acjtucson

Thanks a lot for the responses. It was all very helpful. I had limited myself to the Schneider line because of what I had read in Dykinga's book. I realize that is rather slavish and not the best reasoning but I have seen some of his prints blown up large enough to cover a bus and they looked pretty sharp. I'll look into the Rodenstock and the SS-XL 110 mm and the Nikkor 90. I looked at prices at B+H (I think I have spent enough there to put at least one of their kids thru college and law school) and also Badger Graphic. I was surprised that for these lenses, Badger was a couple hundred cheaper for all 3.

Thanks again for the advice. This forum is always extremely helpful (and quick) for finding answers, and great answers at that.

Excuse my silly question but I am relatively new at large format. Is a spanner

wrench necessary to put the lens on the lens board? When I was looking at

websites about lenses, I saw a spanner wrench advertised. Have I been harming my

equipment by not using one and just putting it back together by hand? It seemed

to screw together just fine. Is this spanner wrench just a luxury accessory?

I could use the help and advice of more experienced LF photographers than

myself. I have been learning how to use an Arca Swiss Field Classic 4x5 with a

Schneider Apo-Symmar 5.6/180mm lens for the last year or so. I am mostly

interested in shooting landscapes in the Southwest. I am looking around for a

wide angle lens and now I'm a bit puzzled. I am considering Schneider

Super-Angulon XL 5.6/72mm or 5.6/90 mm or the Super-Symmar XL 4.5/80 mm. I have

read a bit about the image circles and covering power. Is the main difference

between the Super Symmar XL and Super Angulon XL the more compact size and

lighter weight and smaller image circle of the former? Is the image quality of

both about the same? I am not blowing up any prints to cover a bus but maybe to

40". Any advice on which route to go?

I have been looking everywhere for Quickloads of the new and improved old Velvia

50. Any suggestions?

I hate to say it but that Death Valley photo looks much more like the view from Zabriskie point facing south/southwest........

Thanks a lot for the response. I am relieved to know it is not my equipment but kind of bummed out to learn it will be on every image. Do most labs do a good job of keeping the marks outside of the image or is it really hit and miss all the time?

I am rather new to large format. I shot some desert images with Velvia and a

Fuji Quickload. I also shot some Tmax with a Kodak Readyload. I was surprised

that in each corner of the negative (or pos.) there were 5 dots in a line, each

arranged vertically (with the image viewed in the horizontal)with the dots about

1mm apart. There was one of these in each corner. They did not match up in

precisely the same location on each image so I am guessing that it is not a

problem with the filmholders. Sometimes the dots were on the image, sometimes on

the black border and sometimes outside the border. Do I need to find a new lab?

My wife and I just got back from Eureka Dunes and went through Lone Pine and a detour through the Alabama Hills via Movie Flats Rd and Hogback Rd. It was beautiful. Unfortunately, we were there in the mid-late afternoon. I can't imagine how beautiful it would be in the morning light.

I highly recommend you read Jack Dykinga's book. I just started out shooting with a 4x5 and found the book very helpful in a pragmatic way. He has a section in the book about camera gear.