terence_m.

I too have a lense problem. I have my 150 and 210 G Clarons, a 16" Cooke Process anastigmat, an old 300mm tele,and have my eye on an old Darlot. I have spent the last two weeks going through that Greene book and looking on www.surplusshack.com for the proper lens elements for recreating a lense to make photos similar to the portrait lenses he describes. The photo with the center in focus and everything thing else fuzzy has me drooling. Sure you can smear vaseline, etc around a filter to get "similar" images, but I'm an engineer and won't be satisfied with anything but a proper lens. Unfortunately, I live in an apartment the size of most peoples' living rooms so my woodworking/lensmaking options are limited to hand tools and a hand drill. I thought I was the only lens nutcase out there.

While it may help a little, coatings are most effective when used at every air-to-glass surface, which is the primary source of flare. Although you may reduce some flare by cutting down some of the brightest light sources your lense elements will still be prone to flare at each uncoated surface. I use many old lenses and have tried the MC filter approach, but I have found a lens shade is the best protection, at least for light sources not in the field of view.

Unfortunately the camera is just a bit too big to zip the largest ziplocs I could find, so I used it as a cover with the opening facing down. Even in my backpack, the 30+ mph winds along the dune peaks put sand into the camera before I even took it out of the backpack and bag. It's an older, top-loading canvas backpack with a cinch at the top. The sand actually made it into the rails, etc. The valleys were less windy thankfully.

Well me and my Toyo CF survived a week of snow-shoeing and hiking in

Colorado, including three 10,000 foot peaks (too much snow above

that). Nothing fell off. Nothing broke. It (the camera) was fairly

rigid in the wind. My only real gripes are that it can't close up

with a lens in a #1 shutter, and when closed it isn't even remotely

sealed. Great Sand Dunes left a great pile of sand in it, even with

stowing it in a large ziploc. Although even with a pound of sand in

it, it was still lighter than my B&J Press Camera.

 

I finally figured out why all you folks out west like LF. You can

climb to 10,000 feet, use some front rise on the adjacent peak and

make it appear you climbed to 12,000 feet. Sneaky.

I've had Ilford HP5 and FP4 sit for almost a year and look fine with a little bit longer development (no real science on my part, but a little less than a stop). My average wait is at least 6-8 weeks. I do notice it's a little worse with sheet film than roll film, but that's probably due to my handling (no full-time darkroom) and packaging. Is there slightly higher fog, yes. Would I do this if I was a professional and could help it, no. Am I sometimes too lazy to develop all the film I shoot right away, definitely. The results adequately meet my needs, but I'm not very fussy. Unless you examined my negatives you wouldn't notice anything unusual in the prints. If I made a living at it I would definitely do things differently, but I do photography as a relaxing hobby. If wanted stress I'd take up golf.

Thanks for all the info guys. Working in construction has its benefits. Once I had the name of the mill I contacted one of our steel fabricators who got me in contact with the right folks. They got me permission to shoot from the mill property (exteriors only). I'm looking at an itinerary as follows, with at least a short hike each day. Except for the Dunes to Pueblo drive it shouldn't be too bad:

Sat and Sun around Avon

Mon in Leadville vicinity

Tues heading south through mountains to Salida

Wed head south towards Mosca/Alamosa along Sangre de Cristos

Thursday at Great Sand Dunes and out for Pueblo

Friday Pueblo and maybe start north

Saturday head north and maybe hit some of the plains towns as mentioned.

 

I know I could spend a week at half these places but living around NYC I always want to pack in a lot on my vacations out west. I view it as reconnaisance for future, less harried vacations.

 

Thanks again.

Thanks folks. My new camera's a 45cf also. First camera I've ever bought new. First one I could afford. I'll keep the wind in mind. I guess that's the down side of a light camera.

 

My previous forays in Colorado have always been further west, except for dashing back to Denver. I'm assuming there's plenty to photograph along Rt 24 and down in the Sangre de Cristos. I've never seen an ugly part of the state (okay, maybe Denver 15 years ago). Anyone have a good lead/source for me on locating moderate hikes(I hike often enough but at 0-700 ft above sea level and head west every other year to humble myself). I haven't found much online and all my resources deal with western Colorado.

 

Also, the last time (8-10 years ago) I passed through Pueblo there was still a steel mill (I think it was a steel mill anyway) right alongside Rt 25. Anyone know if it's still there? I'm probably the only guy who goes to Colorado and shoots industrial ruins.

Just worked out the bugs with a new field camera and I'm planning to

head out to Colorado for some hiking the second week in November.

I've never been out there this late in the year. I'm planning to be

in Avon (Vail area) for a couple days and then head down (Rt's 24,

285, and 17) along the Sangre de Cristos to Great Sand Dunes. What

can I expect for accessibility this time of year. Are trails below

9000 or 10000 feet snowed in at that time? Are there specific areas

that stay more snow-free than others? I'm looking to do 5-7 mile

day hikes. The NPS website says Great Sand Dunes is open year

round, but how open? They're contact phone number hasn't been

responding for a couple of days. Any help is greatly appreciated.

