First film

[Donald Qualls]

If you can handle loading 4x5 film holders, developing your own B&W film is a piece of cake. I *would* recommend learning with 35 mm or 120, if only because it'll be easier to find equipment designed specifically for those formats and you can very easily find folks who already do those and can help -- OTOH, for $4 you can get food storage containers that will serve nicely as 4x5 trays (or, for about $15 including shipping, you can get a set of real plastic 5x7 trays from U S Plastics); weatherstrip to light seal a bathroom door will cost about another $6, and I made the shield I slip into my bathroom window from a full sheet of black-core foamcore board, some strips of black matt board, and some black masking tape, for a total outlay of about $11. Kitchen measuring cups (suitably marked, of course, to ensure they don't wind up getting used to measure milk or salad oil after they've been used for developer and fixer) make quite passable graduates, and I store my mixed developers in old pickle jars and water bottles (again, suitably marked, and there are never children in my house).

For whatever it's worth, I learned to develop film at summer camp, at age 9, and did my first unsupervised roll the next summer -- from mixing the developer, stop bath, and fixer (Kodak Tri-Chem Packs were discontinued, but I got some at a yard sale along with the developing tank), to improvising a dark enough area to load the film, to processing, leaving me with a roll of beautiful 620 negatives that I then had no way to print, store, or (in 1970) scan... Developing is *so* easy, it's tempting to suggest it's worth learning that before you worry too much about exposure and focus...

[fhovie]

knowing what I know now - if I was starting all over - with a camera that shoots sheet film:
I would limit myself to B&W
I would have film for shooting crap (only one box) - as cheap as possible - just to learn the stupid stuff - like loading film holders and loading Jobo reels ... etc (you have a Jobo reel, right?) .... Psssst - that is the hot tip ---- ok? http://www.bhphotovideo.com
I would have film that I will make art with (why else would you not use a digigizmo?)

The art film is FP4 - or - TRI-X - or both.

TRI-X can suck up 12 stops of dynamic range with the right processing. It can be pushed to ASA6400 (1600 very well) It is a very hard to screw up film.

FP4 makes low contrast scenes snappy and at an enlargement of 30x40 it is still grainless. Like wow! also - with stand processing - you can make 8 stops or more really sing! (rapidly becoming my main sheet film - TRI-X becoming my main roll film)

Unless you have a rich uncle, stick with m o n o c h r o m e.

Besides, all your friends will say, "OOOOOO cool, black and white, I love black and white." and they won't say, "wow man, did you git ur camera at Walmart, like I did?"

Color is for guys that live in Lone Pine, CA (Mt. Whitney area) and have a gallery to sell big prints for tourists. B&W lets you dress in black, with black cowboy boots and wear a red beret. THAT! is a big benefit!

Oh yea, .... If you have the stones to shoot B&W, have the stones to mix your own chemistry. It ain't rocket science - heck, nearly everyone reading my dribble here mixes their own chems. So if ya got fears, git over um! Photoformulary (if they fixed their link) or art craft or something. There are a ton of great recipes on the net - My fav is Pyrocat-P ... either semi-stand or regular processing, it is great stuff. AND CHEAP. ... Did I say CHEAP. yep.

So - do it - or don't do it. But Geeze - a Technika! better just do it. Build a dark room ok? you got a closet? right? man - you must start somewhere. Then someday, you can come out of the closet. - I just did - my kids moved out and I converted a bedroom to a darkroom - no more closet! very cool. OK - now you heard the straight scoop - not politically correct, but until you get an 8x10 camera, it is the best I can give you. And I had the guts to give it to you straight here and now. A real rarity for me.

[Ron Marshall]

You don't even need a darkroom, just get a daylight tank, such as a Combi-plan.

[village idiot]

OK, I see it all clearly now.... I have joined the Support Group From Hell!!!

I come into this forum to inquire as to what film I should use, as I am planning on having my processing done for me, and the assembled LF brain trust instead proceeds to find new and exciting ways for me to remodel my house and spend more money!

Well, as it turns out, the decision will have to be postponed for a while, as my Technika arrived yesterday in pieces.... (See thread in Cameras and camera accessories)

Instead of shooting any film this weekend, I will be starting over in the search for a camera. ( Suggestion to Mods- please upgrade "smilies" to include one getting drunk on tequila, it would have come in handy at the end of this post...)

But seriously, thank you all for your considered and thoughtful input.

[Scott Davis]

for a replacement camera, go call Badger Graphic or View Camera Store and get yourself a Shen-Hao HZX 45 AT II (aka "the Shen Hao"). Terrific little camera, tons of movements, and dirt cheap for a new LF camera. Also, extremely solid and very durable. Spend a few extra $$ and get two add-ons/upgrades - the bag bellows and a Canham ground-glass/fresnel set to replace the factory ground glass. Oh, and have them ship it to you FedEx instead .

[Mike Davis]

for a replacement camera, go call Badger Graphic or View Camera Store and get yourself a Shen-Hao HZX 45 AT II (aka "the Shen Hao"). Terrific little camera, tons of movements, and dirt cheap for a new LF camera. Also, extremely solid and very durable. Spend a few extra $$ and get two add-ons/upgrades - the bag bellows and a Canham ground-glass/fresnel set to replace the factory ground glass. Oh, and have them ship it to you FedEx instead .

I agree with Scott. The Shen-Hoa is a good choice for a 4x5 field camera. I don't know about the Canham Fresnel, but I really like the Satin Snow glass. I also haven't found a need for the Bag bellows at least not with my shortest lens (a 90mm Fuji).

The one flaw in the Shen Hoa is the bellows length. There are workarounds, but you are limited to non-telephoto lenses in the 300mm range. In addition, for Macro, I suggest a 135 rather than a 150 as a normal.

My lens kit for the Shen-Hoa is the Fuji 90mm, a Nikon 135mm, and a Schneider 210mm.


Mike

[Scott Davis]

The Canham Fresnel/glass set is about a whole stop brighter than a Satin Snow - the Satin Snow's are very nice, indeed, but they're not as bright as a fresnel, and there's also about a three month backlog on orders the last I heard.

Yes, you're right about the long lens limitation - but the solution for that is if you need something longer than 300mm, get a true telephoto lens. While the teles don't allow as much movement (reduced image circle, nodal point being not located at the lens' physical center), I found I hardly ever used movements beyond a bit of rise or shift with my 300T Fujinon, so it was not really an issue. You can get by with the 90 on a flat board on the Shen Hao and the standard bellows, but if you want anything wider, and plan to use movements, the bag bellows are a must have. I like them even with my 90, because I'm more likely to use movements with my 90, and the standard bellows binds up when shifting/rising/swinging.

[fhovie]

Man! what a setback! I am so sorry to hear about your camera. .... now ... about redesigning your house ...

[John Berry]

My vote would go for Provia. The color looks more natural for landscapes. Since the exposure tolerance of chrome is a lot tighter than B&W, it will pay dividends when you start B&W. I live in Renton. If you would like to get together sometime let me know and I will PM you contact info.