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Photography/Questions Answered by Expert Malcolm Dickinson
| Subject | Date Asked |
| 33mm negative sleeves | 2/26/2009 |
| Q: All of them were developed at Walmart. Are the sleeves they were placed in archival safe? I sent ... A: I'm sorry but I don't know what kind of negative sleeves Wal-Mart uses or used in the past. I doubt ... | |
| Camera Options | 7/21/2008 |
| Q: There's a project in my head that I need to try and create. I'm not even sure if it's called an art ... A: Either 35mm or medium format will work. Base your decision on what equipment you already have, or ... | |
| Teaching 35MM B&W photography | 2/2/2008 |
| Q: Greetings Malcolm, I am a high school art teacher in Cincinnati, OH. Next year I will be teaching ... A: I did my photography courses as an undergraduate at Yale and they required us to use Tri-X film ... | |
| Quick Question | 7/17/2007 |
| Q: In order for me to produce a sharp image when I hand hold a camera with 100 mm lens, what shutter ... A: At least 1/125th of a second. If you have a particularly steady hand, or can rest the camera ... | |
| fading of negatives / prints | 7/13/2007 |
| Q: how long does it take for 35 milimiter negatives of 4x6 photos to fade? when pix fade do they do so ... A: 35mm negatives will not fade if they are stored in archival negative sleeves in a cool dry place. If ... | |
| 35mm b&w | 11/17/2006 |
| Q: I'm Kara and I'm 24 years old. I love photography and take photos of everything. I'm currently ... A: Kara, 35mm film cameras are alive and well. There are hundreds of models to choose from. Most are ... | |
| Leica | 9/29/2006 |
| Q: I have a Leica, I believe circa 1950, and want to buy a silver lens cap for it. Can you tell what ... A: I can't tell what model it is, but I know if you call the people at Stan Tamarkin Camera, they will ... | |
| developing | 9/20/2006 |
| Q: Can you develop a normal film in black and white? What is the cheapest way to take and develop 1 ... A: There is no "normal" film. There are two kinds of film: color film, and black and white film. If you ... | |
| going digital | 3/1/2006 |
| Q: i have about 200 rolls of films (regular 35 MM) halh are color and half B&W. What would be the best ... A: I wish I knew the answer! I too have several dozen rolls of negative film that I need to have ... | |
| Lens Compatibility | 12/13/2005 |
| Q: I have a Nikon N6006 Camera Body and my friend is offering me a high dollar Pentax lens for free, ... A: Jess, All cameras can only accept lenses that are designed for that particular style of camera ... | |
| scanning b&ws and dust | 12/7/2005 |
| Q: I just paid 330 to scan my black and white negative photos and they have dust all over then jpeg ... A: I think he should have tried to remove the dust with an air blower and with a brush. If that did ... | |
| stereo camera | 11/29/2005 |
| Q: Yes, I have a stereo camera from the 50's. What exactly does it do? How are the pictures portrayed? ... A: I am not familiar with stereo cameras, but my understanding is that they take two pictures. When ... | |
| aperture function | 10/18/2005 |
| Q: I am looking for a diagram that explains how the aperture physically controls depth of field. I ... A: Great question. I did a google search and came up with a few diagrams. There is a good explanation ... | |
| Darkening B&W shots in sunlight | 10/6/2005 |
| Q: If I am shooting 100 speed B&W Kodak T-Max film in my Nikon N80 and wish to darken my shots on ... A: Edward, In order to darken your shots you can do one of three things. 1. If your camera has a ... | |
| digital camera | 9/19/2005 |
| Q: I have an older Canon 1.3 pixel camera, which totally suits my needs. The one problem I have is that ... A: Nina, I agree, the older cameras are just fine for most uses. It's not necessary to have the latest ... | |
| question on B&W enlargers | 4/28/2005 |
| Q: Malcolm, I have what I hope is a simple question. My son is getting into amateur photography and we ... A: Bill, My only experience is with Beseler enlargers. I used their model 23 at college and bought a ... | |
| the possibility of quality 35mm b&w shots | 4/26/2005 |
| Q: I currently own a Nikon D70 and Nikon F4. I am inspired and amazed by the quality of the b&w prints ... A: I share your amazement and admiration at the texture/tone/quality in the b&w prints of the great ... | |
| batteries | 4/6/2005 |
| Q: It appears that most, if not all, of the new digital & digital SLR cameras come with the rechargable ... A: My digital camera takes 4 AA batteries. It recommends using Lithium batteries, which I get at ... | |
| Film | 2/10/2005 |
