ted_brownle

Try logging onto the Rollei TLR site at:

http://www.vestdata.no/~taase/Rollei.html

This sit has a lot of good information about the Rollei TLR's.

Some of the particulate matter you are finding may come from the water you're using to mix your chemicals. If you're using ordinary tap water, try switching to bottled distilled or purified water. Many years ago, I lived in New Hampshire and had a devil of a time with embedded particles in the emulsion until I switched to distilled water. If the volume of your work will allow, a top notch filtration system may also help.

I have been using the MC 50mm and 200mm for three years now, and am ahppy with both. I have made enlargements up to 16 x 20 from transparencies shot with both lenses. I especially like the 200mm, but that's my current way of seeing now

At a normal viewing distance of twice the picture diagonal (62") you would not be able to see the difference between a 20x24 from a 645 and a 67 negative (or transparency). I use a Bronica ETRSi (645), but I also do a lot of work in the field. I appreciate the porability. I knew someonce who once hauled an RB67 up Banner peak In California's Sierra's. If you're primarily in the studio and can afford it, go for the 67. It all depends upon your personal style. Cost had a lot to do with my choice. Bronica had a great deal when I purchased. If I were to purchase a new medium format system again I may or may not mcke the same choice. I have been using 120 roll film for years ~ all formats. Good luck!

I have been using the Polaris meter for a year now, in situations from winter outdoors (in the mountains) to studio flash use, with no problems. I like the battery ~ a single AA cell; easy to find anywhere. In the studio, I really like the large display. I can read it from the camera position. It seems to be accurate; I haven't found a situation where it gave me an incorrect indication. It works best as an incident meter ~ that's it's primary design. I use a spotmeter for a lot of my relfected metering, so I haven't used it in the reflected mode as much. It works fine though.

Steve Grimes has advertised his services in View Camera magazine as a photographer's machinist. He has a website at http://www.skgrimes.com. One of the services he offers is "reshuttering" lenses, mounting barrel lenses in shutters and engraving aperture scales. A good website, although he has not responded to an e-mail inquiry I made a couple weeks back.

I have not heard of this being a problem with wood field cameras. I use an Arca Swiss and have done a lot of work in the Sierras (California) in the snow and have not had problems with controls freezing. The problem I do run into is fogging the ground glass when I get too close while focusing. If the camera were doused with water which then froze you would have a problem. I guess I'll have to try my Granfather's Century 5x7 in the snow...

After removing the ground glass from the frame, soapy water can be used to clean it. If there is a fresnel lens sandwiched with the ground glass, separate them first. The fresnel can also be cleaned with soapy water, although you need to be careful. The acrylic that it's made from scratches very easily. When you reassemble, ensure that the fresnel is on the correct side of the ground glass

The Osaka lenses are 4 element 3 group Tessar type lenses. These are excellent lenses but they have limited coverage. In reviewing the spec sheet on Bromwell's web site, the 500mm tele-tessar lens would barely cover the 4 x 5 diagonal. If you can live with reduced coverage (limits tilts and swings), then these are a good deal. Also an excellent option for those on a limited budget. Congo lenses are of similar construction and performance, but I don;t believe they have a U.S. distributor

International Micro Tools in Vacaville California has 9" x 11" leatherette for $10 per sheet. I don't know if they have "Linhof Grey" though. Check out their website at www.micro-tools.com

The only drawback I've heard about in using the Calumet C2 type roll holder is that if film sits in it for an extended period, it will develop a curl in the unexposed section of film. When this section is wound to the film gate it, doesn't lie as flat as it should. I don't know if depth of field can overcome the problem or not. Myself, I use a Horseman 6x9 rollfilm back, and have had no problems with it whatsoever.

The article in View Camera Magazine is in the Nov/Dec 1996 issue beginning on page 48

I have an older lens made by Yamazaki Optical Company, the manufacturer of Congo lenses and have been very happy with it. I have a 180mm f/6.3 in a Seiko SLV shutter.This lens is now an F/6.8 in a Copal 0 shutter. It's approximately 20 years old and I've used it on 6x9, 4x5 and 5x7. All of the Congo Lenses are Tessar formulas, which are still quite good. They lack the covering power of a Nikkor-w or Symmar-s. Myself, I have been looking at the 400mm telephoto lens for 5x7. I would prefer the 500mm, optimized for 4x5, but it's image circle appears to leave no room for movements. If you buy a Congo, I'd like to hear from you.

Check out Jon Grepstadt's site at http://home.sn.no/~gjon/. He has got a fairly comprehensive sit on the design and construction of large format cameras. He' also got some good links too.

The best way of estimating the focal length of a large format lens is to focus on something at "infinity" ~ usually beyond 100 yards. The lens will have a "back focus" dimension approximately the same as the focal length. Measure from the plane of the aperture or shutter blades in the lens (as near as you can determine) to the inner (ground) surface of the ground glass. Most ground glass is approximately 1/16" thick. If the aperture scale is missing, you can measure the diameter of the aperturee at any given point. You will have to remove one of the lens cells to do this. You run the risk of damaging the iris assembly, so be extremely careful. The formula for determining aperture is:

A=Fcoal Length/Aperture diameter

Be sure to keep measuring units the same for both values (ie, millimeter or inches). A normal lens for 5 x 7 is the same as the length of the film diagonal. This is about 8.6" or 218mm.

: I would like to know if the latest ArcaSwiss cameras have any compatabilities with my Basic B 4 x 5 (I've had this for 20 years), such as bag bellows, lensboards, standard frames and monorail sections. The Discover 4 x 5 looks almost like a reincarnation of the old Basic series.

I have tinkered with this camera at the Calumet Store in San Francisco. It seems to be a decent camera. I did notice that it is much stiffer than it appears in advertisements, therefore, less prone to wind shake if used outdoors. It's only real limitation seems to be that it has a limited bellows draw and no interchangeable bellows. If I were getting into large format now, and had a very limited budget, I would consider this camera.

The inverse square law (1/x^2) governs light falloff in wide angle large format lenses. These lenses have a wide enough angle of view that light passing through the edge of the lens travels much further than on-axis light. I have not heard about the Schneider 72XL lens being able to overcome this problem, but I wouldn't trust "salesspeak" unless I personally experienced it (shoot some Polaroid at the store.)

Calumet Photographic stocks Ektachrome EPN (ISO 100) transparency film in 5x7 sheets (10 sheet box). They also sell 5x7 sheet film holders. I have made several photos with my Grandfather's Century 5x7 field camera. They're not 8x10, but quite spectacular ~ Enjoy!! (Calumet's phone # is 800/225-8638)