What else is needed for 8x10?

[Joseph O'Neil]

Okay, so other than having my head examined...let's get that out of the way first.

I've been shooting 4x5 for ten + years now, and have my darkroom all setup. My "plan" is to use 8x10 for contact printing, so I am not worried about an 8x10 enlarger.
I've got a a camera coming - although it needs a 8x10 back still. I suppose that's important. . Lenses I am good on, right now my G-clarons will cover 8x10 just fine. I have a couple of good tripods that will hold an 8x10 no problem.

I have one single 8x10 film holder , lots of 8x10 trays, lots of chemistry. But I am just thinking, what else am I missing.
ideas?

thanks
joe

[Erik Larsen]

Joe you look set as soon as you get your back. Maybe a larger dark cloth if you don't have one and probably you'll want some more holders and some larger trays to develop in for ease and to lessen surge marks. A contacting printing frame or piece of heavy glass for prints and you look good to go. Have fun with it.
regards
Erik

[keeds]

A strong back?

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Azo/Lodima Fine Art paper and Amidol. Check out Michael and Paula's Azo website for DBI instructions with Pyro and have fun. Contact printing in light you can see in is great. Have fun!

Jim

[Daniel Grenier]

What! You bought a camera with NO back ??? You really need to concentrate on that tid bit first cause depending on the back, it may be a hard thing to find. You will also want to run some basic tests for light leaks once you do get a back. Otherwise, it's like shooting 4x5 but better.

[Drew Bedo]

Hello Joseph,

I use a jogging storler to drag it all around in. Have fun.

[raucousimages]

You might neeed a larger tripod and/or head depending on what you have now.

[John Kasaian]

You'll need larger dark cloth than what you'd typically se on a 4x5. You'll also probably want some more film holders as well.

Perhaps some medication to prevent vertigo? Looking at the big bright gg might make you anxious about "falling in!"

8x10 rocks! Enjoy the adventure

[aduncanson]

Light meter, focusing magnifier, filters, cable release and maybe something I call composing glasses.

With my advancing age I found I could not focus on my 5x7 ground glass at a distance convenient for evaluating a composition overall. My bifocals would work but I get tired of straining my neck backwards to peer through the lower half of my glasses at a ground glass that is level with my head. So I took a 5x7 photo into a drug store and evaluated several sets of reading glasses to find the strength necessary to allow me to see the entire image and very little more. This turned out to be a bit stronger than what I would usually buy for computer work. Now, a couple of years later, my 5x7 composing glasses are about right for me to use with 8x10.

[Ralph Barker]

I went through the same process a few years back, and found that most of the differences with 8x10 fell into the practical/logistics category. That is, size, weight, and the associated issues. My large-ish LowePro backpack was big enough for the camera, but no longer had room for as many accessories, for example. I use a convention give-away nylon briefcase for additional holders, for example. I've only left it at the previous photo site once.

I, too, started with the contact-print only commitment, but that has been tough. I lust after an 8x10 enlarger, but (fortunately) don't have enough room in the darkroom to accommodate one. I use Bob Carnie at Elevator to do enlargements from 8x10 when I want them, since he (thankfully) still has an 8x10 enlarger.