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sapata
6-Aug-2009, 11:13
When I first bought my Victorian 4x5 I was hoping to try the collodion process which I love, unfortunately I haven't got space for it at the moment so I had to find a way of trying the camera with a normal process.

I don't know if someone already tried this before but this is how I adapt my dark slide to take a normal 4x5 negative sheet :
http://making-the-noise.blogspot.com/2009/08/4x5-victorian-view-camera.html

and here are the results... I thought I'd have that swirl that we normaly see on the 19th photographs, but maybe is because I haven't used the whole of the area where the plate normaly would be, am I right ?

I'd love to hear feedbacks... thanks all !


1s picture - F11 @ 1sec
2nd picture - F22 @ 4sec

BarryS
6-Aug-2009, 11:43
Mauricio-- It looks like you might have an old half-plate camera. If you're using the lens that came with the camera, it's probably a rapid rectilinear type lens--so you won't see any swirl. A RR lens is usually little softer and lower contrast than modern lens, with a touch of softness in the corners. You'd need to use a 5-6" Petzval lens with a busy background if you want to see swirl on 4x5" film.

sapata
6-Aug-2009, 15:23
I can't find the edit button to change but you're right, this is obvioulsy not a 4x5 camera (otherwise the negative would fit ! :p )

Fred Haeseker
12-Aug-2009, 11:55
Hi Maurice -- I really like both the pictures of the '50s portable phonograph with the period sneaker. I have to confess I still wear sneakers like that. Apparently they're now called "chalkers!"

Mike V
13-Aug-2009, 12:03
I have to agree, I really like the images especially the first one as it has a dreamy 'remember when...' feel to it. Real retro!:)

77seriesiii
13-Aug-2009, 14:02
1/2 plate or whole plate. Whole plate being 8.5x6.5 I think he may have a whole plate. Where's RJ when you need him? I cant tell if you an RR lens but it may say so so on it. If there is any writing on the lens throw it up here and people in the know can tell you what you have. Really cool shots and awesome camera.

this site may help with ideas to for camera plates

http://plate-camera.livejournal.com/

and RJ's new site on whole plate cameras:

http://groups.google.co.uk/group/wholeplate?Whole%20Plate%20Column=

Erick

Edit: I dont know looking at the book mod, it almost appears to be a 5x7. No matter how you slice, cool camera cool shots. have fun shooting and that is a pretty nifty/clean mod. If it is a 5x7 you can get film for it easily as well. if it is whole plate, takes more effort and planning to get film.

r_a_feldman
17-Aug-2009, 09:29
Nice way to adapt your old film holder. It looks like half plate (4.75 x 6.5 inches = 121 x 165mm rounded to whole numbers) to me.

What I did with an old Japanese half plate field camera that I have is make an attachment from scraps of hardwood (ebony and cocobolo) to take modern 4x5 film holders. I will try to take some pictures tonight and post them.

sapata
17-Aug-2009, 15:51
looking foward... !

r_a_feldman
19-Aug-2009, 06:56
Here are images of my half plate to 4x5 adapter and the original book-form holder (left image). It has ears on both sides that match those on the book-form film holder (right image, adapter on top of book-form holder). To use it, I swing the ground glass out of the way and insert the adapter, as I would the book-form holder. I can then slide a 4x5 holder into the adapter. The slats on the back sides of the adapter (third image) act as springs to press the holder against the front of the adapter.

Getting the film plane correct required careful measurement of the original holder and sanding the adapter to have the right thickness on the lens side. I cut the wood on a Dremmel 4" hobby table saw (no longer made). I marked the location of the 4x5 frame onto the ground glass with a fine-tipped marker.

One change I might make is to take a modern 4x5 holder and fit it to hold the ground glass. Inserting the adapter is tricky, and it is easy to move the camera. Inserting and removing 4x5 holders into the adapter is smoother, so I could focus with the adapter in place using the modified 4x5 holder. This would also make framing the picture more precise.

My camera is shown at http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?p=463550&highlight=Okuhara#post463550, near the middle of the page.

Brian Ellis
19-Aug-2009, 07:11
Beautiful camera. The first two images appear to be out of focus, at least on my monitor.

Archphoto
19-Aug-2009, 07:37
Thanks for posting !
It gives me some idea's for my full pate camera's (under restauration)

By the way, if one is looking for a small an precize table saw, look at Proxxon. (http://www.proxxon.com)
I will be buying on of their table saws when I am back in Holland again.

Peter

sapata
23-Aug-2009, 03:18
Here are images of my half plate to 4x5 adapter and the original book-form holder (left image). It has ears on both sides that match those on the book-form film holder (right image, adapter on top of book-form holder). To use it, I swing the ground glass out of the way and insert the adapter, as I would the book-form holder. I can then slide a 4x5 holder into the adapter. The slats on the back sides of the adapter (third image) act as springs to press the holder against the front of the adapter.

Getting the film plane correct required careful measurement of the original holder and sanding the adapter to have the right thickness on the lens side. I cut the wood on a Dremmel 4" hobby table saw (no longer made). I marked the location of the 4x5 frame onto the ground glass with a fine-tipped marker.

One change I might make is to take a modern 4x5 holder and fit it to hold the ground glass. Inserting the adapter is tricky, and it is easy to move the camera. Inserting and removing 4x5 holders into the adapter is smoother, so I could focus with the adapter in place using the modified 4x5 holder. This would also make framing the picture more precise.

My camera is shown at http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?p=463550&highlight=Okuhara#post463550, near the middle of the page.
Very unusual camera ! I'd never seen one of those before... great 4x5 adaptation as well

sapata
23-Aug-2009, 03:22
Beautiful camera. The first two images appear to be out of focus, at least on my monitor.
thanks for the feedback...first image is taken with a larger aperture, the center is sharp but it gets softer towards the edge. second shot looks sharp on my screen at least...