Eeeeeet...................... hath....................... arrivethed.

480sparky · Sep 10, 2015

New toy arrived today: a Shen Hao HZX-45 II A.

Complete set-up. Nikkor 150/5.6 on a board, loupe, 3 film holders, 8 sheets of film, glass protector, focus cloth, backpack, the whole 9 yards.

Mint condition.

Dayum......... ain't that purdy?!?!

Sirius Glass · Sep 10, 2015

enjoy!!

gone · Sep 10, 2015

Nice. We have different ideas, and budgets, for toys. Mine is a Holga.

480sparky · Sep 10, 2015

silveror0 said:
Might want to include a sturdy tripod and cable release, then you're good to go. Nice start.

Already have three tripods and a half dozen cable releases. Plus a Starlite. And boatloads of filters. And 50 sheets of film are en route So I'm ready to go.

Next up, a nice 90mm.

Peter Schrager · Sep 10, 2015

HAVE A BALL!!
BEST,PETER

horacekenneth · Sep 10, 2015

looks nice! new or new to you?

jimjm · Sep 10, 2015

Congrats! Have fun with it.

I've been very happy with my TZ45 IIB, which looks very similar to yours. All the movements I've ever needed, but I'd like to get a bag bellows for lenses wider than 90.

The weight is not bad at all, considering some of the remote areas in Death Valley I've carried it around.

Theo Sulphate · Sep 10, 2015

Indeed - that is very nice. Congratulations!

Is that a Copal 0? I'm assuming the shutter and lens were bought separately.

480sparky · Sep 10, 2015

New to me, but still used. Don't know if the shutter (C0) & lens were originally purchased separately or not.

480sparky · Sep 10, 2015

Three film holders are loaded with 6 sheets. Gonna try to take 'er our for a test drive tomorrow evening.

mike c · Sep 10, 2015

On the first test drive do not take the turns too tight and keep your speed down.

gzinsel · Sep 11, 2015

I am very pleased to see you got a 5x4!!! I hope you enjoy your new "thang"! remember, to follow the advice of TIM GUNN "make it work" and "use your editing eye" .

dasBlute · Sep 11, 2015

go get 'em sparky!!!

kenj8246 · Sep 11, 2015

Think you'll enjoy the Shenhao...I know I enjoy using mine. Share us some frames when u can? Have fun.

Kenny

Vaughn · Sep 11, 2015

Congrats!

Those 150s came in a Copal 0 -- makes for great light lenses! Only used a 150mm for years with my 4x5...very versatile! Have fun!!

480sparky · Sep 11, 2015

gzinsel said:
I am very pleased to see you got a 5x4!!! I hope you enjoy your new "thang"! remember, to follow the advice of TIM GUNN "make it work" and "use your editing eye" .

Wait....... what? 5x4? Oh, no no no no no no!. This is 4x5. 5x4 must be some 'metric' thing.

Sirius Glass · Sep 11, 2015

Wait a minute who said anything about 5x4? It is called 4x5 for a reason, get over it. Next they will be adding useless 'u's into it and start calling it 4uX5u while passing oncoming people and cars on the wrong side.

Alabamacoffeebean · Sep 11, 2015

Sexy camera. I've been lusting after a Shen Hao as well. In fact, I have one in the Badger Graphic online shopping cart waiting for me to talk myself in to dropping that kind of cash

paul_c5x4 · Sep 11, 2015

480sparky said:
Wait....... what? 5x4? Oh, no no no no no no!. This is 4x5. 5x4 must be some 'metric' thing.

Noooo.... The Brits shoot in landscape much of the time, so it is correct to say "5x4".

gzinsel · Sep 11, 2015

for the record, I am not a brit, But do enjoy a few of their id·i·o·syn·cra·sies, like 5x4 instead of the American 4x5!@!!

480sparky · Sep 11, 2015

paul_c5x4 said:
Noooo.... The Brits shoot in landscape much of the time, so it is correct to say "5x4".

True, but their landscape orientation is based on the metric system. So it really should be 12.7 x 10.16.

Roger Cole · Sep 12, 2015

480sparky said:
Wait....... what? 5x4? Oh, no no no no no no!. This is 4x5. 5x4 must be some 'metric' thing.

paul_c5x4 said:
Noooo.... The Brits shoot in landscape much of the time, so it is correct to say "5x4".

Either way - cool looking camera. I've always thought they looked classically classy.

First large format camera or not? If so, prepare for a learning curve even if you have read everything you need as you find a seemingly limitless (but in truth they will steadily decline) new and creative ways to screw up a sheet of film. It's a blast though from learning through using to the results.

Of course if you've already been into large format and just bought a new camera, you know all that.

480sparky · Sep 12, 2015

Not my first LF rodeo, happy to say. I did have the pleasure of using one back in the mid 80's on occasion. But this is the first I can call mine. And since I was gifted a Beseler 45 MX a couple years ago and have converted an unused bedroom into a dry darkroom, I was excited to find this gem.

Went out and got 3 images late yesterday afternoon and while I was setting up I was approached by.... get this.... a wedding photography couple! They had never heard of view cameras (or LF or field)! But they did recognize it as a camera, thinking it's like "200 years old!" So I got the pleasure of giving them an elevator speech.

Two boxes of fresh Ilford film (H5 and Delta 100) arrived yesterday, so I'm going to use the remaining 5 sheets of the old Kodak stuff for demo, practice, etc. Already looking for a bag bellows and a 75 - 90mm. And I have a woodworking friend who's volunteering to make a matching tripod! Dang... won't that look sweet!?!?

First quick-n-dirty scan.

I didn't really do much with it other than adjust the levels... it'll take a while to characterize my film+developer choices with the scanner I have, so I didn't spend much time with this image.

Eeeeeet...................... hath....................... arrivethed.

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