I just can't help myself...

joeyk49 · Apr 21, 2005

and my wife is getting cranky!

There it was, not on Ebay, but in the local classifieds..."Crown GRAPHIC 4x5 camera w/4.7 lens"...

The price was very reasonable and it close by. Impulse took over and I called. Six hours later I was on my was home with a nice camera, a couple of film holders and a few filters, to a notsoveryunderstanding spouse.

Now the real problem (not to minimize the issue of the purturbed wife)...How do I begin to introduce myself to LF, when I'm still not very good at small format and I've only just recently picked up a TLR???

Also, if I'm correct, my Beseler 23C won't work with the 4x5 negs...

So, do I just put the camera away for now and "come back to it when I'm ready" ? Or,

Start to play with it, process my negs in my dark room and ship them out to be printed...?

All of you thinkiing about saying, "send it here", can just forget it! I've got it! Its MINE, all MINE, do you hear?! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! (Images of Daffy Duck stomping on Bugs Bunny come to mind)

David A. Goldfarb · Apr 21, 2005

Start taking pictures (of your wife, of course), and contact print them.

VoidoidRamone · Apr 21, 2005

you can do 4x5 contacts for a while, a lot of people work in this size.
-Grant

Nick Zentena · Apr 21, 2005

Nice thing about LF is you can learn alot by just looking at the ground glass. You can see what the movements do. What stopping the lens down does.

Plus nothing wrong with contact prints.

roteague · Apr 21, 2005

Better yet, get yourself a box of Velvia and shoot a few outdoor images. Then send the film to Calypso in California. The first time you see a color 4x5 transparency you will be floored.

wfwhitaker · Apr 21, 2005

The great thing about large format is you can make contact prints so you don't need an enlarger which you won't have room for anyway when she kicks you out and all you can afford is a one-room efficiency.

Cheers!

mark · Apr 21, 2005

Seems to me the first thing you need to do is take the wife out to dinner. On the way stop at the photo store and get some film. I'm sure she will understand.

After that:
Take the camera out for some dry runs and figure out what everything does
Learn to load the holders properly
how to devleope them
then contact printing them under your 23C will do just fine

Start looking for a tripod that will hold it secure (hint your MF tripod should do just fine)

Oh yeah. I've spent time within the hell fire and brimstone stare of my wife and it passes. Just resist the 8x10 when you see it. At least for now. Congrats on your impulse buy.

Calamity Jane · Apr 21, 2005

"But honey, I bought it for YOU!"

(Well, it would work on ME! You didn't want that 4x5 anyway . . . .)

joeyk49 · Apr 21, 2005

Calamity Jane said:
"But honey, I bought it for YOU!"

I first tried the "But its really a good price..." and got nothin...

Then I tried, "This is something that I've been wanting for a long time..." and just got a sigh in return...

She hates being photographed and is not a "process person", so she doesn't understand the hours in the darkroom thing...

But like any good wife, she can appreciate the value and feeling behind a good colored gemstone set in precious metal (Not silver, we have to save that for the emulsions.); even moreso if its not colored...Something I'll have to work on for Mother's Day.

Terence · Apr 21, 2005

What about, "It was on sale"?

mark · Apr 21, 2005

Terence said:
What about, "It was on sale"?

Only works for clothes and baby items, not camera gear.

John Kasaian · Apr 21, 2005

If its in great shape you've made an excellent purchase! Probably the definative photojournalist's tool for most of the 20th century. Get some B&W and take some up close and personal pics of the kid-lets. You can hand hold a graphic and shoot through the sportsfinder so they don't need to be "still" Check out www.graflex.org for tips. Contact print the cutest and show the momma---I'll bet she'll even let you trade up the 2x3C to a 45MXT!

joeyk49 · Apr 21, 2005

I've never actually seen fungus on a lens, so I can't say that I know what it looks like. I don't think it has any. But the Wollensack lens does have some dust inside.

I took apart the outside lens housing and cleaned all surfaces thoroughly. Do these lenses come apart easily or should I just leave well enough alone?

joeyk49 · Apr 21, 2005

I can't wait to get film for this baby!

rjs003 · Apr 21, 2005

When I was a kid my dad used to constantly remind me of the basics of life.
A roof over your head
Clothes on your back
Food on the table
anything else is extra an you should be thankful if you have anything extra.
Try running that by your wife... then PM me with the results.

