Re: Bought my first LF camera - Sinar Norma
Quote:
Originally Posted by
prestonedavis
...I'm also wondering if I inserted the film holder on the wrong side. Which side does it go in?
If you look at the photos attached to the seller's link in post #1, there are two showing the groundglass (one in portrait orientation and one in landscape orientation). Zooming in on the portrait orientation, you can see that the top of the groundglass frame has several parallel "grooves"; that's the side the film holder goes in. For a landscape composition, the gg frame can be installed with the grooves on either the left side or the right side, but the holder always goes in the side with the grooves. Grasping the grooved edge of the frame, pull the frame away from the camera far enough to enable inserting the holder, then as you insert the holder you'll reach of point of some resistance but if you then slowly relax your grip on the grooved edge the frame will seat itself against the holder (which can then be pushed fully into the camera until it hits a definite stop). To insure the holder is fully inserted, give a little tug on the holder as if to withdraw it and it should not move.
Re: Bought my first LF camera - Sinar Norma
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Jerry Bodine
If you look at the photos attached to the seller's link in post #1, there are two showing the groundglass (one in portrait orientation and one in landscape orientation). Zooming in on the portrait orientation, you can see that the top of the groundglass frame has several parallel "grooves"; that's the side the film holder goes in. For a landscape composition, the gg frame can be installed with the grooves on either the left side or the right side, but the holder always goes in the side with the grooves. Grasping the grooved edge of the frame, pull the frame away from the camera far enough to enable inserting the holder, then as you insert the holder you'll reach of point of some resistance but if you then slowly relax your grip on the grooved edge the frame will seat itself against the holder (which can then be pushed fully into the camera until it hits a definite stop). To insure the holder is fully inserted, give a little tug on the holder as if to withdraw it and it should not move.
Ok, so I did that part right. Thanks!
Re: Bought my first LF camera - Sinar Norma
And I neglected to mention that it's good to make a habit of pinching (with thumb & index finger) the gg frame and rear standard frame together when withdrawing the darkslide from the holder or re-inserting it, as it's possible to briefly open a gap between the holder and the rear standard frame and inadvertently expose the film.
1 Attachment(s)
Re: Bought my first LF camera - Sinar Norma
I burned two more frames this afternoon and developed them. I made sure to leave the shutter closed this time and I used my new batch of fixer.
Everything developed fine except for a couple of defects at the bottom of the from that I'm thinking are being caused by the MOD54. I'll go back and use some different developing methods to confirm.
I have discovered however that my lens' shutter gears are slow in the slower speeds. I contacted the seller and they're suppose to send me a replacement lens.
Here is one of the frames. Absolutely nothing remarkable. Just a photo of a boring bush in our backyard. :)
Attachment 166488
Re: Bought my first LF camera - Sinar Norma
Quote:
Originally Posted by
prestonedavis
I have discovered however that my lens' shutter gears are slow in the slower speeds. I contacted the seller and they're suppose to send me a replacement lens.
Anyway remember that even a brand new shutter had a +/-30% accuracy in the specs, so for marked 1/60 it can fire 1/40 or 1/80. A 50+ years old one may have more. You can make a CLA of the shutter by a repair shop.
Fortunately real speeds should be repetitive, so at the end you have a particular set of speeds that are different from the scale, so you have to do with it, you can fine adjust with diafragm if you know the real. But you should check the real speeds when you can for accurate exposure, with a shutter tester.
Another way is placing a DSLR in the back of the camera in B shutter mode and then firing the view camera shutter. You can aim to a grey wall. The DSLR raw files from the view camera can be compared with the ones taken with the DSLR with a prime lens, so you can have a very good reference.
If you seek accuracy you will be able to work well the toe region of the BW film and to nail E-6 slides. Another way is giving a bit of overexposure as a safety belt. Negative film usually can be more damaged by underexposure than with overexposure, as you know.
