Yet another WP question

[Ash]

I'm wondering....

Has anyone dealt with those Russian sellers? There are 18x24cm cameras for sale. Two at the moment but they are fairly frequent on the site I believe.

I'm afraid the cameras may be too heavy for any real field use, but 18x24cm might be a likely candidate for a modified WP back.

Unfortunately I don't have £100 for the camera (or otherwise!) or else I would have bought one to test by now.

[mikec]

if you mean ebay, I have had no problems with those I have used to get glass.

[Ole Tjugen]

The Russian /FSU sellers I've dealt with have all been good.

You might also look for a German 18x24cm plate camera, the originals of which the later FSU-made FK's and FKD's are copies. The build quality is totally different.

[Ash]

Ole, I was wondering about build quality. I fear that stability may be an issue with the extension bed. Not to knock the ruskies, but if 35mm camera 'copies' are anything to go by, I was glad to buy a German 35mm instead ;)

[Ole Tjugen]

Ash, I have three Germans - 13x18 and 24x30cm in the "classic" German "Reisekamera" style, a 18x24 German "Englische type" (folds up with the lensboard inside and GG outside, opposite of the German type), and a russian 30x40cm camera. The smaller FKD's I've seen aren't at all as bad as the big monster, but the Reisekameras are in an entirely different league.

The 24x30cm camera is a beauty - folds up to 8cm thick, can focus both a 30mm lens and a 840mm lens at infinity. And is utterly stable at all extensions. The only thing "wrong" with it is that it needs a new bellows, which I will get from CameraBellows later this year. I won't try making one myself since it needs to be very thin and very precise at the same time to manage that stretch and still allow the camera to fold.

[Ash]

Ole, sounds like my search will continue.

For heritage' sake I'd prefer to buy an English plate camera than any other brand, but we'll have to see what ends up the cheapest option if/when I can afford to think about this format.


If the popularity grows, the price will too - hopefully the cost and availability of film in the size will change as well though.

[Rob_5419]

Ash - I think you're spot on. If you get a European 18x24cm type camera here, you'll be completely alienated from all the parts you need. That bit is okay, but don't support those awful metric tyrannists!!

We is imperial. Inches, not strange peculiar unpronounceables like 'cm'. And be stoic! The long wait you can drain morale, before you find an English whole plate camera, half plates and quarter plate sized temptations come your way.

[Ash]

Rob, I have a half-plate. It has sat unused for a year now due to cos-..... maybe I should stick with 4x5 after all!! :eek:

[Rob_5419]

Rob, I have a half-plate. It has sat unused for a year now due to cos-..... maybe I should stick with 4x5 after all!! :eek:


Lol. Just for that, I'll not send you the film after all ;)

How comes? Isn't it the perfect portrait camera for MJ? The long elegant vertical persuasion of the 6 3/4 inch length adds a panoramic dimension to an otherwise boring rectangle.

I like mine and use it with Kodak plates which I really enjoy. They aren't a lot more work either and they certainly look stunning.

[Ash]

:eek: that's no fair!

I haven't used it simply because it's a very heavy camera, and I'm finding it difficult to afford 4x5 film at the moment, so 5x7 film (the back takes some 5x7 holders I'd bought) is out of my price margin.

I'd LIKE to use it, don't get me wrong!!

[Rob_5419]

Just kidding Ash.

Actually I know a lot of guys have problems with heavy half-plate cameras which were essentially designed for stationary field work (if that category exists!).

I think my avatar probably weighs half of your half-plate camera then.

Wonder if you'll get to impress the class in your new college with your hunk of a half-plate camera ;)

[Ash]

I hope to take in some larger format cameras and wow the class..... of course I'd like to wow them with the images the camera might produce in my hands, rather than the camera itself :)

[Rob_5419]

Yeah - kids. Growing up way too fast these days.

You'd hate my camera club - old geezers with their Leicas. I don't remember seeing any images from the club for ages ;)

[Ash]

Well I guess being 20 I'm not quite a kid anymore :)

I like Leicas, but only because I enjoy using my M2 that I saved and worked to afford. I appreciate it as a tool to help take photo's. As much as it's fun to fondle cameras, the satisfaction comes from seeing the prints!

[Dean Jones]

:eek: that's no fair!

I haven't used it simply because it's a very heavy camera, and I'm finding it difficult to afford 4x5 film at the moment

Ash, you should try this ERA 4x5 sheet film from Isaac Chen...I really like it, especially at ten bucks a box of 25 sheets. Ebay item 110161827765. I use Ilford HC developer for 6 minutes, gently agitated once every minute.

It gets delivered to OZ from China quicker than you can say George W.....And don't worry, he's forty one years older than you and still likes to behave like a kid......

[Ash]

Dean, I think I mention on the Getting Excited post that I'm glad you've provided some good shots with the chinese film, so that I can buy a few boxes rest assured :)

I wonder if Era is sold larger?

[John Ossi]

I wonder if Era is sold larger?[/QUOTE]

I notice on the Shantou ERA film website that one of the sizes offered is 16.5x21.6cm--whole plate.

[Pete Watkins]

Rob,
You're doing well to have some members in your camera club who use film. I'm the only one in the Tamworth club who uses film still and I doubt if more than three of them could even open my field cameras let alone use them. Mention Petzval and they ask "who?". Photoshop worshipers to a man (and woman), they havn't even got the gumption to use any other programme and they claim it's photography.
Pete.

[Rob_5419]

Hi Pete,

Custard's last stand....not sounding good in Staffordshire.

You're probably right though; the local camera clubs are becoming the latest strip joint where oglers eye up the latest Canon digicam and download their raw files And here on the www. paradoxically, large format traditional photographers are using the internet technology to further whole plate photography and the collective spirit of LF photography.

I don't think my local camera club would miss traditional film much - more of a holiday snaps club rather than a highbrow photographic society like the AOP parading the avant garde ;)

Greatt!! Shantou Era film in whole plate too. What speeds does it come in?

[John Ossi]

Greatt!! Shantou Era film in whole plate too. What speeds does it come in?[/QUOTE]

Rob, the website says ISO 100.

[Rob_5419]

Thanks John.

I see this film is getting more press on the internet forums.

http://www.digitaltruth.com/devchart.html

That didn't take long.

Nothing awful (film curling; peeling emulsion, uncoated areas, wrong speed) reported so far...mostly in medium format though.

[Chauncey Walden]

I looked on the ERA site and saw that WP was listed in 12 sheet boxes with 20 boxes to the case. I checked with Isaac Chen and he said that it was a "possible" rather than "stocked" and that to cause it to be made would probably require a 100 case order. In the meanwhile, I have ordered a 25 sheet box of 7x17 from Isaac to cut down to try the film.