4x5 Dark Slide

Hi all,

I've recently aquired a 4x5 Calumet camera w/ a Fujinon lens for free. Someone was actually throwing it

out!

I've never used one but I would like to see if this format is good for me.

One thing I'm not sure about is wether the dark slide is on the film holder itself or would it be on the body

of the camera? I don't see a dark slide on the body so I'm wondering if it's missing or will it be on the film

holder?

Also if anyone would be so kind as to give me a few pointers about using this type of camera and/or film

and common mistakes I might encounter.

Thanks in advance.

Danny

The dark slide is in the film holder. Load the film in the holder in total darkness. Code notches on the film, in upper left, mean the emulsion side is facing you. Secure the slides. Open the lens and carefully focus on the groung glass screen on the rear of the camera. When you get everything focused, close the lens, lock down the moveable standards and slide the film holder under the ground glass frame. Meter the scene, set your shutter speed and aperture. Pull out the slide closest to the lens. Cock and release the shutter. Put the slide back in, straight in, not at an angle. Remove the holder. If you put the black side of the slide top out after exposure, it will let you know the film has been exposed. Put the silver side out when you load them, so you know the film is unexposed. Have fun!

Glenn, I am sure you meant the notches go in the upper Right of the holder, not the upper left.

Dan,

 

**Warning**Danger** Money Sink Ahead!! Time Sink Ahead!! **Warning**Danger**

 

:-)

 

In general, the dark slide will be part of the film holder. The best example I've seen are the Fidelity / Lisco / Riteway / Regal variety. there may be other brands, but these are by far the most widely used. The dark slide should come with the holder. I've never seen them sold separately. It needs to seal securely and light tight all around, but also be easy and smooth to withdraw from and reinsert to the holder. If it scrapes or drags, you don't want it. Very difficult to fix, and a new one only costs about $40.

 

There should be two dark slides, one per side, for the holder. The whole holder goes into the camera back, then the dark slide is withdrawn for exposure. Turn the slide over, put the slide back, pull the holder out, turn it over, put it back, pull the second slide to get the second exposure, turn the dark slide over, reinsert it. Pull the holder out, it is ready for film processing. Turning the slide over is important to indicate what film has been exposed and what hasn't. The whole action of exposing one image is similar to the strokes of a four stroke engine.

Dan,

 

Save yourself a lot of time and grief and get yourself a good book on view camera technique. There are many things about large format that are different from other formats; film loading and handling, focusing, metering, close-up work, movements, etc., etc. If you are serious about using your 4x5, a little study up front really pays off. Don't just rely on forums like this to answer all your questions. There are too many details to organize well without an overview.

 

Ansel Adams "The Camera" is the bible. Other books include Steve Simmons "Using the View Camera" and Leslie Stroebl's "Basic View Camera."

 

There are also some informative web sites that are almost as comprehensive as texts. Check out the Large Format Photography home page at http://www.largeformatphotography.info/.

 

Good luck,

 

Doremus Scudder

Thank you all very much

One other thing.Is it tricky to load the film into the film holder?

Thanks again

No its easy , Place the holder with the dark slide pulled about half way out flat on a table. Take your right hand, with your 1st finger and place it on the notches which are in the upper right hand corner, put your left hand on the bottom of the holder where the little flap is,using your left hand to hold the little flap open , slide the film in to the bottom groove with your right hand. If the film is in the same grove as the dark slide it will not close smoothly. Try this is the light a few times ,you will get the hang of it quickly.

Great,

Thanks Michael.

Has anyone had experiences with Polaroid 4x5 film? What are the results like?

Also... would be be ok to meter with my Nikon d200 for the LF camera?

Thanks again

Dan:

 

You might want to see some of the articles online at: http://www.largeformatphotography.info/, especially the ones at the top entitled, "How to get started in large format photography".

 

Using an SLR as a meter: Yes, you can do that. I have, and it works fine unless you are doing closeups (at which point you will have to compensate for bellows extension).

 

Polaroid: An excellent learning medium, but expensive. Also, you'll need a Polaroid holder (about $50-100 used). Doing your own black and white development is seriously cheaper, if you have access to a darkroom. If you're in a biggish city, and have access to labs doing E-6 development, consider shooting transparencies (slides); there's nothing quite like the rush of seeing a big 4x5 transparency on a lightbox the first time.

 

Most important: Have fun! Get out there and bash about. Make mistakes, but keep shooting. Read lots -- online and at the library. Soon enough, it'll make more sense, and you can start poking about more seriously in areas that interest you.

 

Best of luck with your new toy,

\don wilkes

Someone mentioned here that you have to load slide in the dark... is that true?

 

There is specific film for slides?

I have 2 polaroid backs for it right now

What brand is good for transparency film? I'm not too sure what I'd be looking for.

 

Also.... the mount on the camera is like a hexagon. I have a tripod that would accomodate the

weight but I'm not too sure how to attach the two. Probably some kind of release plate but

does anyone know which one I would need?

Guessing, the hexagon is probably a Bogen/Manfrotto brand quick release, for use with certain of their tripod heads. You should be able to unscrew the quick release plate to reveal a standard screw hole for use with virtually any tripod head.

 

Film for conventional film holders must be loaded in complete darkness. Polaroid, Kodak Readyloads and Fuji Quickloads are pre-loaded for you. What model Polaroid back do you have? This determines which kinds of Polaroid film that you can use.

 

If you go to B&H's website, you will find a close to complete list of 4x5 films available today. Process E6 films make slides (transparencies), C41 color negatives. Then, of course, there are B&W negatives. Both Kodak and Fuji make excellent color films -- some people like one, some the other.

Awesome..... Thanks Michael

I have a Polaroid 545 and a Polaroid 545i back.

Do you know the difference between the two?

 

I use an a Polaroid back for my Hasselblad which uses a polaroid pack. Can I use this with the

545?

The 545i is a more recent version made out of plastic to be lighter. Functionally the 545 and 545i are the same and can use the same films. The 545 holders use 4x5 sheet films, so the pack film that you use with the back for your Hasselblad won't work. Of course, the 4x5 films are larger and will give you a print that can make a nice final product. Some of the advantages of the 4x5 sheet films are a large selection of film types and the ability to switch between film types at each exposure. You can find a lot of information in threads in the archives of this forum and on Polaroid's website. Just be sure to get one of the 4x5 sheet films, such as Type 52, 55, etc.

I've tried to unscrew the hexagon plate but it's jammed tight.

Not sure what to do at this point.

I don't really want to buy another tripod.

Help!!!