emil_ems1

The method Heller described makes a lot of sense to me, when one is looking for locating the white, black and middle grey points.

 

What I would like to add is that there is a flaw in Photoshop's method for color correction via the middle eye dropper. Using that for color correction introduces new deviations from the original. To avoid this, one should use the highlight eyedropper, applying Heller's neutral grey layer to the middle grey point, if there is a color cast in the latter and it should actually be neutral grey.

Josep,

 

I would advise against using Kodachrome slide film for scanning. It is well known that Kodachrome, with its very special configuration and developing, has issues when being scanned. Better stay with E-6 type slide films. Furthermore, better to use E-6 films with relatively low contrast. Avoid the Fuji Velvia.

 

I hope this helps

Tony,

 

I have used the Fuji T-600 on my Toyo Field 4x5 A camera. However, to do this, I had to use the special extension back that can be bought for that camera.

 

Even so, I found that the lens was a bit too heavy for the camera. In fact, it caused the lens standard to get out of alignment. Ever since using the lense, the standard tilts slightly forward. Thus I would dissuade from using any such long tele lens on the Toyo Field.

 

I hope this helps

Melissa,

 

Pico refers to the Schneider 210 Super Angulon. This is indeed a huge piece of glass. However, the 210 Angulon, which I happen to own, is a relatively small and light lense, which I put to good use on my Tachihara 8x10. I can recommend it for your purposes. Not the sharpest lense around, but light enough for your camera and good enough for up to 5 times enlargement I gather. I prefer to use it at f 32 and smaller.

It would be interesting to know exactly which vintages of Kodachrome are eligible for ICE. Is it so that the most recent vintages are OK? If so, from approximately which year onward is it possible to use ICE?

Dave,

 

I tried to use the Fuji 600 mm T on my Toyo 45 A camera (with prolongation back). The result was that the front standard, due to the heavy weight of the lens was forced out of line. I would therefore strongly suggest that you not use that lense on your Shen-Hoa. The 400 mm T is more reasonable in weight.

Paul,

 

I own a Toyo 45 Field and am using lenses on it from focus 65 mm (Rodenstock Grandagon f 4.5) to 300 mm (Nikkor M f 9). For the Grandagon, there exists a wide angle lensboard with extra depth, which allows movements. The Nikkor can be used with the camera for landscape and moderate close focus (buildings). If you want to get closer with the Nikkor, you would have to use the special prolongation back (a stable accessory that hooks on the standard back frame). I would advise against using heavy tele lenses, such as the Fuji T 400 and 600, since they can force the front lens standard out of alignment.

 

I hope this helps

Nick,

 

I agree with the earlier post that I prefer the Toyo 45 A to the Linhof Technika for landscape work (I own both the Technika IV and the Toyo 45 A). It happens to me often (for instance, when on top of a mountain), that I wish to lower the lens standard. This is easy with the Toyo, but cumbersome with the Technika. Furthermore, it is easy to use even 65 mm wide angles (with recessed lens board) WITH MOVEMENTS on the Toyo. This is essentially impossible with the Technika.

 

Just one thing to watch out when buying and using a Toyo 45. If the camera at any time has been used with a rather heavy tele lens, for instance, the Fuji T400 or 600, the lens standard will probably have been forced out of alignment and will have to be sent to repair for realignment (this has happened to me). In other words, if you buy a new Toyo, never use it with very front heavy lenses. Better to use standard lenses of long focus, together with the accessory back enlargement (a special extra back that can be added, very stably and securely, to the ordinary back frame.

 

I hope this helps

Nick,

 

Just in case you don't know: there exists a factory converter back for the Polaroid 600SE which permits you to put graflok style rollfilm holders on the camera. I happen to be the proud owner of such a converter and am glad I do, since I do not have to rely on Polaroid negative film anymore.

 

I hope this helps.

Pramodh,

 

Not only do we have LF lenses with f/3.5. I happen to be the proud owner of a Schneider Xenotar 150 mm f/2.8. Very useful, not only for 4x5 but also, especially, for 6x9 rollfilmholder insert for portrait photography.

 

I hope this helps.

