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No idea- measure the threaded area. It probably won't fit a Copal, but you can have the Compur serviced. I used to have this same lens, borrowed from a folder and transplanted to my old Calumet. It's...

I've also seen fungus that looks like that, and it seems to be the kind with streaks and dots that quickly eats through the coating and into the glass. I'd get it looked at ASAP.

I've made cones for my D3 using two plates epoxied to a section of an oatmeal box. Paint it flat black. IMO, enlargers are so cheap, if you going to put much into this, I'd just go buy another...

I don't buy it. The eye is non-linear. It's entirely reasonable that you'll see a halo, flare, or spill, with the lens wide open, and this has nothing to do with any soft-wide-open problem. You can't...

No idea what standards there are, if any exist. Usually calibration intervals for anything are established by need and history. X-Rite would like you to buy new calibration films every year, but IMO...

Another solution is wall mounting!

I use my tray siphon on a pretty deep restaurant type dish tray. It works fine, but obviously the water level will stabilize up where the outlet holes are. I adjust the flow so the siphon produces a...

Fungus- time is of the essence. You can't kill it with heat, because the lens would be damaged first. You can't kill it with UV because the lens doesn't transmit enough of the right wavelengths to...

I do something very similar when hunting and photographing NGS elevation benchmarks. I use a Magellan 210 because it has a Windows file structure and interfaces via a simple USB cable. It is also...

If the coating is really really bad, it can be removed with the appropriate optical polishing compound, some water, and a cotton ball. This won't affect the glass, and the cosmetics will be greatly...

I don't lose any sleep over it. I have a huge number of interests, and my hobbies tend to rotate on a several year cycle. That way I stay excited about whatever I happen to be focused on at the...

No rocket science here- hold lens and board in left hand with shutter open. Focus a distant object on a piece of paper held in right hand. Note distance between lens and paper. It should be about...

Just a generic warning on GPS units. They're the most wonderful and convienent things in the world, and you should have one. At the same time, never rely on a GPS unit as your sole source of...

It's not that tough, and it doesn't have to be dead on for a temporary test. Hold the lens about two feet away and measure the aperture diameter with a pair of vernier calipers. The elements must be...

The focal lengths around 210 are traditional student and studio lenses. They make learning to use a view camera easier, and are good for isolating studio shots of products and the like. They have...

I remember seeing a Kodak recommendation for hardness to be between two specific values, not too hard, not too soft. IMO, most people have water that's on the hard side, prone to leaving spots. Since...

I don't know the meters, but Gary's explanation sounds right. There are two ways the EV system is used. When tied to ISO100, the EV number represents a specific amount of light. As an example, the...

I make stuff like this pretty often. It's tedious because you really need to make up some plug gages to check the female threads, and some threaded holding fixtures as said above. You'll spend more...

Opinions on blandness aside, the new logo looks weak or out of balance on the right hand side. IMO, there's a huge amount of history and design expertise behind good typefaces, and this one isn't...

Don't know beans about Szarkowski, but if you want to know AA better, read his autobiography, then read "Ansel Adams Letters and Images 1916-1934". IMO, AA wasn't complicated, and his own words and...

Fortunately I have very good tap water, but my dad up in Maine uses a small cartridge type RO unit. It works great, but remember that they waste far more water down the drain, than they produce....

210mm or so has always been the recommended first lens for students starting out with 4x5. It works well in the studio, and has lots of coverage so you can use movements, without it being an...

I don't know if the 4990 is exactly the same as the 4490, but I checked mine with a glass resolution target (several hundred 1951 USAF targets in a 2x2 inch area), tilted at a very slight angle. IMO,...

I can't imagine breaking a 4x5 (knock on wood), but suspect almost anything can be fixed with duck tape (for the bellows and structure) and scotch frosted tape (for the gg). Shutter dies- jam the...

Best way is to find any local machinist to put it in a lathe with a 4-jaw chuck, and bore it. He'll also measure the lens so the hole size is right, and put a small hole in the right spot for the...

A related phenomena is triboluminescense- do a search on that term plus wintogreen (sp?) lifesavers!

IMO, GIGO- garbage in=garbage out. First you have to maximize the info in the negative, and this includes sharpness, halation, edge effects, and grain. The least important thing is probably tonal...

I can't guarantee you won't burn 'em up, but here's what I'd do. They're probably DC. Measure the resistance and use ohms law to pick a voltage that doesn't dissipate more than a watt or two. That...

In high school, around '70-'72, I shot photos for the local real estate agent. I got $5 per 8x10, and that enabled me to pay for whatever film, paper, and chemistry I wanted for my own stuff. I shot...

After you get your gasket material, mat board, thin plastic sheet, or whatever, mount an X-acto knife in a compass. Cut the OD first, then the ID, for a nice neat job. Is the problem by any chance...

I actually got my LF intro from Les Stroebel at RIT back in '73 or so, thus I'm partial to his book. OTOH, it's pretty dry, and the others might be an easier read. IMO, once you understand the...

Adams called it interpreting the negative, and his early and later prints of the same negs can be very different. You also have variable lighting, requiring different density prints. Or, if you don't...

You need to read everything Ctein said about this. It probably isn't possible to color correct a lens out in the UV without messing up some other aspect of the design. The problem only occurs if the...

Haven't had to clean my 4490 yet, but a warning about Invisible Glass. It's great stuff for glass, none better, but never get it on plastics. I believe it will craze polycarbonate- don't get it on...

An off the wall idea- you might be able to rig something up using RC stuff from the hobby shop. A used solenoid, actuator, or whatever they call it, plus a low end control unit, would be good for any...

IMO, Ken offers good advice, though I think he's a bit pessimistic on calibration. Maybe it's luck, but I'm pretty happy using the factory supplied profiles for my monitor and printer, and have no...

Outside of large cities, the supply of b&w is shrinking fast. One hint- find a college. When you find a college, check with the bookstore. Lots of students take photo courses, and their bookstores...

I have both a #25 and a #29, and don't find them wildly and hugely different. I'd get the #25, and if you need an even more dramatic effect, combine it with a polarizer! IMO, an orange filter often...

A few years ago the local historical society held a photo contest that was loads of fun. They gave each entrant an old postcard or photograph from the local area. The assignment was to locate the...

I have to admit to more knowledge of Stieglitz and his personality from various readings, whereas I know the others only by their images. My earlier comment was definitely cynical, but Stieglitz...