rippo
22-May-2007, 15:46
about three months ago i bought a 'baby' press camera, and moved into the world of sheet film (not counting my homemade 8x10, which i used paper negatives on). i found a Brooks student who was quitting school, and was selling lots of LF camera equipment for cheap. i picked up some of her 4x5 bw film for cheap, thinking i'd chop it down to 2x3 size.
a month later, and i'd bought the cheapest 4x5 camera i could afford. $500 got me a calumet 4x5 (17" monorail...i'm not sure of the model but it's a cambo in disguise) and a 210mm lens. so i contacted this woman again and bought up her remaining color film. she was very inspired by my bootleg DIY approach to photography...i made a lens board out of plywood, used a crappy plastic loupe with one side hacksawed off, a jacket for a darkcloth, a broken (but sturdy) Vivitar video-camera tripod with an ebay head. completely different from her Brooks world i suppose. she said that when she moved in May, whatever she didn't sell she'd give to me. film holders, cable release, whatever was left. she wanted it all gone and to move on.
so yesterday i get the call. she's got some stuff for me. my jaw dropped open and has remained open ever since. she had for me: Toyo-View C 4x5 camera, Manfrotto 3251 tripod, case for the camera, a 210mm Apo-Sironar-N f5.6 lens, 3ft release cable, set of six filters, 5 film holders, dark cloth, flash meter, rodenstock loupe.
she is truly a large-format angel. and i'm finally outclassed by my equipment...which isn't saying much, but is a heady experience.
so...question about my new toyo! it's got a rotating back, right? i took the back off, and it appears as if it might rotate. there's even a lever that seems like the right one, however i can't get the thing to turn. the lever needs a lot of pressure to move it one direction, and not much the other, which makes me think it's a friction release sort of thing. this lever is located about 2/3 along the long dimension of the back, on the side of the spring-back release lever. there's also a button on the corner...what does that do? neither seem to do anything.
also, the rear standard wobbles a bit. the fine-focus block seems a bit loose, and i can wiggle the standard from side to side. the front is less loose...there's a screw on the back right of each block. does that tighten up the silver metal-colored bar that seems to control the friction?
thanks, and sorry for my newbie ignorance and any terminology errors. gotta start somewhere!
a month later, and i'd bought the cheapest 4x5 camera i could afford. $500 got me a calumet 4x5 (17" monorail...i'm not sure of the model but it's a cambo in disguise) and a 210mm lens. so i contacted this woman again and bought up her remaining color film. she was very inspired by my bootleg DIY approach to photography...i made a lens board out of plywood, used a crappy plastic loupe with one side hacksawed off, a jacket for a darkcloth, a broken (but sturdy) Vivitar video-camera tripod with an ebay head. completely different from her Brooks world i suppose. she said that when she moved in May, whatever she didn't sell she'd give to me. film holders, cable release, whatever was left. she wanted it all gone and to move on.
so yesterday i get the call. she's got some stuff for me. my jaw dropped open and has remained open ever since. she had for me: Toyo-View C 4x5 camera, Manfrotto 3251 tripod, case for the camera, a 210mm Apo-Sironar-N f5.6 lens, 3ft release cable, set of six filters, 5 film holders, dark cloth, flash meter, rodenstock loupe.
she is truly a large-format angel. and i'm finally outclassed by my equipment...which isn't saying much, but is a heady experience.
so...question about my new toyo! it's got a rotating back, right? i took the back off, and it appears as if it might rotate. there's even a lever that seems like the right one, however i can't get the thing to turn. the lever needs a lot of pressure to move it one direction, and not much the other, which makes me think it's a friction release sort of thing. this lever is located about 2/3 along the long dimension of the back, on the side of the spring-back release lever. there's also a button on the corner...what does that do? neither seem to do anything.
also, the rear standard wobbles a bit. the fine-focus block seems a bit loose, and i can wiggle the standard from side to side. the front is less loose...there's a screw on the back right of each block. does that tighten up the silver metal-colored bar that seems to control the friction?
thanks, and sorry for my newbie ignorance and any terminology errors. gotta start somewhere!