New york new york!!

gavinlg

gavinlg

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So on monday (only a few days away), I'm leaving lovely Australia for a few week trip to New York, Vancouver and LA. It's my first time in the States/Canada and I'm following a very simple photographic style.

I'll be taking my Oly om2n with 50 1.8, and I'm hoping to find a shop that has some zuiko lenses - buy a 20-35mm lens there. Also taking my Minolta Hi-matic7s.

For digital, I'm sharing a 30d with 17-40L + a 50 1.8 + sigma 10-20.

I'm going to be shooting both colour and BW, probably fuji neopan 400+1600 (decided I REALLY don't like Tmax 400) for the BW.

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1st Question - What color film should I be using. My experience with color only extends to kodak gold (yucky) and fuji Superia 400 (pretty good)
I get the feeling I should be using Slides or something, however I've never used them before, nor do I know much about them.

Recommendations? If a slide entails the same process as c41 stuff, including getting the negs, scanning with my minolta dual IV with it set on "positive neg" mode, I will probably be keen on doing that.
I'm worried about the meter on my om2n (which is accurate for c41) not being accurate enough for e6. What do you think?

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2nd Question - Please give me some camera shop sugar! I'd like the names of some really good shops - both digital and film related. Also if anyone knows of anywhere that may stock some wide zuiko primes, I'd love them.

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3rd and Last Question (for now) - What are some interesting things to do and places to go with photographic relevance in NY? I'm not talking about the general touristy statue of liberty sort of stuff, more the local stuff - get into what really makes NY buzz!


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I'll post up the best of the images here - I think you guys may be interested in how an Australian with a multicultural past sees NY/LA/CAN. I will be doing a lot of shooting!


Thanks so much for your help,
Gavin
 
Portra

Portra

I recently tried Kodak Portra. It's a professional grade colour negative film (400 ISO) that is in the fridges at a local pro-camera store. It has lovely colour and very little grain. I like it very much.

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You're going to be in town at a bad time for used camera shopping. Most of the large camera shops - Adorama and B & H, will be closed for the week beginning April 2, for Passover. You might want to try Photo Habitat, 928 Broadway, suite #707. Last time I was there, they had a selection of OM lenses.
 
In New York, you have to visit B&H and/or adorama http://www.adorama.com.

Pretty much anything you need will be at either of these two places.

As for places to visit.. I'd say the west village is a must see.. Central park. Chinatown, little itally,Soho, and walk over the Brooklyn Bridge to Brooklyn Heights.

These are my favorites.
 
kbg32 said:
You're going to be in town at a bad time for used camera shopping. Most of the large camera shops - Adorama and B & H, will be closed for the week beginning April 2, for Passover. You might want to try Photo Habitat, 928 Broadway, suite #707. Last time I was there, they had a selection of OM lenses.
Click to expand...


Doh.. I forgot about that! :bang:
 
I haven't been to NYC in ling enough that i can't offer any suggestions about that.
But, I agree with Mango about the film choice; for a big trip, take/use what you know and like. You mention that you like the Superia film, so I'd suggest that film.
Have fun!
Rob
 
ah new york, the place of my birth! well, actually brooklyn;)

i have a zuiko 28-48 if you're interested, could be mailed to any of your destinations.

as for what to shoot in new york, just keep the camera ready - something will happen!
 
Awesome, this kind of advice can't be given by a travel agent!

I'm actually looking into FUJI NPH400 right now - looks to be an exceptional film.

I wasn't aware that early april was passover! a bit of a bummer.... I guess I may have to look for some smaller outstanding shops, otherwise, I'll just stay a little longer ;)

Ibcrewin - Thank you! I will make a note to visit all of those places!


Please more advice and opinions!

Thanks
Gavin
 
Thoughts from a fellow tourist

Thoughts from a fellow tourist

fdigital said:
3rd and Last Question (for now) - What are some interesting things to do and places to go with photographic relevance in NY?
Click to expand...

Well, with Manhattan specifically in mind...

Walk.

Pick a point on the map and walk to it. Pick a restaurant, a pub, an art exhibit; the Crumpler shop in SoHo; whatever. The farther from your lodgings, the better. Leave early in the morning and walk to it. You don't need to walk in a straight line, either.

