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Here's another vote for Ilford MGWT.

I don't have much luck with LF and a ball head. Instead, I use a Gitzo G-1171 pan/tilt with a RRS quick release. It's plenty strong enough for a 5 lb. Wista VX and 360mm Nikkor T.

I hang mine in the guest bedroom. It's the price my family and friends pay for a cheap place to stay.

Here's a calculator:

http://tangentsoft.net/fcalc/

Mark,

I think a more descriptive term is, "computer-aided imaging" (CAI). The precidents for this are other fields which make extensive use of computer processing: "computer-aided design" (CAD),...

99% darkroom. 1% digicam for family snapshots.

Since I don't make my living with photography, the "bottom line" end result is not the only consideration for my choice of method. I use the method...

I've used a Wista VX for about 10 years, mostly outdooors. It works well, is reliable, and can be fitted with accessory bellows, boards, rails, etc.

I use an LPL 4550XLG with the VCCE (Variable Contrast Constant Exposure) light source. If you use VC papers, the VCCE or Dichroic (color) light source will be much more convenient than the B&W...

I'll add to the chorus for grain magnifiers.

For determining exposure, I use a Stouffer TX exposure guide, and/or a Jobo Comparator 100 meter.

http://www.stouffer.net/Photo.htm
...

A self-cocking "press" type shutter can save the time it takes to open the aperture for focusing then stop down for exposure (and cock the shutter between shots).

Howard Bond in an excellent teacher and sometimes offers LF workshops in Ann Arbor, MI.

http://www.apogeephoto.com/howard_bond.html

I also use the diffuser-under-the-lens method, without removing the negative.

To me, darkroom work feels like "craft", while computer-aided imaging feels like "engineering".

It seems to me that while many manufacturers would like film photographers to throw away their cameras and jump on the digital merry-go-round -- replacing cameras and printers every couple of years...

Oops...sorry, all they have is material safety info.

http://www.bkaphoto.com/technical_info.asp

I just ordered a year's supply of Ilford film and paper, hoping that others might do the same. Maybe a surge in sales will help convince Ilford, or a prospective buyer, that their products are in...

I have used the "one lens" and "simple camera" tonics. It seems that simplifying the technical can energize the creative. I've gotten so intrigued with the zone plate that my "real" cameras have...

Not only does the large aperture provide a brighter image for focusing, it decreases the depth of field to make changes in focus more apparent.

The lid on my BP1420 appears to be the same construction as the MF1420.

I tried a ZoneMaster with the LPL VCCE light source, and couldn't get it calibrated. (Despite lots of help and excellent service from RH Designs.)

I really liked the idea of the ZoneMaster, but...

In my opinion, Lightware has the best dividers in the industry. They have a rigid core and padded outside, lock in place with velcro, and can be cut to length for a perfect fit. I think Pelican has...

I just installed a Maxwell screen in a Wista VX. It is not as bright in the center as the Wista screen, but is somewhat more evenly illuminated with wide lenses.

A zone plate is much like a pinhole, in that it images by diffraction. Instead of a single opening, the zone plate is a (very small) array of concentric alternating transparent and opaque rings. ...

After 40 years of photography using cameras with high tech glass lenses, I've recently regressed to a zone plate on a Century Graphic, and am having a great time with it.
...

The Lightware dividers are the best in the industry. They are rigid, protective, and fully customizable (cut to fit) and adjustable.

Bill Maxwell can explain the problem, and probably provide a screen optimized for short lenses.

(404)244-0095

When I spoke to Bill, he suggested that his screens are optimized for a particular focal length lens, and performance is (somewhat) compromised with other lenses. Do you know what focal length your...

Outer for 4x5, and inner for 6x9.

I know of one photographer who carries 8x10 holders in a picnic cooler.

My experience has been that I only dream of using a shutter speed faster than 1/ 125 for natural light portraits, and it is not an issue for studio strobes.

YMMV.

I use a 210mm in a Copal Press shutter for 6x7 portraits. The Copal Press shutt er has advantages for portraits: it is self-cocking, opens to maximum aperture for viewing, and can be opened with a...

From a dust control standpoint, it is desirable to maintain a slight positive pr essure in the darkroom. This prevents unfiltered air being drawn into the room through electrical outlets, around the...

Bill Maxwell may be able to provide a screen that performs better than a standar d fresnel. He can optimize the focal length of the fresnel for the focal length of the lens.

Maxwell Precision...

I agree with the premise that there is an essential difference between machine m ade objects, and those made one at a time by hand. I see the difference between digital prints and conventional...

Another consideration may be film availability. Not all emulsions are available in both 120 and 220. I chose 120 holders to have a greater choice of films.

No market for stolen view cameras? Guess the theives should be more informed, before they go to all that trouble just to end up throwing the thing away.

I've strived for technical perfection for many years, but one of my most satisfying images was a grab shot made with a handheld pinhole camera on 35mm film. I don't think "art" either demands or...

Another way to do long exposure test strips is to give the whole strip a basic exposure then add smaller increments. For instance, if I judge the required exposure to be "somewhere around 25...

Wista has a "wide angle" lens board for their metal technical cameras, that allows full access to the shutter and is much more convenient than a recessed board. It must be used with their bag ...