Where to start? Is it too late to start? Beginner seeking advice.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

With a group this weekend in the E. Sierras (Jim Fitzgerald) doing awesome work on Xray film ~ 8X10. Jim had a bunch of his carbon prints. Gorgeous. 8X10 will be around as long as people still want to make contact prints with enough size to have some presence.

And, there's never been a better time, as prices are diminishing because of so many old timer's bailing out.

If you want your work to have "signature" 8X10 is the viable hold out to computer stuff. Explore soft focus. 8X10 and soft focus = brute force.

Jim, thanks for the nice words. I agree with Jim when it comes to 8 x 10. Great for contact prints. If you want to enlarge maybe 4 x 5. How will you show your work?

[tonyowen]

Alan:
So I ended up with a Cambo/Calumet monorail, later model (I'm assuming), without lens boards. I couldn't find any markings on the frame,.

I've a Calumet CC401 (square sectioned) monorail.
If your purchase is the same camera then the lens boards are 4 inch x 4 inch and can be made from wood around 1/8th inch thick.
[The metal ones have a raised ridge (total thickness 1/4 inch) that gives stiffness to the die cast lens board, but the portion that fits into the camera and the portion where the lens fits are both 1/8th thick]

Another thing to consider is that the Calumet cameras were manufactured to imperial sizes (NOT METRIC) so whilst metric is close to some imperial dimensions (ie 3mm & 1/8th inch (you will need imperial allen keys etc etc.

On the same assumption, the serial number on my camera is on top of the swing plate on the front standard that sits on the side-to-side movement plate.
However, the Calumet frames and slides can be assembled either way around, so the serial number (on your camera) could be hidden by the shadows from the bellows.

regards

Tony

[senderoaburrido]

Thanks Alan. That definitely does jive with the fact that my two lenses came with technika boards anyway. I'll save up a few weeks for the adapter board, then.

8x10 is definitely something for the future. I've looked at the prices on the glass, though, and boy is it pricey nonetheless. I'll keep an eye out for deals.

Another thing I've been looking at is slapping a bellows on my Canon digital and using the shorter lenses, just for fun. Though, once again, the bellows is an item that costs trop cher. So many awesome things to ogle, but only so much in funds to leverage. I'd need a second job or some crazy overtime to even think about some of these things. If only my grandfather'd left me an 8x10 instead of a Nikon F1.

[Jody_S]

Another thing I've been looking at is slapping a bellows on my Canon digital and using the shorter lenses, just for fun. Though, once again, the bellows is an item that costs trop cher

You should be able to buy a Chinese EOS-M42 adapter and M42 bellows for less than $50 including shipping, off eBay. Just be patient for the bellows, you will find a deal if you look regularly.