Firmware update for Deardorff V8?

In visiting friends who are convinced pixelography is the answer to the worlds

problems I hear them talking about 'firmware updates' for their cameras so they

will work right. Seems many have problems that come with the cameras and have

to be 'fixed' some way.

 

Where do I find a firmware update for my Deardorff V8? It was made in 1949 for

the US Military so I figure if anything comes with an update, this must be it.

It still works just fine. Takes lenses, holders and film without problem. No

light leaks(a new Bellows a few years back took of that, the added weight of 37

pounds of gaffers tape to patch the corner light leaks told my back it was time

to get a new one) and no focus problems.

 

But, there must be some kind of firmware update available for this camera that

will make everything I photograph a work of art. Maybe Photoshop? I read in an

ad that if I use Photoshop my work will then become art.

 

Any firmware update out there that will make it work better? Or perform better

at 20 degrees below zero? Or maybe some kind of anti vibration firmware that

will make the camera steady in 30 mph wind gusts?

 

If I do find an update, where do I plug it in on this camera? Not too scared of

getting electrocuted doing so if I play it safe and only touch the wooden

parts, but will it melt the metal knobs?

 

Thanks in advance for the help. Am looking forward to it so I can get the

camera more 'with it' before it becomes obsolete.

Daniel, I beleive you have made my day, That is some funny a** S*it... I was recently told by this digital photographer who has only been taking photos with his D40 for like 6 months that I should convert from LF to Digital... I gave him this dumb founded look and said your D40 can not beat my Kodak 2D with a quasillion number of pixels and my camera would win hands down in a wrestling match... LMAO Of course he thought he was better then me but hey it is a free country isnt it... ;-) I might need back up guys whose got my back lol Hope everyone has a great holiday

This must be a joke!? :-) Right??

Working with Photoshop yes, that would make you an artist!?#"#????**^*??

And pixelography is the wapon for all the lazy photographers and for all those who have nothing what we call knowledge of Photography!

 

So here we go my friend, read this and and make sure that you tell about it to your friends!!!!!

 

Capturing your subject and the light on film and the analogue printmaking in the darkroom is the art of the photography!

Firmware for your 1949 vintage Deardorff V8 has been updated innumerable times by different parties: it's called film and chemistry.

 

On that note Kodal just released a new version of Tmax 400.

 

"Capturing your subject and the light on film and the analogue printmaking in the darkroom is the art of the photography!"

 

The art of photography is seeing, what happens wit hyour eyes and brain and "soul" not manipulating technology. Cameras , etc. are just tools and they are all dumber than dirt until someone intelligent uses them.

Ellis when I' talking about "capturing your subject and the light"

Than I'm very much talking about seeing!

 

And when I'm talking about "analogue printmaking in the darkroom "

than i'm talking about the let you personal tuch and feelings into the print.

 

And if it's not art for you than what is?

There is the electronic focus module requiring an obscure battery that cost $500 so you need not carry a loop.

 

Another new option is the sensor to tell if there is film in the holder, what kind it is (reads notch codes), and if it has been exposed. This is for those who can`t remember what whit/black mean.

 

I think there is a digi back inthe works. 5000 px requiring a super computer to work it.

You're just looking for someone to come out with a free cliché such as `digicams require firmware upgrades; large-format requires wetware', aren't you? :)

"37 pounds of gaffers tape to patch the corner light leaks"<BR>

This is what we IT people call patching. Microsoft do it all the time, people keep finding new holes in their windows, so they put out new patches practically every day.

That Windows is just a mess of computerised gaffer tape. Ugly.<P>

 

"a new Bellows a few years back took of that"<br>

Well a bellows really is software, as you'd probably guess.<BR>

However, when in use its fixed in place, pretty tight, so we call it "firmware".<BR>

So you already have done your patching, and then replaced it with a firmware upgrade, probably before all those digital guys ever heard about it. Nothing to worry about there. Unfortunately, although the upgrade should improve your photographs, it will not turn them into art.<BR>Nor will Photoshop. That will just make a large hole in your bank account, which will need patching with something more than gaffer tape.<br>

But don't worry. Every time the question of "what is art" arises, someone pops up and says, "art is anything you want it to be".<BR>

Thats complete nonsense of course, but enough people believe it, you can get away with anything nowadays.<BR>

I hope you find that reassuring. Your firmware upgrade is done, you shouldn't need to do any patching for a while yet, and you can call your work "art" if you want to.<P>

 

One thing does bother me, and thats the Deardorff V8. I have a Suzuki V6 myself, but I never thought of taking photographs with it.<P>

ya I had a kid in a camera store ask me when I was going to upgrade to digital. I happened to be looking for some 4x5 C41 film at the time. wanker.

 

Anyway I do shot a pro DSLR as well as my LF and MF. All are valid tools to accomplish my artist goals. It's just a matter of matching the tool to the job.

