I've found both to be of highly questionable quality. If you are looking for a tessar type sharp and contrasty lens, Caltar f 6.3 or Commercial Ektar f 6.3. Stop them down a stop and a half and...
Type: Posts; User: Lynn Jones; Keyword(s):
I've found both to be of highly questionable quality. If you are looking for a tessar type sharp and contrasty lens, Caltar f 6.3 or Commercial Ektar f 6.3. Stop them down a stop and a half and...
This information (?) was published in the late 1800's and was ridiculous then. There are 3 practical ways to agitate sheet films, tray process, film hangers, and drum. All can be very good and all...
Yes, make a significant enlargement!
Lynn
Michael,
I was one of the last employees of B&J, the last cameras we assembled were 25 8x10's half of which were grey and the rest were beautifully finished, that would have been in about 1977. We...
Make your choice based on your use. If you work primarily out of the studio I strongly suggest the use of a flat bed view camera commonly (but incorrectly) called a field camera. Be sure to get...
The last film with a straight line was Super XX and that has been gone for decades. All the rest either go belly up or belly down. The best way to test is expose at focus infinity, minus 3 stops...
I have used Kodachrome since the late 1040's as well as Ansco Color. K was sharper, Ansco had better color quality and was user processable. In LF color when I was a Navy medical photographer, we...
The most interesting thing about tessar type lenses is the contrast which is easily the highest of any conventional lens. It has just a bit more astigmatism than some other lenses (which you will...
For several years (from 1967) the German made Caltars were Rodenstock. Some time in the 1970's and thereafter every 2 years, Calumet would get Schneider and Rodenstock to price compete. Calumet did...
EvH, you are correct, the first Symmar S's were traditionally coated although the lens design was a startlingly better lens. The early convertible single coated lenses were awful, so low in contrast...
There was an 8x10 Calumet view camera several years prior to the CI. While it was an excellent camera, it was extremely difficult to make and so the owner/creator, Ken Becker, discontinued it along...
I have several decades of experience with numerous Kodak 203's. They are 4 element all air spaced similar to the the Goerz Artar. They are incredible lenses and I've never seen a bad one. If they...
They have become so unreliable that we no longer recommend the company to our students (and we have lots of them).
Lynn
I've been a photographer longer than most of you have been alive (over 65 years), a camera manufacturer, lens creator, hi tech film processor designer as well as a shooter. The reason some of the...
NO and that is the difference between a "Field Camera" and a "Flat Bed View Camera", something that nobody really knows except those of us who built VC's. A field camera will fold up in it's normal...
Since I have made dye transfers starting back in 1954 (and it is identical with Technicolor, just different formats and 15 or more defferent times in years). Ive been making ink jet prints since...
Better in my experience than the others. Covers 105 degrees 169mm image circle.
Lynn
I've been in the business for 65 years and you guys still amaze with with lenses I've never seen before (that includes 30 countries).
Lynn
For many years I used Na or K Bromide in a salt shaker for that purpose. It worked a heck of a lot better than BZT. Give it a little shake and try it! I don't know if you can get bromides easily...
I've converted several, all of the meter sensors are tremendously more sensitive to long wave lengths the the shorter ones. Virtually all meters have IR cutting filters built in. I would suggest...
The film size according to ASA/ISO is 4" +/- 2/64th" by 5" +/- 2/64th". Regular films are about .007" and thin base is about .0045" thickness. Critical photographers who asked me in my Calumet...
Me either, John,
I worked for Calumet at the factory, East. Div. Mgr., and West. Div Mgr. in the 1960's and early 70's. I recommended a mirror flap it but nobody noticed, at the time I was the only...
I don't know about right now but after WWII, Compurs failed at very high rates, 10% or more in warranty. Most of my heavy experience with LF lenses was 60's, 70's, and 80's. The most reliable...
I've used it for many years in all formats, I shoot it at ASA/ISO 64, usually prefer Rodinal 1:50 or 1:25, occasionally HC110B, or D76.straight or 1:1. I find that I get barely perceptible grain at...
Hi JB, you might wish to consider some excellent quality used lenses and since I was in the LF business for some years (although now "professoring") if you will email me I'll send some information to...
The Symmars shown as "convertible" were very low contrast and not very sharp except as converted where they were pretty good. When the Symmars as Symmar S with conventional coating showed up they...
Its my friend Keith, my answer is all of them, that is why I still have 4 of them. Always great to hear from you.
Lynn
Often, I even cry at super market openings.
Lynn
If you are not talking about thin emulsion-high resolution films, you can't get there from here, Rodinal is a course grain, sharp grain developer designed for the above films.
Lynn
Hi JD,
It will work well with thin emulstion-high resolution films. Rodinal and similar developers are truly course grain developers but the fine result is because of the film itself which is fine...
Hi All,
After years using other developers, I'm returning to Rodinol. Or at least retesting it to see how I like it with Acros.
I used it with T-Max in the past and thought it was a good...
Work with densities, percentages are crazy.
Lynn
The original of this was created by Don Norwood in which he took the original Weston (which was quite large back in 1936. Don was in the motion picture business and it was very complicated to get a...
If you are looking for terrific lenses at very reasonable prices try these tessar types made my Ilex, w/Ilex shutters, Caltar f 6.3, 165, 215, 250, 305, 375, B&J Acutar in same focal lengths but...
Hi Scott,
B&J made the "Big Bertha" super telephotos custom modified for Graflex SLR's, perhaps up until the 1950's. The one in your photo I'm quite sure is not from B&J, their base was quite a bit...
Hi Neil,
I've been using ground glass cameras for over 60 years and have always had the same problem. One suggestion not relating to wind blowing is that you should have a two sided focus cloth,...
Flickr,
You might consider Ansel's pre exposure technique with normal exposure and normal development. This give's 150% to 250% increase in density and detail in Z1 and Z2.
Set your camera...
Fujinon A and AS were 6 element apo lenses covering 252mm or 6.5"x8.5". Very fine lenses which I have personally used.
Lynn
To the best of my recolection, the Optar was made similarly to be the equivalent of the the Ektar and the Raptar. I believe that they were made by Wollensak with the Graflex name on it.
Lynn
A fine pro photographer somewhat older than I, was Glen Fishback (his son is a fine photographer/educator). In his middle years he started a first class photography school in Sacramento, "The...