steve_feldman

What a great forum this is!! I'm sure someone here can help me.

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When shooting with my new (to me) Crown Graphic 4x5 w/ an Ektar f7.7 & Schneider 135. Mounted on a heavy duty tripod. Most of my negs are slightly out of focus. Enlargements are not sharp and therefore unprintable. Lenses were set to infinity and both were IN FOCUS on the ground glass however. (There is no cam for rangefinder focusing.) No perspective adjustments were used. Polaroids looked good.

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I have a few ideas why this happened, but would greatly appreciate any suggestions from this group.

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My thoughts are:

1. Perhaps I was stopped down too far (f32 & f45) and lens defraction occured causing the focus to shift.

2. Maybe (outside chance here) the lenses in question need to be adjusted (shimmed) by Mr. Grimes for better sharpness.

3. OR - The film holders used that day did not place the film in the exact same plane as the ground glass plane. If this is true, how do I test and adjust without using up a box of film? I have 14 holders 7 plastic and 7 wood.

4. OR - According to my wife, I can't see what I'm doing. Possible, but not likely.

OK Doug. One more for you.

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What's the difference between a "Standard Navy Fine Adjustment Tool"

and a "Standard Army Fine Adjustment Tool"?

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The "Standard Navy Fine Adjustment Tool" is a 5 lb. sledge hammer.

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The "Standard Army Fine Adjustment Tool"?

<

<

<

<

<

<

< Wait for it . . . . . .

<

<

<

<

<

<

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< A 10 lb. sledge hammer.

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Regards,

S.

Kevin,

I've recently changed out my Beseler 23cIILX for a Beseler 45MXT. The

23c raised taller but the 45MXT's baseboard is larger. That's really

the only physical difference. Of course, the format difference is

what I was after. And, yes, I've seen a few old 8x10 enlargers. Looks

more like an oil rig. Makes Godzilla look short!

Paul,

I just realized that both of the postings were you.

I've got a vacuum back from and old process camera you can have.

About 24" x 24" +- ?? Was going to use it in my photo darkroom but

never got to it.

I'm an old printer (lithographer). Seems we have similar backgrounds.

Here's another idea for you. Saw this done @ Color Media in Burbank,

CA.

They don't make enormous negs, they make enormous mural size prints.

They project 4x5 negs or trans on to photo paper on the wall. The

entire wall is a vacuum back. BTW it's in a large open dark room.

Type R or C prints from a huge roll. 10" X whatever. and larger.

-Steve

Benz,

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I agree with all of the comments made . . . with this addition: GO

MAKE PICTURES. Reading is very good but doing it is better. No one

ever learned the right way with out do it wrong first. In my case

doing it wrong repeatedly. Lessons learned better that way. Go expose

film. It will teach you plenty. LOL!

Paul,

Yup, their is a difference. The few remaining brain cells still

working from being a process cameraman in the 60's still (barely)

function. A "Process" lens is a flat field lens. That is to say that

it is designed to focus the colors of light on the same "flat" i.e.

the negative, plane. Much as a slide projector lens is also a flat

field lens. A process lens was designed to shoot a flat object (paper

/ art) and project the image on to a flat neg.

I've heard of folks using these shutterless lenses successfully on

LF. Now, let's see a 600mm would need a 23-1/2" bellow draw and about

twice that for a marco close up and have a depth of filed of (maybe)

1/64" @ f64. And hope the wind doesn't blow!

HHHHHMMMMMMMMM . . . . Have to try that some day.

WOW! Thanks for the ultra fast response, Jim. You must have been

waiting for it. So let's see if I've got the math right. Metering a

day lighted grey card should give me Zone V at (100 ASA) 1/200th sec.

@ f8. 3 stops less to = Zone II is 1/200th sec. @ f22. Right?!? Pre-

expose (unfocused) on the grey card. Wait until dark then shoot the

moon/clouds scenic at 1/100th sec. at f11. And bracket. Right??????

