stephen_taylor13

<p>Mark E. you have pretty much hit the nail on the head. My dad has talked about upgrading his camera for a few years, but he will not spend any money. He has been interested in video but I know he will not do anything on his own. If I give him a gift certificate he will probably just complain about how much it is and buy something for someone else. This way, he can't do that, and I think he will like it. Thanks for all of your responses. You all have been helpful. </p>

<p>Thanks all for your responses. His XTi works fine, but I thought he might like some more bells and whistles. Thanks again. I like the idea of keeping his old camera as backup...that is the kind of thing he would do anyway...lots of stuff in that house. </p>

<p>I've searched Photo.net for this and have not seen anything making me think that this is probably an ignorant question but here it goes anyway. My dad shoots with a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi. I am thinking of getting him a 60D for Christmas and want to know if he will be able to use the same lenses with this camera as with the Rebel?</p>

<p>Andrew,<br>

I have not done Tri-X (or Arista) in HC110, but I get pretty normal contrast with dil B. I mix mine as I use it from the concentrate (1:32). The concentrate lasts for a long time. My darkroom is in the basement of my house, and the temp seems to range from 68-72 degrees. That is the range that I use to develop and have had no trouble with it. You can use it as a compensating developer and there are a host of dilutions that you can use. They are posted on the internet all over the place. It is my favorite developer by fay. I like that it can be mixed for one time use, and the concentrate does last a long time. Good luck with it. <br>

Stephen</p>

<p>joshua,<br>

I use a Toyo 45CF, and even though it has limited mvt, I love it. it is very light weight, and packs easy. I got it on ebay, and paid less than $700 for it and the seller got it to me in a week. Look around, you might find something similar. </p>

<p>Adam,<br>

Ortho film is a high contrast black and white film that is often developed in lith developer (though you can use other developers as well for different contrast effects). Yes, you can still get it. I know that Freestyle photographic has it. I bet you can get it at B&H photo as well. </p>

<p>I've never used it, but what about orthochromatic film?</p>

Anna,

I develop all of my 4x5 negatives in trays. The Ansel Adams' book "The Negative" talks you through the process. I have not had too much trouble with it. Learning how to avoid scratches took some practice, and I am sad to say, cost me some film, but now I can't imagine developing film any other way.

I found a Durst L1200 with a CLS 450 color head at a used camera store. It set me back about $800. I can make 5x7 up to 16x20 on the easel without tilting the enlarger head. It is an excellent enlarger, and works quite well. I'm sure you could easily find a used one on-line like on the auction site...anyway, it is pretty easy to develop black and white. The chemicals are pretty forgiving, and you can get better results doing it yourself I think than any lab can offer. Good luck, and have fun. Stephen.

There is a pretty gook book by Kodak, "The Darkroom Data Guide" that is pretty helpful. If you go onto B&H Photo, or

Calumet and search the books you will see a number of good books that will get you going. There is a book, "Building Your

Own Darkroom", that is also pretty good to help you get some ideas about where in your house you might want your

darkroom. You basically just need a room where there is good ventilation and no light. If you are going to be doing 35mm,

you will find that having some basic chemicals (developer, stop bath, fixer, etc..) and a developing tank of some kind will

pretty much get you started.

When I got back into photography, and before I found my enlarger, I was making contact prints with a Paterson contact

printer and a spot light I had stored in my garage that I put an old T shirt over to diffuse the light. I would clamp it to my

shower curtain rod in the bathroom, and put the contact printer on the floor. It actually worked pretty well for proof

printing. I would use my metronome as a timer. In short, be creative and have fun with it.

Stephen.

I'm just thinking out loud..or however one might express typing while thinking. Anyway, on a sunny day, light in the shadows

is blue. So, snow will be a bit blue as well. A yellow filter will make the snow darker, which could be ok, but if you are trying

to make the snow in the shadows look white, a yellow filter may not be the way to go. A blue #47 will bring up the values in

the shadows and make the shadow highlights look lighter. The snow should look more luminescent that way.

Hm, thinking about your meter. I have an old soligar spot meter I found in a used camera store for $50 or so. It works just

fine, and would be good in the snow with all the light coming from everywhere. I don't know if you have a spot or not. If

your camera has a TTL meter, you can use it as a kind of spot meter.

Also, a polorizer filter may come in handy as well. There may be a tendency for it to make snow look flat though. I've not

used mine in the snow so I can't say from experience. Don't forget a good parka.

Stephen.

Ansel Adams said in response to the question, "what kind of camera do you use?" was "the biggest one I can carry". So maybe the 8x10 is the way to go.

I agree with the field camera idea. You can put it in back pack easily, and they are fairly cheap. A 75mm or 90mm lens on

a 4x5 format is a pretty wide angle, and may be what you are looking for. You may use caution though, because you could

get a lens with a focal length too small to use on a field camera with a fixed bellows on it (ie, the lens focuses at infinity at a

bellows extension equal to the focal length of the lens). You may also get some convergence in the corners with a very wide

angle lens, and that may be an issue with your wish to take pictures of houses, etc, but great for lanscapes. Wista has a

camera that is under $1000 bucks, and you can probably find a used one online quite easily and cheap. I use a Sinar A1

rail type 4x5 so it doesn't fit in a back pack all that easily, but I can break it down and make it go into an old army pack I

bought some years ago.