20x24
I am very interested in shooting 20x24 and make platinum and palledium contact print out of it. I do only 4x5 for the time being and no knowledge in 20x24. I know Chamonix can take order to make 20x24, can anyone share with me some of their experience, like what kind of lens should use and if it is easy to get film etc. I am mostly taking portraits.
Thank you very much in advance for sharing !!
You might want to make some 20x24 Pt/Pd prints first, before you invest in the camera equipment.
You can make a 20x24 digital negative from almost any source, and then try printing that in Pt/Pd.
It will probably be a nice "learning experience".
Last edited by Ken Lee; 23-Jul-2008 at 08:14.
Richard Ritter will make you a 20x24.
Search the forum for the comments Sandy King made about his Ritter 20x24.
And I think Richard's would be lighter, more rigid, and less expensive. Best to call him at 802-365-7807 and at least ask the questions.
You can read about my early experience with my puny Ritter 8x10 by downloading the article at www.circleofthesunproductions.com. Go to Free Downloads.
Many have bought Richard's ULF Owner's Manual for $15 to see if ULF is for them before dropping the big money. Others also have bought it to check out the 8x10, since the design and engineering are similar, and we haven't done an 8x10 video.
Good luck! 20x24! You're a better man than I am!
Last edited by Bruce Barlow; 23-Jul-2008 at 07:17. Reason: Added stuff
Bruce Barlow
author of "Finely Focused" and "Exercises in Photographic Composition"
www.brucewbarlow.com
I've only tried platinum a couple times but I've worked extensively with other alt processes that required coating paper (gum bichromate, vandyke brown, etc.). I'm sure evenly coating 20x24 paper is possible but it sure wouldn't be easy (at least for me), not to mention hugely expensive if/when you make a mistake.
Brian Ellis
Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you do criticize them you'll be
a mile away and you'll have their shoes.
Phew, that is a very expensive proposition for trying out. If you don't do Pt/Pd right now from 4x5's, you better start testing the process. 1 20x24 print cost is like filling your super duty truck twice.
There is a Wisner 20x24 kit on Photo.net's classified's right now.
Or you could buy a new car.
You could get a new 20X24 from Richard Ritter, Canham or Ebony. Lotus would make one also I believe. The RR camera is the lightest and least expensive, in the $6k range, while the others are quite heavy and go for $20k and more. You might be able to find a used Wisner as quite a few of these were made. Holders will cost you an additional $500 or so each, but you only need a couple with this format.
The best buy in a lens would be a process lens (Apo-Artar, Apo-Nkkor, etc.) of about 30" focal length, which would be about normal in angle for the 20X24" format. Old symmetrical lenses like Dagors of 19" and longer would also cover, though these tend to be very expensive. Wide angle lenses that cover the 20X24" format are the most expensive, and that would include the 480mm Protar V, the 600mm Fujinon-A and the 550mm Schneider XXL. You can find a list of vintage lens that cover 20X24 at the following web site. http://www.wisner.com/20x24lens.htm
Film is available, but expensive. TMAX-400 is priced at over $700 for a 25 sheet box by Glazier, and Ilford FP4+ is only a bit less expensive. However, some people have used lith type films in this format with special developing techniques.
Coating paper for pt/pd is a skill that must be learned but it is fairly easy to do so, and coating 20X24 is no more complicated than coating smaller paper. I would recommend a 4" Richeson brush for this. Alternative printers call this the "Magic Brish." I think the consensus among pt./pd. printers is that the Richeson brush works much better than a rod for large prints.
Printing pt./pd. in this size will be quite expensive, but an alternative is to use the kallitype process and tone the prints with palladium or platinum. The end result is virtually the same as a pure pt./pd. print since in toning the silver metal is replaced with the more noble metal so that regardless of whether you print in pt/pd or toned kallitype the final result is a print made up primarily of palladium or platinum metal. Cost is much less, however, as you only use the expensive toner for "keeper" prints.
However, to really take advantage of the unique qualities of a contact print of this size you might also want to consider contact printing with VC silver or POP. These papers will show off the incredible detail of a contact print more than pt/pd because of the fact that the papers used in pt/pd limit actual resolution to less then 10 lines/millimeter whereas the smooth silver papers can convey everything that is in the negative.
Sandy King
Originally Posted by chachahavana
I can't imagine handling, owning, or managing a 20x24. At least with a boat you can sail it around the bay.
Dear All
Thank you very much for sharing with me your experience with 20x24, I know it is a bit of a challenge. Before going into the 8x10, I just wonder why not going to the extreme...thanks again for the advice and I will find out more before investing.
I've often mused about just going crazy someday and going the 20x24 route also; as long as you have to make an effort and start from scratch and learn a ton of new things, it might as well be for something truly unusual, no?
Terrific info. What a great read -- thanks.
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