 

I enjoy my ability to create in the darkroom (just spent 3 hours there this morning) and also my ability to create using PS. Again it's about using the proper tool for the job.

They keep those updates next to the skyhooks and left-handed monkey wrenches at the hardware store; you know, the one down the street from the Easter Bunny's house.

Hey, my hardware store has skyhooks, wire stretchers AND buckets of kilocycles. Full service all the way.

"i'm talking about the let you personal tuch and feelings into the print. "

 

You have even more, and more direct control, and are able to exercise your "personal touch " over every square micro-millimeter of your photo is you scan your gorgeous 8x10 piece of film and then print with a digital printer. I guarantee that you do.

You can even make each print unique from all others.

Ellis:

 

Now, there is some things I wouldn't " manufacture" with my hands and it's for example cans for canned food or other similar industrial products like that.

 

But you see I'm an old fashioned guy and we talking about art here and therefore I love to have my finger between and I'm not afraid of the dark either and because of that I would just do my prints by my own hand until I die! Time would tell which one of us does its own thing best and why.

 

I let the printing industry take care of the printing of such thing like books or reproductions of fine art and other commercial stuff.

 

There is nothing and I really don't believe a word of that you stated above of your kind of printing process which is compatible of a fine real hand made print.

Not even a holding or handling of such a print in your hand gives any feelings in my case.

 

Just look around you! Is that anything you can come up with like Dagor77's carbon prints or any well made gum prints? Here we talk about art!

 

In strict, talking about commercial work I might use it too when I got to mass-produce images but I'm lucky I don't had to.

 

It would be like if I let somebody made a mass production of one of my paintings like those "false" oil paintings you find everywhere. It's a big money but it won't let you into any museums.

 

Its massy thing to be in the darkroom and it needs some knowledge too which is obvious that those who have never printed anything in their life don't have. It's different and you can't compare of correcting your image in the Photoshop. I mean what would you be with out of that hundreds of names which appears on the first page of the Photoshop?

You said that you can even make your prints different. Now that is a statement isn't it? It doesn't works that way! It's a happening because you and your mood and feelings are different each day when you get into your darkroom and print.

 

Just think about it!

I spent nearly twenty years working in traditional wet darkrooms developing E6 and C-41 filam as wel as black and white films , and printign to archival standards (with the limits of the materials involved) printing the same. I was commissioned for some of that work and some of it I did for my own pleasure . I've sold a fair number of those prints made that way to corporate art collections and to individuals. I know exactly what I am talking about and you couldn't pay me enough to go back into that toxic environment again.

 

You might think getting your fingers wet makes photographs "art" but you are fooling (and possibly) yourself.

 

"I mean what would you be without (the) hundreds (actually it's about 2 to 3 dozen) of names which appears on the first page of the Photoshop?"

 

I'd be in the same place you'd be without the thousands of anonymous people who designed, formulated , refined, and manufactured your films, chemistry and papers.

Sorry but I if I remember there are many well known and un-known photographers who died in a very old age ( Steiglitz 82, Strand 85, Steichen 94 and if I believe Adams wasn't a jung guy either! ) all those worked with very hazardous chemistry more toxic than you can ever imagine. So it's a big bull in my eye!

 

It's just a way it is and I don't think I'm fooling myself at all. So that toxic environment not really works on me.

A friend of mine (un-known) was his 90's when hi died and he has worked all his entire life in a color lab.

 

It's nothing hostile here it's just simply I have a different view of things than you do! There are many people who work with different alternative printing processes and you just come in and look down to their work with your printing machines. And at the same time you jump on me because I said what I thought art is. Just because I believe the printing process is very much of the process of expressing yourself because you simplify the photographic art to seeing and nothing else.

 

Now my friend, you come to the right place too, talk about art with an artist that's cool because I'm a painter too. If you click on my name here you might find one of my paintings too if you are intrested which I don't believe you do.

 

With this I finished this meaningless conversation. you do what you like and I will do what I like best after all we living in the free world.

"I know exactly what I am talking about and you couldn't pay me enough to go back into that toxic environment again."

 

But it is OK to let all the workers who make the electronics, plastics and other throw away pixelgear work in the environment so you can push pixelography.

 

They are just different ways of working and both have advantages in various circumstances.

Cool it Danny it's not worth it. You got many points there, but I'm sure his got the answer to that one too. I know his kind. What a hero? Right?

You could call Jack Deardorff, but I doubt that h'll find it very funny, he's making the camera again.

 

Lynn

Lynn: He says he is making the camera. I suspect he is having it made elsewhere. I ordered some lensboards from him 2 years ago...still waiting.

>> You could call Jack Deardorff, but I doubt that h'll find it very >> funny, he's making the camera again.

 

Last month on the Large Format Photography Forum -largeformatphotography.info/forum - Dave Parker (of Satin Snow) announced that jack Deardorff had just passed away.