Recent content by PonySoldier1887

My first 8x10 as well - back in the sixties - and despite the weight I back-packed that camera all over for many years with never a complaint! Wish I could go back and relive it all. Good luck with the sale Marc. Joel

Sometimes a new cam must be cut... and this is fairly straight-forward as the cam is made from brass and easily worked. Carol Flutot does exceptionally good work with these. Most complaints seem to stem from failing to allow a few seconds for the piston to settle in after setting the time...

I went through the same process not too long ago and I chose to dispose of the 500CM, 80mm f2.8 Planar and 150mm Sonnar with backs and other accessories simply because I have aged and "slowed down" enough that it didn't make sense to keep the Hasselblad knowing how expensive a thorough CLA are...

When Schneider first came out with the 165mm f8 Super Angulon (with its' huge coverage) I was working with 8x10 exclusively and had been using the 165mm f6.8 Angulon for quite a while. I worked hard, saved my Deutschmarks, sold my 165mm Angulon and my 210mm Angulon (both single-coated, hand...

The only two that I still have are the 80mm "Blue Dot" and the 105 DS and I prefer the 80 most of the time. I have owned all of the Mamiya TLR lenses at one time or another and never really cared for any other than the 80 and the 105... not because of performance issues but because I just never...

Looks like the Calumet 400 Series. These were frequently reversed in order to allow use of longer focal length lenses on the Calumet Wide Angle (CC402?)Camera. The same camera did not require a recessed board for 90mm lenses... actually, for someone who works only with wide-angle lenses (in 4x5)...

I see them (infrequently)on eBay and it may be worthwhile to do a search there. Joel

An absolutely magnificent Gentleman who always found the time to answer questions and provide advice (GOO advice, mind you). It has been quite a few years since I last bought anything from Harry but my memories of him are good ones and I hope that I can be as generous with what little knowledge...

Sixty years but that was simply an evolutionary process... changing directions more than anything else. Looking back the changes were small over long periods and I can't really point to a "watershed" event which precipitated major upheavals after realizing (in 1961) that large format was the...

Amen... nice to have a respite from the constant need to comment! Joel

For what it's worth, the most frustrating aspect of this undertaking is locating/acquiring the correct lens, cone and focusing cam! The auxiliary bellows can mitigate the problem but generally they are old and may require bellows replacement. They are robust units and the 'autofocus' feature was...

Mark Hama in Atlanta, Georgia has done great work for me on Mamiya TLR lens CLA. Reasonable prices, pretty quick turn-around. Joel

For me the Schneider Angulons of the early 1960's were the "gold standard" (in 120, 165 and 210mm focal lengths). Lens construction, optical rendering... it just all came together. I was a young soldier, in Germany, using 4x5 and 8x10 and had selected Angulons for their coverage. Used and loved...

After more than sixty years with large format, one of the most useful and versatile cameras I have found is the Wide Angle version of the Calumet 400 Series. No recessed lens board needed for a 90mm and plenty of movements, the camera is (despite being a monorail) relatively compact and...

135mm f5.6 Fujinon W on Wista 45SP. I prefer the older, single-coated lenses for their palette and this version covers 5x7 so I have plenty of coverage in a lens which folds in the camera. Previously I used the 165mm f6.8 Angulon because of the smooth "creamy" tonality and when I stumbled upon...