doug_paramore2

Kevin: Ron has the right idea. Drape your dark cloth over the camera

when the sun is bright. I was taught to always do this many years ago

when all we shot professionally was large format. Cover the whole

camera with the dark cloth...it also takes care of pinholes in the

bellows and other minor light leaks in the camera.

The felt in even new holders can leak light with the sun directly on

the end of the holder.

If wind is a problem with the dark cloth, a couple of metal clips or

clothes pins will hold it in place. Wrap the cloth over the camera

and pin to the bottom.

You might fluff up the felt a little by running a nail file into the

slot and working it side to side, but the dark cloth is a better idea.

Doug

Bruce: I have used HP-5 and HC-110 with good results. For my negs, I

use 6 1/2 minutes at 68 degrees as a start with a cold light

enlarger. You can adjust your time for your working methods and

enlarger light source. That film-developer is a good combination

which yields some brilliant, sharp-edged images. HC-110 is my

favorite developer. It will last for several months as a dilution A

mix in full, tightly stoppered bottles.

Although it is often called a liquid version of D-76, I find it is an

all around better developer with improved sharpness and brilliance.

Hope this helps.

Doug

Alan: Yaw-free camera movements outdoors ain't a big deal. I cannot

think of a normal photographic problem outdoors that requires axis

tilts and swings.

Actually, the easiest camera to use for this ancient photographer is

base tilt on the back and center tilt and swing on the front. It is a

lot easier to set up and much quicker.

The back tilt is fastest if the back is moved forward slightly and

tilted back to vertical when shooting down and opposite when shooting

front. A front tilt around the axis doesn't require as much

refocusing as base front tilts.

The nice thing about the view camera is you can see on the ground

glass what is happening. Once you get used to the ground glass image

being upside down and start watching the edges of the ground glass it

isn't too difficult to keep everything on the image as you want it.

A grid on a couple of accurate lines on the ground glass helps keep

everything straight. Incidentally, nothing helps composition like

viewing the image upside down.

Doug

John: Since you say this is your first LF camera and price is not a

major factor, buy the Lotus! Any LF camera you choose is going to

have a learning curve, so you may as well learn on a camera you

really want. Part of the joy of LF photography is the use of cameras

you really love.

Every one of us has likes and dislikes for particular cameras.

Primarily, most of the LF cameras don't vary much in operation. How

they go about the various movements may vary a little, but basically

they are the same. As long as the camera has sufficient bellows to

use the lenses you want and the movements lock down solid, the camera

will make good pictures.

If size and weight are a problem, buy another camera body for the

times when you are a long way from the car. A second, used camera

body, can usually be found quite cheaply for backpacking.

About any camera you choose will do what you want to do. Most of the

bad view cameras disappeared from the market many years ago.

Have fun with LF!

Doug

David: At the risk of seeming to hog the answer column for large

format, I would like to offer a couple of suggestions: Scrape as much

of the goo from the back as you can with a wood or plastic homemade

scraper. Then see if mineral spirits on a rag or cotton swab won't

remove the rest of the goo. Don't pour mineral spirits on the

back...just use a little on the rag or swab.

I think you might find the foam seal at a home center. It is used for

sealing around doors and windows, etc. Most of it comes with a sticky

back already applied. You just peel off the plastic backing. You

should be able to trim it to width before you remove the backing.

Most of it compresses easily so thickness should not be a problem if

it is close to the original thickness.

Hope this helps.

Doug

Raymond: Are you sure the mat board on the bottom of your cutter is

original? I have two Dexter cutter and both have just the aluminum

botom. It could have been added to make up for the wrong size blade

or blade adjustment out of whack. It would seem that a mat board

glued to the bottom would make it hard to operate and increase the

chances of trapping foriegn objects that would ruin the mat you are

cutting. Is there a Dexter dealer or framing shop nearby that you can

check with to see if yours is properly set up?

Doug

Howard: Since you say you will need a stepladder anyway, why not

mount a tripod head on the stepladder? This is not an original

idea...they were once sold commercially and still may be. You may

need to add a little extra width to the very top step to move the

camera forward a little so you don't have to lean backwards.

All you would need to do is drill a hole in the top step or extension

and screw a short bolt into the bottom of the tripod head.

I don't recommend this setup for mountain sides ,but it ought to work

well on reasonably level ground or pavement.

