venchka
4-Aug-2009, 10:44
Remember this?
I knew that if I ever touched a real filed camera I would buy it. Sure enough, last Saturday I bought one of Mr. Picker and Mr. Ritter's creations. A spakelly clean, made in Vermont, gold plated hardware Zone VI field camera, 4x5 model. My first two 4x5 cameras were Speed Graphics. I still have the second one. The Zone VI is my first "real" field camera.
For the last week I've been "practicing" with the camera at home. No real photographs yet. A few observations and questions...
Folding is easy enough. Not as quick as the Speed Graphic. Not unpleasant.
Unfolding is just about the same effort as folding.
Here's the rub...
I'm used to cameras having lenses and film planes locked parallel to each other. OK, so a view camera permits movements. I wanted that. I bought a field camera. However, the Zone VI camera doesn't have any way of starting from a square, plumb and parallel condition. The lensboard lacks detents to align with the front uprights. The detents on the rear standard aren't square with the bed. I have to get a level out and fiddle with everything to make the lens & film more or less parallel. Are all field cameras like this?
At the time of purcase, I had a choice between a Nikon Nikkor-W 180mm f/5.6 and a Caltar II-N 210mm f/5.6 lens. I've always had a soft spot for Nikkor optics so I bought the 180, Nikkor-W in a Copal #1 shutter. Checking the shutter on a friend's homemade shutter tester reveals that 1/125 = 1/100, 1/250 = 1/198 and 1/400 = 1/212. Is this within the tolerance of the shutter? Of course I have no way of knowing if the Copal #1 shutter with the Caltar lens was any better.
All in all, I'm glad to have a camera with all the proper movements. Heck, I have to use them before I can take a picture with zero movements. ;) I am wondering if a bit of grey gaffers tape will hide some of the sparkle. :eek: Did Mr. Picker make a camo model????????? :cool:
Ok, enough rambling. I'm going out in the morning with both 4x5 cameras. It should be interesting.
I forgot the picture of the camera.
With very little rhyme and no reason. Flaunting conventional wisdom, "Buy a 150mm lens and use it for a decade. Then pick a second lens." In a year's time I have assembled a 3 lens kit for the 4x5 Zone VI field camera.
I added lens #2 in the Spring. A wee Fujinon-W 125mm 1:5.6 with 46mm filter ring. A keeper for sure.
Today I added a Fujinon-W 250mm 1:6.3 lens. I should have it by the weekend. 67mm filters match the Nikkor-W 180mm and 2 of my Pentax 6x7 lenses.
Now I can use what I have for a decade and then decide on a 4th lens. :D
I knew that if I ever touched a real filed camera I would buy it. Sure enough, last Saturday I bought one of Mr. Picker and Mr. Ritter's creations. A spakelly clean, made in Vermont, gold plated hardware Zone VI field camera, 4x5 model. My first two 4x5 cameras were Speed Graphics. I still have the second one. The Zone VI is my first "real" field camera.
For the last week I've been "practicing" with the camera at home. No real photographs yet. A few observations and questions...
Folding is easy enough. Not as quick as the Speed Graphic. Not unpleasant.
Unfolding is just about the same effort as folding.
Here's the rub...
I'm used to cameras having lenses and film planes locked parallel to each other. OK, so a view camera permits movements. I wanted that. I bought a field camera. However, the Zone VI camera doesn't have any way of starting from a square, plumb and parallel condition. The lensboard lacks detents to align with the front uprights. The detents on the rear standard aren't square with the bed. I have to get a level out and fiddle with everything to make the lens & film more or less parallel. Are all field cameras like this?
At the time of purcase, I had a choice between a Nikon Nikkor-W 180mm f/5.6 and a Caltar II-N 210mm f/5.6 lens. I've always had a soft spot for Nikkor optics so I bought the 180, Nikkor-W in a Copal #1 shutter. Checking the shutter on a friend's homemade shutter tester reveals that 1/125 = 1/100, 1/250 = 1/198 and 1/400 = 1/212. Is this within the tolerance of the shutter? Of course I have no way of knowing if the Copal #1 shutter with the Caltar lens was any better.
All in all, I'm glad to have a camera with all the proper movements. Heck, I have to use them before I can take a picture with zero movements. ;) I am wondering if a bit of grey gaffers tape will hide some of the sparkle. :eek: Did Mr. Picker make a camo model????????? :cool:
Ok, enough rambling. I'm going out in the morning with both 4x5 cameras. It should be interesting.
I forgot the picture of the camera.
With very little rhyme and no reason. Flaunting conventional wisdom, "Buy a 150mm lens and use it for a decade. Then pick a second lens." In a year's time I have assembled a 3 lens kit for the 4x5 Zone VI field camera.
I added lens #2 in the Spring. A wee Fujinon-W 125mm 1:5.6 with 46mm filter ring. A keeper for sure.
Today I added a Fujinon-W 250mm 1:6.3 lens. I should have it by the weekend. 67mm filters match the Nikkor-W 180mm and 2 of my Pentax 6x7 lenses.
Now I can use what I have for a decade and then decide on a 4th lens. :D