connection on my Mamiya replaced, 3) I even bought a new Mamiya 645 last February. My last attempt was to have TOCAD check out the unit while it was in for repair for another reason. They fixed that problem but didn’t address the misfire problem. I have called and sent them e-mail and have not been able to get any response. I don’t want to change flash systems because the battery systems can be used for two older Sunpak flashes. Do you have any suggestions?

It would seem that Sunpak would have the most current data if the problem has occurred in other flash units, but it may be an isolated problem. You might also try sending the unit to one of the following companies that specialize in hard-to-diagnose flash repairs:
•Flash Clinic, 9 E. 19th St., New York, NY 10003; (212) 673-4030.
•Holly Enterprises, 7555 Woodley Ave., Van Nuys, CA 91406; (818) 988-7111.
•Keith Murphy Electronics, 15715 Martin Rd., Roseville, MI 48066; (810) 779-0030; FAX (810) 779-0037.
•Strobesmith, 44 Lispenard, New York, NY 10013; (212) 219-3636.

From: Larry and Cheryl Mickey
Reflections of You
e-mail: mickey426@frsb.net
My neighbor recently passed away, and while going through her belong-ings, her children found film in a very old camera. The film is about 60 years old! Is there anyone you might refer me to, to have this film developed? Your help is much ap-preciated.

Try contacting Rocky Mountain Film Laboratory, 60 Geneva St., Aurora, CO 80010; (303) 364-6444; web site: [www.rockymountainfilm.com]. This company specializes in out-of-date processes and should be able to process the film.