For those who shoot 8x10

[luvmydogs]

Do you guys mostly do contact prints only?

 

[matt miller]

I contact print only. I enjoy, immensely, the simplicity of it.

 

[payral]

I just contact print too, Azo and palladium/platinum contact prints

 

[photobum]

I too, contact print only. Azo and Pt./Pd.

 

[Amund]

Contacts only...

 

[luvmydogs]

I should add that the reason I'm asking is that just when I had posted the "decision made" post, I am embarrassed to admit that I am now also looking into 8x10, if only to make sure that is not what I want. I do not want to (and do not have the means to) "upgrade" to 8x10 or "downgrade" to 5x7. I am only buying one LF camera, so I want to make sure I am doing it as right as possible, if that makes any sense. Anyway, I am pretty certain that I am going with 5x7, because the size of the neg is conducive to contact printing as well. But I do not have an enlarger for LF (I currently have the Beseler 23). I know that I will not be content with only contacting printing 5x7, but the thought of getting another enlarger to fit my not too big darkroom is a bit daunting as well. I will eventually buy one if I go with 5x7.

Honestly, I am normally not so wishy washy! Sheesh!

 

[Nick Zentena]

II am only buying one LF camera,

Say the same thing in a couple of years

 

[Amund]

I am only buying one LF camera,

Didn`t we all say that

 

[mikewhi]

If you buy a 5x7 camera, you can get the Zone VI enlarger (plenty of used ones on eBay) and then put an 8x10 head on it with no problem. This way, you can enlarge 5x7 and when you (and you WILL) buy an 8x10 camera you can get the 8x10 head and enlarge the 8x10's, too. No need to buy a new and bigger enlarger. That is what I did and it works fine.

I do enlarge 8x10's. It doesn't hurt to recall the Edward Weston did quite well with 8x10 contacts only, though.

The 5x7 is a great format and a good starting point, but I would think you'll want more than just 5x7 contact prints to look at at some point.

-Mike

 

[colrehogan]

Do you guys mostly do contact prints only?

Guys???? GUYS????

When I shoot b/w, I do Ziatype contact prints. If I want a silver print, I have to take it to a lab.

I do shoot Provia 100F on occasion and I like the results I get with that too (even though I take it to a lab for processing).

 

[noseoil]

A friend has an 8x10 enlarger in my darkroom. I'm still using azo to contact print for the 8x10. For enlargements, 4x5 is fine with a good negative. I only print up to 16X20, so no need for a larger negative to enlarge from. Azo still wins for contact printing. tim

 

[Dave Wooten]

If I had only one....and was shooting black and white I would definately get an 8 x 10. It is not difficult even to design your own reducing back to 4 x 5....I made one out of the grafloc backs from a parts only graflex, picked up a 6 x 6, 6 x 7 and 6 x 9 graflex roll film holders all for less than $30.

I am beginning to shoot 4 x 5 tansparencies after looking at Teague's site.

 

[df cardwell]

I've shot 8x10 since getting my Deardorff from a pawn shop in 1970. Completely insane for a college kid. Still..

Enlarging is fun, but I don't do it anymore.

Contact printing is a very pure and comfortable thing to do.

While I think a lot of the work done by the Amidol / Azo sect of photography is lovely, I'm happier using regular enlarging paper, and am very happy with the results.

I do still enlarge Medium Format...4x5 !

 

[John Bartley]

Do you guys mostly do contact prints only?

Contact prints in 8x10 - have a 4x5 also - bought a used enlarger - it works well - did a contact print with an 8x10 negative - haven't used the 4x5 since.

cheers

 

[Rlibersky]

I do both. Enlarging a 8x10 neg will look better then the equivalent 4x5 neg for the same reason 4x5 looks better the 6x7. Not that I would say there is anything wrong with either. A good azo print is something to look at though.

I also agree get the 8x10. I got a 5x7 back that will do a split so I get (2) 3.5x5. Close enough to a 4x5 for me.

 

[luvmydogs]

Guys???? GUYS????

Sorry Diane!!! I used the word "guys" to mean everyone! I am so used to being "one of the guys" that it is so automatic for me to just say "guys." My sincere apologies!!

 

[luvmydogs]

oh brother! Looks like I will have to give 8x10 a look! I never even looked into it at all and had brushed it off completely as a viable format for myself. That is, until I signed up for Michael Smith and Paula's workshop at the Conference. Looks like I may have to sign up for Michael's azo workshop as well if I do decide to go the 8x10 route.

 

[raucousimages]

I enlarge. I moved from 4x5 to 8x10 after I found an Elwood 8x10 enlarger. 11x14 and 16x20 are my favorite sises to print.

 

[Mongo]

Unless you have plans to do a lot of hiking with your camera, I think the idea of buying an 8x10 and reducing backs is a great way to get into many formats at once. A 4x5 camera will weigh less, but won't give you nearly the flexibility of an 8x10 camera with reducing backs. As Jay mentioned, having the extra bellows extension of an 8x10 camera if you're shooting smaller film is great for portraiture.

Also, there isn't much difference between a camera and an enlarger. You can always modify your 8x10 camera into an enlarger by adding a light source and a negative holder.

Of course, you will end up with more cameras in time...we all do. For a while there I actually had more LF cameras than LF lenses. Not the most useful of situations to find oneself in.

Best of luck to you.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

I only contact print 5x7", 8x10" and 11x14". Smaller I usually enlarge. Going with 8x10" and just contact prints is a very simple and satisfying way to work, and nothing beats a good contact print. Remember that you can look for an 8x10" camera that can take a reducing back, so have one camera that shoots 8x10" down to rollfilm formats.

 

[colrehogan]

Sorry Diane!!! I used the word "guys" to mean everyone! I am so used to being "one of the guys" that it is so automatic for me to just say "guys." My sincere apologies!!

LOL! I knew you meant everybody. Sorry, I just couldn't resist - hence the wink faces!

 

[John Kasaian]

I've got an Elwood 8x10 enlarge for when I want to enlarge, but lately I've been doing nothing but contacts.

 

[Ole]

My enlarger goes to 5x7" (or 13x18cm which is a few mm larger), so anything larger than that gets contact printed.

 

[MikeS]

I only contact print 5x7", 8x10" and 11x14". Smaller I usually enlarge. Going with 8x10" and just contact prints is a very simple and satisfying way to work, and nothing beats a good contact print. Remember that you can look for an 8x10" camera that can take a reducing back, so have one camera that shoots 8x10" down to rollfilm formats.

Sounds like you could use a nice Elwood 5x7 enlarger! I just so happen to know where to get one!

Seriously, I always thought 5x7 was kind of small to contact print, how do they come out? Along the same lines, I can't imagine what an 11x14 negative looks like! I tried 5x7 for a bit, didn't like it, went back to 4x5. I would eventually like to try 8x10, that sounds like fun.

-Mike

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

A 5x7" contact print looks nice in an 11x14" frame. No room for a 5x7" enlarger in my dark/bathroom! It was hard enough to find a 4x5" enlarger that would just fit.