jamie_wood

<p>Hi folks,<br>

I'm wondering if anyone might have some advice on good papers to use when making a limited edition photobook. My plan is to print the book myself using my Epson 1800, then hand stitch and bind it. My first thought was to use Epson double sided matt paper, but it is quite thick. I'm worried about the book being to stiff and awkward (I want it to feel like a book, not a bunch of prints sandwiched together!)<br>

Any advice?</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Thanks everyone who has responded to my original post. I've decided to go with the Bronica RF645, mainly for it's size and portability, as well its sturdy look (I tend to be a little hard on cameras, pulling them in and out of my bag quickly. The mamiya's fragile, slender looking lens worries me in that respect.)<br>

I'm still a little worried about the noise of the Bronica (which I've heard described as everything from a tiny mouse squeak to a deflating wheeze to a metallic crunch) but I figure if it's more quiet than my old hasselblad then it should be fine.<br>

My last question is where does one find one these things?? Ebay has had only two on offer in the last month. KEH has a few bodies, but no complete packages. I've yet to see one on craigslist. Anyone know a good place to buy a Bronica RF645?</p>

<p>Sorry, just to clarify:<br>

In that last post I meant that no one had weighed in yet on the Bronica.</p>

 

<p>Thanks everyone,<br>

Ok, in view of that last response I'm going to pass on the Fuji.<br>

That leaves the Mamiya 7 & 6 and the Bronica, which no one has weighed in on yet in terms of noise.<br>

Anyone?</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I love the look and size of the Mamiya 6, but I have trouble working with the square format. I recently bought a hasselblad thinking I could crop to a rectangle after the fact, but I've found that working method to be a bit of a disaster. So it's no on the Mamiya 6.<br>

I'm now very curious about the Fuji 645. A lot of photography that I do happens pretty fast, on the spur of the moment, with not much time to react. I'm quite tempted by the point and shot aspect of it for that reason, although also worried about quality, and as I said before, <em>noise</em>. Anyone else want to weigh in on the sounds of the Fuji?</p>

 

<p>Also, does anyone know the relative quietness of the<em> Fuji</em> 645, the point & shoot one? Some people are saying it is quiet, some loud as hell. Word on the street is that it has a quiet shutter but some sort of loud 'after-click' and auto wind?<br>

Apologies if these questions have already been answered somewhere on the forums.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Hi Folks,<br>

Been trying to decide between a Mamiya 7 or a Bronica RF645. I know the Mamiya gives a bigger neg, and that the Bronica has the vertical viewfinder, etc, etc. What I'm more curious about is the <em>loudness</em> of the Bronica. I've used the Mamiya 7 and its absolutely quiet shutter was a big advantage for the kind of discreet street shooting I do. I've read somewhere online that the Bronica makes a kind of burbling electronic noise after the shutter is fired. Can anyone weigh in on this? Is it really noticable, or barely noticable? I'm very tempted by the Bronica's size and price, but I need a <em>quiet</em> camera.<br>

Thanks!</p>

<p>Thanks guys,<br>

What would be a decent compromise in an DSLR? Something I could make really good 20"24" prints from?<br>

Anything under $2,000?</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Hi folks,<br>

I read an interview with british photographer Paul Graham in the latest issue of Aperture in which he states that he shot his most recent projects "American Night" and "Shimmer" using a DSLR. I've seen some images of these pictures in exhibition and some of them are quite large, about 50"x60" or larger.<br>

I know Graham doesn't patch images together in photoshop, and I know he doesn't normally exhibit crappy looking prints, so does this mean there is a DSLR out there that is capable of quality enlargements to this size? I shoot 67 and 4x5 because I've still yet to see a digital camera that can go this big, but if it exists, sign me up!<br>

I would really appreciate anyone who can give me an update on what the current options are, and if digital really can deliver prints of this size now (without compositing!).<br>

thanks,<br>

JW</p>

<div></div>

<p>Hi Folks,<br>

I've just acquired a used Hasselblad 500C with an 80mm lens. I really like the camera (I use it for street shooting, hand-held) but I've come to realize that the 80 lens is not quite wide enough for my purposes.<br>

I'd like to get a medium-wide lens for the camera, but every wide-angle lens I see online for the 500C is incredibly long, physically! They look more like long-distance lenses.<br>

Could someone explain to me why these lenses are like this? And also if there are any shorter alternatives?<br>