Nige · Apr 21, 2005

Just say "I could be up the pub drinking piss and playing pool...." --> American translation "I could be at the Bar shooting pool"

No idea what backs a Crown Graphic uses, but you might be able to use some paper negs (B&W) to have a initial play. Easy to process and cheap so you can work out what happens when you do whatever! Need it to be tripodded though, about RC paper about 4-6asa.

blaze-on · Apr 21, 2005

This worked for me for almost ten years, but note that I am no longer hitched...

"Honey, this is my passion and it gives me great pleasure. When I am receiving such pleasure, I am more able to give pleasure as well."

Basically, when "I am happy, those around me are too."

It had a ten year run..not bad.

Have fun and enjoy your foray into LF.

ChrisC · Apr 21, 2005

I wouldn't worry about how you feel you are at smaller formats. I was absolutly terrible with my TLR, and really didn't get all that many shots I was happy with. I was a little worried stepping up to 4x5, but now a couple of months down the road I'm still loving it. It's a totally different game, and your shooting style will probably change a little with it too. You'll probably take right to it and never look back!

waynecrider · Apr 21, 2005

Start saving your change. You gonna want a bunch of other items to go with it, including but not limited to: Spot meter, filters to fit the lens, another bag, another cable release, lensboards, another lens, light box to view the big transparencies, loupe, more holders, bigger head for your tripod, more time to get away and shoot, developing tank for b&w etc, etc. It will never end.

Dude; Your screwed.

Buster6X6 · Apr 21, 2005

I am with Wayne on this one.IT WILL NEVER ENDMy own experience for last two years.You gonna be hooked.
Enjoy your journey.

Cheers Greg

David · Apr 21, 2005

Try, 'Don't you love me?" (best said with some puppy dog eyes) and then be prepared to run - to a florist.

Dimitri · Apr 22, 2005

Great camera. Got mine about 6 months ago and enjoy using it. As mentioned in another post check out www.graflex.org for more info on the camera.

One thing you should do is calibrate the rangefinder since the groundglass is not that bright (definitely need a loupe to focus properly) and sometimes it is faster and safer to use the rangefinder instead of the gg.

(Luckily my wife was quite undertanding when I brought the camera home and hit me only a couple of times, so the medical bills were not that high )

Donald Qualls · Apr 22, 2005

Two very important things to remember in reconciling photography with marriage.

First, it's much easier to replace a camera than a wife.

Second, once the wife is gone, you probably won't miss her the way you would the camera.

Seriously, though, I just discovered (yesterday) that my wife is open to being impressed by a nice print left on her computer desk. Color seems to work best, and reminding her *which* camera (that she said I didn't need) I used to shoot the negative produced a thoughtful look...

Paul Howell · Apr 22, 2005

You will find that by using your Crown you will learn more of the basics, spend more time on each shot, and given time you will become a better photographer. I bought my Speed in the 1960 and my Crown in the early 70s, I have runs hundreds or thousands of sheets of film though them, the Speed which I bought very used, surplus Navy, is only now on its last legs. You will often hear people refer to the Speed and Crown as the poor persons view camera. These are press cameras not view cameras. You can hand hold, use flash, use the rangfinder, if your Crown is a top rangefinder model you can change out the cam for different lens, try that with a view camera. I keep one the trunk of my car(in the Winter, can't leave film in the car in the summer here) along with a basic kit of film holder, slip on sun shade a few filters and a monopod.

It will take practice to get use to using the film holders, cocking the shutter, focusing with the rangefinder and composing in the viewfinder. When Condaliza Rice was grilled last year in congress I noticed that one of the new photographers was using both a 35 or digital camera and a press camera. They can be great fun.

If you go the library of congress web site you can get the title of books about the Graflex and you local library might be able to get them for you on intra library loan.

Paul

Dan Fromm · Apr 22, 2005

Um, er, ah, in the immortal words of Nancy Reagan, just say NO.

More seriously, I'm not sure what will pacify your wife. Mine has always been pretty understanding. She says that if I must waste money, film, processing, and equipment are better ways to waste it than drink and other women. And I've given up buying bizarremobiles.

Also, she's been a lot more supportive since she's seen me selling equipment. I used to sell via Shutterbug, now sell via eBay. Either way, on average I've done a bit better than break even. Now when I buy something, I tell her. And sometimes I tell her it is a speculation, bought with resale in mind. She lets me keep the profits, except when there are bills to be paid.

Good luck, have fun,

Dan

I just can't help myself...

Moderator

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency