Folmer & Schwing 7x17 Accessories

[photoevangelist]

Great shots of your setup! Love the home-made $15 dark cloth. Very good to know the 7x17 x-ray film fits your S&S holders without needing to be trimmed down to size. Bet you can't wait to shoot some of that Ilford soon....

Some of the holders require a little patience sliding the film in there because the size is just right and no leeway. Others just slide in there fine. Spending the extra money to have new holders made and adjustments from RR for the back are going to save me money in the long run if I can continue to use xray film. I've got 50 sheets of HP5 and ordered only one box of FP4. I'm excited to use the Ilford, but if I can nail the xray film first, I think processing the conventional films will be a breeze. Think I'm going to process this xray in PMK again tomorrow since I got the best results last week. The clouds were beautiful today, I hope I captured them well with the xray film. The clouds can be a problem and thought I'd do my extra exposures with a polarizing filter. It's supposed to work for color, maybe it'll work with xray too. Fingers crossed.

Today was 34 C (93 F), a very hot day, but it was nice and cool under the dark cloth.

[John Powers]

Congratulations on your 7x17. Mine has brought me much joy for the last five years. I read your enthusiasm and hope you have as much fun as I have had.

Some thoughts on your questions:
12 inch f6.8 Dagor is a wonderful wide lens for this format. It is probably my favorite and most used. At f45 -64 there is quite a bit of movement. I have read here to avoid Berlin Dagors for both quality and coverage reasons.

Some other lenses I use and recommend:
250mm Wide Field Ektar. It covers fully at f45 but does not have a lot of movement.
I second the recommendation for 450mm Nikon M f9. Lots of coverage. This is pretty close to a normal lens, by that I mean the diagonal measurement of the film. This would equal 50mm in a 35mm camera.
I like the Fuji 600mm C as the longest lens that will work with my bellows. Be sure you have enough bellows for this before you buy. I shoot a RH Phillips Explorer.

I like stability in a tripod, A100 Ries with a A 250 double tilt head.

I have two camera (bags). The walking around version is a baby jogger with 20 inch wheels and 100 pound shocks. It is an older version from this company. www.babyjogger.com. 6 or 7 film holders go on the rails between the axles. A 12x12 inch cooler bag full of lenses and accessories sits where the baby would be. The camera mounted on the tripod is strapped with bungee cord on top. The tripod spikes go into holes drilled in the footpad, the camera rests on the cooler bag. I am 73 years old and can take this rig two miles out from the car on paths or gravel in fairly flat to rolling hills. No cliff climbing or stairs are possible for me.

My second camera (bag) is a Toyota Highlander. http://www.toyota.com/highlander/#!/Welcome
I can carry the camera and tripod assembled in the back with the jogger folded down beside it. Alternatively I can have the tripod and camera set up on one side in the back and the 8x10 and tripod on the other. The baby jogger can ride on the roof rack.

Good luck and enjoy.

John

[ridax]

I have read here to avoid Berlin Dagors for both quality and coverage reasons.

Never ever confuse the paperweight-quality B&J "Berlin Dagor" fakes (that came from the opposite to Berlin side of the Globe) with REAL C.P. Goerz, Berlin Dagors - which are excellent.

[photoevangelist]

The walking around version is a baby jogger with 20 inch wheels and 100 pound shocks. It is an older version from this company. www.babyjogger.com. 6 or 7 film holders go on the rails between the axles. A 12x12 inch cooler bag full of lenses and accessories sits where the baby would be. The camera mounted on the tripod is strapped with bungee cord on top. The tripod spikes go into holes drilled in the footpad, the camera rests on the cooler bag. I am 73 years old and can take this rig two miles out from the car on paths or gravel in fairly flat to rolling hills. No cliff climbing or stairs are possible for me.
John

I'd love to see a photo of this! Thanks for your tips!

[photoevangelist]

Never ever confuse the paperweight-quality B&J "Berlin Dagor" fakes (that came from the opposite to Berlin side of the Globe) with REAL C.P. Goerz, Berlin Dagors - which are excellent.

I've never thought to research my Dagor version. It says "C.P. Goerz AM. OPT. CO. Dagor 12 IN. F6.8 7699**." I'm guessing that is American Optical? I love this lens on my 5x7, 8x10, and 7x17. It's tied for my favorite lens of all time: the 50mm Summicron. I can't explain why, I just love the images the 50 Summicron and 12" Dagor make.

[Jim Noel]

The dark cloth I use with my 7x17 is 5'x8'. I found that anything smaller than 5x7', like my 4x5' one, would not darken the ground glass adequately.
Jim

[John Powers]

I've never thought to research my Dagor version. It says "C.P. Goerz AM. OPT. CO. Dagor 12 IN. F6.8 7699**." I'm guessing that is American Optical? I love this lens on my 5x7, 8x10, and 7x17. It's tied for my favorite lens of all time: the 50mm Summicron. I can't explain why, I just love the images the 50 Summicron and 12" Dagor make.

People say there is a glow to their images.

[John Powers]

The dark cloth I use with my 7x17 is 5'x8'. I found that anything smaller than 5x7', like my 4x5' one, would not darken the ground glass adequately.
Jim

I use the BTZ version.

[John Powers]

I'd love to see a photo of this! Thanks for your tips!

After Ilford discontinued my favorite Kentmere Fineprint after five years I am just beginning to learn how to shoot digital. I'll post as soon as i learn how it works.