linas_kudzma

Mark,

Once the film is in the fix for a few minutes, room light is ok. You might want to experiment with just skipping the post-fix alkaline bath. I find that it can give too much stain and/or staining of the film base. I use Kodak Rapid Fix (without hardener) and despite the supposed no-no of an acidic fixer and no post bath, I get plenty of stain. Also consider Pyrocat-HD, a catechol based staining developer, which is very well behaved and needs no post-fix bath.

I occasionally use PMK and ABC+ just for variety, but Pyrocat-HD (see www.unblinkingeye.com) is rapidly becoming my preferred choice.

Eric,

The short wavelength UV light is not the correct wavelength to convert ferric oxalate to ferrous oxalate. Regardless of the intensity, if these lamps don't also put out considerable longer wave UV the exposures will likely be longer than sunlight, BL fluorescent tubes (which I use) or metal halide lamps commonly used by Pd/Pt printers. If they emit ONLY the short wavelenghts it's possible they may not work at all. Do your own tests.

I use Unicolor drums and a reversing roller to develop all my 8x10 and 8x20 B&W film. I use Unicolor 8x10 and16x20 drums, respectively. This system is terrific. As mentioned above, the ridges inside the drums allow solutions to reach the back of the film and I get even development (even with Pyro and Pyrocat developers) and complete removal of anti-halation dyes. Removal of the later is always a problem with smooth sided tubes like BTZS if loaded dry.

I bought everything on Ebay for very little money. Especially compared to JOBO systems!

I own an example of the first Fuji 210 f5.6 you mention. Mine is single coated, 58 mm filter thread, serial #217970, in a Copal 1 shutter, and covers 8x10 with some (but not much) movements possible. In corresponding with Kerry Thalmann about this lens, he said that the earliest Fuji 210's covered 80 degrees. I'm quite sure I have this variety. My lens has "inner" lettering (as opposed to writing around the outside of the barrel as on late model Fuji's). My example has a line over the W of "Fujinon W". Even the foremost Fuji-guru Kerry has no idea what that line means.

Great sharp lens!

Nathan,

I've only recently moved up to 8x20 with a home built camera that is far from packable. So for now, no long trips abroad with this beast. I admire your determination. I've traveled abroad with my 8x10 and found this a challenge. However, the results were well worth it. I have some 8x10 Platinum prints from these trips that are among my favorites.

On a different note, it seems that Chris (in the above sarcastic post) seems to miss the point that this is the LF section and that big negatives are needed for contact printing and no enlarged negative is as beautiful as a pyro or pyrocat developed in-camera ULF negative. This ULF mindset is an aesthetic that some will never appreciate.

I'm traveling to Lithuania today and only bringing the 4x5. I know, shame on me. Keep the faith Nathan!

Thanks again Leonard. The seller (this was Ebay) sent me a copy of an

old B&L brochure that would seem to imply that this could be the

213mm Protar V. However the brochure is for barrel mount lenses, so

may not apply exactly to my volute-shuttered example. The seller also

said that mounted on a 12x20 camera this lens had a 20� circle of

illumination. It�s most likely a 183mm Protar V. In any case, I plan

to rebuild my 8x20 project later in the summer. I�ll let you know

what kind of funky dark corner pictures I manage to take. It�ll be

interesting. Dark corners don�t bother many great ULF shooters, so it

shouldn�t bother me!

43, shooting 4x5 about 6 years, 8x10 about 3 years, 8x20 1 year.

What's next?

The book "The New Platinum Print" by Carl Weese and Richard Sullivan

is a great place to start. There is a good discussion of film

development for Pd/Pt. Once you get started, consider using staining

developers like PMK and ABC+ Pyro and Pyrocat-HD.

Andrey,

<p>

Pyro developers need alkaline conditions for tanning and stain

development. The sodium metaborate in the PMK formula, and sodium

carbonate in other pyro formulas provide the pH needed. Offhand I

don�t remember the exact pH required, but it is strongly alkaline.

See the "Book of Pyro" for details.

<p>

Tanning does harden the gelatin and you very clearly see a texture on

the negative when it is still wet. The raised relief image is less

apparent when the negative dries. It is recommended to use a non-

hardening fixer because hardener is said to interfere with the

desirable stain formation. Acid stop bath is to be avoided also. I

sometimes use Kodak Rapid fix (without adding the hardener) and

despite the fact that this fixer is formulated slightly acidic, I

still get good stain. In fact, I avoid the alkaline after bath, which

gives me too much stain. I print Pd/Pt and very heavily stained

negatives have outrageously long print times. For silver printing

this may not be a problem because stain is what gives pyro negs their

magical properties.

<p>

If you want all the details you really should get Gordon Hutchings

excellent �Book of Pyro�. Also consider trying Pyrocat-HD, a catechol

based staining/tanning developer which I have grown to like better

than pyrogallol based developers. For the Pyrocat formula see

www.unblinkingeye.com.

Duhhh ...I guess I should READ my message after a cut-and-paste edit.

Above it should read :

<p>

�because I know the order of the sheets in the box.�

Ian,

I�m sure people have their unique own system. I keep a film log of

what film is loaded in my ten 8x10 and two 8x20 holders. The holders

are individually numbered. I then write in the log (a small notebook)

the location and exposure info for each exposed sheet. After retuning

home I unload the holders IN ORDER and with notches all in the same

orientation and put them in an old film box. I can later pull a

particular sheet of film from the box because I�ve know the order of

the sheets in the box. I rarely shoot more than one full load of

film in a day so the numbers are manageable.

