steve_clark1

Ann,

Hooray for you! Don`t stop having fun... My favorite single element lens was pirated from a 1938 "Hawkeye" which I mounted in a Copal #1 shutter, as I found it sort of inconvenient not to have a shutter that was reliable. Although this is certainly not the sharpest thing that I own, it is quite capable of making beautiful photographs.

Good luck, Steve

Ellis

Which back did your Deardorf have on it? The 1938 that I use only has about an inch and a half of clearance. Thanks,Steve

"Lens" is far too complicated for the English language. Look what it does with difficult words like "go" and "do"...

Hi John!

About a year ago I had the same situation with SM183 { similar head, heavier base } finally decided that since it was within a days drive, that it was easier and faster just to go get it myself. So, off we went and fifteen hours later it arrived in perfect condition, and we arrived in decent condition since two of us shared the driving. At the time, I felt that even a night in a hotel was better than having it shipped and buying it sight unseen. Good luck, Steve

I find that simpler is better. In my case the same two Luna-Pros that I`ve been using for the last twenty five years or so give very repeatable results. Accuracy is meaningless, if it`s not repeatable.

I`m in Michigan also, and interested. Thanks, Steve

I have a 5x7 Saltzman that anyone is welcome to if they`ll just come and get it... I have too many enlargers, the Saltzman is in the way! By the way, it`s not in my basement! I live about an hour from Detroit, Michigan.

Hmm...If things go really well, I`ll be 47 in January. Started with a

borrowed 35mm in 1972. Now that I think about it, all these years of

traveling, and I`ve rarely seen anyone use anything other than 35mm.

In the past I`ve used up to 11x14, but have to say that 5x7 and 6x12

have become my favorites.

Intersting observations that pretty well sum it up for me too... A

little more about this one. It`s a 1938 vintage that was salvaged

from a garage sale a few years back and just now refurbished,

although I did use it with the original bellows for awhile. The

camera had been stored in an unheated garage for 15 years or so and

the wood was in surprisingly good condition although the metal had

corroded badly. As for the restoration, two other men had worked very

hard to put those scars and blemishes on that camera, and I did not

feel right about removing them. So, what I did was "soften" them a

bit and clean the metal as needed. The original finish was left

intact,even the original Deardorff decal remains. After all the

refitting,adjusting and relubing, it is amazing how solid and smooth

those cameras can be. Now to the important part, it is very pleasant

to use and does not get in the way when I am working...

What is it about a Deardorff that gives rise to so many devoted users? As I`ve just finished refurbishing the 5x7 last week, it is once again a FOLDING camera. By the way, for those of you in need, Camera Bellows UK does a nice job on replacement bellows.

Diana, travel light. I have an old Mamiya 6 and would not consider taking it on a long hike, the lens is less than spectacular and its not what I really consider a lightweight. I`ve done a lot of walking, carrying a variety of cameras and generally found that on long walks a good manual focus, mechanical shuttered camera is hard to beat. A 35mm with a very sharp lens might be a better choice.

Chris,

It may not be just fumes,I`ve found that a good set of tongs and thin

rubber gloves have been extremely helpful for limiting chemical

exposure. Be well.

Oops, wrong button. Thanks, Ed. That is what I`ve been trying and for

some reason, I can`t get there from here... Steve

Thanks Ed,

Okay...I have this page again, now I can`t seem to find Ken Houghs Deardorf page, which could come in handy since I have the camera scattered all over the workbench...Thanks, Steve

Armin,

I`m using the same setup, how come it takes you so long?

Just kidding! Steve

Matthew,

Glad you brought up the "rule" of thirds, That one has always baffled

me...Steve

Charles,

I just purchased an adapter ring from Schnieder that allows me to use

lenses with a 39mm thread on the front of a Copal #1. Seems as though

that should do the trick for you. By the way, Schneider is very proud

of those, they are not inexpensive. Steve

Try the Durst service dept. at Jobo, in Ann Arbor, MI. I believe they

handle service on all the small Durst enlargers. I don`t know the

D659, but I`m assuming that it is 4x5 or smaller.

Paul,

Glad you asked that question, I was looking for some of those

myself...

Steve

In order to save valuable darkroom time, I am interested in using a flatbed scanner to scan pages of negatives, {35mm thru 5x7} for proofs and work prints. What will it take to do this without investing a lot of money. The prints need to be good enough to decide if the negative is worth the time in the darkroom.

Thanks,Steve

Armin, Please post your findings, It will be interesting to read what

you discover. Steve

That`s a job for Windex, the foamy stuff in the spray can.

What type of alcohol?

While we`re on the subject, does anyone know what the lens

manufacturers{Rodenstock, Zeiss etc...} use to clean lenses? Bob, are

you out there?