paul_e._cassidy

I thought I would try this and see what happens. . . one each of 35mm, 6x9cm & 4x5<div></div>

Hello Howard,

 

I can try to scale down the images and post them here on photo.net but I was wondering if you know, or if there is a moderator for this forum who can advice me??? Am I allowed to post a link to my webpage? Most of the images in the show are posted in my b&w section. However, I think you are right and I should post the current exhibit as well.

 

Thank You for asking, I will find an answer and let you know. I am not thuroughly familiar with all the photo.net rules of etiquette.

Thank You for your kind interest,

Paul

Following the lead of another Florida photographer, I would like to

invite anyone who happens to be in the North Florida area to visit the

Alachua County Administration building, 2nd Floor, located on the

corner of University Avenue and Main Street in downtown Gainesville,

Florida. Here you will find 24 b&w images from several formats that I

have taken over the last 30 years.

 

Artreach' "Art in Public Places" has allowed me to hang my exhibit for

the next six weeks. I call the show "Doing the camera bag drag!" The

majority of images are photos of opportunity. Meaning I did not plan

them, but found them while "dragging a camera about."

 

About a third are 4X5, another third 6X9cm and then the rest are 35mm

from my very old and extremely reliable Nikon F.

 

Thank You, Paul

Will do Brian, Thank You

Well done Brian and good luck! I am up in the Gainesville area and was wondering if this is a formal large format photography organization in Florida or a grouping of individuals exhibiting their images??? Thanks, paul

Doesn't have micrometers, etc. as a novice and most pros you probably are not doing industrial/scientific work and need triple digit accuracy of engineers. . .

 

It is a wonderfully designed modular system. I own and use 4x5, 5x7 and recently acquired 8x10 Cambo SC cameras. One front standard, 12, 18, 30 inch rails. . . then three bellow sizes and three film back sizes. Not bragging just wanted to show you that your choice can be expanded in many ways. The parts are all interchangable.

 

One tip I will share is if you get the opportunity to pick up a second tripod mount/clamp it really helps to lock down the camera with a long extension on the bellows. Size doesn't seem to matter other than weight and final negative dimensions. I prefer two individual ones because I use large platform tripod heads with a forward hole to mount with. I had the double mount to one tripod set screw type and found my way is much more stable. It allows for some adjustment between the two and also permits the front standard to be place in between for wide lenses on big negatives every millimeter counts!

 

Another observation, I have had both the Cambo SC and the Calumet branded stardards in my hands and believe the Cambo SC is the better built of the two the slide stops and swing scales are more "precise" with finer machining under the Cambo brand. As well as metal machine knobs and other "minor" yet noticable features. Mine are early SC & SC3 models.

 

Hope this is of some help,

Paul

Hello Jeffrey,

I want to point out, that if you put a 150 Wide angle modern lens or a 210mm lens on your camera you will most likely have to removed them to close the camera. About a 150 to 160mm normal lens is the longest lens that will fit and permit closer. There are always exceptions but check first.

 

Ilford, Bergger, Kodak, Agfa, Fuji, and a few of film makers mention above have both moderate and high speed films, Again check it out.

 

The 101mm won't cover your 4X5 negative unless it is a wide field and I have not heard of one at 101mm. However a 90mm Angulon works great, a 135mm is also wide enough for landscapes and the 210mm is a great "long normal" lens generally used for product illustration and portraiture.

 

Now that we all have you throughly confuse let me reiterate go to Graflex.org and start reading about your press camera. It is the first "portable" camera the US Navy put in my hands to learn photojournalism about 40 years ago and it will do just about anything you want.

Not trying to be a smarta-- but there are a few basics everyone has to learn regarding large format and the myrid of lenses available. It is easy to spend a lot of money and not get where you want to be!

