Another one overexcited LF newcomer - just recieved by brand new Shen-Hao 4x5 !

Alexz · Oct 27, 2005

Hello friends.
Just picked my brand new Shen-Hao 4x5 acquired from Badger. What a wonderful toy ! (hope you excuse me to be overexcited playing with my new toy - my first hands-on experience with LF)
Now need to figure how to install my Fujinon-W 150mm/5.6 lens (got one Copal #0 lens board with the camera).
Too bad had to wait another week for my holders to arrive..., then will have hard time figuring holders loading and how to work with them in conjunction with camera back. (BTW, I was sure Shen-Hao has Graflock revolving back, I was wrong.)

Well...

laz · Oct 27, 2005

Alexz said:
What a wonderful toy ! (hope you excuse me to be overexcited playing with my new toy - my first hands-on experience with LF)

No apology necessary here! Getting a new camera is a drug many here are addicted to! -Bob

Jeremy · Oct 27, 2005

Alexz said:
BTW, I was sure Shen-Hao has Graflock revolving back, I was wrong.

The Shen-Hao has a graflock back and you are right, it doesn't revolve (as in spins), but you can take the back entirely off and change the orientation from landscape to portrait and back again. You have to remove the ground glass spring assembly (which requires making sure the "silver" metal retaining clips aren't in the way, push them back up out of the way, and then you need to push the ground glass on the springs parallel to the back to unseat it--hopefully someone can provide some pictures and better instructions) and then you can slide something else into the graflock back.

Alexz · Oct 27, 2005

Hey Jeremy, nice to hear you once again !
Thanks for the clarification, will have to re-read it once having the camera in my hands.
Your former Fujinon lens will soon be employed...

Jeremy · Oct 27, 2005

Alexz said:
Hey Jeremy, nice to hear you once again !
Thanks for the clarification, will have to re-read it once having the camera in my hands.
Your former Fujinon lens will soon be employed...

Fantastic! I can't wait to hear about all of the adventures and mis-adventures you have in large format. Put that lens to good use!

Alexz · Oct 27, 2005

Yeah, but I guess the sequence will be just opposite: first you will hear about a frustration and mis-advantures, then will hopefully come soem fruits of LF....

Bob F. · Oct 27, 2005

To re-orient the back, there are two catches at the top. Slide them aside and the back removes by lifting up and back and can be rotated. The bottom of the back locates in two fixed metal "hooks".

If the lens has a #0 shutter then you should have no great problems mounting it - a lens spanner makes life easier but some care with a pair of long-nose pliers will do the job...

Cheers, Bob.

Rebekah_Pope · Oct 27, 2005

Alex, I know exactually how you feel as I received by Shen Hao 4x5 on Monday from Badger Graphics. It is beautiful!! I took it to my Open B&W lab class and showed it off. It has been years since I have touched a large format camera, but you guys had inspired me with all of your work using the LF cameras. Now I have to figure out how to use it. LOL I did take some Polaroids with it yesterday, and they turned out pretty cool, even my kids were impressed. I look forward to seeing your work with this camera. Rebekah

jmdavis · Oct 27, 2005

Will the Fujinon 150 fit into a Copal 0. I thought that it was a #1?

But Congratulations. The Shen Hoa was the first new camera that I ever owned. I bought it to supplement a Toyoview G.

Loading the film is easy. There are some good articles on the Large Format homepage: www.largeformatphotography.info

The short version is that if the film short side of the film is pointing to you, you want the notches in the upper right corner. It actually sounds more complicated than it is. That tells you that the film is emulsion side up. From there you grasp the edges of the sheet with your right hand (if right handed) and feel the guide rails of the open film holder with your left. Then you slide it under the rails into the holder, close the flap, and slide in the darkslide. I never remove the darkslides all the way. I always test each holder in the dark to make sure that the flaps are closed.

One of the things that I'm anal about in LF is making sure that my holders and changing tent are clean. I vacuum my holders before I load and then store them in a ziplock bag until I use them.

Mike Davis

Mike Davis

Changeling1 · Oct 27, 2005

Congratulations on you first 4x5! Make sure to get a very strong tripod for it and when your film holders arrive, store them in a large ziplock bag (or similar) and don't let them get dirty in the first place- it'll save you a lot of time and frustration in the darkroom. Ditto for the inside of your Shen- keep dust out of the inside of it and always fold it closed gently and correctly.
But most of all- take a lot of photographs and have fun!

