New to LF and to this forum

[Rafael Garcia]

Well, as an old MF fan it was a matter of time... while looking in eBay for yet another Rolleicord I found a perfectly beautiful and almost mint 5x7 Korona View wood flatbed with the back extension and a 190mm Wollensak Raptar on an Alphax shutter, complete with 2 Fidelity Elite film holders and several Kodak wooden film holders, a wooden Premo film pack adapter and an additional lens board. The seller had used it and the price was right, so I got it. When it came I couldn't believe how beautiful this piece of wooden technology is! I had my wife sew me a focus cloth and am ready to load some sheets this weekend and go shoot something...anything will do! The only rub is that my sheet developing tank is back-ordered at Adorama so I will have to wait to develop/print. I was thinking that to test for light tightness I may load some 5x7 paper into the holders and shoot to make paper negatives, which I could scan and Photoshop into positives, at least until my tank gets here. Has anyone tried this? Would it work?

I know the Korona doesn't have all the movements the modern cameras have, but it seems to be well thought out, with front rise and tilt, back tilt and swing. I plan to use it for landscapes and architectural shots. Is this a good enough camera to start in LF?

[tim atherton]

http://www.google.com/search?as_q=%22paper+negatives%22&num=10&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&lr=&as_ft=i&as_filetype=&as_qdr=all&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&as_occt=any&as_dt=i&as_sitesearch=www.largeformatphotography.info&as_rights=&safe=off

or

http://tinyurl.com/joelt

[Ron Marshall]

Welcome to LF and to the forum. Shooting the paper will work. Don't worry about lack of movements, you won't need much for most landscape work.

[Ralph Barker]

Welcome to the LF Forum, Raphael, and to LF in general.

IMHO, the best "starter" LF camera is whatever catches your eye enough to make the commitment. Thus, your Korona would appear to be perfect in that respect. Over time, your requirements may change and outstrip the capabilities of the Korona. But, fortunately, adding or even switching cameras is not forbidden.

[steve simmons]

Since you ar new to lf may I suggest some reading

User's Guide to the View Camera by Jim Stone

Large Format Nature Photography by Jack Dykinga

Using the View Camera that i wrote.

Check your local library. All/any of these will be a good intro text.

View Camera Technique by Strobel is a good long term reference but not a good beginning text.

There are several articles in the Free Articles section of the View Camera web site and you can check the archives here as well.

steve simmons
www.viewcamera.com

[Capocheny]

Rafael,

Welcome to the club from Vancouver, BC in Canada!

The trick to your first LF camera is to take it out and shoot some images... have fun doing it. Paper instead of film works... as it does in pinhole cameras.

As for your camera... (LOL) don't worry about the restrictive movements for the time being. The folks here will have you shooting 8x10 and larger in NO time flat! :)

Cheers

[Rafael Garcia]

Thanks for the welcome/ advice! Now, several weeks ago I ordered what I thought, from the title and cover, would be a good book. The Amazon price was right, but it was so popular it was back ordered at Amazon. I received shipment notification this AM:

"The following items have been shipped to you by Amazon.com:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Qty Item Price Shipped Subtotal
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Amazon.com items (Sold by Amazon.com, LLC):
1 Using the View Camera $14.63 1 $14.63

Shipped via USPS (estimated arrival date: 31-August-2006). "

I think this is Mr. Simmons' book! I have been reading/printing other articles and reviewing my photography books for info on LF. Thanks for the list, I will look the others up.

[A.C.]

Welcome from another new LF-er, in England.
Just thought I'd second Steve Simmons' book choices - I have both his own book, and the one by Jack Dykinga.
You will gain a wealth of the knowledge that you need from them. Have fun!

[Tony Ilardi]

In addition to Steve Simmon's book, consider Leslie Stroebel's View Camera Technique. Both are in my library. Stroebel's is a much more technical book, but useful in a diffferent way.

[Rafael Garcia]

OK...after many attempts trying to determine the Ilford paper ISO I finally concluded that it was ISO 5, not 500 as the printed information says. Here is a shot, which I reversed using Paint Shop Pro. I forgot paper is orthochromatic...the wheelbarrows are red!

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h285/ragc01/scan0001positive_m.jpg

And the 5x7 Korona View, in action:

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h285/ragc01/Dsc00227m.jpg

[Michael Daily]

I've used and enjoyed the Korona cameras--4x5 only though. If you can get the darkroom dark, doing film in a tray is just like paper, except that you can't see what you are doing until the fix stage is finished. set up the trays like for paper--dev, stop, fix, wash... agitate regularly for the full time or use any one of a bunch of other methods, depending on the developer. Ilford has a nice set of instructions online for times and temps. Enjoy, the camera is fine until you decide to do something it won't. then change something. Don't rush, enjoy the trip.
Michael

[Rafael Garcia]

I've thought about that. What do you use for a timer in total darkness? I guess I could set the buzzer on my enlarger timer, but the thing will make me jump several inches in the air when it goes off! A second timer set for the total development plus fixing time, and started simultaneously might do the trick for fixing... Any better suggestions?

I will think of this tonight, as I just received my film from J&C...

[photographs42]

........... I plan to use it for landscapes and architectural shots. Is this a good enough camera to start in LF?

When the shutter opens, there is nothing between the subject and the film except the glass! If the camera is light tight and can hold the film and lens in place, it could be a shoe box and no one would know the difference. I use a 5x7 Linhof and it is really nice but my negatives are no better than when I used a Bender “kit” camera.