| Q: I've recently purchased an AF SLR camera for which I intend to use on various arts projects. I'm ... A: I'm afraid I have never heard of a lomo colorsplash camera. I have also not heard of rough quality ... | |
| Medium format cameras | 2/8/2005 |
| Q: I am the mother of a photography major who is also planning to minor in criminology to specialize in ... A: First of all, did they specify whether the camera should be 6x6cm or 6x7cm or 6x9cm? That's the ... | |
| Flourescent Lights and B&W Film | 1/24/2005 |
| Q: I am using a 30 year old 35mm vivitar camera. 400 ASA black and white film. The question relates ... A: Fluorescent lighting can certainly have a strange effect on colors, but I doubt that it would have ... | |
| film and delevoping | 1/23/2005 |
| Q: I have a Canon 35mm camera and use fujifilm 400speed. I go through ALOT of film so I'm wondering if ... A: Yes, photographers buy in bulk. You can order bulk film (100 feet per roll if I remember correctly) ... | |
| Black and White processing | 1/3/2005 |
| Q: I have a box of 4 by six black and white negatives I found recently,from the 30's into the 40's that ... A: First, do you mean 4x6 cm or 4x6 inches? By "need to be processed," do you mean they have not been ... | |
| Traditional B/W negatives to jpeg or similar | 10/29/2004 |
| Q: Both of my parents have died, and each of the "kids" (4 of us) would like to be able to convert my ... A: That's a great idea to scan all the family photos. Each of you and your siblings can then burn two ... | |
| enlarger? | 10/19/2004 |
| Q: looking for a recommendation on an entry level enlarger. am interested only in black and white. my ... A: good question! My advice would be to stay away from the "entry level" enlargers and just get ... | |
| beginning camera | 10/7/2004 |
| Q: I am just starting out in photography and i want to know what kind of camera (digital and or film)is ... A: I think you are best off taking a class, perhaps at a local high school or college. There are some ... | |
| Lenses for 35mm | 9/18/2004 |
| Q: I have a question about lenses. When I look for lenses online, they say they only fit one kind of ... A: Each camera manufacturer makes a different type of latch on the camera body. Each latch mechanism ... | |
| fogged film | 9/9/2004 |
| Q: I am a photography student in Pasadena California. I am using a Minolta X-700 at ASA 100. I just ... A: There are three possible causes that occur to me. 1. Your film could have gotten fogged before ... | |
| Canon AE-1 Programmer | 9/6/2004 |
| Q: I am in need of a lense for my Canon AE-1 programmer that would enable me to take detailed closeups ... A: I have a very similar camera and I think you'll find the AE-1 Program works very well for what you ... | |
| Shutter speeds for medium formats | 8/27/2004 |
| Q: I have just bought a beginner, bottom of the line, medium format camera to see how I like it. I am ... A: Sounds like you need a light meter. In your previous photography experience (which I assume was with ... | |
| Old 35mm Pentax | 5/5/2004 |
| Q: I have a 35mm Pentax camera that is over 20 years old, but in excellent condition. The pictures ... A: I would suggest hunting around until you find a camera store that carries used cameras. Then buy a ... | |
| Dark room equip. | 3/23/2004 |
| Q: I need 4 plastic trays for my dark room that hold up to 16 x 20 prints. Do you know where can I ... A: I would suggest trying freecycle (www.freecycle.org) (you'll need to find a freecycle group in your ... | |
| damaged film | 3/22/2004 |
| Q: I recently took my predeveloped film to Walgreens to have them digitalize the pictures. I got my ... A: I think your questions are answered best by this web page: ... | |
| 35 mm slr and photo printing | 3/2/2004 |
| Q: what characteristics of a 35mm slr make it different from the rest of the 35 mm family? what are ... A: SLR stands for single-lens reflex. This means that the camera has only one lens and that the ... | |
| blue line on prints | 2/16/2004 |
| Q: I have a Canon Ti Rebel, use all different speeds of 35 mm film. The developed pictures have a thin ... A: It sounds like the camera is scratching the film. Check your camera for a bit of sand that has ... | |
Photography
Answers by Expert:
Malcolm Dickinson
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
Questions about 35mm and medium format cameras, questions about developing B&W film; and questions about making B&W prints.
Experience
I've been an avid photographer since 1981 and took a lot of photography courses in college, all of which involved intensive black & white darkroom work. I have used 35mm, 6x6cm, and 6x7cm cameras.
Education/Credentials
Yale B.A. 1992
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