RX

 

I also have this Toyo View, the older version called 45 A. Don't hesitate to buy that older version, the difference is only cosmetic. I use the camera with 90 mm, 75 mm and 65 mm lenses. The 90 mm should be used with the shallow recessed lens board. The other two with the deeply recessed lens board (the deeply recessed can still be bought on e-bay, not sure whether new ones are still for sale).

 

Take care not to use heavy telephoto lenses on the camera. I used the Fuji 600 on it (together with a prolongation back) and the heavy lens forced the front standard a bit out of alignment. You may wish to check that alignment if you buy a used camera.

 

The sunshade which comes as accessory is smart. You can use gelatin filters with it in special Toyo filter holder (the filter holder is just carton, easy to make your own).

 

Make sure that you have the small gadgets in place that hold the front standard. These are very useful for keeping the front standard firmly in place and aligned, if you would like to shift it left or right.

 

Another tip: I use to focus far by sliding the front standard and fixing it in the right position, whilst keeping the front sled aligned with the front. Thereafter I focus for the near with the focussing wheel. This permits you to measure the far-near focussing distance by measuring how far out the sled has travelled. From that distance the f-stop needed to keep everything in focus can be determined, whilst moving the sled (with the focussing wheel) half-way back to the front alignment.

 

I hope this helps

Christopher,

 

The about widest lens you can use with comfort and reasonable coverage is, in my experience, the Rodenstock 4.5 65 mm lense. I use that lense on my Toyo 45 Field. However, to be able to shift the lens up or down with ease, you will have to invest into the wide angle lens board with widest recess (there are two versions). They turn up on ebay from time to time. I think 65 mm will be sufficient for all your needs, even inhouse.

 

I hope this helps

Ole,

 

Your results are interesting.

 

It is amazing that both lenses appear to cover 5x7.

 

Furthermore, they appear to show - if I understand your picture descriptions right - that the younger Angulon has a better definition at the fringes of the picture at f 32 than the older Angulon. I have always read - and believed - that the pre-war Angulons had a greater coverage than the post-war Angulons. Your comparison shows that it is the other way around.

 

Interesting!!!!

Frank,

 

The Horseman VHR (6x9) camera has lenses of the same standard filter size as the 90 Angulon, that is, 40.5 mm. Try to get one of their shades.

 

Otherwise, accessory makers such as Hama still make sunshades for all filter sizes, also 40.5. Please disregard all remarks above on COKIN, bellows, etc. These are all far too big and clumsy for that little elegant lense. A step up filter makes sense though, unless you want to close your camera with the lens in place and need the original sun shade size for that (my Linhof Technika III closes with the lens including the original Linhof shade in place).

 

I hope this helps

Adam,

 

From your questions I gather that you are relatively fresh in digital photography, just like me.

 

I have very quickly realised that I need a bench-mark, against which to judge my assessments of color balance etc., when finalising a color picture. For that reason I usually order not only color negative processing, but also copies from a good color lab (ordinary Fuji lab). I scan raw and adjust contrast and colors in Photoshop, using the lab copies as benchmark. More often than not, those copies are to my liking and I try to emulate them in Photoshop. I then print them out and let them "rest" for a couple of weeks. The pictures that I thereafter consider to be worthy of keeping I take a second look at and often discover that I would like to change color, exposure or contrast. In that context I use an old Kodak filter kit which I got from a person having enlarged color negatives in the darkroom. Holding those filters over the picture helps you judge whether you would like to change the color balance and in which direction.

 

As to black and white pictures, I just move the pointers in levels to the beginning of the Histogram "hills" just like you. Thereafter I work on them on the screen until I like what I see. Again I print that version out and rejudge it after leaving the print lying around for a week or more.

 

I hope this helps.

Simon,

 

I am using this lens for handheld street photography on my old Linhof Technika III. At f 22 it is sharp (comparable to modern lenses)for enlargements up to 13x17 inches. The only difference is the coating, it is only single coated, but this should not give any major effect, unless you point the camera directly into the sun. As to the need to keep the opening at f22, you should not use a larger lens opening anyhow due to the shallow depth of field at the 4x5 format.

 

Furthermore, the Linhof bed does not intrude into the picture in horizontal mode, only in vertical. Your Crown may differ in that regard, but I doubt it. Just give it a try.

