A proud owner of a C1

Buster6X6 · Feb 10, 2005

My green monster arrived today.After getting over the size of it I was pleasantly suprised it was not that heavy at all.I would say a bit heavier then my Toyo 45.The GG is HUGE.I can see now why people switch to 8x10 or larger.I also noticed the rear rail that back slides on is quite wobbly .Am I going to have to support it somehow?I can see having problems in windy weather.There is also a bellows support on the front of the camera .It is missing.Does someone have a photo or can make a photo of that little piece.If I have a picture I can replicate that piece.I can imagine it is important when you use camera movements.I got my AZO from Michael the other day (thanks Michael),bought some Amidol I had to before we get the shipment from Greg .I need three 11x14 trays yet.I also got a new 4 x stop watch timer, you can set four different times and activate it with one button for tray developing.
Thanks to everyone for providing such good support group.

Greg

Mongo · Feb 10, 2005

Greg-

I'm not sure what part of the C1 you'd like a picture of, but if you can either take a picture of yours and post it or give me a more detailed description of what you want a picture of, I'll be happy to snap one of mine and post it for you.

Regarding the rear rail: My C1 is rock-solid on the tripod regardless of how far the bellows are extended. (I do a lot of close-up work, so I tend to have the bellows racked very far out and would have noticed any shakiness in the camera if there was any there.) When you rack the camera out, are you moving the tripod block back onto the main rails? Make sure that you've got the tripod block near the center of gravity for the camera and you shouldn't have any problems with it being wobbly. Goodness knows my Green Monster won't move in anything short of gale-force winds.

It's a great camera (and you're right, it's not as heavy as a lot of people think it is...it's barely heavier than my Korona Pictorial View wooden 8x10 and it's gobs sturdier with lots more movements). I hope you like yours as much as I like mine.

Konical · Feb 10, 2005

Good Afternoon,

Will your user name now change to Buster8x10?

BradS · Feb 10, 2005

Greg, what kind of timer did you get? and from where? I've been thinking I need something like this.

PS. Nice camera! Plane's not bad either.

mark · Feb 10, 2005

That there is a big camera. have fun with it and post pictures.

Jeffrey A. Steinberg · Feb 10, 2005

Great R/C plane! I am also into R/C plains. Have not mounted a camera (any type) in my plane. Did you build it yourself? Looks great.

Buster6X6 · Feb 10, 2005

Thanks guy's
Mongo this little thingy is just above the lens board I can see out line of it where it stood, and it has a screw hole on the top.I think it was cast item like a gallows with a little spring on the end.And after I read your comment I found out what those two round knobs are on each side of the rails so I can slide the whole camera to balance.Very nice.
Brad
I bought a "Salter" kitchen timer you can record in his memory four different times and also start them all at the same time. With stagerred times each time you finish one process it would ring so you go to the next one when it rings go to the second one and so on. I think this is going to work well.I paid $14.99 on eBay.
Buster is my little Terrier so I might go to "Buster8x10" once I know what I am doing.It is so overwhelming like in a trance.

Greg

Buster6X6 · Feb 10, 2005

Jeffrey
Yes I build it about two years ago it is a 1/4 scale Jungmeister.Great plane.
Thanks

Greg

Ray Bidegain · Feb 10, 2005

Greg:

The thing you are wondering about is a block that the compendium shade is attached to the camera with. Did you get a shade with the camera? if so you are very lucky, they are hard to come by.

Ray Bidegain

jimgalli · Feb 10, 2005

Hey, nice camera! I hated to part with a Deardorff lens board that doesn't look right on that camera anyways but it was all I had. You could paint it flat black. Actually yours is the 14 pound magnesium version which is scarcer than the run of the mill 18 pound normal ones. Great story on Tuan's site about how the Chicago fire dept. walked into the factory one day and were horrified by piles of magnesium everywhere. It's extremely flammable. So they shut them down and wouldn't let them re-open until they had cleaned up the mess and converted to all aluminum production. If the back's wobbly you're doing something wrong. Keep working on it. You'll get it figured out. Don't be afraid to stop that old lens down to f64. You needn't worry about diffraction as much with 8X10 contact prints. That's where it's happiest. Did you notice the discussion on LF Forum about those lenses? Looks like you could put a small brass screw in that area just behind the lens standard if you want to use the hoop on the bellows. Keep us posted on how it's going. Good light to you. Jim

Jon Shiu · Feb 10, 2005

It is just a small screw that goes there. You hook onto it when the bellows is not stretched out too much so that they don't sag. I have also the same green camera.

