11x14 experiences - please share yours

[Michael Kadillak]

You are reminding me that I need to get out in the field with my 11x14 as soon as possible.

11X14 "kit" includes Deardorff V11, the ubiquitous Nikkor 450M, modern, multi-coated, a 270mm Computar f9, a 355mm Dagor type Schnieder Symmar, and then some softer imaging things also. Some of the extreme wide angle anastigmats, the cheap, no name you recognize ones from the 1910's, if you poke the aperture out of them so they are unchoked, are quite lovely as wide angle soft focus. They have all the characters of a good soft focus lens, sharp inner core with a nice cloud of coma. I have 8X10, 11X14, and 14X17 like this. The 8X10 is the usual for that era 183mm length and it just covers. If curious, there's some things on my pages done down around Mojave Ca. with these lenses. For sharp wide angle I have the 200mm Cooke VIIb and a 9 1/4" Dallmeyer f6.5 WA I've yet to play with. I use the same Ries combination the OP mentions.

The Deardorff is 1966-ish and came with 5 lovely matching 11X14 Burke and James holders of the same era. I've added a couple of plastic 'medical' ones as well. The 'dorff weighs exactly double what the V8 weighs because everything is exactly twice as big. I had a Wisner 14X17 for a time and it weighed the same as the Deardorff. I love using the Deardorff. It just feels good in your hands. We had a big discussion over at apug about bigger camera working slower. This is the size where I really slow down. You can't be in a hurry with the big 11X14. I can throw the 2D 810 up and have a picture done in 3 - 4 minutes. Not so the Deardorff V11. When it's out, I sort of luxuriate in the process. Level the tripod head perfectly before setting the machine on top. It's a process.

My downfall is it only comes out once a year or so. The contact prints are glorious. Just typing this has me longing. Gonna take the back seat out of the woodie and do a proper road trip this spring. Hopefully. Maybe I'll drive over to Ely and do the Nevada Northern in 1114.

[MAubrey]

I'm looking forward to being able to contribute to this thread as soon as I've had a few 11x14 experiences. Need to finish building though...

[David Lobato]

I bought an Empire State Number 1 with two film holders a few years ago. A couple of years later I added 2 more 11x14 film holders. The lenses are a 360mm Fujinon W, a 760mm Apo-Nikkor in barrel, and a recently acquired 19 inch Red Dot Artar. The RD Artar was intended for 8x10 but this week I happened to mount it on a lens board for the 11X14 in just a few easy minutes. That conveniently filled the gap between the other two lenses and I am anxious to try it out.

No surprise 11x14 film is expensive. My thought on the cost of using the 11x14 is "You gotta be careful where you point that thing!" I have shot several sheets with good results. One ongoing problem is the film won't stay put inside the film holder and has slid out of the holder after I pulled the dark slide. The very first sheet did that, it slid completely out and into the bellows. It was embarrassing in front of my portrait subjects to retrieve the sheet of film from inside the camera. For the flip side of that holder the film only slipped an inch and the portrait was a success besides that glitch. Later, I put small pieces of double sticky cellophane tape on the film holder's septum to hold the sheet film in place. It makes removing an exposed sheet of film difficult though. I would appreciate hearing of other solutions to that problem.

Setting up the camera takes time. This is one other benefit, it's nice to see the lovely image on the big 11x14 ground glass. The Empire State is lighter than my 8x10 Deardorff, but the extra bulk makes it harder to portage more than several yards away.

I examined my first few developed sheets in awe. All that work was worth it. Now I'm motivated to take the camera out in the coming weeks.

[Len Middleton]

No surprise 11x14 film is expensive. My thought on the cost of using the 11x14 is "You gotta be careful where you point that thing!" I have shot several sheets with good results. One ongoing problem is the film won't stay put inside the film holder and has slid out of the holder after I pulled the dark slide. The very first sheet did that, it slid completely out and into the bellows. It was embarrassing in front of my portrait subjects to retrieve the sheet of film from inside the camera. For the flip side of that holder the film only slipped an inch and the portrait was a success besides that glitch. Later, I put small pieces of double sticky cellophane tape on the film holder's septum to hold the sheet film in place. It makes removing an exposed sheet of film difficult though. I would appreciate hearing of other solutions to that problem.

David,

There are a number of threads about using "3M 928 "repositionable" ATG tape" in filmholders to address your issue.

I purchased a roll of the tape for myself and use it successfully with my 8x20 holders. However bear in mind for me, as it is a panoramic format, gravity is tugging on the 8" dimension rather than the 20". dimension. Still a number of other people have tried it.