As for a timer, I still use a Gralab 300 I’ve used for 25 years. You should be able to pick one up for around $30.00.

Jerome :cool:

[Rafael Garcia]

Funny...I have a Gralab in my darkroom. I don't know the model and am too lazy to run to the basement now, but it's old and the gears/motor make an awful racket, starting with a low pitch that increases, pulsating, until it gets to the top of the scale, then it grinds and starts over. I always thought it was a bad thing...until I tray-processed my first sheet film last night. The sound is the perfect way to time 15 second intervals (one turn of the hand) for agitation! I would wait out two grinding cycles and rock the trays eight times. The negatives came out perfect!

[photographs42]

Funny...I have a Gralab in my darkroom. I don't know the model and am too lazy to run to the basement now, but it's old and the gears/motor make an awful racket, starting with a low pitch that increases, pulsating, until it gets to the top of the scale, then it grinds and starts over. I always thought it was a bad thing...until I tray-processed my first sheet film last night. The sound is the perfect way to time 15 second intervals (one turn of the hand) for agitation! I would wait out two grinding cycles and rock the trays eight times. The negatives came out perfect!

If the model you have works, use it. The Model 300 is about 10” sq., one rotation is a minute and the hands glow in the dark.
Jerome

[Rafael Garcia]

Mine is 15 secs, and the hands don't glow. I fixed that by buying a cheap digital with second readout and placing it in a "light tunnel" close to the floor. I can step back from my tray table and look at the face without it affecting my trays.

Just returned from a trip to Baton Rouge, LA, where I shot over 28 5x7's. I will post some later. A couple of my wood holders leaked a bit, but overall I am delighted! Now I need to score a good spot meter to help, as my hand-held Gossen is not good for landscape, except if I average.

[Rafael Garcia]

Here are a couple of shots... I noticed problems with vignetting due to extreme rise and light leak streaks due to direct sun hitting old wooden holders (that I need to inspect better and light seal). Also some fingerprints and dust on my hasty contact prints (which I edited mostly out of these scans).

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h285/ragc01/5x7%20Korona%20Photos/scan0001.jpg
Houmas Plantation detail

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h285/ragc01/5x7%20Korona%20Photos/scan0003.jpg
Houmas Plantation

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h285/ragc01/5x7%20Korona%20Photos/scan0006.jpg
Museum of Rural Life, LSU

Any constructive advice is welcome!

[SoCal Dave]

Here are a couple of shots... I noticed problems with vignetting due to extreme rise and light leak streaks due to direct sun hitting old wooden holders (that I need to inspect better and light seal). Also some fingerprints and dust on my hasty contact prints (which I edited mostly out of these scans).

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h285/ragc01/5x7%20Korona%20Photos/scan0001.jpg
Houmas Plantation detail

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h285/ragc01/5x7%20Korona%20Photos/scan0003.jpg
Houmas Plantation

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h285/ragc01/5x7%20Korona%20Photos/scan0006.jpg
Museum of Rural Life, LSU

Any constructive advice is welcome!


Nice, the last pic is quite nice.

[Rafael Garcia]

Thanks!

[Steve Hamley]

Welcome Rafael,

Beautiful camera and nicely done pic. You're on your way.

Steve

[snuck]

Real Beauts Sir Rafael, and yes I am referring to both the camera and the pictures. You are indeed on your way, I found when I was starting out the big thing was to make sure that I was both slow and methodical when setting up and taking my shots. There's too much to screw up. But now that I've been practicing for a bit, it does get better. It seems that you however are a careful person because I certainly don't see anything that might be discouraging in your pictures.

[Rafael Garcia]

I appreciate the encouragement! Now, before ya'all give me too much credit: This is my second try at shooting with this camera. The first try I loaded my sheets emulsion back, and everything was 3 or 4 stops under-exposed! I thought it was my light meter (which had old batteries and was one stop off itself), but read somewhere that loading the emulsion towards the back does this (and it makes a lot of sense, now that I think of it). I was also unaware of the vignetting I have in several shots, as I was not observant enough while composing on my ground glass to notice it - it is the result, in most cases, of extreme rise. Also, while I have a lens hood, the lens itself is big, and I got sun flare in a couple of shots. Live and learn.

On the other hand, there is a shot where I used every movement in my camera in order to stretch the depth-of-field to a picket fence running diagonally in front of my subject, from close left to mid-range right. While I did not succeed in getting the closest pickets in focus, I am pleased that the shot would not have been this sharp with my 35mm or 6x6 equipment. In other words...I am hooked!

LF is exactly what I was wanting to do for years: a more thoughtful way of creating images, where the action of making the image is as gratifying as the result.

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h285/ragc01/5x7%20Korona%20Photos/scan0014.jpg

LSU Museum of Rural Life, Baton Rouge, LA

[Ted Harris]

Nice images Rafael. Good choice of format too, 5x7 is my most used format. One thought, if you decide you are not only hooked on the format but also 150mm becomes you most favored focal length and you find some spare $$ you may want to look for a lens that has a larger image circle. When I found myself shooting more 5x7 than 4x5 I realized that my 150 Apo Symmar wouldn't cut it and traded it for a Rodenstock Apo Sironar W which gives me plenty of room for movements in 5x7.

[Ron Marshall]

The APO Sironar S also has good coverage for 5x7, but not quite as good as the W.