Rangefinder Magazine
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March 2000

Problems and Solutions by Bill Hurter

From: Jill
e-mail: Jillburs@Aol.com
I'm desperately searching for Sunpak monolight flashbulbs. They are discontinued and I need them quickly. Thanks.

I spoke to the people at Sunpak and they have between 10 and 20 flashtubes left. After those are gone, they are not sure if anyone will be able to supply the flashtubes for the Sunpak monolight. Sunpak is selling their remaining inventory of flashtubes for $99 each. They also suggested that Smile Photo (800-366-6993) might have an inventory of flashtubes, as well. For more information, contact Sunpak at ToCAD America, Inc., 300 Webro Rd., Parsippany, NJ 07054; (973) 428-9800. I'd call soon.

Margaret Clarke
e-mail: mr@granitebear.com
Thanks for publishing one of my articles in Rangefinder ("Networking for Photographers," January, 2000). I have had a number of positive calls and e-mail notes from readers. I am forwarding a copy of one e-mail to you.

From: Mark Riffey
Granite Bear Development
web site: www.granitebear.com
I found your Rangefinder article about networking and Harvey Mackay especially timely. We produce studio management software and the newest release includes support for the "Mackay 66" in the PIM/people sections of the program. Sales thought I was crazy for including this stuff. After all, who'd want to know all that stuff about a customer or a vendor? Needless to say, your article will be in their e-mail in the morning! Thanks.

From: Bennie L. Whittington, CWO2, USAR, Ret.
e-mail: CWO2WHIT@AOL.COM
First let me say that I have enjoyed your excellent magazine for many years and hope to for many more. Being a heart-transplant recipient (January, 1988) I have a lot of spare time to read and enjoy photography.
I have been searching for subject products for quite some time but to no avail. I am looking for something that will change the texture of prints (i.e.-antique, crackle, etc.). I am vaguely familiar with a product called cracklelure but have been unable to locate info on it or a source.

I am aware of texture screens that will change the apparent texture of the print by being printed onto the paper surface, but not anything that actually changes the print surface. The only process I know of that does that is a canvas-mounting type of system which actually embosses the paper surface. Texture screens of the highest quality are available from Texturefects, 498 N. McPherson, Fort Bragg, CA 95437; (707) 964-2306, fax (707) 964-4496; e-mail: texefect@mcn.org.

From: Bill Miller, Miller Family
e-mail: wsm15@earthlink.net
I worked for a company in St Louis that may be the source of the used equipment mentioned by "anonymous" in the January "Problems and Solutions." The company was Chromalloy Photographic Industries or CPI. They did Sears stores, schools and church directories. They sold off their speedlights, cameras and backgrounds. They were in a large building downtown St Louis.

Thanks for passing this along.

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: Jim Dover
P.O. Box 2731
Silver City, NM 88062
505 538 3069
e-mail: Creative-Image@zianet.com
Last October I mailed you a letter requesting information in regard to having a corrective lens piece made to fit my Hasselblad. I suspect the post office lost it as I am stuck in a small community. I believe I talked to you once on the phone on the matter and you recommended an outfit in New York City. That didn't work out too well and I still need to have an eyepiece made to my prescription to drop into my PME-90 viewfinder. Hasselblad in New Jersey was of no help, so I am returning to you. There must be someone who can take my prescription and make a simple 24.5mm disk to drop in my camera. I really need help on this!

Sorry Garfield and Berk in New York didn't work out. I'm running your letter in the column in the hope that someone out there can give you some good advice. I know many people have solved this problem with custom eyepieces. So let's hear from you!

From: Peter Lorber
e-mail: customlab@aol.com
Just finished reading the recent article by Greg Rice on panoramic photography. The basic article is a nice plug for the photographer and ABC lab, which is great. However, I have been doing panoramic photography for 25 years and there are some points I wish to correct. First of all, there are more cameras than the X-Pan and Noblex. I own an X-Pan and love it but I also own a number of rotating and non-rotating cameras and use the one best suited to the job. The older cameras, i.e. the Cirkut which goes back to approximately 1904, are as sharp as can be and never had any fall-off. Banding yes, but not fall-off.

As for the picture of the rotunda, I took a similar picture in one piece, full 360°, (actually 720°) which shows far more than the one published. I also did an overhead in one piece showing a full 360°. Please check our web site at www.Roundshot.com. As well check the web site of the International Association of Panoramic Photographers at www.panphoto.com. You will see examples of first-class panoramic images, which as photography is second to none.

In addition, we know another D.C. group photographer using an old Cirkut camera probably from the 1920s and his photographs are superb with no fall-off whatsoever. For more information contact Central Photo in Washington, D.C.
Before I started printing my own, I never paid $80.00 for a 5X15" print, maybe $18.00.

Thanks for passing along your comments.