eric_m4

Hello all, I was wondering if there were any wooden field cameras that have a rotating back that just spins around and does not have to be removed to change from landscape to portrait mode. I know it's heavier but I rarely go further than a mile or so from my car so weight is not a problem.

No, the problem seems to have been the small dab of grease on the rollers. The little spring buttons on both rails work fine. once I wiped the grease off the rollers it worked much better.

Hi Tom, When I used to load my holders in a bathroom I used to turn on the hot water and the humidity would keep the dust down - to a degree. Might help.

Yes that's right, it does not need grease on rails/rollers. I don't know how the grease got on the rail/rollers but the point is for it to work by friction there should be no grease on rollers.

Hi Guys, Just a little update on rail issue. Rodeo Joe kind of touch on the problem : "I doubt that the locking or focus mechanism needs lubrication. In fact the focus control relies on friction to drive the standard back and forth." There were tiny smudges of grease on the bottom rollers ( the ones that move the rail/standards) which led me to think that it was ok to have a just a bit of grease. I found the following which basically states you have to wipe down the rollers until you get every bit of grease off. Cambo SC help needed I also had to tighten the small screw on bottom of standard to increase pressure of rollers on rails - more friction. Before grease was wiped off, adjusting this screw made no difference. It still slips occasionally, but it works so much better than before. I'm thinking maybe a very small amount of dish washing soap might remove the very last bit of grease off. Anyway, I got it working. I keep referring to this as a "rail issue" but it's actually a "rollers on the standard issue" . Hopefully, this will help anyone one else that has similar problem with camera rollers/standards. Thanks for all the help.

Gary, No the front standard doesn't work with either rail. It actually fits in but with a lot of resistance and only moves when you manually push it forward/backward. The knobs move freely without the rail inside, but once the rail is in it gets very difficult to turn. It feels like there is something stripped connecting the rollers to the knobs. Rodeo, It's definitely the front standard. I've checked the inside magnified and could not see anything different from the other standard but the problem only occurs with that front standard. I couldn't find a way to take it apart, there's a small bolt inside but you would need some special tool to reach in there - very small and tight working space. There's some tiny screws on outside, I'll see if I can tinker with it some more but I'm probably going to wind up with a new standard. I appreciate all the help, this place is always the first (and usually the last) place that I come to for photo help.

Just read the thread all the way through - looks like I may have to just bite the bullet and buy another standard.

Hello guys, I believe I found the page I was looking for. Hopefully, it can solve my problem - seems similar issue. Maybe it will help someone else out there : Cambo/Calumet SC-2 - standards not moving fore/aft Something Cambo users might wanna bookmark. Wish me luck!!!

Hi Guys, Thanks for replies. I can insert rail and remove it without anything being damaged or distorted, or even scratched. And once it's in it turns but with a LOT of resistance. Although sometimes the knobs spin without moving the rail any. It seems like it can be a fairly simple DIY solution. I don't really want to spend about $50 on another standard and sending it in for service doesn't make sense when you can get a whole new camera on ebay for about $150. Dan, I did turn the screw at bottom but all that did was adjust the resistance turning the knobs. I read somewhere online how someone had similar problem and he took it apart, lubed some part up, and was done. I can't find that site and I can't figure out how to take this thing apart. Seems like you have to get to some screws behind the knob but I can't figure out how to remove the knob. Eventually, I may have to lay out the 50 bucks but I'd like to try and solve the problem before I spend money on another standard. It just seems like there's a solution to this.

Hello all, I went to change rail on my cambo SC model from 24 inch to 12 inch (I'm pretty sure the cheaper models all have the same square rail) and had a real hard time fitting the rail into the front standard. Rail went in much easier on rear standard. I had to put pressure up against the workbench to get it in. I pressed in the small pin on rail and had the friction knobs unlocked. Once it was in the knobs were very stiff and would often spin without moving the rail any further. I've used it on and off for about 30 yrs but never had it lubricated and the last time I used it was about 6 - 8 months ago so I'm thinking it may need to be oiled/greased but I'm not sure how to take it apart and what/where to lubricate. Can anyone give me a simple explanation or a website with instructions on how to? Thanks.

Hello all, I noticed that Nikon dropped the price on the 200 -500mm f/5.6 by almost $400. A considerable amount. Does this mean that this lens is going to be discontinued soon? Or is it a special event just for me? Thanks.

Hello All, Is there a difference between the two besides the interchangeable focus screen feature (and age)? Thanks.

I remember years ago in the film days I used to go to photo flea markets, mostly just for kicks but sometimes I'd buy stuff. But since the digital tidal wave hit I never saw another one again. I don't know if it was because I wasn't looking for them or they just weren't around anymore. So my question is are photo flea markets still held anymore or did they just come to an end 20 years ago? Old digital means obsolete. Old analog means vintage, classic, retro, etc... I don't expect to see digital flea markets but with this renewed film gear interest maybe there's something out there. It's just more fun to see gear right in front of you instead of looking at photos of gear on a screen.

You guys crack me up!!! Funny responses!

Darn!!! I was just about to ask you if you could print a brand new Hasselblad 500c/m for me.

