jim_noel1

Vinod,

Stephen has your answer. Use a pneumatic release unless you can find a

regular cable release with a very long plunger. Long throw releases

are not easily found today, and are much more likely to be found used

than new.

Three filters? NO. Waht are the other two, UV's to "Protect the lens?

That is camera store baloney.

Use a filter on the rear? By all means. If you want to use glass,

focus through it. I have use gels taped to the rear of the lenses on

my very large cameras for years. No degradation and no problems with

focus shift.

Jim

Don,

I can help you. Get in touch with me at Grossmont, or via e-mail.

Jim Noel

Bill,

Try a 2 - 5 minute pre-soak in LFN, or Zonal Pro Archival Rinse, not

Kodak Photo-Flo, then develop, water rinse, fix for double your

current time, wash and end with another one minute in a fresh batch

of the same wetting agent you used for the pre-soak.

Contained in this are three things each of which will help solve the

problem and combined you should never see the remains of the

anti-halation layer again.

Jim

Bob,

I haven't read all of the replies in detail but have some thoughts to

add to your confusion.

First, the Cadet and the Toyo 45 CX should be forgotten. I just sold a

Cadet which I had picked up cheap because it doesn't lock down

securely and it is all but impossible to utilize movements with

anything shorter than 135 - 150. The CX is all plastic and I don't

believe willstand up with constant use.

Field cameras are the only way to go if one is going to walk even a

few hundred yards. The Wisner is beautiful and well made, but

expensive. I read into your information that you need to get into this

world on a reasonably modest budget. Take a look at the Tachihara. It

is a well made JApanes field camera, weighs less than 5 lbs. and will

accept lenses from 75 - 300 mm. It is well made and has been on

themarket for a good number of years. The last time I looked Adorama

had them for about $650 new. This will leave you more money for

lenses, etc.

AS for lens length it really is a personal thing. Think of the lens

length you use most with your 35, and multiply that by three (3). That

wil give you an equivalent lens length for 4X5. Don't make the

mistake of buying by focal length alone, image circle is very

important. Most likely a good beginning length is 150 - 210. When you

move to architecture, get a good 75 - 90.

Thinking well ahead a set of three lenses each twice as long as the

next shortest works well - 75, 150, 300. If you can gather the bucks

at one time the Wisner Plasmat set gives you a great variety of focal

lengths, (eight as I remember), a single shutter, all in a neat

small box and in the end you will save as much as it costs you over

the price of individual lenses.

Good luck,

Jim

Good morning,

I have been developing large film since the late 1930's. If there is a

method available, Ihave used it at one time or the other. I own tanks,

Unirollers, Jobo and trays.

After may thousands of sheets of film of all sizes I have for the

past 15 or 20 years used stainless steel wire baskets in trays. The

baskets hold 6 sheets of 4X5 in an 11X14 trays, as well as other

configurations I have had made. I have also made trays from plastic

which also work well.

In use, the wire baskets are loaded with one sheet of film in each

section. The basket is then placed in the processing trays in order

and agitation is by lifting alternate corners of the tray. To move

from tray to tray, the basket is lifted, film drained and then placed

in the next solution.

The advantages are: no danger of scratching, no streaking, agitation

patterns are easy to establish and maintain, hands stay dry. it is as

if one were developing single sheets in a tray, but more can be done

simultaneously.

For the past several years I have had my college students using this

method, and the number of failures due to processing is almost zero.

If you are interested, e-mail me directly and I will write you more

detailed information about constructing and using baskets from

stainless wire and from plastic.

Jim