john_gerndt1

You have my full attention Erie. Fitting those elements to a barrel would be a high note to start the new year on...

 

John D Gerndt

I have the elements of a 180 Componon S. I am looking for a barrel to join

them properly. I know it takes one that matches the spacing and threads of a

Copal 1 shutter but it seems a waste to buy a shutter when I only need the

iris. I am looking for someone to point me in the right direction.

 

Thanks!

 

John D Gerndt

As I am sure you have noted, opinions vary considerably, so too, do lenses, even within a single brand (though quality control has come a long way in the last 60 years).

 

So, it is a good idea to test out what you buy.

 

I think most of us would confess to buying a lot of lenses. I think you will be no different. Try to buy used and for a decent price and don�t feel bad about swapping until you get what you need. It is a personal learning curve and it will cost you some money to learn. Don�t sweat it. The whole thing about LF is to take your time.

 

Shutters are quite variable. Take some time to have them tested. Don�t worry too much about multi-coating or coating flaws, separation and fungus are another matter. Shoot a bunch of film with each before you change to another lens. Happy hunting.

 

PS. I will add my personal experience with using barrel lenses mounted to a single large shutter (an Ilex #5) has been good.

 

Cheers,

Craig, if you're still listening�

 

The voice of reason dictates that it is all about shooting film. Toyo and Calumet and Orbit and Grafic and many many others made really good cameras. Yes a Sinar is very nice and there is some sense to buying the best you can afford right off the bat, but, it IS all about shooting film.

 

So...buy only very good or new holders, about 6 so you don't have to spend all your time traveling back and forth getting holders and those mistakes will inevitably make will not be SO dear. Leave room in your budget to have the shutter checked out if not serviced. Make sure the lens you choose has lots of coverage so you can use and learn those movements. Buy a film carrier with anti-Newton-ring glass for your MX because if the film is not flat you cannot get sharp pictures! I love my MX, it also came to me as a cast off - do check its alignment). Yes, make your own dark cloth. You don't want to scrimp on the tripod OR the head (Bogen 3047 is cheap and will lock down solidly). Whatever camera you buy, check it for light leaks right away and check it for parallelism too. Really, the camera is the least significant of all issues - its job is simple - to hold the film and the lens in a chosen relationship and be light tight. That's it.

I use the same Quad for 8x10 negs. I follow manufacture's recommendations and move the film in small circles. I have also experimented with how much agitation is good (I am use Pyrocat HD). I found that agitation every 2.5 minutes is too little (bromide streaking) and that every 30 seconds is too much (edges are overdeveloped). 5 seconds per minute is the happy medium for me. I enjoy the temperature control of this system, it is a great asset.

 

I have had no scratching problems, but note the the tanning (hardening) action of Pyro might assit me in this

In the same vein consider the Polaroid 600SE or the Mamiya Universal, the latter being something of a wonder camera that can be made to "do it all" though the negatives are limited to 3.25 x 4.24 (via polaroid).

As one cheap SOB, I'll add to the list my favorite cheap and simple: Rustoleum! I used this on the inside surface on two cameras (using a model paint brush)and for the last 5 years have had no return of pinholes. Also I sprayed the inside with flat black and seem to note a small decrease in flare. I even used some red spray rustoleum on the outside of a B&J bellows and am very pleased on how this dressed up some sad bellows and how well it is holding up.

 

Cheers,

 

John

Dave Sims, I agree with your assessment but I would add that should a low cost alternative be developed it would best be posted. We who love the wet darkroom NEED to make it easy for others to do this work or we will all surely suffer.

 

There is room too for the more expensive solution for those who are less than handy but cheap alternatives are very necessary.

 

To put my money where my mouth is: I am working on a 12x20 camera that could be built by a fellow who is at least handy with a table saw (like me). The cost, including film holders and support, could be as low as $200. As soon as I can afford the film and the bellows are completed by a friend, I will be testing my prototype.

 

I will post the plans. I hope it will get a few more people into ULF. This will help everyone, as we need to stimulate (and keep) interest in this art form. �Too expensive� is a huge deterrent.

 

Best to all,

 

John

For your wind problem: use an umbrella to block the wind for the camera. This is a tip I gained from this very net site. Do use the search engine to find good data on other problems; it is well worth the time sorting through them.

 

Cheers,

I too print 8x10 in B&W put and only up to 20x24. I have an eye out to print larger but let me tell you, you need some large spaces to work in! If you are working alone you may have to build yourself a drum processor. I am considering making one out of 16 inch PVC drain pipe. Think long and hard about the space and expense, I am.

 

John

 

PS about color printing think about using mirros and a slide projector to produce two exposures of colored light, unless you are in the marked for a used dicro 10x10 enlarger...

I completely relate to your need for a large format camera on a �budget�. Step one, is a lens. Check your lens to make sure it will cover the format you wish to use. Use whatever you need to hold a sheet of matt sprayed glass/plastic behind the lens, garbage bags will shut out enough light to see the image. Look for how sharp that image is too as many lenses, especially old ones, throw a bigger circle than they throw a sharp circle.

