My new toy arrived

[Dave Jeffery]

Congrats Laffan!

Get ready to shoot outdoor pictures quickly as an incredible natural lighting situation could happen any day. I remember frantically running around my house gathering all the well spread out camera parts and film when a once a year sunset was about to happen so you might want to have your gear somewhat ready.

There is a sequence of steps needed to shoot with a view camera posted on the home page and that list saved me from losing those incredible sunset shots. There I was shooting the sunset with a camera I new nothing about going through the list step by step and it worked perfectly. Now that I no longer need to use the list the number of shots that get screwed up are increasing : )

Good luck and have fun!

[JDCooper]

Very nice! I love to get a new camera, I just want to run out the door with it and start shooting!

[laffan]

Thanks folks , I never touch LF camera before , I'm just learning , first thing I need to do is installing the lens and the Fuji instant film holder .

[laffan]

I installed the lens perfectly , but I'm bit confused about fitting the film holder and Fuji instant film holder .
do I need to remove the back viewfinder first and attache the holder in place .
Seems I have to set focus on my subject then insert the holder on viewfinder place

is this correct?
Sorry no manuals available

[Frank Petronio]

Don't bother putting film in the fridge unless you are going away for a couple of years. It's not that big a deal for anything under a couple of years or if you live in Death Valley.

Don't store the instant film sideways, keep it flat so the chems don't puddle.

You need more than two film holders to do this thing right ;-) Five to Ten is more like it. Who sold you all that film without mentioning that?

It may be worthwhile to open the cheapest box of film and pull one sheet to sacrifice and practice loading and handling with. Just close the box back the way you opened it -- it's triple boxed and the film is usually in an envelope or package (which can be discarded). One or two pcs of tape is enough to reseal the box, remember you need to get back into it.

Yes you compose, twiddle, and focus on the ground glass, using a loupe to check that you have things perfect. Some people here will spend 15-30 minutes setting up the shot. Don't. It is more like 30 seconds in the real world, don't use movements or fool around for your first shot, just get it to focus on something and keep moving, don't get intimidated or too fussy, it is just a test.

Then you close the lens and set the aperture and speed. Then you insert your film holder and pull the darkslide and make the exposure.

If you use a lab, get an empty film box from them to offload your exposed film so you can transport the film and reload the holder.

The Instant Film back is thicker and may or may not slip into the camera the same way your film holder will. If it is too thick, you need to remove the ground glass assembly by and place the holder onto the back of the camera, using the sliding Graflock tabs to hold it tight. A PITA of certain camera designs. (The Fuji PA-45 single sheet holder should slip in easily, the pack film PA-145 is thicker and may not.)

Have fun!

[laffan]

Thanks Frank , shall I guess the aperture and speed ?

[Bob McCarthy]

laffan,

If you question is that basic, it's time to start with the basics. Get a book on shooting large format and get the fundamentals.

When you mounted the lens to the board was the pin positioned properly or was the pin missing (best way)? Its actually a small screw that keeps the board from rotating.

Anyway books from A Adams or S Symmons will prove very useful. I think I spelled Steve,s name incorrectly.

You have some work to do, but in the end I promise, is the pot of gold. Where do you live, a mentor would help greatly.

bob

[Jack Dahlgren]

Thanks Frank , shall I guess the aperture and speed ?

If you are good at guessing it will work out OK. If you are not, then get a light meter or use another camera with a light meter to take a reading.

Best general aperture will be somewhere around f/22.

I suggest you get a book and start reading. There are many things about large format which would take a lot of time and film to figure out on your own.

[Frank Petronio]

A few minutes with a real photographer will explain more than the entire book ;-)

[stevebrot]

Two books to start with:

• Adams, Ansel; The Camera
• Simmons, Steve; Using The View Camera

The Adams book is comprehensive, has a large section devoted to view cameras, and is usually available at your local library. If they don't have a copy on the shelf, ask them to attempt an inter-library loan. The Simmons book has more about the specifics of view camera use and is particularly good for learning the basics of how the movements work.

You will need a light meter of some sort as well as a inexpensive source of film. For film, I would suggest Arista.EDU Ultra from Freestyle Photo. It is available in both ISO 100 and ISO 400 versions and is a very good value. You will also need several film holders. I usually carry at least six with me in the field. These are often available used at KEH, Adorama, etc. for $10 and up. Price new is $35+ per holder. Be aware that most used holders have suffered a fair amount of abuse and condition may be an issue.

Steve