I like the current interest in film cameras but I think 25asa is right about millenials fueling the price increases. I was just reading some old posts from 2011 and everyone was discussing how you could get a good condition hasselblad 500cm for less than $1000. Maybe it's just a youthful fad for millenials and after it peaks prices will come down a bit. I'll probably be too broke to buy anything by then because I bought so much at current prices...

Hello All, Old film cameras are pretty hot right now but the problem is there are serious issues with age related wear n tear. Sometimes it can be fixed but many times a camera is just not worth it or parts are just not available. But what about 3D printing? I'm not really up on 3D printing but I read/heard somewhere that 3D printers can use materials other than plastic such as aluminum and other metals. Does anyone know if this is correct or did I misunderstand something? If correct, is it too expensive? Any 3D printers out there know if something now or in near future can save our old classics? The up side would be all those old classics could be saved, the downside is prices would really start going up!

Hi Randy, Your polarizer suggestion has me a little curious. I might try that 2 filter method, but the ND filters are a little trickier. Even when I shot with a digital I found myself tweaking the gradient line a bit in photoshop. BTW, the Bronica GS-1 is a 6x7 not a 6x9 but I get your point.

The polarizer does seems to be a bit of a hassle. I've also been wanting to use grad ND filters with sky shots (which I've only done with digital) and I suppose you could do the same with two filters but that seems even more frustrating. I know it can be done and sometimes I like getting into all the little details of composing a shot but other times I like to take the path of least resistance. Most of the time a TLR is good enough but I don't want to fidget around too much with filters. What's an SOP?

Hey Guys, Thanks for the replies. I guess I was hoping to hear the response that dennisbrown gave about shooting 6x7 and just using the sweet spot on the lens without any funky surprises before I plunk down $400 (including ship & tax) on a 6x6 back. kmac, maybe I missed something but I don't think you were being rude at all - just pointing out the cost. 6x6 backs are pricey but the Bronica SQ-A (6x6) setup would probably cost about $2000 if I got the same setup as my GS-1. JDMvW, I know some people are totally into squares, others into rectangles and others don't care, but for me it's more about the approach to composition. Obviously you can mask now and crop square later but many times I don't process film 'til weeks or even months later and I might not "feel that square vibe" anymore, or I might just forget I even intended to shoot square, which maybe even opens the door to a whole new creative direction, who knows? Just like when you shoot large format you think differently because of the slower pace and 35mm has another approach because of the "faster" pace, Similarly, the square makes me arrange things differently when I'm shooting and printing. It's just one of those creative quirks I got - go figure... Ed_Ingold, I think most cameras do view the scene in rectangular format but I wouldn't say everyone wants a rectangular print. Wedding photographers were big on the 6x6 scene but I don't think everyone that shoots 6x6 is using it to avoid "cropped elbows." (thankfully I didn't start shooting weddings until digital came around). There are plenty of people who like the square for being square (the hard-core Hasselblad crowd!!) and others think its a crime to even think about cropping no matter what format they shoot. c_watson|1, I think you missed the point. I don't just want to shoot a square, I would also like to use filters with a square, which is tough to do with a TLR. Always interesting to get everyone's take.

Hi John, Yeah, I plan on doing that. So far I only see minor inconveniences that are easier to deal with than buying and carrying another MF system around. I'm actually a little concerned about how 6x7 lenses differ from 6x6 lenses. Will they just cover more area? Or will the image look a bit "off" somehow.

Hello All, I have a good amount of gear for my (SLR) Bronica 6x7 and a 6x6 (TLR) Mamiya C330. I like switching between square and rectangular formats but was thinking of getting a 6x6 film back for my 6x7 because there are times when I want to use filters on the Mamiya but its just a little too tricky with a TLR, but I don't really want to invest in a whole new 6x6 system. I know you can shoot 6x7 and then crop to a square but I like to see a square when I'm "thinking" square, so cropping is a no-go. So my question is what are the advantages or disadvantages of getting a 6x6 back for a 6x7 camera. Thanks.

Hi guys, I've heard/read several people say that vibration from mirror slaps on old, robust bulldozer cameras like Bronica S2's and Kowa 6 are so brutal that they can negatively affect the result of image as far as lack of sharpness/motion blur is concerned. I know the mirror slap is loud but is the powerful vibration an exaggeration or is it really a problem? Would this still be an issue if used on a good tripod?

I guess you could use any camera to copy documents but I wasn't planning on using it for that. I just thought maybe back in the days when the C330 was in production some of the pros were complaining about "lens/focus creep", and the focus-lock feature was Mamiya's response. I could see how many would like to shoot close-up with this camera just because the bellows feature triggers the macro switch in many shooter's brains. I'd like to try it. I have other setups that I could use to get closer but I am curious. I would think the focus-lock feature would be used when copying documents, assuming it was pointed vertically down and not at documents mounted on the wall.

Hey guys, Thanks for replies. I've never had a 6x6 camera with bellows but I've shot a lot of large format. Neils explanation makes sense, but never gave it much thought because every LF camera I've used always had some type of locking system that was just second nature to use - makes sense.