 

As to the build, remember that movement of the camera IS an issue, both moving it from place to place and its own movement in the wind or vibrations from the shutter. Rigid is good. Look at some very early cameras (1800s) for ideas. If it is quite rigid you can skip the tripod and use monopods � saves a couple of pounds on the head anyway.

 

I would make your film holder first. I use wedges to tension and hold the film in place. Use phenolic plastic for film plane and dark slides. Everything else is way too heavy. I made the back that holds the ground glass interchangeable with the film holder � remove and replace. This is WAY easier than spring fitting and is less weight for the legs of the camera to bear. Remember too that you will need one huge dark cloth to allow you to back up far enough to see your huge image! You might consider a baby buggy or wagon to haul this stuff in if you are going out with it anywhere. Friends make good pack mules but they loose interest pretty fast.

 

Best of luck. Consider learning with paper negs at first. I am sure you know all about the cost of learning.

 

Cheers,

The Symmar is a nice lens. Does it have two sets of f-stop numbers on the face? IF it does it is a convertable and can be used at two different focal lengths. About the holders, the above advice is good but even if you do get stuck with a bad holder the most common leak is just bad tape on the "door" that flips down when the slide is partially pulled back. And even if it is un usable after repair they make cool picture frames. No worries, good luck.

Buy a good used convertable (classic, protar or symmar maybe) and sell it at a profit later (years later) when you have learned what you like. You may never want to let it go, in which case you have reached perfection on your first attempt.

 

Cheers,

I'll say for sure a Fuji 125 f8 will cover nicely and can be had well within your budget. You'll never get mine though :)

 

Cheers!

May we all assume you know that macro (flat field)lenses are different from standard lenses and that you will be using lenses suited to the task? My apologies if this is out of line.

 

John

Don't forget there is the option of mounting it behind the shutter. The darn thing is SO small a #4 or #5 gives room for the sighting of the f-stops and finger room to adjust them.

 

Cheers indeed!

I bought a bunch of different ones on *bay and all of them turned out to be good holders. Even if I had to throw out a couple of them I would still be averaging about $10 per holder. Try your luck, really that is all there is.

 

jdg

I use both formats and have to say that the 8x10 is much more satisfying. I know you want to keep it simple but I am going to recommend a cheap field 8x10 instead of using the hyperfocal. Even a 200mm lens has very little DOF. Consider modifying a Burk and James to be simpler and maybe lighter. Buying one with old or torn bellows is quite cheap. It sounds like you need very little bellows draw. It is amazing what you can do with scissors, knife and tape.

 

With a bit more ingenuity and a graphic arts lens you could easily use the same camera as an 8x10 enlarger for up to 3x enlargements. Contact me if you would like further suggestions/information along these lines. Good luck shooting.

If 120 film is your choice, don't even buy a Graphic. I recommend a Mamiya Universal with a 6x7 or 6x9 back and a 150mm lens. It is what superceeded the Graphic for a short time in the world of press cameras. Like all older pieces bear in mind it will need service to be up to snuff. At 6x6 your best bet is a Mamiya C330 with a 180mm lens, maybe a 135mm. This assumes you are on a budget. Price no problem I'd go for a new Fuji or Mamiya rangefinder or for really big $ Rolli or Hasselblad.

 

For portraits I really love the TLR as the image does not go away when the shutter is tripped, it is very quiet and there is very little camera shake. People are fascinated by them too, it can be disarming to the sitter. Good luck.

 

John

Learning not to scratch the film is the cheapest way. Jobo tools are the most expensive. One thing you can do to reduce scratching is to clip the corners before processing, but still it is the way you move them around in the tray that is doing the harm. Play with a couple of sheets in the light and figure out what you are doing wrong. It is that simple.

 

John

Right about in the middle of this thread Jonathan Brewer got it right when he said, ��people can pay big money for intangibles�� Too bad there is so much bluster around this gem in the middle of this dime store thread. Photography is, and will forever be, about making images; it is NOT about equipment. Price of equipment is even less relevant. Use what you�ve got and let�s talk about making the best of that. Please�

 

John

For me it is the culmination of a long search for a quality I was seeing sometimes, in some of other people�s work. Now it is part of my (bigger) bag of tricks. I still shoot other formats, all formats actually. The situation and final print parameters dictate what equipment is to be used.

 

It is not the ultimate or only way to make photographs it just has a unique set of attributes that make it�luscious!

 

John

Ah common man, how about Robert Frank�s The Americans? How much can you read into those photographs? If you want a book of words about pictures try Susan Sontag. She got words!

 

Seriously, I went to art school and heard so many people yacking about photography and what it means that I could spit-up just thinking about it. Read about history or sociology or world economics (they are relevant to what images mean at the moment and in history/time) but don�t get too fired up over what someone writes about images. Make your own images for your own reasons and at least one person won�t be bored by them.

 

John

Try a google search on the enlarger name, some threads should pop up. I know the 138 is highly regarded but it is not a simple machine, make sure all the parts are there.

 

John

It sounds like you know all you need to know. Find a Kodak 10 inch f4.5 lens on e**Y and go! Only make a box that slides within a box design so that you can focus. Once you are there, tape it in place. Large format is fun because it is 19th century science!

 

If you are stuck and cannot find a design or imagine one I�d be happy to help you out.

 

John D Gerndt