sg_adams

<p>I guess I better find out how to better format my image size... Had a save program that did that for me before. <br>

Anyway, the new system is pretty nice even though I have some figuring out to do. And to get started I chose one of my early images shot with the first Century Graphic I got a number of years back, and that same ol' 103mm Trioptar lens that's since been well travelled. The film is Provia, and it's a beautiful transparency. <br>

There is a little road that runs down to what is called the Lost Coast in Northern California where you can see the big rock off Cape Mendocino. It's really beautiful countryside for a drive, stroll on the beach, etc... I've been out there a number of times to backpack, cycle, car camp, and generally just be there. </p>

 

<p>OK, too big. </p><div></div>

<p>Just posting a couple images to check download size etc...<br>

I disliked my last computer. And it finally died a sudden quiet death. Lost everything. <br>

Back up and running with an iMac and i800 Mikrotek with the latest drivers etc... So far so good, but I want to download two images and see how it looks. Not used to the Mac computer yet. But it doesn't lock up, crash, and generally piss me off like the PC did. <br>

I also noticed my old post images that I searched back for look a heck of a lot better on this new screen. </p>

 

<p>I just have to say, Jim that is a really nice shot. It just jumps out at me. And it's just a telephone pole...but I like it. </p>

<p>I switched from D-76 to HC110 and never looked back. I have had success with both dil B and H. Even with develop times as 3 min in dil B I've good results, but usually go with the dil H. Some time when you are in a hurry and not too worried about exactness with a roll of film try a fast dev time. You can also play around with higher dilutions when you need to lower the contrast. Also remember that agitation and temp plays a part with contrast. As a rule I develop everything at 68F with HC 110. <br>

Dev times for me with HC110 dil H I find my starting point close to Dil B times 2.2, but this gets more complicated because I tend to expose, for example, ISO 100 film at ISO 64 and thereby have to then shorten my time by about 0.75. Depends on the film of course and personal findings. Experiment. I never got a negative I liked from Ilford FP4 using it at box speed, but when I shot some at ISO 64 and pulled the times back about 25% I was impressed how much more I liked the negs. <br>

Have fun with it... </p>

<p>Ah, Rolleicords are fun !<br>

But as far as the film goes, I really dislike EKtar 100. And not just because of the blue issues, but film is a personal choice. I did note that Ektar is very fine grained. I also had a couple oppertunities to see if I could make the blue work for me, and in one case it did, but it still didn't fit my style. That said, it does have more latitude than Provia. Apples and oranges. You can shoot into the shadows with print film and retain some higlight detail whereas slide film on sunny days, esspecially in harsh desert or mountain sunlight wont allow for shadow detail or all else you'll totally blow the highlights. That said I'd prefer to shoot just after, right at etc etc sunrise/sunset. I tested a few rolls of Ektar as I would shoot Provia this last summer and was not impressed with anything after sunset. FujiPro400 did a much better job with color but is grainy compared to a slide. This can work for the photographer in rendering a painterly sky, something I like and work at, but in the end I've found I prefer the look of Provia. Have also been shooting up a lot of Reala print film, and if you like a less saturated look it's not a bad way to go and very forgiving with a wide latitude, so that's what I've been using in harsh light, and it seems to be working out rather well. </p>

<p>very nice Greg. Just put that Crown on a tripod and save your dough until you're sure you need more camera... Just a thought. <br>

Walter, try the view finders ! I prefer the open wire sports finder. It takes just remember thereis a lot of paralax. Try setting the camera up and comparing the GG and VF a few times. I've even shot with just the RF. Shoot a little loose anyway, plenty of room to crop ! </p>

