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Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: RoadKingLarry on December 02, 2016, 08:18:56 AM

Title: I have fully embraced the Dark(room) Side!
Post by: RoadKingLarry on December 02, 2016, 08:18:56 AM
"The White Truck of Happiness" brought me this little gem yesterday.

(https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5529/30550606294_ffba04179a_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/NxDQTh)20161201_213317 (https://flic.kr/p/NxDQTh) by lmmiers (https://www.flickr.com/photos/19769480@N08/), on Flickr

 Toyo 45AX 4X5 folding field camera.
Title: Re: I have fully embraced the Dark(room) Side!
Post by: zahc on December 02, 2016, 08:47:53 AM
cool.

Just FYI, you can use cameras in the light too.
Title: Re: I have fully embraced the Dark(room) Side!
Post by: Fly320s on December 02, 2016, 08:54:49 AM
Camera?  I thought it might be an embiggernator.
Title: Re: I have fully embraced the Dark(room) Side!
Post by: zahc on December 02, 2016, 09:03:33 AM
Lack of a good portable 4x5 has held me back a lot when I travel. The smaller 4x5's fit in a camera bag easily, but you still need a tripod. I am looking at the Fuji 645 cameras as a possible portable camera.
Title: Re: I have fully embraced the Dark(room) Side!
Post by: Brad Johnson on December 02, 2016, 10:42:27 AM
Camera?  I thought it might be an embiggernator.

Bellows envy.

Brad
Title: Re: I have fully embraced the Dark(room) Side!
Post by: 230RN on December 02, 2016, 01:22:58 PM
I've always regretted selling my Zeiss Ikon 9 X 12 cm folding bellows camera.  Had a film-pack adaptor, 4 film holders, roll-back adaptor.  I still remember the sound of the shutter set to one second: "Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzchunk."

Sold it with a whole bunch of accessories, tank, change bag, etc.

Have fun with that one, RKL !  That sure seems like a fast lens.  I think the Zeiss only went down to (up to) f3.8...?

Next thing you know, you'll be buying flash powder for big outdoor and architectural shots.

Foomf!

Terry
Title: Re: I have fully embraced the Dark(room) Side!
Post by: RoadKingLarry on December 02, 2016, 02:44:37 PM
Lack of a good portable 4x5 has held me back a lot when I travel. The smaller 4x5's fit in a camera bag easily, but you still need a tripod. I am looking at the Fuji 645 cameras as a possible portable camera.

Have you considered a Speed/Crown Graphic or similar "press" camera?
Title: Re: I have fully embraced the Dark(room) Side!
Post by: lee n. field on December 02, 2016, 02:49:17 PM
cool.  wifey used one of those in a photography class or two she had, back in college days.
Title: Re: I have fully embraced the Dark(room) Side!
Post by: RoadKingLarry on December 02, 2016, 03:02:06 PM
I've always regretted selling my Zeiss Ikon 9 X 12 cm folding bellows camera.  Had a film-pack adaptor, 4 film holders, roll-back adaptor.  I still remember the sound of the shutter set to one second: "Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzchunk."

Sold it with a whole bunch of accessories, tank, change bag, etc.

Have fun with that one, RKL !  That sure seems like a fast lens.  I think the Zeiss only went down to (up to) f3.8...?

Next thing you know, you'll be buying flash powder for big outdoor and architectural shots.

Foomf!

Terry

This one came with 3 Nikor-W lenses in Copal shutters, a 90, 150 and 210. LF lenses aren't usually "fast".
Title: Re: I have fully embraced the Dark(room) Side!
Post by: zahc on December 02, 2016, 05:12:48 PM
Have you considered a Speed/Crown Graphic or similar "press" camera?

I sold my speed graphic. I found it neither fish nor fowl---way bigger and heavier than a medium format camera, but no usable movements and limiting bellows either. I want a Tachihara.
Title: Re: I have fully embraced the Dark(room) Side!
Post by: RoadKingLarry on December 02, 2016, 05:41:45 PM
Those are nice cameras and i considered them but i decided i wanted a metal body. Time and experience may change my opinions but for now this fits what i think i want to do with it.
Title: Re: I have fully embraced the Dark(room) Side!
Post by: 230RN on December 02, 2016, 09:07:55 PM
Ooops.  Misread the 1:5.6.  
Title: Re: I have fully embraced the Dark(room) Side!
Post by: Monkeyleg on December 03, 2016, 11:13:31 AM
For view cameras I had Linhoff and, then later, Horseman. The Linhoffs were beautifully made.

I had that same Nikkor 210. I used that lens more than any other

I miss photography.
Title: Re: I have fully embraced the Dark(room) Side!
Post by: RoadKingLarry on December 03, 2016, 11:37:05 AM
For view cameras I had Linhoff and, then later, Horseman. The Linhoffs were beautifully made.

I had that same Nikkor 210. I used that lens more than any other

I miss photography.

So far I'm very happy with this camera Managed to take two pictures yesterday. Really wanted to get out and take some shots in daylight but the weather isn't wanting to cooperate so I just took some pictures of dead flowers to go through the steps.
I really enjoy the whole process- Load the film holders- set up the camera- set up the shot-take the shot-unload the film and develop.
I watch hours worth of "how to" for handling sheet film, seems much easier to me than what some folks make it out to be.
Maybe tomorrow the stars will align and I can mix up some Dektol and see if I can make a print from a 4x5 negative.

Title: Re: I have fully embraced the Dark(room) Side!
Post by: Fly320s on December 03, 2016, 11:38:01 AM
For view cameras I had Linhoff and, then later, Horseman. The Linhoffs were beautifully made.

I had that same Nikkor 210. I used that lens more than any other

I miss photography.

Sig Sauer in NH is looking for a photographer.
Title: Re: I have fully embraced the Dark(room) Side!
Post by: Monkeyleg on December 03, 2016, 01:49:56 PM
Sig Sauer in NH is looking for a photographer.

That would be a long commute.
Title: Re: I have fully embraced the Dark(room) Side!
Post by: RoadKingLarry on December 03, 2016, 11:24:14 PM
Not a particularly great image but it is my first ever large format picture taken with my new camera.
The subject is a dead and dried up Mothers Day flower arrangement the kids got my wife. I've used it for a test subject several times.

(https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5455/31403896905_8a36d5092d_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PR4bsn)1st4x5print (https://flic.kr/p/PR4bsn) by lmmiers (https://www.flickr.com/photos/19769480@N08/), on Flickr
Title: Re: I have fully embraced the Dark(room) Side!
Post by: 230RN on December 05, 2016, 09:03:09 AM
That ribbon reminded me of the "first" color photograph:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Tartan_Ribbon.jpg

Quote
The first color photograph made by the three-color method suggested by James Clerk Maxwell in 1855, taken in 1861 by Thomas Sutton. The subject is a colored ribbon, usually described as a tartan ribbon.

After I figured out all the details of sheet film, including reloading film holders in a change bag, the only problem I had was trying to cut 4 X 5" sheets into 9 X 12 cm sheets in the darkroom with no safe light.

Discovered that apparently, the friction of cutting them with a cutting board created microscopic sparks which were visible on the developed negative.  Not too bad, but they were there.

Pain in the arse anyhow, since you had to set up the cutting board for one cut, put the film in a safe box, turn on the lights, reset the stop on the cutting board, then repeat for the other edge of the film.

That was when 9 X 12 sheet film was getting scarce as rattlesnake feathers in this country.

I used the rollback adaptor for a while, but it was not like the full-sized sheets at all.  Sort of like driving an eight-cylinder car that was only running on 6 cylinders.

Terry