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Thread: Greetings from Norway

  1. #11

    Join Date
    Jul 2016
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    Re: Greetings from Norway

    Hello Thor,

    I bet that LF will fit with your vision. You know, camera movements are integral to LF nature, and this allows for a rich set of aesthetical resources. If you are used to shot film then you start with advantage, just there is some adaptation because in LF it can be suitable to make a custom development for each sheet depending on the scene/exposure, with rolls development has to be more generic...

    Film is not obsolete at all, well, it can be considered obsolete for most commercial photography, but film also has unique capabilities that are amazing. Star Wars 9 is right now being shot in 65mm film. Principal photography began on August 1, 2018, at Pinewood Studios in London, England. Filming is expected to be completed by February 2019... Recently released Mision Impossible: Fallout also was shot in film.

    https://www.slashfilm.com/star-wars-...-shot-on-65mm/

    I think it's easy to guess why a they work with film medium, today, in this 2018 digital world. There are clear technical advantages. And I think that we are not speaking about people that cannot afford best digital movie cameras in the world, in fact the have it, but for this job (SW9) they use those digital marvels for pre-shots, perparing for the real shooting to be done with Flex gear

    IMHO digital is amazing, but film still excels.

    Regards,

    Pere

  2. #12

    Join Date
    May 2018
    Location
    Somewhere between SoCal & Norway
    Posts
    362

    Re: Greetings from Norway

    Thanks for the helpful suggestions. Wista was a name the salesman mentioned repeatedly as a very solid and affordable starter camera, doing some googling I've also seen Toyo, Sinar and many others. I'll have a look at KEH, B&H and here on the classifieds to see what's out there. It does make sense to put the real money into the glass, as the camera (box) itself can always be replaced further down the road.

    In MF I use a slight tele for portraits (110-120mm or so), a wide angle (40mm) and telephoto (150mm). Been thinking about adding a longer tele, but it isn't anything I really need. So for 4x5 a 90mm, 210mm and 300-350mm or so would cover the same stuff? What about macro, is a special lens needed, or do the bellows allow one to do it with any normal lens?

    I'd probably want to start out with regular (i.e. sharp and non-distorted) lenses, adding something for character later (I hear a lot about cookes and petzvals being beautiful for portraiture, but don't know anything about them).

    Are lenses hugely expensive, or are there good deals to be had on quality glass?

    Lastly, and perhaps most importantly at this point, I'm trying to determine whether to start out with 4x5 or 8x10 (5x4 or 10x8 for our British friends).

    Hope this isn't too many questions all at once, or the wrong subforum for this kind of discussion.

    Thanks.

  3. #13
    8x10, 5x7, 4x5, et al Leigh's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Maryland, USA
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    5,454

    Re: Greetings from Norway

    Quote Originally Posted by 6x6TLL View Post
    Are lenses hugely expensive, or are there good deals to be had on quality glass?
    Lastly, and perhaps most importantly at this point, I'm trying to determine whether to start out with 4x5 or 8x10 (5x4 or 10x8 for our British friends).
    Hi Thor,

    Let me address the size question directly.

    The smaller format is generally easier to work with and less expensive. That's important (usually) in a learning environment.

    There's a MASSIVE difference in the number and cost of lenses available for the two formats. You'll find a wide variety of good modern lenses and shutters for 4x5, but very few for 8x10, and those are more expensive. The four "big" lens makers are Schneider, Rodenstock, Nikon, and Fuji.

    I suggest you restrict your shutter selection to Copal. There are other companies, but none are currently being made.

    - Leigh
    If you believe you can, or you believe you can't... you're right.

  4. #14

    Join Date
    May 2018
    Location
    Somewhere between SoCal & Norway
    Posts
    362

    Re: Greetings from Norway

    Hi Leigh, Pere and others who've replied.

    First, thank you all for your encouragement, patience, and suggestions.

    If I'm reading this correctly, I could basically go to KEH, eBay or similar and pick up the cheapest Shen Hao, Chamonix, Wista or similar (I've seen a few as low as a few hundred dollars), then find a few excellent lenses and go have fun. Yes? I have a loupe, a light meter, changing bag, film developing equipment and chemicals (can 4x5 or 8x10 film be developed in a Jobo? I have the ATL1500 with 2500 series tanks and reels).

    And should it turn out to be a fad and something I eventually find out I don't want to pursue, I can recoup the cost on all the gear by reselling it. As long as I don't buy anything new, it shouldn't lose much if any value. If it turns out to be the best thing ever and I spend more and more time working with it, I can always sell my car (lol) to afford the Arca (which I had the opportunity to try out for a day, and was very impressed at the ergonomics, precision, and ease of use. It just seemed to get out of the way and help me focus on getting the shot).

    Starting small (4x5) also makes sense from this perspective, plus the availability of gear, film, and lenses.

    I'll keep lurking and keep asking and see what turns up. I do much prefer the Arca Field monorail design and setup to the folding field cameras (I have a 6x9 Graphlex, don't care for the way it handles at all, and expect most folders are variations on this theme). Sinar seems pretty ubiquitous, did they ever make anything like the light and portable but precise and monorail based F-line that Arca offers?

    Thanks,
    Thor

  5. #15

    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Posts
    4,566

    Re: Greetings from Norway

    Quote Originally Posted by 6x6TLL View Post
    (can 4x5 or 8x10 film be developed in a Jobo? I have the ATL1500 with 2500 series tanks and reels).
    Yes, of course

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    The 2509n allows to develop 4x5 sheets. The 2509n version spiral is better than the 2509 without the "n". http://www.jobo-usa.com/jobo-analog-...nk-system-2500

    For 8x10 there is an expensive JOBO drum, the Jobo Expert Sheet Film Drum. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...Film_Drum.html


    But to start I'd go to something straight, just develop the sheet in a tray. The tray it can be a cheap used paper safe. You deep the sheet (emulsion up) and close the paper safe, then you can open lights, agitate gently...
    when development made, then close lights, move the sheet to another tray with stop bath and then you can open lights after some 15s, after stop you can fix also with lights open, so you'll see the fixer strength. The total fixer time has to be twice the time it took clearing the halide.

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    If you use diluted developer (say xtol 1:1) you will waste little of it in one shot usage with trays.

    Trays are an excellent way to develop small batches, but also it's perhaps the easiest way to start, later you can decide if you want rotary for sheets. If you want controlled agitation then trays are nice.

    _________

    4x5 vs 8x10

    As a newcomer to LF that has made many mistakes, I'd recommend to start with 4x5, it allows to make more tests, and to learn cheaper what kind of glass you want. You have to decide if you want a large circle for architecture, going lightweight to hike for landscape, or if you want portraiture glass. LF has a rich glass culture...

    Here you have a guide for perfect exposures: https://kenrockwell.com/tech/exposure-large-format.htm

    Another advantage in the 4x5 side is that enlargers are not too big, while a 8x10 enlarger is sized like an aircraft carrier.

    4x5" has more resolving power that one may need for any application, 8x10" is an overkill, but 8x10" has a certain look from the longer glass.

    8x10" has another drawback, once you make the mistake of looking through a 810 Ground Glass you may be lost, there is no way back. It generates addiction.

    So I'd recommend to start with 4x5, with a cheap lens close to normal (135 or 150mm), and following a 90mm if you like landscape or a 210mm if you want portraits. It's important to learn what one wants before glass G.A.S. happens

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