Ray Bidegain · Feb 10, 2005

Jim:

Am I correct in thinking that deardorff boards fit the c-1 camera.

Ray Bidegain

jimgalli · Feb 10, 2005

Ray Bidegain said:
Jim:

Am I correct in thinking that deardorff boards fit the c-1 camera.

Ray Bidegain

Yes they're interchangeable both ways. You can use the metal Calumet boards on the 'dorff too. Jim

Mongo · Feb 10, 2005

Greg-

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner...my nephew stopped over and we've been talking photography all evening. (It's great to have someone in the family to share my passion with!)

The information you got in this thread is correct. The outline you see on the front of the front standard is from the compendium shade. I don't have one so I have no idea how they actually work...and my camera shows no signs of ever having had one mounted. I know there are pictures on the web that show the shade in place...perhaps on the review page on lfphoto. I think if you use Google to search for Calumet C1 images you'll find it pretty easily.

The small hole behind the back of front standard, at the top, has what appears to be a nail (although I'm sure it's a screw of some sort) in it on my camera; that's to hold the metal ring on the top of the bellows when you're getting bellows sag (generally after you've stretched the camera out and then try to focus with the standards closer together). I'll bet you can find a small nail that will friction-fit into the hole well enough to use. With my C1, I find that if I just fold up the camera for a few hours the bellows don't sag when I open it up again...it's definately a problem after doing macro work, though.

One question for you: Did moving the tripod block backwards help you with the stability of the extension rail? Hopefully the instability you were seeing was just from the camera being unbalanced and isn't a problem with the block in a more central position.

Enjoy your camera...I know my Green Monster is my favorite piece of equipment. (This coming from someone with 3 8x10's, 3 4x5's, and more MF and 35mm equipment than he can keep track of...I'd rather use the C1 than anything else I own.)

Buster6X6 · Feb 10, 2005

Thanks Mongo
I said that I found what those two knobs where on each side of the side rail As soon as I loosened them up and moved rail forward it was OK.It will take some time for me to get acquainted.I will post some pictures soon!Once I figure out how I will develop this size film.
Greg

Robert Brummitt · Feb 11, 2005

The C1 is a great workhorse. That was the camera that changed everything for me. Mine was used for copy work at a lab. It had a broken bellows but worked like a charm when fixed.
I hope you plenty of images to be found in your GG.

noseoil · Feb 11, 2005

Greg, you might consider using the development tubes Mike Pry found. J&C is selling them now and they make developing 8x10 much easier. Most of it is done in the light.

Which film & developer are you planning on starting with? tim

P.S. "Welcome to the real world." - Morphius

Buster6X6 · Feb 11, 2005

I bought 50 sheets of J&C 100 for now I will order Efke PL100 later when I can afford it.Even though I find the emulsion very sensitive to damage in 4x5 ,8x10 is much more flimsier and curls up ,so I have to see and experience it my self. Or I order Cirkut film and build a cutter.

Greg

Jon Shiu · Feb 12, 2005

Also, this camera needs a really big tripod platform to be steady. If you look closely, the center area of the tripod base is very small and raised. So the tripod top plate should be at least 4.5 x 6 in. for good stability.

noseoil · Feb 12, 2005

The film tubes J&C has will make scratches a thing of the past. 8x10 will roll up into the tube and then no handling is needed until the film is done. I use a sheet of fiberglass window screen as a backing to roll it into before loading, makes removal and circulation of fluids behind the film more even. Films come out with very even development and a minimum of fuss.

Pyrocat works well with azo, as the highlight stain is correct for uv light. It is cheap, convenient and very easy to use. A kit that does a lot is only about $30 from Photographer's Formulary. tim

A proud owner of a C1

Buster6X6

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