LIGHT METERS

If you're going to be using an older camera like the Mamiya C220 or a 4x5 camera, chances are you'll need a light meter. This also applies if you're going to be working with studio lights, like the Alien Bees. The Mamiya 645s all have integrated meters, so you wont need one if you're checking out one of these. I would encourage every photo student to get their own light meter. It's a wonderful, convenient thing to have. That said, if you can't get one for some reason, we've got plenty!

This is the Sekonic L-308s. We currently have four of these, although that number has had a tendency to fluctuate. (If you have one of our light meters PLEASE BRING IT BACK!) It's a great, compact light meter that does almost everything any photographer needs out of a light meter. Which leads us to the other meter...
the Sekonic Flashmaster! We've got one of these puppies. The main reason you would want to check this out is if you need to do spot metering. Otherwise, it has all the same functionality of the other meter.

Here's everyone, standin' in a row!

LIGHTING!!!

Here at the depot, we currently have two fields of lighting equipment: the battery powered flash unit, and the AC strobe unit. If you're shooting something where you can't be plugged into an outlet and can't have lights set up on dedicated stands (I'm talking night photography, indoor events, stuff that requires portability) then you probably want a flash. If you are doing fashion photography, or staged portraiture, anything where you're indoors and have the time to set up lights, I'd opt for an AC strobe kit. The strobes have a much higher output than the flashes, and are a really great lighting solution. Ours are also relatively portable. Think about it!

FLASHES

This is the Minolta Auto 200x. We have one of them. It's a pretty basic unit, with no ports for synchronization, and so it must be mounted in a hotshoe.

This is the Sunpak 383. We have two of them. Also a pretty basic on-camera unit, aside from the fact that it has a Sunpak Mono miniphone port for synchronization, which makes it a candidate for use with cameras other than SLRs with hotshoes.

This is the Sunpak 544. We have two of these as well. This acts as a nice midrange between the on-camera flash units and the AC strobe. It's extremely controllable, and has a higher output than the smaller flashes. That said, it cannot mount to a hotshoe, and must be synced with a cable.

The 544s come in a kit with a diffusion gobo and a potato masher mount, so you can mount the flash right next to your camera.

We also have two of these big Midibounces to bounce flat white in a big spread.

ALIEN BEEs

This is the Alien Bee B1600. It is the only AC strobe unit we have. It has a very high output (28,000 effective lumenseconds!!!!) and is easy to use and portable. We have three of these units divided into two kits. Depending on the nature of your project you may need one or both of these kits!

The one light kit comes with one B1600, the protective front cap, a steel collar, a power cable and one extra long sync cord.

The two light kit includes two of everything the one light kit has.

We also have many of the appropriate cords for all of the aforementioned lighting solutions. Since those cords depend upon what type of camera you're using, know what cord you need so you can ask us for it, because chances are, we've got it!

THE DIGITAL FLEET!

This is all of it, all packed up and ready to go! The XS is in the black bag on the right, the PowerShot is in the red case.

Here at the depot, we currently have five digital cameras that we rent out. Briefly, let me make two distinctions. Two of the cameras are digital SLRs. The other three are point-and-shoots. The digital SLRs will always shoot higher quality images because of their nicer lenses. Also, if you have spare Canon or Nikon lenses lying around you can probably use them with our digital SLRs! The SLRs will also be able to be more controlled for things where exposure time is really important, or white balance, or low light work. That said, the point-and-shoots are still perfectly good cameras and will be perfect for most needs, but their lenses cannot be changed, and the images they produce will have less of the filmic quality of photographs taken with an SLR camera. Cool!

THE DIGITAL SLRs

This is the Canon Rebel XS. We have one of these at the depot. It comes with an 18-55mm EF-S kit lens and shoots at 10.2 megapixels. It has the option to shoot RAW files. (.CR2s for Canon.)

This is the Nikon D70. We have one of them. It has an 18-70mm VR lens. It shoots at 6.1 megapixels and has the capacity to shoot RAWs as well. (.NEF)

THE POINT AND SHOOTs

This is the Panasonic Lumix. We have two of these. It shoots at 10.2 megapixels and can shoot RAWs.

This is the Canon PowerShot A610, which we have one of. It shoots at 5 megapixels. The wonderful RAW file format outdates this camera by a few years, but it still works wonderfully.

THE MAMIYA 645 SYSTEM

The Mamiya 645 system is a modular collection of medium format cameras and accessories. It is a versatile, SLR based system with a variety of lenses and modifiers. We currently have three cameras that are part of the system. The first two cameras shoot a 6x4.5cm format.

CAMERAS

We have two Mamiya 645 Pro TLs. Each comes with one 120 film holder and a standard 80mm lens.

We have one Mamiya 645 1000s, which is a slightly older, slightly less functional version of the Pro TL. The kit includes, again, one 120 film holder and a standard 80mm lens.
We also have one Mamiya C220. It shoots a square 6x6cm, and is not compatible with any of the modifiers I'm about to list. It comes with a 55mm Sekor lens.

LENSES
We have two telephoto lenses, a 110mm and a 210mm for your portrait and distance needs.

We have two wide lenses, a 45mm (really a superb lens if I do say so myself) and a 55mm lens as well.

MISC

We have one extra 120 film holder and a single 220 film holder.

We have two grips, one with integrated TTL Flash control and hotshoe, one without.

We have one Polaroid back for 645 if by some odd chance someone gets their hand on some film that fits.

We have a 2x tele-converter to double the focal length of any of the aforementioned lenses. (While simultaneously greatly decreasing the quality of the lens at lower f stops.)

Finally, we have three extension rings for making lenses anywhere from a little bit to a whole lot more macro. Great for close up stuff, you know?

Stay tuned for more!!!

POCKETWIZARDS

The Pocketwizard is a radio sync transmitter. You can use them to fire a flash or strobe at long (and short) distances without using a cable. We currently have one set of Pocketwizards at the Depot.


The Pocketwizards. The kit comes with these two transceivers and a PC - Stereo adapter.

THE GRAFLEX

mmmmm...

The Graflex was designed for use by photojournalists in America, and was the standard of press photography for part of the 20th century. It is the Depot's more popular variety of 4x5 camera. All of our Graflexes at the cage have essentially been converted into view cameras, and so it is recommended that users bring a dark cloth or sheet to use as a focusing hood when using a Graflex. These cameras offer the quality of the 4x5 negative along with some of the portability of smaller format cameras. We currently have four Graflexes in stock. Each one has a different lens. Each kit comes with a shutter release cable and a loupe, and there is a slight variety (as noted below) in these objects.

Graflex 1 is a Crown Graphic. It comes with a 150mm Caltar lens on a Synchro Compur shutter.
The kit includes a Toyo ground glass loupe and a long shutter release cable.

Graflex 2 is a Speed Graphic. It comes with a 135mm Schneider lens on a Synchro Compur Shutter. The kit comes with an 8x generic loupe and a shutter release cable.

Graflex 3 is a Crown Graphic with a Schneider 15omm Apo-Symmar on a Copal Shutter. The kit comes with a Toyo loupe and a short shutter release cable.
Graflex 4 is a Crown Graphic. It has a 150mm Rodenstock Geronar on a Copal Shutter. The kit comes with an 8x generic loupe and a short shutter release cable.

What this blog is for

Hi!

This blog is intended to catalog the items available at the Oberlin College Media Equipment Checkout. Please direct any questions to oc.media.equipment@gmail.com.

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