Just my 2cents worth and no disrepect to others opinions. . .Hope this is some help for you, Paul

Jeffrey,

There are many lenses made for and on the market that will fit this camera. Because you also have the focalplane shutter an enlarger lens will work. If I might suggest, first you need to identify what it is you want to do with your 4X5 press camera? What focal lenght lens is best suited for the task? How much can I budget for my lense kit? Also, as already suggested a visit to Graflex.org is highly recommended. . . Not many answers but lots of preliminary questions to help you avoid some hazards. In closing I will make one recommendation, "Put your money into one or two really great lenses and learn how to use your camera. It is a workhorse that is capable of doing a lot. . ." Paul

Harry, just a footnote to say I still prefer a real double weight print from under my 4X5 Omega enlarger over the digital. Digital is acceptable but not better than. . .imho- Paul

Hello Harry,

I can recommend from my experience using an Epson 1200U backlit photo scanner which handles up to 4X5 and three Epson photo printers. With great success when I use Epson paper but very mixed results with paper from other manufacturers. For large prints I would suggest looking at a firm called West Coast Imaging or similar. Their website will give you a lot of info and if you request an output sampler you can compare the output from several large format digital print processes.

For working on a computer I recommend only one program Adobe Photoshop. It can actually do more than I can do with all three of my enlargers!

BTW, I have been doing this for slightly more than a decade now and must say that the engineering for digital reproduction is constantly changing! So by the time you read this there is probably a better system being introduced!

Hope this helps!

paul

Randy, I got to thinking that I might be misleading you with the item I mention previously. You don't need a tripod head as large as the Gitzo #4 or #5 I mentioned. . . I only use the larger Gitzo platform with long lenses mounted on my Tachihara. For everday work I use a Gitzo Brevette ball head that is more than enough to do the job even with a heavy Linhof/Schneider 210 Symmar it works well.

Hello Randy,

You won't go wrong with a Tachihara field camera. I have been using my 4X5 regularly and tote it along everywhere. As with any camera if you use a fully extended bellows, you will need a good solid base in the way of a tripod I recommend a large platform Gitzo head like a #4 or #5. You can serve a meal on them! Also, to increase stability I hang my field pack on the tripod to weigh it down but once I lock down the camera it does not move. So if you like your current camera I doubt format size increase or decrease is going to make a difference.

Hope this helps,

Paul

Recently I purchase a complete rear of a Graflex press camera for about $50. I then found an out of use 3 1/4 X 4 1/4 film size back made for my 5X7 Conley field camera. Simplied pryed the old film mount off, held with a half dozen brads and 100 year old glue, and with a half dozen new brass screws mounted the rear of the press camera. Total cost about $70, for a universal graflok back complete with pop-up focus hood. Very Clean and simple to make.

 

Hope this helps,

Paul

Jeffrey,

 

I carry my Nikon filters, 1 UV, 3 grades of Yellow, 1 Green,1 Orange & 1 Red, as my basic B&W filter set. Also, a polar filter.

 

Of these the Orange and the set of yellows are used the most with the UV on the lens whenever I don't want another filter. . . I would write the numbers for you but they are Nikon, as opposed to Wratten series ID's.

 

Hope this helps.

Paul

As just mentioned get it on film first! I have worked with Adobe PhotoShop for the last decade, or more. I have a reasonably good Epson backlight scanner that handles 4X5 very well. However, it is not a professional drum scanner and even with perfectly exposed 4X5 transparencies there are "compromises" in the scan process. My recommendation is to consider Adobe PhotoShop your electronic digital enlarger that can be used for corrections and a bunch of effects BUT!!! You still need to have a good original to start with. BTW, B&W is great via PhotoShop.

Hello Chris,

 

I recently purchased a 7 1/2" Kodak Ektar mounted in an Acme No.4 shutter(THINK HUGE)this was on a Speed Graphic lensboard and setup to work with the original flash solenoid to trip the shutter. The bore hole was 65mm, that is slightly larger than half the lensboard width to give you an idea. However, the key here is you could never close the camera again with a lens like that mounted for use. But almost anything is possible to mount on a board to work with.

 

Your 203 would do good for portraiture, you can get a bi-post to pc flash adapter cable and use any modern electronic flash you want to. I have been using the same cable for about 30 years. I don't do a lot of flash photography anymore I like available light photography.

 

Remember, that your flash will sync with all speeds on a leaf shutter you are not locked in to the old 1/60 of a second. Large format is wonderful!!!

 

Hope this helps,

Paul

Hello Guhan,

 

You might have gotten a straighter answer asking about Fords and Chevy pickup trucks!!! I own, use and consider my Tachihara 4X5 my primary camera. . . yes I have many others, but neither of the other two you mentioned.

 

I am writing to suggest that if you live in, or near, a major city you might be able to rent all three of the cameras you are interested in. When I did Photo sales we rented just about everything in the camera shop.