Todd,

 

I use a Rodenstock 6.8 90 mm on my Toyo A field camera in a recessed lensboard. There are two versions of the recessed board (110 mm board). The more shallow one is easily obtainable through e-bay. I have that board and it is perfect for the 90 mm. Otherwise, the bellows risk to be rather too compressed for comfortable shifting of the lens. Although I am having rather thick fingers, I am still able to reach all the controls on the lens.

 

I suggest you to get that shallow recessed lensboard.

 

Yours sincerely

Emil

Marc,

 

Beware! It seems to me unlikely that the filter standard could be as low as indicated. Are you sure that he is selling you a 90 mm Angulon and not a 65 mm Angulon? The latter lens was rather common in the old days, used in 6x9 Technikas as well as in 6x9 Graphics.

 

I hope this helps

Marc,

 

thanks a lot for your explanation. All is clear now. This is an excellent approach. Congratulations for your ingenuity.

Marc,

 

Very interesting approach. I hope you permit two simple questions from an amateur (who will soon, I hope start with digital processing):

 

1. Why do you compensate the under- and overexposed files before submitting them to PTGUI?

 

2. Do you work with those compensated files in the subsequent application of PhotoMatix?

Frank,

 

It seems to me that you are restricting yourself too much in your choice set.

 

Permit me to propose a third option which I employed some decades ago when I could not afford to buy an enlarger for my 4x5 inch and 6x9 cm negatives.

 

What I did was to buy a contract printing frame for 8x10 paper. On that frame I put 4 4x5 negatives (or correspondingly more 6x9 negatives). In my bathroom, which has no windows, I put an enlargement paper sheet on the frame as well and put the light on for some seconds (counting them out loud). Thereafter I put the sheet into an old Cibachrome development drum. From then on, standard procedure for daylight paper development in the bathroom, with light on. Could not be simpler.

 

This method, besides being very cheap, also shows whether you are applying good metering practices. Your negatives should, with standard exposure and development time, all print fine with both highligt and shadow detail clearly visible. Otherwise you over- or underexpose your negatives.

 

Just my cheap thoughts on the subject. Cheers!!!

 

Emil

Pico,

 

Is this Ries head a double tilt head? I cannot see this from the picture you included in your answer.

Andrew,

 

This is actually not an answer to your question but may help you anyway.

Provided that the Toyo folding focusing hood indeed fits your camera, I would suggest that you have a look at the Toyo balloon folding hood. This convenient little gadget is a good compromise between a balloon type hood and a folding hood. It folds precisely as the latter and protects your groundglass just fine. But it folds out to form a small balloon with a quadratic opening large enough to look on the groundglass with both eyes. This could do the job for you, in particular, if you are near sighted.

 

I hope this helps

 

Yours sincerely

Emil

I think Pete raises a valid question. But I also think Fabio already provides the answer with his programme. He makes, in my view, a valiant effort to link the "negative" to the final output, keeping the tools of the Zone System as the working tools in the Digital Darkroom. You may recall that Ansel himself considered the negative as the score and the print as the performance. When printing, he very much used the intuition provided by the zone system to get the output (in black and white values) he strived for. We now can emulate him with this new programme, even using the 10 zones in a rather handfast manner to accomplish the same thing.

 

I find this to be a major achievement. Let's just hope that Fabio can arrive at a superior programme, by combining this feature with the best features of Photoshop, necessary for getting beautiful b/w and color prints, based on digital or scanned originals.

 

Good luck to you Fabio!!!!

Jennifer,

 

I fully agree that the Toyo A is a splendid camera and the price seems right to me.

 

Contrary to what another contributor said above, the Toyo A can be used with a 300 mm lens. I own the Nikkor M 300 and use it with my Toyo. Although bellows extension is limited, there is also a back extension, permitting you to use the above lens at infinity as well as a bit closer (sufficient for landscape photography). If you would like to get closer still, there is a very solid extention back with which you can take portraits as well.

 

On the shorter end, you can easily use a 75 mm lens with its retracted lens board (there is a board with 2.5 cm retraction). You cannot use a separate wide angle bellows, but this is not a problem, considering what I just said.

 

All in all, you cannot go much wrong with the camera.