Kategorie: Tools

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chaotic firmware update Epson ET-2750

The regular firmware update of my printer ended in a seemingly bricked machine.

Neither in the manual nor in the online portal this problem was mentioned.

I found several posts in forums and groups, no solution was offered.

But … a long search session later there was one anonymus post which solved my problem:

Error message:

„Printer Mode

Set Jig

Push [OK] BT“

Unplugging the printer and various other voodoo doesn’t work, but I found a way to force it to technician mode.

Make sure the unit is off.

Then, while holding down the Home button, press the Power button for a few seconds. Eventually, you’ll get a screen with 4 options on it.

Go to 4, Normal mode.

On my machine, it defaulted to Japanese, which I don’t read like I suspect most of you don’t either. To Change the Language:

  1. You need to go the Gear icon (Settings) and hit OK on the control panel.
  2. Right arrow on the control panel once (to 2 / 10)
  3. Click OK
  4. Right arrow on the control panel 3 tunes (to 4 / 8)
  5. Find your language on the list by using the up and down arrows on the control panel
  6. Click OK

I had to reset my printer to work with my network by going to the WiFI Setup.

I then found the Print Network settings option on the printer and printed out the details so I’d have them when I finished setting up the printer on my PC.

Once that was done, I had to go to my PC (Windows 10-64 bit OS) and go to Printer Properties to find and install a „new“ printer.

Another way (epson recommendation) would be to use the utility at https://www.wic.support/download/

I never tried. I will rather buy a new printer if epson will not fix the annoying and repeating set Jig problem.

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Lens – Schneider 4×5 M-Componon 80/4

I stumbled upon this „Lupenobjektiv“.

It has a reduced focal distance and is usually used with a macro tubus.

Schneider : Lens for high resolution, up to large format macrophotography; used with Copal 0 shutter and special macro tube for Linhof Technika. Also ideally for 35mm on bellows.

Focal Lenght: 80
Aperture: 4.0
ApertureRange: 1/2/4/8/16/32
Magnification: 1:1…7:1
Opt. Magnification:  
Mount: M29.5×0.5

Another user tells me it covers 8×10, I have still to try this.

Bild könnte enthalten: Kamera und im Freien
Keine Fotobeschreibung verfügbar.
Bild könnte enthalten: Innenbereich
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Reflecta MF 5000 / Prime Film 120 pro

There were problems with shear endless initializing sequenzes.

I tried another computer (my laptop) with fresh install of cyberview X5 and short, direct connected USB cable, no such luck.

Trying with holder in, holder out, sometimes got a connection, sometimes not.

The german software site

https://reflecta.de/de/downloads/drivers2/~nm.50~nc.108/Driver-and-Software.html

had older versions than the US site:

https://www.scanace.com/sd.php?cid=2&pid=8&pcid=21

I made a firmware update to 1.37 – the scanner works again….

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Scheimpflug

Tilting the front or back plane with a large format camera is a important feature.

The Scheimpflug rules explain the effect.

It states that the film-, sharpness- and lens plane meet themselves at some point.

In a usual small format camera they meet in infinity, therefor the planes are strictly parallel : III

As soon as you tilt, the planes meet and you can play with depth of field:

This is a picture of a view camera with lines drawn through the film plane, the lens plane and also showing the subject plane. All three planes cross at the Scheimpflug Line.
Merklinger, http://www.trenholm.org/hmmerk/
http://www.trenholm.org/hmmerk/VCGM.gif
The Hinge rule
Diagram showing how depth of field works for view cameras.
Photograph of Lisa holding a surveyor's rod that indicated the position of the plane of sharpest focus for a view camera. Copyright C. Reardon & H. Merklinger 1995.

Front plane tilting needs a larger image circle of the lens and puts the film to the edges of the image circle, out of the optimal sharpness region of the lens.

Back plane tilting avoids this problems.

Usually the tilt is just a few degrees, much less I expected at first.

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Pinhole – sunny sixteen table

This is my quick cheat table if I take my pinhole with me.

pinhole & sunny sixteen

DETERMINING EXPOSURE TIME FOR PINHOLE CAMERAS
You have to work with small apertures (high f numbers) and long exposure times and the reciprocity law failure (Schwarzschild effect) must also be taken into consideration.

Taking photographs with a pinhole camera is always something of an experiment and requires a bit of playing around. Achieving perfect results is not always the most important aim.

Many pinhole photographers simply use estimated exposure times. Also, many commonly used films have high exposure latitude and therefore are less sensitive to incorrect exposure.

