chuck_pere

<p>It's in the manual on page 3 (page 4 of file). Says to use manual mode stopped down metering when using a TTL finder. My problem seems to be remembering to do this when using the tubes. I need to put a note inside the tube case to remind me.</p>

<p>Here's one brand: <a href="http://www.digitaltruth.com/products/silvergrain.php">http://www.digitaltruth.com/products/silvergrain.php</a><br>

Never used them so can't comment on the results. You can do some searching to find out what others think of the products and their claims.</p>

<p>I went straight to a Pentax 67II. It's nice if you want more metering options. Multi-segment, spot or center weighted. In AE shutter will go to 30 sec. You still need to correct for reciprocity by hand. I find it an easy to use camera. Mostly for landscapes with a tripod. I'd rate it a step above my Fuji 645Zi even in the 8x10 print size. Mainly for the slightly smoother tonality not extreme sharpness difference. The meter works fine for me but I only use B&W. Viewfinder is nice and bright and easy to focus.</p>

<p>You can also try a large rubber band around the center column to hold the reel in place.</p>

<p>Thanks for the information. I'll try out the 105 with tubes. I really don't want to carry another lens.</p>

<p>I assume you mean 645Zi. Check page 30 in the manual and it tells you how. Fig 66. Just like Randall says. </p>

<p>I've been using a Pentax 67 for landscapes. Maybe 15% of the time I'd like to use focusing closer than my 105. I can use the 105 with extension tubes or look for a 135 macro. My question is would the 105 with tubes perform fairly close to the 135? Or is the difference easily noticed. If the 135 is needed for closeup work could it replace the 105 for general use? Or again would I notice a difference between the 105 and 135 for distance work? Or is the answer that you really need both lenses using the 135 for the closeup work. Final output is darkroom prints usually 11x14 or smaller.</p>

<p>I've just cleaned the ground glass with dish washing soap. It makes a world of difference when clean. Make sure you put it back in correctly. Usually with the ground side facing the lens. I had a broken glass on one old Maximar and had this guy make one :http://hopfglass.com/. He does good work and the standard glass I got seems brighter than the factory glass on another camera. Also see if you can take your lenses apart for a cleaning. My 135 Tessars are easy to disassemble. They cleaned up looking like new. I also have a Rada back but normally use 9x12 cm sheet film (Efke 100) and find these cameras can produce some great results. </p>

<p>The 3046 is a tripod. I used to own the earlier 3040 version. The head is 3047. I use a big 3057 3 way Bogen head with 4 in quick mount plate. But it probably won't give you the easy fine control you are looking for. </p>

<p>Maybe try photographing a yardstick at an angle. Focus at the center. You should easily be able to see any DOF changes as you change the aperture. </p>

<p>Maybe something like a 355 G-Claron would work. It's optimized for close-up work. Downside is it's only f9 wide open. They also have a 305 version.</p>

<p>Fuji made a number of 300 lenses. Some of the series and f-stops: A f9, C f8.5, Tele f8 and W f5.6. So make sure your shutter has the correct scale for your series lens.</p>

<p>Another big difference for me is the better reciprocity characteristics of Tmax 400. If you are photographing a landscape it's much easier to find the shorter still time required.</p>

<p>The important thing is if the negative shows detail in the shadows. Not sure if you are showing prints made by the lab or scans from the negatives. If the negatives have detail you can play with print contrast or maybe some dodging. If they don't have detail you need more exposure. Hot light is the hardest to work in. You want something besides black shadows but you still want the feeling of that harsh light. I find that you need to overexposure and under develop. The Holga is actually a great camera to try in harsh contrasty light. The plastic lens creates some flare that helps with shadow detail similar to pre-exposure. I have seen some very nice Holga hot light pictures. </p>

<p>Why was the ring there in the first place? Be sure the lens doesn't require the ring for proper spacing. Does the shutter aperture markings match the lens f4.5? Seems strange to me.</p>

<p>Easy compared to what? Basic operation question is whether to focus using the rangefinder or the ground glass. The rangefinder can be used for only one lens. You will need to use a separate meter then transfer the setting to your lens. You can use the camera handheld but a tripod is probably better for most uses. Film is loaded in holders that take 2 sheets or 6 for hard to find Grafmatics. You put a film holder in place, meter and set the lens, focus using the rangefinder, remove the holder darksilde, take the picture, replace the darkslide and remove the holder. That's basically it but I'm sure others can describe it better. To use other lenses like wide angle to tele you need to focus on the ground glass. Slower than the rangefinder. I'd say that compared to my Pentax 67ii it's a lot harder to use especially with other lenses or quickly. Compared to a hundred button digital SLR I'd say it was easy to use. And you pickup how to use it pretty fast.<br>

Also consider how you will process your film. Doing 4x5 yourself is easy enough but can require special equipment. Sending it out could be costly.</p>

<p>Check around this site for info: <a href="http://www.viewcamerastore.com/">http://www.viewcamerastore.com/</a><br>

They sell their own tube processing kit and have info on its use. Your tube would work similar.</p>

<p>If you are doing a closeup and want to maintain a set image size. Using back focus will not change the lens to subject distance keeping your desired image size.</p>

<p>Here's a stupid question. If you are only using the film digitally why not just use color negative film and convert it to gray-scale? What advantage does the BW400CN have over this?</p>

<p>I don't have any answers but here is one expert on enlarged digital negatives:<br>

precisiondigitalnegatives.com</p>

<p>Maybe you can pickup a used Holga.</p>

<p>Another place that sells used large format is Midwest Photo. <a href="http://www.mpex.com/">http://www.mpex.com/</a><br>

I'd go with used equipment and save a few dollars. Just look at the prices for new vs. used lenses. Especially in the common sizes like 90, 135, 150 and 210. Same with film holders.</p>

<p>You will probably make more selling the parts on Ebay. Individual carriers and lensboards instead of an entire enlarger package. But it is a lot more trouble. Only you can decide if the trouble is worth it. Quality things like apo lenses are still valuable. Other things are pennies on the dollar compared to new prices. If you have a price in mind try Craigslist first. If you have no idea about price Ebay will be better.</p>

<p>Midwest Photo (<a href="http://www.mpex.com/">http://www.mpex.com/</a>) is another popular large format dealer. They have a good reputation and lots of used equipment. You will need to decide on bellows length as it is a factor for using longer lenses. If you plan to do a lot of telephoto work a camera with 12in(300mm) bellows may not be the best. Same on the wide angle side. Some cameras need a separate bag bellows to properly work with short lenses and some do not. <br>

If you haven't yet also check out the Large Format forum website. You can spend many hours looking at the useful information on that site. </p>

<p>In case you don't have one here is a link to a manual:<br>

<a href="http://www.freestylephoto.biz/pdf/holga-manual.pdf">http://www.freestylephoto.biz/pdf/holga-manual.pdf</a></p>