dmr said:ROFL! I am laughing out loud just imagining what I would ever do with one of them!
My friends think I'm totally wacko using a 30yo Canon rangefinder with (>>SHOCK<<) film instead of going digital like all of the other lemmings.
The more I think of this, one place I want to shoot to try this look is at a big annual costume thing in February, and actually, I would not look out of place walking in there carrying a camera that's bigger than a toaster!
I suppose if Jackie K/O could drive one, I could to!
Oh well ... I really don't know what else I would use something like that.
eubielicious said:OK, now I'm going to be awkward. I have seen pictures of Wee Gee, even got an idea of the kind of work he did, but are we going to do this on a specific date, and do we cover a specific subject or does it have to be something vaguely 'journalistic'?
Euan
Schlapp said:.. and can i use glass plates?
Schlapp said:.. and can i use glass plates?
Dave Wooten said:to be a "purist" is ones choice....the idea is "in the street press type format-wee gee era" and use sheet film---
DBP said:I'm pretty sure Jackie used a 2x3 - which is closer to the size of a Dagwood sandwich than a toaster. For that matter, even the 4x5 is smaller than a toaster, closed anyway. Wonder if you could toast bread with a Graflite?
dmr said:Ok, maybe some stupid Weegee questions here ... I'm trying to learn a bit more about what he used, and I admit I'm kind of ignorant about the large format stuff, particularly that used 50 years ago.
What kind of film would Weegee use? (Yeah, B&W, I know {duh}.) Seriously, would it be something like Super-XX? Would it be ortho? I know he did use some infrared, but what would he use for regular shooting? About what ASA/ISO?
And those flash bulbs? I know they were about the size of a small regular light bulb. Does anybody know about how powerful they were in modern terms, like about what guide number at ASA/ISO 100 would something like that have?
Hope these aren't really dumb questions.Thanks in advance.
Kino said:OK, time to brush up on guide numbers and such.
This all reminds me of the time I watched a press photog shooting High School Football for a local rag in Healdton, Oklahoma, fumble around while changing the film in a roll film back on his Crown Graphic. Unplugging the "potato masher" Honeywell Strobonar from his huge 45 volt DC, waist battery pack, he absent-mindedly looked around for a place to deposit the cord, trying briefly to stuff it into his front shirt pocket only to have it pop back out, when he absentmindedly popped the AC-style plug into his mouth to hold it.
Wait for it...
Yes, much jerking and gyration ensued and he went stiff as a board and fell over. When his co-photogs saw what was happening (yes HS football generated press coverage statewide in Oklahoma in the 1960's), a nearby man jerked it out of his mouth and helped him up onto his feet where he stumbled back out to his car, a wet spot rapidly spreading out from the center of his groin.
So, kiddies; the moral of the story is, "if you're gonna shoot with the big stuff, don't go sucking on the wires".
Frank
dmr said:Ok, maybe some stupid Weegee questions here ... I'm trying to learn a bit more about what he used, and I admit I'm kind of ignorant about the large format stuff, particularly that used 50 years ago.
What kind of film would Weegee use? (Yeah, B&W, I know {duh}.) Seriously, would it be something like Super-XX? Would it be ortho? I know he did use some infrared, but what would he use for regular shooting? About what ASA/ISO?
And those flash bulbs? I know they were about the size of a small regular light bulb. Does anybody know about how powerful they were in modern terms, like about what guide number at ASA/ISO 100 would something like that have?
Hope these aren't really dumb questions.Thanks in advance.
eubielicious said:Also does anyone know how he used to focus, or if he tended to use specific shutter speeds/apertures...?
As I recall from his books, Weegee used either Super Pan Press type B, or Super XX. He did most of his flash shots at either 10 feet, or 6 feet. He had memorized the settings for both distances. Of course he basically worked for 3-4 decades and things changed over the years, but the following would be appropriate for the late 40's through mid 50's.
Looking in my old Kodak Master Photoguide from the 50's the following settings would be most likely. According to that handy little book, Super Pan Press was rated ASA 125, and Supper [sic] XX was ASA 100. That gave a #5, or Press 25, clear flashbulb guide number of 220 at 1/50 second for Super Pan Press, and 200 for Super XX,. or f22 at 10 feet and f32 at 6 feet for either of them. You will note that f22 @ 1/50 gives the basic daylight exposure also.
... they tended to use longer exposures and smaller f-stops than is common in 35mm work. One should be able to hand hold a Speed Graphic at 1/25 of a second with a normal (127-200mm) lens no problem, and take a chance at 1/10, or even 1/5, with a good probablity of getting an OK shot especially with a 127 or 135.
eubielicious said:About Graflex flash units, I keep looking on ebay for them, but so many of them aren't being sold as flash units, they've been pulled apart and are being sold to make light sabres for all those Star Wars fans. Can they be put back together, or is there an alternative?
Euan
DBP said:There are plenty of other equivalent flash units besides the Graflite., such as the Kalart.
Dave Wooten said:Wee Gee at times shot in a darkened movie theater using 'red' flash....not sure if he filtered his flash or used ir bulbs?
Maybe some one can shed some light on that.
eubielicious said:Oh, the questions I wanted to ask...
Also does anyone know how he used to focus, or if he tended to use specific shutter speeds/apertures...?
Euan
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