Thanks,<br>

JT</p>

 

<p>Hi folks,</p>

<p>I have two negatives that I would like to blend together in photoshop to look like they are a traditional double-exposure.<br>

The two pictures are of the same scene, shot on a tripod, with a person in the picture who has moved slightly between shots. I want both images of the person in the same image, like a traditional double-exposure (done by underexposing two exposures onto the same negative.)<br>

My problem is that both shots are properly exposed, so when I try to layer them up in photoshop they go black.<br>

Does anyone have any experience in achieving an authentic looking double exposure via photoshop trickery? I looked in a bunch of photoshop books today and found nothing.<br>

I've included an old Bruce Nauman photo to show the kind of look I'm going for.<br>

Thanks in advance for any helpful advice.<br>

JW</p><div></div>

<p>Hi Folks,<br>

I shoot large format and 6x7, and have been printing my images with an Epson Stylus R1800. I've been very happy with the small prints I've gotten from this machine (Ok, BxW took a little coaxing, but overall its been great.) All of my bigger stuff I take to a lab.<br>

Lately though, I've been frustrated by my inability to print my larger prints myself. I've read up on the Epson 9800, and I would love to have one, but the price is too steep.<br>

Now I have the opportunity to purchase a used Epson <em>9600</em> for very, very cheap, from someone I trust. I'm wondering if anyone here has any advice regarding this machine versus the 9800. Is there a huge difference between the two? I've been unable to find any useful comparisons on the web.<br>

Should I buy this printer, or is it outdated for a reason?<br>

I shoot BxW and color, and print primarily on matt papers.<br>

much appreciated for any replies,<br>

JT</p>

 

Don, is the lensboard you linked to at the calumet site the same lensboard, or just something similar? I noticed they don't show the back of it, and to tell the truth, I AM a little worried about the raised rim on the back. It fits snugly into a groove on my camera, and I would like to find one with the same feature. It's actually what has kept me from just going down to a machine shop and getting them to cut me one.

Hi Folks,

 

I need to buy a new Copal 0 lensboard for my camera (an old Calumet Rail) and I can't for the life of me figure

out what type of lensboard it takes! It came with a Copal 1 lensboard (which I've included pictures of.) Does

anyone know what name or type of lensboard this is? Whatever it is, I need to get it in a Copal 0.

The dimensions are 10cm x 10cm. It has a raised number on the back: 105822.

 

If anyone can offer any information on this, I would greatly appreciate it!

 

JT<div></div>

thanks Ray and Ed.

 

I think I am going to go ahead and buy the Pavilion Slimline as I won't have to wait for it in the mail, and I can take it right back to them (a few blocks from my house) rather than sending it through the mail if something goes wrong. It has all the specs you mentioned as being important, so I think it will work fine for me.

 

I'm wondering if either of you have an opinion on XP versus Vista? It comes with Vista, but I also own XP. Like everyone else, I've heard all kinds of horror stories about Vista. Should I just install XP instead?

Hi folks,

 

Forgive me if this is a double post, but my computer is on it's last legs and doing very strange things.

 

I'm wondering if anyone here who uses large format and makes big prints (40"x50") could give me some advice on

buying a new computer. I shoot 4x5 and scan the negs on an Epson V700. I want something that can handle colour

files that will be printed at 40"x50" at 360 dpi. My current computer just can't do it (but then it is 8 years

old and has a 30 gig hard drive.) I don't know, is the kind of processing power I'm looking for just the norm on

consumer PC's these days, or do I need to be careful with what I buy?)

 

(Disclaimer: I'm going to buy a PC, not a mac. Please, I beg you, no endless arguments about the superiority of

one format over the other. Just looking for specific advice on PC's.)

 

There is a good deal on the HP Pavilion Slimline 53505f DT at a store by my house, and I'm wondering if anyone

has any comments on this computer for digital darkroom work. I like how small and quiet it is, and it is about 5

times the computer I'm running now, so I'm tempted to buy it.

 

Any info, or other recommendations, would be appreciated.

thanks!

 

JT

Thanks Rafael,

The scanning time isn't a factor for me. I tend to work on a single image at a time, no bulk jobs or big runs.

I live in Vancouver B.C. and spend around $150 for a big drum scan. Any recomendations on a good place to get scans done for cheaper? I'm afraid that because the market is drying up, like you said, that the scans are actually going to become MORE expensive, as it becomes a 'speciality' service.