Hi,

There's a rain storm coming and a full moon tonight. I thought I'd try to photograph the big puffing clouds lighted by the full moon. Later to double print & expose into a scenic. Any suggestions on exposure, film, or lens and f stop would be appreciated.

I'm using a 4x5 Crown Graphic. Lenses available are 90mm,135mm,202mm and 250mm. (I'm thinking that the 250mm would give me the largest possible moon image). I have only Agfa 100 and TechPan 25.

Thanks to all.

FWIW:

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In answer to the tilt up only on a Crown: For down tilt mount the

camera on its' side tripod hole and turn the tripod head on its'

side. Voila! down tilt! BTW the camera is up-side-down. (The image,

however, is still up-side-down). DARN!

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Yes, I REALLY DO HAVE a fedora with a press card in the band. With

the hat, a photo vest, the Crown with a frying pan flash and a cigar,

I'm ready for anything. Now where's the smoke filled boxing ring?

Or at least the pool playing dogs.

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-Steve

For what it's worth:

I've pre-soaked roll film in water w/ 1 drop of Photoflo for 1 min. @

68 degrees. Dump and Develop @ 68 degrees also w/ 1 drop of Photoflo.

Fix per directions. The reason is not so much as to get the film

emulsion "ready to develop" but more to stabilize the temperature of

the tank. The Photoflo prevents air bells. This procedure has worked

for me for the past 18 years.

Last year I got into 4x5 and followed the same procedure using a

Unicolor drum and motor base for film processing. Results: Perfect

negs every time.

BTW the pre-soak dump water color is the anti-halation backing

coating washing off. Agfa's is a really dark puke green color. YUM!

Believe it or don't . . . I'm using the Unicolor motor base with the

Unicolor print drum to develop my 4x5 sheet film. It accomodates 4

sheets at a time. No "walkng/wandering" problems (just keep it on a

level surface). Always perfect, even development. I also develop 35mm

and 120 roll film in Patterson tanks on the motor base. Never better!

Todd,

Try this . . .

Go the Home Depot. Buy 1 length of copper pipe foam insulating. It

looks like a 6' nerf stick. Collapse tripod to it's smallest size.

Cover the 3 legs with cut to length strips of insluation. It's

extremely easy and exceedingly cheap. Throw the pod over your

shoulder. The padding makes the weight much easier to carry over

distance.

Help.

A friend gave me a few sheets of old T-MAX 4x5 sheet film in a light tight black plastic bag. The bag is marked T-MAX (no speed #'s). He didn't remember if it was 100 or 400 ASA. Anyone out there know the notching pattern for these films? Much appreciated.

Stephen,

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I agree completely with all of the above responses. Art and

Production or art are very different things. Vincent Van Gough (sp?),

for all of his great talent, produced fewer than 100 (I think it was

actually less than 60) paintings. And sold only one in his lifetime -

to his art dealer brother, Theo. Would he have been a better or more

recognized painter if he had produced more images? Probably not.

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I occasionally give myself a personnal assignment. I. E. take only

one lens and work that lens to it's maximun usefullness and

possibility. OR Find the image you want. Note the distance and divide

by 2. Take the shot. Divide by 2 again. Take the shot. OR Make very

large pictures of very small things. (Large format negs of weeds

blown up 4 or 5 times are great - makes people look at the beauty in

the small world that they step on.)

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Steve's Basic Photo Laws:

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1. Follow the path.

2. Turn around occasionally - the view is different.

3. Don't stay on the path.

4. Take breadcrumbs. To find your way back to the path.

Chris,

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Without attempting to comment on the artistic values of his work . .

. here goes.

Having been, and still am, a commercial lithographer, (an a large

format photographer) I can answer your original question. I worked at

one of the L. A., CA based printing companies that printed several of

Kincade's prints. Yes, these are produced by the standard four color

process printing method and use standard, oil based printing inks.

Take a look at any poster in any window at any retail store that

faces the sun. The print will start to fade almost immediately. Most

notably is process magenta, when yellow, then cyan, then black - in

that order. Process magenta is called a fugitive color, even by the

ink manufacturers. So . . . how long will a print last in direct sun?

