r._eric_summerfield

The umbrella hole is in the head, not the reflector, so you can use any reflector. And the umbrella shaft must be 7mm.

Ilford does an ULF special order yearly, and I think you just missed this year's deadline. But 7x17 seems to be more common, and I think the Ilford North American distributor has some from last year's cut. If View Camera Store is currently out, they could probably order it from the distributor--call and talk to Fred or Dennis. Or try Freestyle.

What pack are you using, and at what power setting? The Honda 2000i is rated for 1600w continuous and 2000w max. A strobe will generally pull considerably more than its rating during a brief instant of recycling. For comparison, my 2400 ws Profoto Acute pulls about 2400 watts very briefly (less than 1 sec) when recycling from a 1200 ws shot.

I?m planning the same project, with about the same 900 ws load.

 

I was thinking a larger inverter would work better, such as a 1000 w. with a surge capacity, for faster recycling. But then I noted that you initially used two 300 w. Samlex inverters, but the bat voltage dropped too low. So I guess using a larger inverter would do the same?

 

Do you have any idea why the AIMS 300 wouldn?t work? Looking at the specs, there shouldn?t be much difference. Is there any way to determine, before purchase, whether one brand of pure sine wave inverter would work better than another?

 

Thanks!

So much depends on how high you are, the flight conditions/turbulence, oblique angle, etc. I?ve done aerial photography, and always used medium format, both a Pentax 67 and a Hasselblad, with the Kenyon KS-6. The benefits are faster shutter speeds (I always used 1/1000 with the P67), lighter equipment and easier handling, and roll film.

 

That said, if you must use 4x5, I would use the absolute fastest speed available, probably 1/400, and try and suspend the camera/stabilizer from some sort of soft bungee system to minimized vibrations. And be very careful and keep the camera and lens out of the slipstream to avoid vibrations.

 

Good luck!

I do not doubt you, Franke, and almost everyone else I talk to says the same thing: the tracks should be dry.

 

But here is my story: I bought a Technika V, and the top track was very sticky, and very hard to extend. It took two hands to extend, one to pull the top track, and the other to hold the focus tight so it didn?t more. Looking closely, the track had been lubed with Moly Paste (the black lube). I added more Moly Paste, thinking that might help it. But no, the additional Moly Paste made it much worse, and it almost seized up solid. So I called Marflex, and they said to clean it all off, and lube it with a mix of Vaseline and clock oil. Marflex said the factory used the same.

 

So I disassembled the track, and cleaned if with solvent and a soft brush, and dried it. It worked better, but still there was some stiffness and binding at partial extension. I disassembled it again, and very lightly wiped some Vaseline and oil on the tracks. Such a small amount that it was almost invisible. But now it worked much better, and smoother.

 

While I realize what people are saying about keeping the tracks dry, my personal experience tells me that a very light coating of Vaseline and oil seems to work best on my camera. My camera may have a track defect, or is in need of adjustment, but with a very light lube it works fine.

 

As for John Cooper and his original post, if clean and dry tracks are too stiff, and tracks lubed with a very small amount of Vaseline and oil are too stiff, then the camera needs to go in for service. The fact that it is an earlier model 3, and that the top track needed replacement, indicates there is probably more wear or damage.

The fact that you needed a replacement top rail indicates there may be more problems, and perhaps a trip to Marflex may be in order.

 

But before you send it off, disassemble the rails and thoroughly clean all surfaces. Remove every trace of old lube. Then take some Vaseline and work it into a clean cloth, and add some clock oil to the cloth. Wipe this cloth over all mating rail surfaces. Marflex told me once that Linhof lubes the tracks with Vaseline and oil. I do this on my Tech V, and it makes the tracks slide much better.

I?ve dealt with Jens Jensen on other items, and I plan to purchase one of these light kits soon.

 

The original globe lamp required centering to achieve an even light, and I expect this new lamp will require the same care in centering, and when properly centered, it should give similar results.

 

Diffusion will modify any light source, and the more diffusion, the softer the light. I have added diffusion to my Durst condenser head, and it results in a softer, more diffused light similar to a cold light source. Reading the Durst-Pro-USA advertisement, it sounds like he supplies various thicknesses of diffusion. Without any diffusers, the lamp kit, because of the smaller size bulb, should give a harder light than the original globe bulb. However, a true point source light uses a very specialized bulb and centering.

 

As to the heat output, I would expect the increased wattage to output significant heat. Reading the installation instructions for this lamp kit, Mr. Jensen recommends a fan kit if exposures will exceed 30 seconds. I plan to force ventilate my head when I install the kit, but I do not plan to install a dichroic heat filter. If I find later that I need a heat filter, it would be very easy to install one.

It is a matter of personal preference. The larger the format, the more expense. Of the two formats, you will have a larger selection of lenses for 7x17.

Consider the 270, 305 and even the 355mm G-Clarons, or the 450 Nikkor-M. All can be found slightly used within your price range.