I'd hate to lug around a lot of 4x5 equipment just to find out I need

snowshoes to get anywhere.

Just got my 45CF and contrary to the above, it came with infinity stops. Don't throw away the box as the tiny hex wrench for the stops is taped to the box lid.

 

It is plasticky, but fairly rigid, especially for its weight. It is VERY light. My main complaint so far is the releases for the back seem to be almost bending under normal condtions. I can see these wearing out. They also gouge the paint off the back. The fit and finish is nothing amazing(nothing wrong exactly, but not an Ebony/Wista/Deardorff/etc), but for the money I can't really complain. I wish the front lid closed in a more dust-tight manner. I'm more use to press cameras than real field cameras, so this might be typical. The rail system and lid locking system are definitely not as fool-proof (me being a big fool as I get my feet wetter with LF) as the press-type cameras either. Also, the bellows don't refold very easily (ie. without help) after being racked out all the way. I haven't had a camera that can go 400mm so this too might be typical.

 

Movements are more than adequate for landscape work and 80% of architectural work (exterior anyway). Not a cheap investment, but cheaper than any other new 4x5 field, and it seems pretty tough, good enough for my hiking needs anyway. Did I mention it is VERY light?

I got addicted to older folders about a year ago. It's a cheap way to get into medium format. The Vaskar lense is okay,not top of the line, or bottom of the barrel. I started out using my 35mm to meter with, but decided that going with the Sunny 16 (sunny 11 around here) Rule (F/16 at a shutter speed of 1/film speed) is more fun than lugging another camera normally. The best part of the folders is how small they are, so why ruin it with more weight. Look on Kodak's website for a rough guide of shutter/aperture combos for varying light conditions on a given film speed. Is it perfect, no, but if you wanted perfection you'd be wasting a couple thousand bucks on some new med format camera. Try a couple test rolls, one as mentioned above to check for light leaks, and one or two to make sure the shutter is close to accurate. If it's not just adjust your little table of shutter/aperture combos up or down a stop (or two) depending on whether you're over or under exposing. Chances are the speeds are slow so you'll be over-exposing. I have a better old medium format camera, but my folders are more convenient, lighter and more fun. I have an old Zeiss 6x4.5 folder I carry in my work bag everyday. It's lense is so-so, but it's always on hand.

Try:

http://www.cookeoptics.com

 

and go to the bottom for the View Camera Magazine article. It has some decent info on the lenses.

Interesting to see so many of us photograph old industrial areas. Most of the attention paid to me is by the authorities wanting to know what I think I'm doing. I'd like to answer, "I THINK I'm taking a FANTASTIC picture," but they wouldn't care for that and it would probably be a lie in any case. I had a much easier time before 9/11, but always had police sizing me up (despite being the correct ethnic extraction for South Boston, pre-yuppification anyway). Here in NYC and North Jersey I find a small portfolio and my business card showing I work in construction go a long way with authorities. Of course one said,"Got lots of pictures of powerplants and bridges I see . . ." Gardners photograph plants, engineers photograph buildings and bridges. What can I say. I gave up trespassing when I was a kid, so that's rarely an issue, unless it's by accident. New Yorkers pride themselves on ignoring everything, from homeless to LFers. I have gotten a handful of comments from passers-by, mainly of the "old camera" type which is valid. I rarely photograph in areas frequented by tourists so that's not typically an issue. I have yet to have any serious run-ins, but I make sure none of my gear is so valuable or rare that insurance couldn't replace it.

 

The most comments I get are from my girlfriend when I drag her to a steel mill or rusting bridge, but those comments are mostly unprintable.

 

If there are any other kindred spirits in the NYC area drop me a line. I'm always looking for another person to watch my back.

Thanks for trying. The cutaway I found that closely matches my lense was labeled Adon, but I was unsure if that was the lense type or the person who posted the photo.

Finally, more info. The lense is serial number # 302797. The front assembly appears to be a single double-convex element about 3" in diameter. The rear assembly is two elements about 1 3/4" in diameter, the inner one is concave, the rear one is convex. The iris goes from F/4.5 to F/32. There is an integral lense shade. Anybody know where I can get more info on the lense, especially coverage?

 

Thanks again.

Can anyone tell me if a 12" F/4.5 Dallmeyer Tele will cover 4x5 at

portrait-type distances? I have found info on shorter and longer

Dallmeyer tele's but have only found a cut-away on this lense. Any

info is greatly appreciated.

[1] Leaving girlfriend asleep in car while I'm photographing steel mill in Cleveland's Flats. Amazing how women get agitated at being abandoned in sketchy neighborhoods. How come we never see that on the "things not to forget" list for shooting LF?

 

[2] Next trip, asking girlfriend to grab film holders for me on the way out the door, not realizing that both my 5x7 and 4x5 holders were on the counter. Actually took me 10 seconds to figure out why the 5x7 holders wouldn't fit into my B&J 4x5.