Good luck and hope that works for you as well,

Len

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Len, I use that tape for my 8 x 20 as well. I've never needed it for either my 11 x 14 or 14 x 17.

[Len Middleton]

Len, I use that tape for my 8 x 20 as well. I've never needed it for either my 11 x 14 or 14 x 17.

Jim,

That is interesting given the large distance supported only by the edges.

I presume it is not a situation of film thickness / stiffness (x-ray versus photo), film holder type / style, or camera position (level versus pointing down)?

Just curious...

Thanks for your insights,

Len

[John Layton]

Hmmm...never had the problem of film sliding out of holders for 11x14. Tri-x in Fidelity holders - some down angled shots although never quite straight down. But as the above example regarded doing portraits...perhaps an assumed vertical orientation would provide less relative holder support - even non existent support across the top of the film, given a tendency to slide downwards away from the film-gate end?

I've never used tape inside any of my holders...and would have some concern about marks on the film base from this.

At any rate, I just received a query about the possibility of my selling my 11x14 holders - but this discussion is getting me excited about this format again, so I think I'll hold off on selling these for now!

Interesting footnote: my earlier 11x14 experience coincided with some beta-testing I was doing for Paul Krot (inventor of Sprint chemistry and teaching at RISD), using his Sprint version of Pyro. When I used a (not recommended) full strength stop bath in line with this - the films actually luminesced (glowed in the dark!) very briefly upon being slid into this stop. But with color of this luminescence being very similar to that of a faint green filter, I'd guessed that the film was safe from this "self exposure."

Sorry that Paul K. had to leave us too early. He was quite brilliant in his field - and always great about sharing information.

[blindpig]

It seems along time ago(maybe 35 years or more)I worked in Western Auto Supply Co.'s photography department and often was called upon to use an 11X14 Deardorff At times only with an 8X10 back but it was always a fun and kind of awesome experience.In the last couple of years dabbleing in alternative photo techniques(mostly shooting in camera paper negatives and now carbon printing),decided I needed an 11X14 camera sooo built one.It's a sliding box design with limited front and back tilts,using a 21" process lens.
Since I'm creeping up on 80 years decided to attach this some what large and cumbersome object to a wheeled contraption which doubles as a camera stand allowing it and me to"get around"LOL!.
If interested you can check out the unit and it's construction on the"f295" forum,"Lens Based Camera Making and Modifying" section,"on the verge camera build" thread.
It's been a blast to build and use and intend to put some "miles" on it this year...
Cheers, Don

[Michael Kadillak]

I have shot my V11 nearly straight down and never once gave the issue of film slipping out of my holders a second thought nor have I ever experienced it. I would think that in order for this to happen the slide would have to adhere to the film in some way and pull it out with it. Don't see how that could happen but you do what you gotta do.

Hmmm...never had the problem of film sliding out of holders for 11x14. Tri-x in Fidelity holders - some down angled shots although never quite straight down. But as the above example regarded doing portraits...perhaps an assumed vertical orientation would provide less relative holder support - even non existent support across the top of the film, given a tendency to slide downwards away from the film-gate end?

I've never used tape inside any of my holders...and would have some concern about marks on the film base from this.

At any rate, I just received a query about the possibility of my selling my 11x14 holders - but this discussion is getting me excited about this format again, so I think I'll hold off on selling these for now!

Interesting footnote: my earlier 11x14 experience coincided with some beta-testing I was doing for Paul Krot (inventor of Sprint chemistry and teaching at RISD), using his Sprint version of Pyro. When I used a (not recommended) full strength stop bath in line with this - the films actually luminesced (glowed in the dark!) very briefly upon being slid into this stop. But with color of this luminescence being very similar to that of a faint green filter, I'd guessed that the film was safe from this "self exposure."

Sorry that Paul K. had to leave us too early. He was quite brilliant in his field - and always great about sharing information.

[angusparker]

Got the larger 14x17 Chamonix brother to your 11x14. It's a beast, barely manageable for one person, better with two. Still the negatives speak for themselves. Now the weather is clearing in San Francisco, I've got to get it out while we still have some billowy clouds and not too much wind. As for lenses, here is my two cents on ones that cover 14x17 and will give you insane amounts of rise and fall with your camera! http://www.angusparkerphoto.com/blog...ndations-14x17

PS. It's great to see so many old lenses being remounted in shutter by Grimes - a wonderful way to bring them back to life.