 

You should also consider film holders. They may be harder to find than lenses.

I have also bought the seals form Jon Goodman--he is a great person and sells a high quality product. The foam has a self stick peel off backing, and is very easy to apply. Jon may have it pre cut, or you could cut to fit your exact product. Contact him at Jon_Goodman@yahoo.com or Jgood21967@aol.com

 

Another source is Micro Tools. They sell sheets of self stick foam in various thicknesses.

Terry- You would need the front and back 6x9 format frames and a bellows. The Discovery came with a 30cm rail and a small 8.5cm tripod mount. It is much nicer to transport the camera on a 15cm rail, and place that on a 30cm or so tripod mount with another 15cm or so rail. When adding that in, it would probably be cheaper to purchase a complete 6x9 F.

 

I would agree with Doug..... If possible, buy the F. It has more options.

Unless the Discovery has been recently changed, the Discovery uses the older style 171mm format frames, while the A-S F lines and the M use the newer 141mm format frames. The mounting dovetail on the function carrier will accept either style frame. So to answer your question, you could upgrade by purchasing new Function Carriers and a new format frame with Orbix, but it would be cheaper to sell the Discovery and buy the A-S F-Metric.

Look at the weight?the Avenger weighs almost twice as much and is a heavier duty stand. I have the A410B stands, which is the same except for the boom, and it is very well made and sturdy, and has a larger foot print than the Bogen. But between the two you mention FOR USE AS A BOOM, I would choose the Bogen, because a wheel set is available, and I like wheels on my booms. But if you do not want wheels, get the Avenger.

The data I've found specifies that the lens cells that fit an Ilex 5 are threaded 3.000 inches x30 tpi and have a cell flange distance of 1.083 inches, while those for a Copal 3 are threaded M56x0.75 and have a cell flange distance of 28.6mm. You could try S.K.Grimes, but with a 19mm difference in cell thread diameter it probably will not work.

 

You might find this link about shutters interesting http://www.largeformatphotography.info/shutters.html

Try the orphancameras.com site. The second portion of the 500EL manual, http://66.49.230.119/prof_pdf/hasselblad_500el-2.pdf, shows magazine loading.

With Orbix, the front standard tilts around the lens axis, just like axis tilts. Of course, this is only on the front standard.

 

The A-S 8x10 does have a bail, which makes operation much smoother. I wish the 4x5 also had a bail, but there is no aftermarket solution that I know of.

I use a Really Right Stuff 6-inch Multi-Purpose Rail on my Canham, and attach it in an Arca B2 Ballhead. The longer rail allows me adjust the balance with a variety of lenses.

Did you insert the darkslide? The magazine locks when the darkslide is removed.

Michael is right�prices fluctuate wildly. For an earlier setup like yours, if it is clean and straight and works properly, AND you can arrange proper crating and shipping, you should get at least $2k plus shipping. Itemize everything�neg carriers, lenses, remote controllers, etc.

Great enlarger! The Componon has M77x0.75 threads and the Rodagon has M72x1.0 threads. The flange ring on the Vapla is removable and, since they are so close in size, you may be able to just mount the Rodagon flange ring in its place. If not, Jens Jensen in Hillsboro, Oregon (800-675-1493 or 503-846-1492) probably has the proper Vapla, or perhaps Jay Overmoen in Las Vegas (702-860-9630). SK Grimes can make one, but it would be more expensive.

I have a Grandagon 155 on my Arca F-Metric 8x10 with the regular bellows. This combination doesn�t get much use in the field, but I don�t recall having any problems. But now you have me curious, so I just checked mine. Back swing about 20 degrees, back tilt about 10 forward and 30 or so back. Front swing 30 degrees, tilt about 20 each way. The only problem may be front rise. I only got about 50mm before it started to pull the bellows. But with that lens, 50mm is at the edge of the circle so I wouldn�t worry about it. In the field, with that lens, I�ve never used much rise; probably no more than 10. As I said, I�ve never had a problem. But if you would have a problem, you could tilt the rail and then tilt both standards.

 

I do not have the wide angle bellows, as I�ve never seen the need. Arca tends to be conservative in rating their bellows, and they say the 8x10 leather wa works with a 240mm lens. So I�m sure it would work. But again, I don�t think you�ll need the wa for a 150mm lens.

You might also try a little heat. Place the tip of an electric soldering iron against the screw for a few seconds, and then let it cool before trying. If that doesn�t work, heat it again and try to remove it while it is hot. Small screws are notorious for shearing at the head, so be careful.

Although a lens shade attached rigidly to the lens would offer some protection from direct sunlight, I think the best results would be achieved with a compendium shade, which you could use on a variety of lenses. You would need a fairly large compendium for the Biogon, and use minimal shade extension. Watch the gg and adjust it after you have set all camera movements and stopped down for best results.

I found a 155/6.8 Grandagon MC about 6 months ago for about the same price. Since they are no longer made, I suspect the price will only go up. A slight coating mark should have no effect.