One option is to prepare a simple table for each pinhole camera whereby the time measured by a light meter can be quickly converted to the required time for the given pinhole camera and film stock.

You can use the PinholeDesigner program to help you with the following calculation. f number In order to calculate an exposure time, it is important to know the f number of the pinhole camera.

Using a lightmeter the problem is that the high f numbers on pinhole cameras are not available on light meters.
The  way round this is to set the light meter to a different aperture, usually f 22, and then convert the measured exposure time for the aperture of the  pinhole camera.
This is done by dividing the f number of the pinhole camera by the f number set on the light meter; this number is squared and the result is used to multiply the measured exposure time.

For example, if the measured exposure time for f 22 is 1/60 second, the calculation for our pinhole camera with an f number of 250 is: (250/22)2 = 129. The measured time is increased 129 times, therefore the exposure time for the pinhole camera will be 2 seconds (rounded).

Reciprocity law failure (Schwarzschild effect)
For long exposure times, usually for exposures longer than several seconds, it is necessary to extend the measured time.
The majority of film stocks indicate in their specifications by how much the exposure times should be extended; if not you have to experiment.

Tips for correct exposures
Choose a material with high exposure latitude, this increases the probability of obtaining a useful negative. In general, conventional light-sensitive layers (which do not use T-grain emulsions) have a higher exposure latitude, such as Ilford FP4 Plus, and also the majority of commonly used colour negative films.

Indoors the times are very long, often more than one hour.
Usually, the only possible method to obtain a correct exposure is trial and error.

The sensitivity of the photographic paper is to be tested. The light meter should be set to somewhere between 2 and 10 ISO.

A good idea for simplifying exposures is to create a table for each pinhole camera and type of film stock.
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Tips & Tricks – Minox film cutting

The biggest problem was to find empty cassettes, and – as soon I had bought some new film – I found about a dozen on the bay.

Reloading is rather simple after a few training runs, I use a Jimmy Li cutter I love and a diy 3D printed cutter (I did this later) also.

Workflow:

Determine the needed length of film
36 exposure Minox film total length = 36 x 12 = 432mm
Minox film leader : 60mm
Minox film trailer : 60
One roll Minox film total length= 432+60+60=552mm


Two rolls of Minox film = 552 x 2 =1104mm
Roller cutter leader : 70mm
35mm cassette trailer 20mm
Length of film required to make 4x 36 exp Minox film = 1104+70+20 =1194 mm
1194 divided by 38mm( one 35mm film frame =36mm +2mm gap) =31.5 exposure
Using a 36 exposure film to cut Minox film is wasting 4 x 38mm of film
So use a bulk loader to cut a 32 exposure film, that is enough for 4 rolls of 36 exposure film

Cut film in the darkroom with Jimmy Li roller cutter.

The diameter of roller cutter=10mm, one turn slitting 31.416mm film
Film in 35mm cassette (self loaded) = 1194mm
1194 divided by 31.416=38 turn
Therefore count 38 turns with the cutter knob, know that all the film is being cut.  

Remove the sprocket strips, take one of the 9.2mm film strip, fold in halves, cut in the middle to make 2 rolls of 36 exp Minox film, do the same with the other strip.
Now put these 4 strips of 36 ex film in a light tight canister, for next rolling step  

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Tools – red filter factor

I had to read about compensating exposure for my new red filter :

Nearly every filter decreases the amount of light by filtering some of it.

This has to be compensated by exposure increase.

The needed increase is called the filter factor (Verlängerungswert in german) , Usually the filter factor is imprinted on the filter itself.

The number of f-stops required to correct the exposure with my 091 red filter may be calculated using the formula:

       Filter factor = 2X 

where the exponent „X“ is the number of f-stop increases required.

My red filter with a filter factor of 8

       8 = 23

The normal exposure will be increased by three stops with this filter. 

By the way :
I compensate changing the ISO on my lightmeter, e.g. with a TRI X 400 and red filter my lightmeter is set to 100 ISO.
Any red filtermakes the negative more grainy. Thats not a film problem, but the contrast enhancement of the filter itself. So – Maybe you would like to take a higher ISO film (considering the filter factor), but beware of the grain !
When developing – beware of the grain.

ISO 400 Films are good because they are more sensibilized for the longer (red) wavelenghts, some old and experienced guys told me to pull a 400 ISO film to 200 ISO, should give a nice result.


OK, and when do I use the filter ?


I need red light, so if the sun is near the horizon, sunrise and sunset, are the best times.

Hve fun,