 

[3] Identifying wrong film holder as the one with the light leak.

If you like industrial settings, just over the Pennsylvania border (west of Easton, PA off Rt 78) is Bethlehem. The old Bethlehem steel mill is in the process of being partially dismantled (some is being saved as part of the Smithsonian's Industry Museum). There's a park path just across the Lehigh River from it that allows some great panaromas of the furnaces, etc. It's a LOT safer than Newark where I never feel comfortable even in groups. A sad social statement for what was a wealthy city, with some great mansions and an amazing cathredal, but it's now so deep in poverty that the '90's economy barely made a dent. Some great photo ops for sure, but I've been hassled every time I go there. It's industrial areas are a little better, but very isolated. Not somewhere to go alone with cameras.

 

I agree the state parks in the NW area are great. Also lots of great old churches and cemetaries. The county seats also tend to have grand court houses, etc.

I use a Rolleicord V for hiking. It's much lighter than a "real" Rollei, or the Yashica for that matter. I have a few folders, and most of them weigh at least as much, and the quality isn't nearly as good (less rigid than a tlr). It's lense isn't as good, true, but it's more than enough for most uses, especially landscapes, etc. The other thing is that they are relatively tough when the lense cap is on. I pack mine in two 2-quart zip-locks in my pack. It's light, simple(very little to break) and tough. The hardest part is trying not to fall over when I'm looking through the viewfinder and panning for the right shot. The reversed left-to-right view has made me dizzy on more than a couple cliffs. www.mpex.com typically has a couple for around $200-$250 in good condition. Stick with the reputable guys as anything reasonable (whatever the camera) is going to be fairly old. Also, their is very little shutter vibration so I can use a mini-tripod and cable release for longer shots. Takes alittle getting use to for handheld shots, but once you get it down it's real quick. Just don't fall off a cliff while panning.

You guys are ambitious. It often takes me months just to develop my

negs I do my own B&W, but am just as lazy about bringing color to the

lab. Laziness is my standard routine. My classic example was during

the week of September 11th. Working in downtown Manhattan I had

nowhere to go but stay home after the 11th. So I developed some

Konica IR that I had experimented with in March. Low and behold was

a nice WTC shot from across the Hudson. Black sky with white clouds,

black water with white water behind a ferry, and a nice bright WTC.

I ended up making prints for everyone on my construction site the

next day. In to every life a little serendipity must fall. Even if

it's a sad event.

Like everyone else said, mind your equipment. I use an old B&J 4x5

press camera and prefocus a little before I set up the tripod, just

to see if it's worth it. Cops don't bother me much so long as I'm

out of the way. Bringing another photographer is the best security.

I find my non-photog friends get bored very, very quickly. I work

downtown now so I'm exploring the area. Sunday mornings are

absolutely deserted down here and the light is great.

As for the second tripod/monopod bracket, Manfrotto (Bogen?) makes a

ready made device like this. Can't remember the number, but try the

Luminous Landscape site (www.luminouslandscape.com). I think that's

where I saw it.

After shooting 35 for a few years I bought a Rolleicord. After a few

rolls of 120 I saw what a larger neg could do, and really discovered

how much a tripod helps. That slowed me down a lot. As I got better

I stopped taking shots I knew would turn out poorly and concentrated

on "good" shots and shots I couldn't decide on. A lot of the in

between shots actually end up being better than my "good" shots. So

I had already cut down a lot between slowing down and being more

selective. I've recently picked up (cheaply) a 4x5 and a 5x7.

Trying out the 4x5 I find I am slowing down even more and only

shooting 1 or 2 shots, with one bracket shot each, in an entire day.

The only exception to all of this is when my girlfriend is with me.

If we drive around or hike all day and I don't at least take a shot

or two I never hear the end of, "why are you carrying all of that

crap if you're not going to use it?" Somehow, responding with, "why

take the shot when I know it's going to suck," never satisfies her.

Thanks for the responses. That's about what I figured. Even after

cleaning the GG the corners looked like they fell off pretty bad.

But being new to large format I find it difficult to judge this very

well without a fresnel.

One more question, how can I identify what size shutter it really

is? After looking at a few others I think it may only be a #1 or

so. The opening for the lense itself is small. The shutter,

however, is over four and a half inches in diameter.

Need a litle help finding information on this lense:Zeiss 15cm f4.5 Tessar. It came with a fairly decent 5x7 Korona field camera, but I can't find any info on the size of its image circle. Until I can work up a few bucks to get the lense I want, I'll be using the Zeiss. The info on the static part of this site doesn't seem to list a 150mm and it seems an unlikely length to be the original lense for a 5x7, but the Copal shutter (#3? It's fairly large whichever it is) seems to look the right vintage, as does the lens board. Given the oldish ground glass it's tough to tell if it really covers 5x7 without shooting a few shots, and I won't be able to pick up film for about 2 weeks. Any help would be appreciated.

What can I say? He shaped my life more than anyone else. Much to my

girlfriend's chagrin :o)