Alexz · Oct 27, 2005

Thank you all, always love to learn new things.
Mike, the Fujinon-W 150mm/5.6 lens comes in Copal #0 shutter, as most regular 150mm LF lenses I'm aware about. The lens is quite small and light - 52mm front size and weights about 250 gr at all.
BTW, your advise about keeping the holders dust free by vacuuming and storing i ziplock bags is soemthing to consider indeed. Will keep it in my mind, thanks.

jmdavis · Oct 27, 2005

Alexz said:
Thank you all, always love to learn new things.
Mike, the Fujinon-W 150mm/5.6 lens comes in Copal #0 shutter, as most regular 150mm LF lenses I'm aware about. The lens is quite small and light - 52mm front size and weights about 250 gr at all.
BTW, your advise about keeping the holders dust free by vacuuming and storing i ziplock bags is soemthing to consider indeed. Will keep it in my mind, thanks.

Well that sounds great then. Have you downloaded th Ebony manual page available online? Since Shen Hoa's, don't come with instructions, it can be handy.

Mike Davis

Alexz · Oct 27, 2005

No Mike, I did not. Should I ?
Is Shen-Hao's operation exactly similar to Ebony 4x5 counterpart ? I wasn't aware about this.
What is their link ? (ebony.com or ebonycamera.com aren't relevant for them)

Jeremy · Oct 27, 2005

Alexz said:
What is their link ? (ebony.com or ebonycamera.com aren't relevant for them)

Not an exact manual, but pretty close:

Dead Link Removed

And there is this one which is in Italian, but the pictures are pretty helpful and it is of an actual Shen-Hao and not an Ebony.

http://www.nadir.it/ob-fot_grande/shenhao-istruzioni/default.htm

jmdavis · Oct 27, 2005

Alex, I will have to find the link. But the instructions are close. One of the tricky things that I noticed at first was in closing you need to push the rear brackets out of the detents. Also, before you shoot, make sure that the bellows is properly attached front and rear, top and bottom. There are sliders that make it easy to change the bellows and its a good idea to check the bellows occasionally to make sure that its seated properly (particularly when its been off).

Mike

jmdavis · Oct 27, 2005

That's the one Jeremy. I had seen the Italian as well but I never printed it. I printed the Ebony version and just stuck it in my camera case.

Mike

Alexz · Oct 27, 2005

Yes, thanks. Downloaded one, will sit against the camera to elarn the basics

Paul Sorensen · Oct 27, 2005

One thing I advise is to make sure that you get a ground glass protector. When the camera is folded one side of it is the ground glass, it would be very easy to scratch or break it, and almost impossible not to get the stray fingerprint on it without a protector. I bought a mess of anti static ziplock bags from staticbags.com and am using them to strore my holders. If you pm me your address I can send you a few as a camera warming gift.

Good luck!

Paul.

Alexz · Oct 27, 2005

Thanks a lot Paul, much appreciation.
Will PM you my shipping address, let me know how much are S&H.

As about the GG protector - intended to order one from Badger togather with teh camera, but forgot. Will have to figure how to obtain one now.

Paul Sorensen · Oct 27, 2005

jmdavis said:
One of the things that I'm anal about in LF is making sure that my holders and changing tent are clean. I vacuum my holders before I load and then store them in a ziplock bag until I use them.

Mike, what kind of vacuum do you use? I have been looking at small electronics vacuums and the like and haven't found something yet, although I am not sure what I am looking for. If anyone else has ideas here, chime in as well. Thanks!

Paul Sorensen · Oct 27, 2005

Paul Sorensen said:
Mike, what kind of vacuum do you use? I have been looking at small electronics vacuums and the like and haven't found something yet, although I am not sure what I am looking for. If anyone else has ideas here, chime in as well. Thanks!

Actually, I think I found it on eBay. What a great resource!

jmdavis · Oct 27, 2005

Paul Sorensen said:
Mike, what kind of vacuum do you use? I have been looking at small electronics vacuums and the like and haven't found something yet, although I am not sure what I am looking for. If anyone else has ideas here, chime in as well. Thanks!

Paul,

I found a compact hand vac with a separate hose and attachments. I only use it for vacuuming holders and the changing tent. I don't remember the brand and it's at work and I'm at home.

I wanted something with enough suction to pull out dust that might be under the film guides. Thus far its worked well for the past year and a half.

Mike

Paul Sorensen · Oct 27, 2005

I am guessing it is not Hello Kitty brand.

If you have a chance in the next few days, I would love to know what brand it is.

Thanks!

jmdavis · Oct 27, 2005

absolutely.

I know that I got it as an open box at Best Buy and it was around $19.

This is the one. It's $29 normally at target.

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.htm...2?_encoding=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B000096JFW

Paul Sorensen · Oct 27, 2005

jmdavis said:
absolutely.

I know that I got it as an open box at Best Buy and it was around $19.

This is the one. It's $29 normally at target.

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.htm...2?_encoding=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B000096JFW

So, that's the deal. I have seen these and figured that they were basically dustbusters that looked a little cooler. I didn't realize that they came with attachments.

Thanks, I am off to Target to see if they have one there.

Paul.

Another one overexcited LF newcomer - just recieved by brand new Shen-Hao 4x5 !

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