Have your camera in your hand.

The entire dogdamned city is photographically relevant- and it's so, so dense.
 
back alley said:
ah new york, the place of my birth! well, actually brooklyn;)

i have a zuiko 28-48 if you're interested, could be mailed to any of your destinations.

as for what to shoot in new york, just keep the camera ready - something will happen!
Click to expand...

Thankyou sir, Unfortunetly I'm not a huge zoom guy, I tend to think more creatively and naturally with a fixed length lens.

Sounds like nice glass though
 
Biggles said:
Well, with Manhattan specifically in mind...

Walk.

Pick a point on the map and walk to it. Pick a restaurant, a pub, an art exhibit; the Crumpler shop in SoHo; whatever. The farther from your lodgings, the better. Leave early in the morning and walk to it. You don't need to walk in a straight line, either.

Have your camera in your hand.

The entire dogdamned city is photographically relevant- and it's so, so dense.
Click to expand...


Point noted - I have no argument with that! Sort of what I was planning to do - Just immerse myself for a few days - shoot as much as possible with the basics of gear.
 
In hindsight, best preparation I did for my first trip there was to study a detail street map of Manhattan before I left. Therefore, when I found myself at such-and-such an intersection, I sometimes twigged to the fact that this-or-that bit of potential photogenicity was just around the corner. I'd then scurry over for a gawk.

Increases one's comfort level when wandering around, as well.
 
To bad you will miss B&H. Their used department is a gasaholics dream. Walk around NY and just fire away. Every time you turn your head there will be something new and interesting to photograph. Your OM and new wide if you find it will do great there. Personally I would stick to B&W in NY but that is just my preferance.
 
fdigital said:
2nd Question - Please give me some camera shop sugar! I'd like the names of some really good shops - both digital and film related.
Click to expand...

B&H keeps odd hours to begin with, and will definitely be affected in some way by Passover.

Tamarkin might be open, though.

They're in an office building, and you have to sign in with photo ID(!), but if you like Leica at all, their display cases are worth the trip. They had a cubic foot of used black M6s, M7s, and MPs when I was there two weeks ago, and chances are about 75% they'll have a variant of whatever M-mount Leica lens you might name. Nice place to visit if you're a fan of the marque, or just want to have an MP and an M7 side-by-side in front of you.

Varying degrees of courtesy and friendliness, during my two trips there; one chap was a bit sly, a bit terse, and all about the money, whereas the gent who served me when I went the second time really could not have been nicer or more accommodating.

"Oh! Hey! That's- that's an M8! I've...never...seen one."

"Oh, no? Here."

He slipped it into my hand (with a 28mm Summicron on it, I think) and retreated to the back room to answer the phone. And I was red-eyed from lack of sleep, soaking wet from the slushstorm, looking like one of Avedon's Nevada drifters, unravelling fingerless gloves and all.

I gave it back, of course. Thing was minus its rewind lever.

Address is on their website: http://www.tamarkin.com. Worth adding to your frag list; you might suddenly find yourself in the Union Square area.
 
back alley's wide to normal OM zoom is the ideal travel lens for your OM2n.
And surely a better deal from Joe than you'll find in a store anywhere...

Chris
 
Photovillage is like a museum, very nice to visit. B&H, well, it is a Super Store!!!

What to shoot in NY? Just keep your camera in your hand, not in the bag. It will know what to do.
 
Nyc

Nyc

I was in NYC a few weeks ago. Get a street map and spend time in lower Manhattan. It is more like a village, small shops and such. Alot of NY is huge skyscrapers and all starts to look the same. I was in the area of Macy's on 8th Ave. I wanted a nice fedora hat and happened to find a hat store nearby. Bought a nice hat and asked the owner where he suggested I could get a nice leather jacket. He said I could try Macy's but would pay 3X, so he suggested a small shop nearby. Bought some clothes there and asked the owner where could I find a nice deli. He suggested 2 nice places nearby. So, the people are very friendly, especially if you spend a little money in their shops. But, lower Manhattan for me is the place to go. And walk everywhere you go. It is the main form of transportation in the city.
 
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