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Thread: Shooting HABS/HAER Without Instant Polaroid/Fuji

  1. #1
    tg
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    Shooting HABS/HAER Without Instant Polaroid/Fuji

    Hi everyone,

    First time posting here, so bear with me. If this isn't the right forum to post this question let me know.

    I haven't used 4x5 in about 5 years, and I "grew up" using Polaroid. Then I used Fuji when Polaroid bit the dust.

    I have an opportunity to shoot a HABS/HAER job in the next couple of months. It's an old manufacturing plant without electricity, and I'm very comfortable shooting the exteriors without Polaroid, but for the interiors where we're going to have to bring in lighting I'm not quite as sure of myself. I haven't shot large format with just a meter in a looooonnnnnggg time. Does anyone have a source for 4x5 Fuji, or is it possible to convert a medium format Fuji back to fit a 4x5? That would be great, since mf Fuji is still available. And cheap. I know I wouldn't get the full view, but just as a way to check exposure would be great.

    If there is no source for 4x5, and modifying a mf back isn't possible what are my options? I know, get out the old meter, and practice before the the job starts. I plan on doing that, but is anyone out there doing anything different? A friend suggested using my digital (Nikon D3) as my "Polaroid", and practice using the D3 as the meter/Polaroid in different lighting situations. Shoot some film and see if the exposures between digital and film match up.

    Any and all suggestions are welcome.


    Thanks!

  2. #2

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    Re: Shooting Without Instant Polaroid/Fuji

    Get a Fuji PA-145 back or polaroid 405 back (Graflok 4x5) and use it with the 3.25" x 4.25" FP100C film. Both still easily available, should work fine.

  3. #3

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    Re: Shooting Without Instant Polaroid/Fuji

    Rumors that fuji axed fp-100c which won't show tou the whole frame=useless.

    Use a DSLR.

  4. #4
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    Re: Shooting Without Instant Polaroid/Fuji

    3.25" x 4.25" FP-100C has just been discontinued by Fuji, and at least for now pricing and availability are volatile as current users are placing panic orders and sorting out how much they want to try to hoard.

    I'd brush up on metering, and supplement with a digital camera as needed to help in visualizing lighting.

    Note - I've moved and retitled the thread to better reflect its focus.

  5. #5
    Les
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    Re: Shooting HABS/HAER Without Instant Polaroid/Fuji

    D3 might get you part of the way, but you'd have to compensate for bellows or for film's reciprocity.

    Les

  6. #6
    tg
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    Re: Shooting Without Instant Polaroid/Fuji

    Quote Originally Posted by EdSawyer View Post
    Get a Fuji PA-145 back or polaroid 405 back (Graflok 4x5) and use it with the 3.25" x 4.25" FP100C film. Both still easily available, should work fine.

    So, I can use the a PA-145 back on my Horseman or Sinar?

  7. #7
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    Re: Shooting Without Instant Polaroid/Fuji

    Quote Originally Posted by greenetee View Post
    So, I can use the a PA-145 back on my Horseman or Sinar?
    PA-145 won't work on a Sinar. You can mount it, but the darkslide will be obstructed because of the shape of the back. Don't know about Horseman monorails.

  8. #8
    Roger Cole's Avatar
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    Shooting HABS/HAER Without Instant Polaroid/Fuji

    Quote Originally Posted by vinny View Post
    Rumors that fuji axed fp-100c which won't show tou the whole frame=useless.

    Use a DSLR.
    Why is that useless? It's still readily available, albeit with some delay while stores replenish, and you don't need the full frame to verify exposure. He needs it for one job, not ongoing work, so if he can get enough for that job the discontinuation doesn't matter.

  9. #9

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    Re: Shooting HABS/HAER Without Instant Polaroid/Fuji

    Years ago when I was shooting far more demanding Velvia 50 which we had nailed to a 6th of a stop in the Nikon FE2 I used one of these for the Mamiya Universal 6X9 cm. Same film in both cameras, and like i said, the Nikon was like an old pair of shoes. Whatever it said to do, we copied to the Mamiya. Should work as well with a small-ish light field 4X5 like a Chamonix. Not the same as Polaroid which was instant see, but OTOH to get the dripping saturated colors we were after then, the Velvia was very demanding.

    When digital matured (and before) I lost interest in reds that drip off the print onto the floor.

  10. #10
    Tin Can's Avatar
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    Re: Shooting Without Instant Polaroid/Fuji

    Quote Originally Posted by Oren Grad View Post
    PA-145 won't work on a Sinar. You can mount it, but the darkslide will be obstructed because of the shape of the back. Don't know about Horseman monorails.
    Horseman monorails also block, but it is just possible to bend the DS in and out. I didn't like doing it.

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