Bruce,

<p>

I use Unicolor 8x10 and 16x20 print drums and a Unicolor reversing

roller base to develop 8x10 and 8x20 sheet film. Rollo Pyro works

fine, but I like Pyrocat-HD even better. Pyrocat has never given me

streaks or any problems sometimes associated with staining developers

and film in print drums.

Robert,

<p>

We are out there. I just built a 8x20 camera that takes Korona

holders. It has tested out fine and promises to be my spring/summer

workhorse. I'm not a master woodworker, but I did OK. If you don't

want something really fancy, building a view camera is quite easy. I

had ideas to improve my design the minute it was finished. I guess

I�ll have to build another one.

Jorge,

<p>

I don't know if the Fuji 450C f12.5 is suitable for 12x20, but it

costs less than the Nikon 450M. At least that's what I saw at

www.badgergraphic.com a while back. This together with the incredibly

small size has me very curious about the Fuji 450C.

Jorge,

The diagonal for 12x20 is much larger than you state. It's 593mm to

just cover. As for Ronars, my 480mm Ronar just barely covers 8x20.

It's a touch soft at the corners even at f90. So a 480 Ronar would

not fully cover 12x20.

<p>

I'll be watching the this thread because I'm interested to hear (from

personal experience) what the limits of coverage are for the Fuji

450C f12.5, in a copal 1 (!). I think it might cover ULF like the

Nikon 450M is reputed to.

<p>

Linas

Update #2:

I've rebuilt my 8x20 camera and now don't have the small bit of

bellows vignetting I had in my previous set up. Turns out that the

480mm Ronar just misses full coverage of 8x20. Even at f90 the very

corners are a touch soft. While still usable for 8x20, my particular

480mm Ronar does not fully cover with the beautiful sharpness of the

central image.

Dan,

<p>

Amidol (2,4-Diaminophenol dihydrochloride) is colorless when ultra-

pure. It quickly oxidizes and takes on an increasingly dark color. A

very small amount of oxidation can color the material intensely, so

it's hard to say much about purity just from color. I buy amidol from

Artcraft Chemicals and get a light gray fluffy powder. Check out

Artcraft�s price (www.artcraftchemicals.com), it's the best I�ve

seen.

<p>

I've never seen red colored amidol crystals.

Michael,

I use Pyrocat-HD for my Pd/Pt negatives. I haven't finished my

tests with HP5, but Bergger 200 (which I consider even worse with

regard to base fog) looks OK with Pyrocat. I personally feel that the

catechol-based pyrocat-HD is an excellent developer with "well

behaved" and even staining, and is far superior for the Bergger film

than any other developer I've tried, including ABC+ pyro.

<p>

I'll be shooting and developing some 8x20 HP5 in the next few weeks

and I'll share my impressions.

Kenneth,

CO2 dissolves in water to make carbonic acid (H2CO3). It's like

seltzer water and it's acidic. It will react with (neutralize) the

alkaline component (accelerator) in developers. I wouldn't recommend

using CO2.

Vishal,

<p>

I have an Anba 4x5, which I find I don't use much now that I also own

a Wista SP metal field. There is no comparison in stability. The Anba

is MUCH less stable. Not so bad that you can't use it, however the

Anba's front standard has some flexibility that bothers me. It's not

a problem under normal shooting conditions, but the Wista instills

more confidence. I'm going to sell the Anba sometime soon since I

shoot mostly 8x10 now and really don't need two 4x5 cameras.

<p>

That said, if you want a lightweight compact camera, the Anba is tops.

Phil,

Dixactol is probably a catechol based developer. I use a different

catechol developer called Pyrocat-HD (see unblinkingeye.com for the

formula) which also gives a brownish stain and gives me absolutely no

problems with uneven staining and base fog I would sometimes get with

some films and PMK or ABC+ pyro. Pyrocat-HD can be used in a tray or

rotary (I use both methods depending on format). The negatives

are "pyro like" as far as print qualities, but print times are

shorter. You might want to give Pyrocat-HD a try as an economical

alternative.

<p>

I print Pd/Pt and lately Azo, and my experience is with these UV/blue

sensitive materials only. I don't have any experience with

conventional VC paper and Pyrocat-HD.

Adrian,

If Pd/Pt printing is the primary goal, get The New Platimum Print

by Sullivan and Weese, then follow this with the Dick Arentz book

later. The Sullivan/Weese book gets you started right away, and you

can buy all the chemicals discussed from Bostick & Sullivan if you

choose. The Arentz book is in some ways more detailed, but not nearly

as good a first intro. At least in my opinion.

Tim,

<p>

I just recently built a very crude but functional back just as you

describe. It's ugly, not a spring back (the filmholder is clamped in

to place after removing the ground glass frame) and very bulky. It

sits on the rear extension rail of a Kodak 2D 8x10 camera and is

basically a box that mates with the Kodak 2D's back opening and

extends back about 12 inches to the homebuilt wooden 8x20 back. A 19"

Ronar vignettes about an inch or so at the edges of the 8x20 film

(needs more extension away from the 8x10 back) while a 14" Dagor

works ok. I plan to rebuild this contraption to look pretty and have

a intermediate bellows instead of the semi-flexible cardboard and

duct tape box I have now between the 8x10 back and the 8x20 back.

<p>

This was a "proof of concept" experiment. Maybe you can design and

build something far better than I can!