Hi, I'm shooting 4x5 and getting sick of shelling out mega bucks for scans. The

reviews of the Epson V700 seem to be unanimously positive, and it's making me

think about buying one. Anyone here have any experience with this scanner? I

know the ultimate is drum scans, but people are saying the V700 is comparable.

Anyone have an opinion? I don't want to buy this thing and then regret it.

I need to scan 4x5 negatives for big prints ( up to 40 by 50 inches) and I need

them to be sharp as a tack.

 

Thanks in advance for any replies.

Hi, I am trying to put an old calumet rail camera on to a Manfrotto #141RC head.

I bought the tripod used, and the small connecting piece (plate?) that it came

with doesn't seem to fit the Calumet's rail mount. It looks like it is the right

size, but it won't screw completely on, and it's edges are bevelled, whereas the

connecting piece on the bottom of the rail has straight edges. It screws on, but

not 'snugly' or flush.

I'm guessing I need a different connecter. Does anyone here know what I should

be looking for?

 

thanks, and apologies if this question has already been answered somewhere.

Thanks folks,

I must admit, a hacksaw and beer sounds the most fun.

I'm going to triple check exactly how much rail I can do without before cutting, but I'll post a follow up when it's done.

Hi,

I'm wondering if anyone might have advice on shortening the rail of a calumet

4x5 view camera?

Basically, I shoot landscape and architecture, almost always from a distance,

and I never have to extend my bellows more than half the distance of the rail.

Packing the camera is a big problem, primarily because of the length of the

rail! I'm wondering if anyone could give me advice on the advisability of

cutting the rail down by a an inch or two on each end. It seems doable, but

maybe there are balance issues in the design that I'm not taking into

consideration. Or something else?

If anyone could give me their opinion on why this might not be a good idea, I'd

appreciate it.

P.S. Obviously, re-sale value is not a factor for me.

Hi,

Sorry to add another question rather then an answer, but I ask this because it relates (I think) to the original question.

Is it possible (and I know this will probably sound sacriligious to some) to cut the rail down on a calumet? For instance, if I knew that the only thing I was going to be shooting was landscapes, and that the bellows was never going to be extended further than half the rail distance, could I simply saw the ends of the rail to reduce the overall size of the kit? Would this not make it much easier to fit it into the average pack? I had a calumet rail some years back and it was the rail, not the body, that made packing it a nightmare.

I ask this because I'm thinking of buying a cheap calumet again, and wonder if anyone knows if this would work?

Hi Folks,

I've just sold off my medium format kit to buy a large format camera. I'm

thinking of getting the Shen Hao new from Badger Graphics, but I have a couple

of misgivings. I've heard set-up and take-down is much longer with the field

cameras than the rails. I'm wondering if that camera can be folded and stored

with the lens on, or if the lens must be removed before folding.

Also, I'm thinking about trying to get a used arca swiss (because the camera can

be put away with the lens on) and wondered if anyone had any advice. There is

one on ebay right now that I'm seriously considering bidding on:

 

http://cgi.ebay.ca/Arca-Swiss-4x5-View-10-Kodak-Commercial-Ektar-Lens_W0QQitemZ160168767760QQihZ006QQcategoryZ15247QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

Does anyone have any experience with this camera (the model pictured)? I've read

good reviews of the "f-line" but the seller doesn't say what kind his is.

 

any comments, tips, warnings, etc would be appreciated.

 

JT

Hi folks.

I'm about to sell my pentax 645 and purchase a 4x5. It's been a long time

coming. I'm wondering if the Shenhao IIA would be a good choice. I love how

sturdy it looks and I love the price.

I would be shooting landscape and architecture, and the reason I ask is because

of the architecture. I know the Shenhao has a bit of front rise, but has anyone

here used it for architecture? I would hate to buy it and then realize the

movement isn't enough. I've shot 4x5 before, but I used an old rail camera with

a ridiculous amount of movements on it. I'm not familiar with the field cameras,

so I'm concerned about the movements. I guess my basic question is, if I were

across the street from a three story building, with a medium to wide lens on,

would that front rise be able to take in the whole building?

Sorry if this question is leaving out crucial info, or is just plain goofy, I

haven't had to think in large format terms in a while.