Happy Holidays,

Doug

Bob: The hard drive in my brain crashed and I wrote "Technica V". You

are right of course. The Linhofs are still terribly expensive and

always have been. They aren't the only ones, though. I am aware that

large format camera are a limited production item, but they are still

overpriced.

Sounds like you know what you are talking about with the Linhof

cameras. I'll stick to the used ones or my ol' reliable MPP.

Happy holidays and a great and prosperous New Year.

Doug

Dan: I kind of like Twiggy. Actually, my older MPP is an excellent

camera, very precisly made and locks down tight. I am considering

finding a Linhof IV for the front forward tilt. The woman to whom

I've been married for 35 years says it's kind of stupid to even think

about one of the $5,000 new Linhof Vs. I couldn't agree with her

more. I absolutely can't see $5,000 worth of metal, plastic and labor

in a Linhof. I'm glad Linhof, Sinar and some the others don't make

automobiles. They would cost millions of dollars.

I stick by my statement that MPP is a darn good camera, if a bit

dated.

Good Shooting,

Doug

Al:

Agree with the assessment of the MPP. I have one and do 90%of my

large format work with it. The MPP is a British version of the Linhof

111. I believe the 2x3 Linhof has slide and swing movements also. The

lens board assembly also tilts to the back. When turned on its side,

the swing movements become vertical tilt, so that is no problem. I

really don't think you will run out of movements on either camera.

Doug

Jeff: Have you considered giving 4x5 a try before 8x10? Since this is

your first attempt at large format, 4x5 will give you a feel for LF a

lot easier and cheaper. Even the Poloroid for 4x5 is a lot cheaper.

An 8x10 camera is a lot heavier, the film holders are heavier, tripod

and lenses a lot heavier. The whole outfit is more cumbersome to set

up and can be quite difficult to shoot with without some experience

in LF. I certainly don't knock 8x10 and use one myself, but it can be

a pain in the old tush to use. Jumping from medium format to 4x5

takes some getting used to, as well a a major shift in the thinking

process while shooting.

On the plus side, there is little in photography more satisfying than

looking through an 8x10 ground glass and watching a scene come

together. Few things in photography are as satisfying as an 8x10

contact print with wire sharpness and brilliance that most

photographers never get to enjoy.

I certainly am not trying to discourage you from using an 8x10, but I

sincerely think a little experience in large format would be helpful

before tackling one of the monsters to keep you from getting

discouraged.

Good luck and welcome to your entry into large format. You will not

be disappointed.

Doug

Ben: I just realized I didn't answer all your questions. In regards

to coating, most I've seen are. Hold it to where you get a reflection

from a broad light source. If the lens front element appears to be

bluish in color, it is coated. I don't have dates when they were

first available, but I know they were available for sale up until the

1960s. If the lens is coated, that would date it after about 1940.

Doug

Ben: The Carl Meyer 12 inch is a good lens for 8x10. The Carl Meyer

lenses I have seen were the 4 element Tessar formula. If memory

serves me correctly, Carl Meyer was a trade name for an American

company...seems like it was Burke and James, but don't hold me to

that. Anyway, the lens has good contrast and plenty of sharpness for

8x10. I have used the 12in. and 14in. on 8x10 and both were good

lenses. You will find the lens has room for some movements on 8x10,

but not as much as the more modern Plasmat design. For scenics and

general photography you should have plenty of coverage.

Doug

John:

The 150 f9 Geregon is a fine little lens. I have one and am quite

pleased with it. It covers 4x5 with plenty of room for movements. You

will have to get used to a slightly dimmer image to focus, but really

that is not a problem most of the time. I mounted mine in front of a

Packard shutter. I think it would not be too difficult to mount it in

front of a Copal or Compur shutter and plan to do so in the near

future. It is good at infinity when stopped down a stop or so. It

also is fine for enlarging, but a bit dim for denser negatives. Mine

came with some othe stuff I bought used, so I didn't buy it

specifically for my camera. It will be great for closeup stuff and

flat field photography. Since 150mm is normal length for 4x5 and

there are tons of that length around pretty cheap, I would look

closely at buying a 150 in a shutter for everyday photography. You

can probably find a good lens in shutter for what it would cost to

adapt the Geregon to a shutter unless you have access to some good

tools. The Geregon with a Packard shutter works great in the studio.

Hope this helps.

Doug