I May be joining the ranks of Large Format Shooters!

lorirfrommontana · Apr 27, 2010

I was visiting with my little sister. She said that she had an old camera that she talked my mom into getting her from a garage sale that I could have. When I pressed her for a little info she told me it had the film holder that slid in and bellows! She didn't know size for sure other than it was pretty big, and she didn't know the name on it. It sounds from her descriptions that it may be a large format camera. I'm pretty excited. I'm hoping it is functioning! Now I'll need a different enlarger (if it works). I probebly wont see it for another month when we go up for her graduation but until then I'll be reading a lot about large format cameras! Yeah!

johnnywalker · Apr 27, 2010

Congratulations Lori,
The good news is you can make decent contact prints from these negatives (postcards even!). I hope it's in good shape so you can get right out there!

Kevin Caulfield · Apr 27, 2010

Welcome to the LF ranks from another LF novice. You are in for a fun ride.

JPD · Apr 27, 2010

Ask her what's written around the lens! Even better if they could take pictures of it.

paul_c5x4 · Apr 27, 2010

It doesn't stop with just the camera.. You'll be wanting lenses, shutters (unless it is something like a Speed Graphic), lens boards, film holders, and, and, and...

That Aero Ektar lens would be real nice, as would some of those Petzvals that Jim Galli has... Then you'll be wanting to do 10x8 and trying out a Banquet camera or two before moving on to wet plates.

Don't do it, LF is addictive and you'll have way too much fun.

jp80874 · Apr 27, 2010

lorirfrommontana said:
Now I'll need a different enlarger (if it works). /QUOTE]

....and a freezer for the film, that if it is bigger than 8x10 you can only buy once a year. Thank your sister very much. You are about to slide down our very slippery slope, but you will be among friends, kindred souls.

John Powers

Rick A · Apr 27, 2010

You are about to find out how expensive a gift can become. Get ready to be blown away, LF negs contain so much detail that it'll make you giddy.

Changeling1 · Apr 27, 2010

paul_c5x4 said:
It doesn't stop with just the camera.. You'll be wanting lenses, shutters (unless it is something like a Speed Graphic), lens boards, film holders, and, and, and...

That Aero Ektar lens would be real nice, as would some of those Petzvals that Jim Galli has... Then you'll be wanting to do 10x8 and trying out a Banquet camera or two before moving on to wet plates.

Don't do it, LF is addictive and you'll have way too much fun.

If it's a Speed, she'll certainly be looking for lenses with their own shutters!

paul_c5x4 · Apr 27, 2010

Changeling1 said:
If it's a Speed, she'll certainly be looking for lenses with their own shutters!

Humm.. I thought the Speed had a focal plane shutter, if not, I stand corrected.

RPippin · Apr 27, 2010

Run Lori, run...Large format is more addictive than crack and twice as expensive. On the plus side, there are plenty of folks out there with stuff to lend and advice to share. Let us know what you need.

keithwms · Apr 27, 2010

Enjoy LF Lori! It's not something you can half-ass, you need to jump right in and commit to it for a bit, work through the compulsion to tilt, swing & shift the crap out of everything (everybody revels in the new degrees of freedom!)... and then settle down and begin really to enjoy it.

Shadowtracker · Apr 27, 2010

I'm right there with you; it started as a MF, 6x6cm... and then a 4x5, and now a 5x7.... and I hope I can resist the 8x10. It is addictive but about as much fun as anyone can have with their clothes still on! I'm reading as much as I can and asking questions and pulling together all kinds of stuff for it - soon to be out in the field taking photos with b&w. I love working with film and larger negatives have so much more detail. I won't be able to enlarge the 5x7s but I can make contact prints with them... maybe an 8x10 made into an enlarger... .things that make you hmmmm....

Black Dog · Apr 27, 2010

Once you start down the dark[slide] path, forever will it dominate your life...

bdial · Apr 27, 2010

Humm.. I thought the Speed had a focal plane shutter, if not, I stand corrected

You are correct, the classic Speed Graphics have a focal plane shutter in the body, these are the ones most people think of when talking about Speeds. The newer "super speed graphics" lack the focal plane shutter however.

Lori, Congrats on your new camera, whatever it is.

Ektagraphic · Apr 27, 2010

Congrats! LF is so awesome!

lorirfrommontana · Apr 27, 2010

Thanks for all the welcomes and comments! I just love printing medium format and know that I will love large format! 35mm seems so small anymore! We may get up to my parents this week so I can see what I have. I've already been reading a lot and pricing film. I don't even know what I'm getting myself into but can't wait to start the ride!

c.d.ewen · Apr 27, 2010

lorirfrommontana said:
35mm seems so small anymore!

Heh, heh, heh......DOOMED!

Charley

Ralph Javins · Apr 27, 2010

Good morning, Lori;

After you spoke of your 35mm cameras, then you picked up a folder. Around this point, I developed the feeling that you probably were susceptable to a photographic addiction also known as GAS; Gear Acquisition Syndrome.

Sorry, but medical science and art has not yet found any effective cure for this malady. Again, welcome to the APUG, the Internet's finest hospital and out-patient clinic for those of us who suffer from this malady. Locations and times for local meetings of CA (Cameras Anonymous) can be provided upon request. Help is just a telephone call (or e-mail message) away. If at some point you develop the feeling that you have with you a number of cameras sufficient for your needs, consultation is available with certified and trained camera vendors who can help you through that crisis.

Ralph Javins, of Latte Land, Washington, who lives with things that take 16mm film, 110 cartridges, 35mm film and APS cartridges, 120/220 film, Polaroid, Fujiroid, or Impossible "instant film," and 4 by 5 sheet film.

Shadowtracker · Apr 30, 2010

Yes, GAS is a nasty habit to get into - but it can be great fun to unload it in order to make space for new GAS.... at the same time, you are helping someone else support their habit while dealing with your habit; so it's a trade-off but we are all better for it one way or another. Have fun with it, I do and it works for me!

lorirfrommontana · May 16, 2010

Well, The camera is not a large format :-( But now I'm really wanting to get into large format but will control myself! Someday though! I'll still happily play with my medium format until I can someday work with those nice large format negatives!

jovo · May 16, 2010

Well, then you dodged a "white elephant" that is: " A rare, expensive possession that is a financial burden to maintain. " An on line account is this: "Because the animals were considered sacred and laws protected them from labor, receiving a gift of a white elephant from a monarch (southeast Asia) was simultaneously both a blessing and a curse: a blessing because the animal was sacred and a sign of the monarch's favour, and a curse because the animal had to be retained* and could not be put to much practical use, at least to offset the cost of maintaining it".

So...you're safe for a while.....a little while. hehehehe....

* I think "maintained" was the intended word.

I May be joining the ranks of Large Format Shooters!

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