 

Each and every woodfield I have seen has slightly different features but all had three basics, a film plane, a bellows and a lens mount. I do not foresee needing an extra bellows, my view cameras are for that.

 

The Tachihara is a piece of art in itself. The air dried cherry wood is perfect for the elements of Florida weather. The price is very reasonable and what my foremost consideration was when purchasing mine was and still is the weight issue. Tachihara was the lightest of them all at the time. In my humble opinion; A field camera should be light and easy to setup, fold and walk off.

 

That's my opinion and I am sticking to it!<GRIN>

Good luck and try before you buy if possible!

Paul

Hello Bryan,

In my experience I put a universal rotating Graflok back on my Cambo SC and then use a readily available 4X5 Graflok 6X9 rollfilm holder. They also come in 6X6, 6X7 and a very rare 6X12 (but you will have to hunt for this size and it will be made by somebody other than Graphic such as Sinar or Horseman. These Graphic holders work well and are relatively inexpensive. The Graflok back also allows a bunch of camera accessories.

If you want to stay with the original spring back on your camera then Calumet makes a series of rollfilm backs that will work but I have no experience in using them. These tend to be costly and I have heard a few negatives about them so ask around first.

 

Hope this helps,

Paul

Hello Ryan, I just had this problem and found everything I needed for my old huge Kodak lenses at S.K. Grimes. They have a great website with tons of info on retainer and flange rings!

Paul

My apology to all for being off thread. . .Paul

Hello Darin,

I don't know what you are referring to but I am speaking in reference to the lens at this link:

 

http://www.schneideroptics.com/info/vintage_lens_data/large_format_lenses/angulon/data/6,8-90mm.html

 

It is 25mm in total length, front to back, and weighs in at 130grams. In my eyes this is compact?

Enjoy,

Paul

Hello Ray,

 

I haved used a 90mm f:6.8 Linhof/SK Angulon for a few years now. Both as a "Widefield-Normal" on a 6X9 press (Does excellent for color "grip & grin" work) and a wide angle on a 4X5 woodfield for my personal inspirations... I would not want to carry any other 90mm at all. I know there is "ALWAYS" something better! However if you are lucky like I was to locate one of these jewels, you will certainly enrich your gem collection. I mostly shoot B&W, but for color I tend to only use Ektachrome and I must say this lens has never failed to amaze me in its inherent sharpness in detail and color tonal rendition, as well as, shadow detail greyscale latitude on b&w.

 

Schneider has an excellent websight and they do provide extensive reference materials for their "Classic" lenses. I think you will find everything technical you could be interested in.

 

I don't know why they don't produce this one again because it sure is small and compact for field cameras. I leave mine on my woodfield as the go anywhere lens.

 

Hope this helps,

Paul

Hello Affen, since you took some measurements, I decided to also here is what I found.

 

 

focal plane to lensplane = 43mm

 

(groundglass{inside} to Flat Lensboard{front}

 

Considerably different results;

Here is my configuration;

 

Cambo SC -

Flat lensboard -

Lever Handle SpringBack (I removed the rotating graflok back)-

Bag Bellows -

Standards turned towards each other -

 

Just an interesting experiment and I really enjoy the modularity of the Calumet/Cambo system.

Enjoy and hope this helps folks. . .Paul

Ted,

I wanted to suggest two items that I have found a real need for with my Tachihara. . . I picked up a Calumet Ground Glass protector (runs about $15.00) and on my Tachihara it came with a fresnel lens under a gridded cover glass. Calumet sells a plain 4X5 cover glass for the Zone VI cameras (about $4.00)it also worked for me!

 

So items to get are;

Ground Glass Cover

Spare Cover Glass or Ground glass depending what you get.

(I am currently using a Sinar gridded ground glass and like it a lot. Perfect fit and bright!!!)

That's just what came to mind today. . .paul

Hello Affen,

 

I use a flat board with a bag bellows and mount booth standards on the same side of the tripod clamp my 90mm Angulon works fine. If you do not have a bag bellows then you will need a recess board because the standard 18" bellows is way to thick when it is racked tight.

 

Problem I had with the recess board setup is my lens is so small and I mount a 40.5mm to 52mm stepup and use all my Nikon filters and a HN-2 metal lenshood. After stacking this on it is EXTREMELY hard to read the aperature settings in the deep dish!

 

That is my experience good luck,

Paul