Re: Bought my first LF camera - Sinar Norma
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Pere Casals
Anyway remember that even a brand new shutter had a +/-30% accuracy in the specs, so for marked 1/60 it can fire 1/40 or 1/80. A 50+ years old one may have more. You can make a CLA of the shutter by a repair shop.
Fortunately real speeds should be repetitive, so at the end you have a particular set of speeds that are different from the scale, so you have to do with it, you can fine adjust with diafragm if you know the real. But you should check the real speeds when you can for accurate exposure, with a shutter tester.
Another way is placing a DSLR in the back of the camera in B shutter mode and then firing the view camera shutter. You can aim to a grey wall. The DSLR raw files from the view camera can be compared with the ones taken with the DSLR with a prime lens, so you can have a very good reference.
If you seek accuracy you will be able to work well the toe region of the BW film and to nail E-6 slides. Another way is giving a bit of overexposure as a safety belt. Negative film usually can be more damaged by underexposure than with overexposure, as you know.
Thanks for this info Peter. I suppose I should have been more specific when stating the issue with the lens. By "slow" I mean it's malfunctioning. For instance, from speeds of 1/10 on down, the shutter stays open for upwards of 5 seconds, sometimes more.
I'll see what happens with the replacement the seller says they'll send me and go from there.
Re: Bought my first LF camera - Sinar Norma
Quote:
Originally Posted by
prestonedavis
Thanks for this info Peter. I suppose I should have been more specific when stating the issue with the lens. By "slow" I mean it's malfunctioning. For instance, from speeds of 1/10 on down, the shutter stays open for upwards of 5 seconds, sometimes more before.
I'll see what happens with the replacement the seller says they'll send me and go from there.
Of course, for this level of malfunction you should ask for a replacement, one thing is adapting to old gear behaviour, and another one is clear malfunction...
Re: Bought my first LF camera - Sinar Norma
For anyone following this thread I have an update on the malfunctioning lens.
The vendor first came back to me with two options:
1. They would send me a comparable lens and I would send the bad one back
2. I could send them the original lens for repair and they would send it back to me.
I went with option 1. But then the vendor came back and said he had a more modern "Schneider Symmar S MC F/5.6" that he could send me for an additional $85. Still I decided to go with his first offer to send me a comparable lens. However, when he was packing up the lens to send me he noticed that it only went up to a shutter speed of 1/200 (my original lens goes up to 1/400). So he is now going to send me the more modern lens at no additional cost.
I'm not sure what that means in terms of a quality a quality comparison, I'm just happy to get what I hope will be a working lens.
Re: Bought my first LF camera - Sinar Norma
Quote:
Originally Posted by
prestonedavis
...it only went up to a shutter speed of 1/200 (my original lens goes up to 1/400)...
Preston, I think you'll find that you'll rarely need the fastest shutter speeds anyway, and it's not uncommon for them to be out of tolerance on the slow side. BTW, design tolerance standard is shown in this link from a highly regarded CLA service provider on this forum:
http://www.flutotscamerarepair.com/Shutterspeed.htm
Carol has always done well for me.
Re: Bought my first LF camera - Sinar Norma
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Jerry Bodine
Preston, I think you'll find that you'll rarely need the fastest shutter speeds anyway, and it's not uncommon for them to be out of tolerance on the slow side. BTW, design tolerance standard is shown in this link from a highly regarded CLA service provider on this forum:
http://www.flutotscamerarepair.com/Shutterspeed.htm
Carol has always done well for me.
Jerry, you're right. I don't anticipate needing fast shutter speeds. But in the end I just wanted him to send me a lens that worked. It was a snap decision. In the end, when for a second time being presented with the option of taking the newer of the two I went ahead and took the newer.
Thanks for the link. There is so much information out there regarding large format photography and the equipment that goes into it. I read through Using the View Camera the other day and found it to be a good foundation for me. And while I'm not one for photography workshops, I'm thinking about taking 4-class course on LF next month.