<p>A few days ago in the White Mountains I was fooling around with a K-1000, which I haven't had much oppertunity to use as it tends to get the toss in favor of things that hold larger film. But this trip I took it along with it's 50mm 1.7 lens. Nice. I really enjoyed shooting around with this camera. Simple, easy, comfortable and fun. The El Carmagne tripod isn't too bad either though not a classic. I did however make a number of walk around handheld exposures and used my classic Pentax Spotmatic V, though the meter in the camera works with a battery installed, I prefer off camera metering. I also spent a week walking around in the Sierra with one of my Holgas... for some reason the Graphic stayed in the case the whole trip...? </p><div></div>

<p>Yup, this lens is your friend... </p>

<p>A couple things to add although you are getting a lot of good feedback and this may seem redundent...<br>

Neopan SS is grainy film period, more like a 400 ISO film. It's good film for some applications where grain is wanted or not an issue. <br>

Warm D-76 like you used will increase contrast. That is, warmer developer, even a couple degrees will have more or less effect on different films. And as mentioned above, there are other factors like your water, agitation, how the film was originally exposed etc... <br>

I am going to make a suggestion you switch to HC-110 now while you are starting out as it is easier to handle in small batches and very easy to mix up as it is a semi liquid concentrate and it works fast and can be made up in many dilutions as you learn more... <br>

I suggest Dilution H starting out as this allows medium development times for a little more control with most films. <br>

If you get HC-110, also get some 4oz brown chemical storage bottles to place the unused developer concentrate. It has a good shelf life far beyond most developers too. <br>

How I mix is simply use a 1 0z 35mm film canister, either full or half depending on dil B or H. For H I use half once and add a qt of water to this, mix lightly by a few inversions of bottle and ready to go once water is cooled or heated to 68 degrees. I also bring my stop bath and fixer to 68 degrees either by placing these qt bottles in the freeser for a couple minutes or placing in a tub with warm water. <br>

If you continue usning the powder chems note as per already mentioned that they require a lot of stirring, and I filter mine into brown storage bottles and let sit for a few hours before using. I still use Dektol for printing and Kodak standard fixer for both film and print. Good products and very consistent. Always have to mix full packages ! But once I tried HC-110 developer I never looked back to D-76 which I used for many years. </p>

<p>Sorry John I shot nothing on Labor day. I spent the entire weekend (except for some early morning surfing) working on my '71 Bus so I can make a road trip in October... <br>

Haven't been that greasy in quite a few years. Ick! But the brakes and other such things like million year old wheel bearings now turn a bit more smoothly...</p><div></div>

<p>No patience required, just curiosity. <br />A wonderful excursion to the bazaar !<br>

A historical socio-economic side trip which could not be the same without the journalistically photogrpahic street experience as portrayed here. </p>

<p>Very nice how you put these together. I think you've got something to work with here. I'd keep working it along these lines and wear out some film holders. </p>

<p>A lot of detail in those night shots regardless. Looks like you have it down pretty good. <br>

And classic cameras and autos make a nice match don't they? <br>

Nice work. </p>

 

<p>Really nice presentation LM. </p>

<p>I think on of the ugliest cameras and not very user friendly is the Graflex XL series. Lots of issues there. I also vote for any camera that falls on its face when you set it down, which the XL likes to do. Ugly ass camera. </p>

<p>Only 90 degrees here in San Pedro, but it's a hot 90. </p>

<p>I'll have to acknowledge that; the only reason I bought a little digi camera was to get images of camera stuff I wanted sell. Of course it is nice for using to make dissassembly images of lens shutters and stuff also. So the digi serves my vintage interests rather well but not necesarrilly the other way round. </p>

<p>Well, I don't know where all the large format cameras have gone, but I know a bunch of 4x5 Graphics, a couple Graphic Views, and one of the big Graflex RB's are on my shelves. And over the next couple weeks I'll be deciding which kit I want to take on my next road trip, which I would really like to include 4x5 photography, though most of you know I ussually shoot the smaller Graphics. However, I do have the stuff to create cameras of mass film destruction on the large format. Something very different sliding those sheets into two sided holders and Grafmatics in a dark bag as opposed to changing roll films. Same goes for developing sheets compared to rolls. And then there's that thing where you look at big film. It's bigger. </p>

