dave_anton1

Thanks for the help everyone. I will look into it.

Tim,

have you got Sammy's website or telephone number?

I am getting mixed reports about Astia being offered in 8x10. My

local ab says it's not being offered, but Fuji's specs show that

astia 100F is available in 8x10 10-sheet boxes. Has anyone seen it

in 8x10?

Wilbur,

did the sand damage your focus mechanism? I think that I might try the teflon spary. I though that maybe a 'wet' lube will just attract more sand...

I have a metal TOYO 8x10M11 and I would like to know what lubricant

I should use on the rails. I had a piece of debris get caught in

between the sliders and it scratched the focussing rod as I

focused. I need to clean off the rods and re lubricate them. Does

anyone know how I should clean and re-lube my camera?

Marc, you can construct the curved ribs out of plywood as mentioned above. Then use sheets of "door-skin" to create the curved surface. That is how I have been building mine - it's inexpensive, easy and it works great.

Bill, I also have the 155mm Grand for my 810 and I have run into the same problem. I have purchased the Lee Sys and it doesn't work for it. I have even phoned around to see if I can get solid colored glass filters for B&W photography. The 105mm threading and the lack of rear element threading is problematic. I will have to look into the Cokin set-up myself. Aside from the filter issue, I love his lens.

Tuan, thank you very much for all your efforts. Your persistence in developing and evolving this forum has been a tremendous support in my LF photography. I value this indispensable community.

 

Thank you.

 

Dave.

Maybe the film stock you bought was manufactured by a tech with shaky hands...sorry Howard...I couldn't help it:)

I am looking for an old single-coated vintage portrait lens for my

8x10. I am looking for that "vintage look" that can only come from

an old beater. Does anyone know of a place that sells older style

lenses? I have searched on the internet and E-bay and i haven't

come across anything that is "right".

Dave,

I use the Sinar system, but I am now considering the Fuji GX680 with movements for studio and fashion. It will not give you the same range of movements that a large format MonoR will give you, but there are many advantages to using it as a studio camera. I have tried them and they allow me to work alot faster, film is easily loaded and available almost anywhere and I get the bonus of movements that I need for commercial work. I can also scan the images on my Nikon 8000. Before you plunge into a new LF system , consider this option. You might like it.

If you want to deviate from conventional B/W film - consider the c-41 b/w films. You will be surprised at how smooth the images look. They are not as easy to print as the regular films are though.

Adrian,

do you know if they carry 8x10 films as well?

 

Dave.

Chris,

the Fuji C 300 and 450 lenses are very sharp and cheap. I check my negs with a 7x loupe and they are definitely sharp! They are on copal 1 shutters and small, but not too bright for night time focusing.

Eric,

I would be looking at David Munson's answer on this one. Unfortunately, one cannot determine whether their work is "fine art" or not, it is up to the viewer (in much the same way that one cannot label themself as "creative" or arguably...an "artist"). There is a book that I would strongly recommend called "Criticizing Photographs, an Introduction to Understanding Images", by Terry Barrett ISBN 1-55934-526-8. You will find some answers to your questions there, as well as a guide to what questions you could be asking when viewing images.

 

If you want to push this a little further check out "Art History's History", by Vernon Hyde Minor.

 

I hope this helps with your search.

 

Dave.

Hi Curtis,

no you didn't blow your film, but you will probably get slightly thinner shadows than you wanted. My experience with 1 sec exposures is to increase exposure at that point. At 1 sec, It's not your middle values that you have to worry about, it's the shadow values that will fall into reciprocity and come out thin.

Eliseo,

in the meantime, while you are looking for a compendium lens shade for your 810, you can use the dark slide from your film holder, or a hat to block any flare from your lens. This works well (with all your lenses :) Something to consider with a lens shade, especially on 810, is that they can increase the risk of lens shake during long exposures if there is a breeze.

 

The slightly denser edges of your negative sounds like either light leak or it could be that you are processing your negs in a small tray and you've got increased agitation around the edges. Flare affects a large part, if not all, of your image. It's hard to tell with out seeing it.

 

By the way, how is the weather in Alicante? I have a "finca" in Alicante, but I never made it over this year. Maybe next year.

Don is correct,

having just the reducing back is only half of it. You will require a toyo 4x5 back as well. All the reducing back does, is allow you to now attach your 4x5 back onto it.

 

Although this system works well, I found it more effecient to pull out my 4x5 camera when I shoot that format, for me it is much faster to work with.

Emile,

I also have the TOYO 810 and it is a great camera. It is built very well, it is precise, it folds up quickly and you feel confident shooting it. As many others have said, it is a bit heavy but that hasn't posed any problems for me. The camera focus is very smooth and everything locks down solid, including any big lenses you may have for it. I am not sure what you plan to use the camera for. I have been using it for studio portraiture and field work (portrait / landscape).

 

My only initial complaint is that I wish it had a built-in handle so that I can pull it out of my pack. But aside from that, I very much enjoy using this camera.

I will also vouch for PMK. I have been using this developer over the past few years and I have yet to to block up my highlights. Coincidently, it works beautifully with HP5.

People just don't like change! That's really what's going on here -

nothing more.

Dennis,

I haven't compared Pyro scans vs. Non-Pyro Scans, but I can say that I

scan my PMK negs and they look great. I have been using a Nikon 8000

and the scans come out very nice and "rich". I would recommend that

you scan these in RGB as you would the color work. This way you can

take more advantage of the stain during Photoshop processing.

Hi Jonathan,

I was wondering, have you considered the FUJI lenses? I can't

remember the pricing off hand anymore, but I do recall them being

slightly cheaper than the Nikkor. I have a FUJI lens and it is

superb! ...it may be an option....

 

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Dave.

Hi Bill,

as others have said, if you are thinking of going 810 in metal,

consider the TOYO. I have been using it for a few years, and although

it may be on the heavy side, it is a VERY solid camera. Movements are

very precise. I put mine in a Big LOWE Pro pack and I can hike with

it quite comfortably. All moements lock down solid. I use mine with

a massive wide angle and the lens stays where I put it.

I can't answer your JOBO question, but I can say that Ilford's

standard film fix works just fine with PMK and is cheap. I don't

think that Ilford has a hardening fix anymore (could be wrong though).