About a week. It may vanish off of the paper in six months. Inside

your home under indirect lighting? . . . several years. Dark storage?

. . . the acid in the paper will start to self destruct in a few

decades.

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Even my old B & W prints that have hung on may walls for years resist

fading better than ink on paper.

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Now, as for the artistic value of the man . . . that's a completely

different matter.

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Regards,

<p>

S. F.

Colin,

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Why bother with all of that other CR#P. You live in one of THE MOST

beautiful, photogenic places in the world! I'd take scenics for the

rest of my life, if it were me.

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All seriousness asside,I'd really give anything to be in your shoes

(photographically).

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Send me you beer. I'll send you mine.

<p>

Steve F.

BOO

HISS

AARRGH!

Does anyone out there in LF Land have a workable procedure for producing unsharp masks?

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I prefer the MacDonalds approach . . . FAST, CHEAP AND EASY.

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I've read a few articles on the subject and seen the resulting prints. But I still can't quite figure it out.

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Your thoughts are appreciated.

Jon,

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I agree completely w/ all of the responses you've had thus far.

Especially the part about "COLD". VERY C O L D ! ! If it starts to

rain, RUN, do not walk, out quickly.

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Slide film probably not the best choice here though. Extreme

contrast. WOW! 12+ stops.

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I was at one of the Antelope Valley slots for 4 hrs. and still didn't

expose as much film as I had wanted.

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It's truley one of the most fantastically beautiful natural places

I've ever seen.

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Regards,

<p>

S. F.

OOPS!

Obviously I shouldn't use ditto marks in this posting. I'm sure you

get the ideas though.

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S.

On the other - other hand . . . Here's my 2 cents. Sounds funny but

it works for me.

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Using any auto-exposure flash, adjust the ASA to double that of the

film in use. This will yield 1/2 power or 1 stop less exposure.

Double again for 1/4 power (2 stops less). And so on.

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Example (with ASA 100 film -assuming ambient light of 1/400 sec. @ f8)

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Set Flash ASA to 800 = 1 stop less (1/2 power)

" " " " 1600 = 2 " " 1/4 "

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Extrapolate the rest.

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Then drink beer.

OR

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You could try this: (and it's almost free)

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Cut a piece of frosted drafting tracing paper to the dia. of the

diffusion opal glass. In the central area where you believe the hot

spot resides, lightly draw a cross hatch pattern with a sharp pencil.

A stipple (dotted) pattern may also work. Place this on top of the

opal glass. The frosted drafting paper will reduce overal exposure

about 1/4 of a stop and the pencil dots perhaps another 1/2 stop.

Then, expose through a piece of clear developed film (for film base

and fog) on to B & W paper, a light enough exposure to develope to a

pale gray image. (Doing this beforehand shoud show you where your hot

spot is). When the edge to edge gray print is even throughout, you've

balance it. You may have to do this a few times to achieve the right

dot or cross hatch density and location. But - what the heck - can't

hurt.

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When finished - drink beer.

HOLD EVERYTHING J.J.

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Lith film is an extremely high contrast material used (mostly) in the

printing trade. This material "sees" only black or white and little

else. A "grey" appearance for a mid tone really isn't grey, it's

black dots of silver emulsion. In those areas the film couldn't

decide to go black or white so it does both the only way it can - in

dots of black or white (clear).

Develope sheet film (it's also available in some areas in 35mm

cassettes) in A B Lith developer or straight Dektol for 3 min. @ 68

degrees. Water only short stop. Fix for 5 min. Wash, then drink beer.

Print using any type of enlarger. I've used it in condenser and cold

light enlargers with no problem. Print on the highest contrast paper

you have. Exposure time is not important, 10 sec. or 5 min. will

yield the same final print. Remember, there are no midtones to try to

enhance by exposure. Only black or white.

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Oh yes and don't forget . . . drink beer.

BTW digital sucks!