4x5 camera.

With practice you could use a changing bag for processing 8x10s in tubes. This is what I do so that there is no need for a dedicated darkroom and I can work with all the lights on. In addition I only work with contact prints. A spare room with running water and a hook to hang the bulb is all that is necessary (and some trays of course). There are some fantastic deals on process lenses these days, some of which have coverage that is unbelievable. Film holders will be about 30 to 35 bucks in mint condition each.

Knowing what you want and sticking to your guns_as long as they are reasonable_is great. Especially in a forum where people can be mighty convincing with their go straight to 8x10 arguments. believe me, they are convincing too.

Don't let not having room to tray process stand in your way. I have very little room too. The bathroom is a very easy place to black out and if you have a tub you have a place to process. You will get a sore back though. I built some tubes following Donald's method and they work great. They did take practice though. and no more sore back, or hanging out in the dark for a very long time.

If 4x5 is your route then great. There are lot's of ideas and some really cheap ones too. I got a mint busch pressman D for next to nothing. Be careful before you purchase and make sure you know what you want. Nothing worse that movement envy in the field. and do not sell out monorails that can be broken down and packed that way. Yes longer to set up but everything takes longer with large format. When I made my move up I realized quickly that I had to anticipate the light a lot more. No more skidding to a stop, whipping out the camera and firing off a roll in the last few seconds of a South Western sunset.

For lenses I would go to a camera store and try them on a camera they will let you fiddle with. It helped me a great deal when I was deciding what to buy. Older guys in camera stores are very helpful.

No advice will replace actually laying your hands on a camera or looking through different lenses.

Good luck.

One positive thing about 4x5 is that it's still reasonably affordable and practical to use Polaroids, both 4x5 and the smaller pack film, as well as sheet film. To me, that would be a significant advantage for the kinds of things I would like to do with a large format camera. Using Polaroid is also a boon when first getting the hang of this larger equipment.

pierre said:

I think it's hard to argue against any of the points made above about going straight to 8x10, except one: cost. The cost of 8x10 and related paraphernalia seems astronomical. Fine if you can afford it, but perhaps not practical for the average amateur photographer, at least as far as I can tell. 4x5 is much more affordable.

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Perhaps it is me, but the larger I go the less lenses I need. For my 4x5 outfit I have 6 lenses, for the 8x10 3 and for the 12x20 1. 8x10 is not necessarily more expensive, the body might be a little bit more, but you might find you need less lenses and gizmos.

As to processing, you can use tubes, as stated before, or you can use a bathroom and place the trays in the tub, cover any windows with a dark cloth. I did this for years until I was able to afford a dedicated darkroom.

Not to sound ignorant, but where do you buy cloth to do this? Also I would need to do the door as well. After putting up the cloth how to do you test to make sure it is light safe? I have no problems using trays. I would prefer to develop in trays anyway as it sees that is the preferred method.

I just did not realize that you use a cloth or some type.

If this is the case I wouldn't have to use a bag to load my MF onto reels either which I would really like a lot more Just have no clue how to dark out the bathroom with the window and loose fitting door.

I think they sell darkening materials like that in better photo stores. When I used to use my apartment bathroom as a darkroom, I simply used a simple wide tape and some heavy cardboard to seal the window (bathroom window aren't usually very big, and I just taped around the door. Real gaffer's tape can be expensive. A bathroom is actually handy, if you live alone, because there's an exhaust fan in it already.

kevin, i just looked at your site. very, very nice work. loud hawaiian shirts eh? well....you live a lot closer to there than i do.

stores like Joann Fabrics, or any other comprehensive fabric store has lots to choose from. for my dark cloth, which is quite light-tight, we used two (and that's the key to making fabrics light-tight) layers of a high thread count cotton. on sale at the time (not uncommon), the stuff was quite reasonable. such a store is a good place to start in any case.

Hello John,

Thank you very much. I appreciate your feedback. Yeah, I figure the brighter and louder the better! LOL! I will have to go by the store on Monday. This could be very cool. How can you make contact sheets without and enlarger? I would love to be able to get contact sheets of the negatives I shot.

Thanks,

kev

There ar several articles in the Free Articles section of our web site tht might be helpful


www.viewcamera.com



Here are some books that might help

User's Guide to the View Camera by Jim Stone

Large Format Nature Photography by Jack Dykinga

Using the View Camera that I wrote


steve simmons

Kevin I just checked out your site too (the hits are going to be blowing up this week!) I saw your Groveland pic. I love Groveland! Gotta love the ol' Iron door Saloon!

LOL! The Iron Door Saloon. Yeah I just moved up here about a year ago to kinda get started again. I love the area. There are a ton of places to go and I am learnign them. And most of them arent even in Yosemite!!

Man I wish I had my new work on line

If you ever get up this way let me know.

Kev

Hello Steve,

Thanks for the link. Have to head over there now and do some reading. So it is possible then to make contact sheets without the need of an enlarger right? Anyway off to reading.

Thanks,

Kev

kjsphoto said:

LOL! The Iron Door Saloon. Yeah I just moved up here about a year ago to kinda get started again. I love the area. There are a ton of places to go and I am learnign them. And most of them arent even in Yosemite!!

Man I wish I had my new work on line

If you ever get up this way let me know.

Kev

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Will do,

We try to get up there once a year or so. Some friends of ours have a place at Pine Mountain Lake.

Yeah, PML is growing quite a bit and it is expensive especially for being up here. I do not live in PML I am further out which is nice.

I think the best time up here is when is snows also in a few weeks the flowers should be in bloom in the Kennedy Meadows area and the waterfalls are toning down a bit as well so you can start hiking the rivers.

I am planning on taking a trip over the pass a few times in the ext 2 weeks.

Kev