<p>Last year I got my hands on two Japanese built Asahi Pentax bodies. One came with a really nice 50mm 1.7 lens and I picked up a 135mm 3.5, all for peanuts. Nice basic cameras. I've only used my more recent Nikon with lots of dials and buttons once since I got those. I plan to take one of the Pentax K-1000's on my next trip as I've only fooled around with them around town. </p>

<p>I've got an old bulk 35mm film loader you can have all the way from San Pedro, CA. USA, but you'd have to figure out how you would acquire some cassettes to load bulk roll film into. I think I have half a dozen if I can locate them. <br>

However, it appears you have again overcome local challenges and looks like you got really good scans. Makes me think that boutique is more challenged due to lack of easy access from the street. I also like the plastic store. I think here we call those places Walmart or K Mart. Can't live without Rubbermaid...<br>

Nice job,<br>

Stephen </p>

<p>I guess I missed the part about not walking in the tunnel. </p>

<p>Maybe a little late for the tree color, but if we have a later summer and fall (Indian Summer?) might be pretty good at the lower elevations for cottonwoods and such. Even by late Oct the aspens out that way have lost thier leaves. Late Sept early Oct for aspens in the southwest. Late Oct early Nov for golden cottonwoods in the bottoms. Can also be really cold sometimes, and like mentioned, when in a canyon the sun takes a while to warm things up. I've hit freezing temps in Zion in Mid-Oct once, and a week later it was in the low twenties over at Calf Creek along the Escalante. Stuff was freezing outisde and in cars etc... I was out in the canyons again last fall and it was snowing up high and raining a lot by the time I'd toured the Great Bsin and drifted into Utah. Cold and windy. When I started taking large and medium format gear on winter trips I had a couple occasions where shutters didn't work in really cold conditions, and now carry a couple extras. I'd say it's happened half a dozen times, and most recently in the Sierra where my 65mm SA was lagging in cool weather. Just a thought. <br>

And being a mountian climber I'd think seriously about bringing cold weather gear so you can be out and about so you get the most out of your five days. I don't know, I camp so it's a little different than when I've stayed in the historic cabins on the Grand Canyon and watched it snow. Utah's not exactly in my back yard, so I don't go unless I have three weeks minimum. I used to bomb to Zion, Kolob Escalante for a week a few years back, but don't like to drive that much anymore. </p>

 

<p>The German Cobler #2 standing is reminicent of classic propaganda images from the period. Well done. <br>

Radio Opperator reminds me of many WWII comand post type photos. </p>

<p>Don't know what you are considering spending, but there are lots of options regardless. <br>

Myself I use mainly four different tripods. Around the house I use an old Graflex aluminum model from probably the early 1960's that I payed I think $20. It has a nice pan tilt and I primarily use it for setting up rangefinders and such on medium and large format. <br>

On travel road trips I take either my wood Berlebach 2042 or Velbon carbon. Both work well for medium and large Crown Graphics. The carbon of course isn't retro, but the Berlebach certainly is and it is my favorite. Heavy, solid, and doesn't freeze my hands when cold out. The carbon is also nice when cold, but not so aluminum, and I often carry my camera around mounted on the support from place to place so keep that in mind if you do alot of winter stuff. Wood will imediately be appreciated if you only have thin gloves so you can manipulate camera controls. <br>

I thought a few times that it would be nice to have an old wood classic tripod, and actually refurshedone for a friend, but they are much more rickety than later stuff, and nothing I've had my hands on really compares to the Berlebach. I think the bottom line for me relates more to actually needing quality support that's solid in a breeze. <br>

The Graflex is solid, but the long two-section legs don't allow much versatility whereas the others I use allow the legs to be spread far out to the sides on uneven terrain and low level set up. But heck, for twenty bucks it's heavy duty, and saves where on the more expensive stuff. Makes a nice light stand too. I believe it was introduced with the Graflex XL series of medium format cameras for which it would be perfect. </p>