Lens question

Sparky said:

Get a Sinar 8x10 F2 or P (preferably P - since it's more solid) for $1000. Then you can get a Sinar behind-the-lens shutter if you decide you really need it later. That'll be another 400. But you're shooting 8x10 - in most instances your exposures (if you're stopped down a ways) are going to be on the order of several seconds - in which case you can use the charlie chaplin shutter... if you know what I mean.

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As an aside, look at a Horseman brand view - the bellows,lensboards and Copal shutter will fit rather nicely, just a bit less expensive.

I use a Sinar (8x10 and 4x5) with the behind-the-lens Copal. The thing's got about a 2.5 inch hole in it. The downside is that you're limited to a 1/60 second shutter speed; the upside is you can play with all those cheap barrel lenses, make your own, etc., and you only buy one shutter for about the same cost as one #3 would cost for each lens that needs it.

The hat trick worked quite well until I got the Sinar and the Copal.

Sparky , I plan to use hot lights for both projects, I am considering those lights that are used on the movie sets with kick ass power.
I hope not to melt any toupees of course but each session will be very short with 10 exposures taken very fast in a row on the portraits and yes I am only concerned about sharpness in critical areas. I really hate strobe units and love the ability to see the light as I set up the set.
I am scanning some sample tests that I have worked on that will show you what I am about with the toys.
I will post this as soon as I get them to jpegs for viewing.

Sparky said:

Bob - so... you're doing multi-second exposures for portraits...? There ARE certain problems affiliated with that - as you can probably imagine... it just sounds like you're looking for sharp details in the face - which you're not really going to get without either direct sunlight or a strobe system... just my 2 cents.

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Bob, regarding the 10x10" DeVere horizontal 2,000 Watt enlarger, is your electric focusing drive system a bit of a press and let go before it gets there and hope it's in focus type of arrangement?

We had two of these and they were a bit of a devil to get exact focus. One was always hunting back and forth, until, with a bit of guestimation, you arrived at correct focus.

We were often doing single 18' x 6' colour prints and someone suggested that we get the focus motor geared down for a slower, but far easier to get focus correct situation.

Eventually we found someone able to do the job, brilliant!!!!!

If your unit is hunting, so to speak, you may consider this fine focus gearing. It was so good a conversion, we had the other one done as soon as possible, this was in late 1990 and the start of 1991.

Basically we could almost control the focus unaided just by standing near the enlarger, even with the control panel lit we could still see the neg slowly snap into focus. One then just walked up to the wall to fine tune the grain focus with one hand on the control button(s).

Brilliant enlarger!

For strict colour fidelity during a printing session, one had to replace all 8 globes if one blew, expensive little excercise that.

Evenness of exposure with some negatives can also be a problem if a globe blew and you replaced only one globe whilst printing a neg, don't ask how I know.

Ps:- never seen the 11x14" one, must be a sight!

Mick.

Hi Mick

the 2000w horizontal is a Durst that is being installed right now, I am lucky that the same technician that first installed both enlargers is doing the job for me right now.The focusing of this Durst unit is very good at wall with the remote device.
The Deveere is a 11x14 Vertical which can do up to 30x40 in my present setup and I use this baby for full frame 8x10 and the coverage is remarkable. Mick it is as easy to use as my 4x5 deveere, when they made this one I think they broke the mold, I am incredibely lucky I have good friends in the industry as this baby was going to the dumpster and now it has a home where it will earn its keep.
You are doing some big ass prints over there, the largest I ever made was 4ft X 8ft and this is the max size I am going to go for our fibre work.
I am going to post some jpegs on my set up ,on the thread about sepia bleach as promised, I am just 1/2 way into finishing and should have the extra sink edition built by end of november.
The sink right now is 4ft x 14 ft and I am adding 18ft of extension, as well I have commissioned a 50 inch x 9 ft 6 slot archival washer that is being built as well to wash these big prints.
I think I am having a relapse of all the mescalin I took in my youth but funny enough with all the other labs dropping wet processing I am starting to get the work and seeing my stubbourness pay off.
We have a 40x60 inch hot press which we use every day and I have a line on a 4ft x 8ft hot press that is 5 blocks away with my name on it.
Crazy, Crazy Times.

Sparky

As promised here are two jpegs that are the start of my project.
The single image was my first idea, then I decided to put my objects in situations that suit their character,* powerranger leaving his space ship to dominate the world*
The portrait series is as silly as this.

I want to make these images in mural size there fore the big ass negative.

Sorry

Here is the first image that I took to start this series, but now I am going to put appropriate backgrounds around all my objects.

Hi Bob,

I have quite happily used copy/enlarging lenses for 1:1 and on up for studio work on my 8x10. The apparent depth of field is purely a function of aperture/field of view, so they will perform identically in that regard to any other lens in that focal length, at the same stop. The major observable performance difference from a "normal" lens is in the lens coatings, which is not a big issue in the studio as long as you consider it. Just keep the lens in the dark.Other than that, they are as sharp as anything.

Best

J

Bob Carnie said:

Sparky , I plan to use hot lights for both projects, I am considering those lights that are used on the movie sets with kick ass power.

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Well - it still seems like there's a conflict between the non-use of a shutter and doing live portraiture... if they're that hot.. maybe a sinar shutter might be the way to go... I'm sure you wouldn't need to lay out a ton of cash for the whole setup though...

Bob Carnie said:

Sparky
The single image was my first idea, then I decided to put my objects in situations that suit their character,* powerranger leaving his space ship to dominate the world*
The portrait series is as silly as this.

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Eh- it's not so silly - I'm sure you know that. I've certainly seen sillier (Wegman, Les Krims, etc..) - I always say "it doesn't even matter so much what you start with - it's where you take it that matters... take it to the maximum and you can't lose.."

How are you doing that solarizing btw - is that on the print?

Hi Sparky

Yes all the solarization is on the print , and I have the setup made to do them very large,
Once you get the method its now only a matter of handling the paper size, Granted I will only be able to make one or two prints a day, and the Tri Toning is another day , but when they are finished I get a real satisfaction from all this sillyness, I am hoping others will enjoy them as well.
I am using a two developer solarization, basically the second developer is where the flash is hit, the chemicals are the same for both dev with the exception of massive amounts of potassium bromide so that after the development the grain structure is different for the unreal part of the image and when toned takes on a real colourful version of black and white.
I am using sepia for highlights, gold for upper midtones and iron blue for the shadows, this aspect alone has taken me months to get the right balance and methods.
The samples I have shown do not have the complicated toning .

Sparky said:

Eh- it's not so silly - I'm sure you know that. I've certainly seen sillier (Wegman, Les Krims, etc..) - I always say "it doesn't even matter so much what you start with - it's where you take it that matters... take it to the maximum and you can't lose.."

How are you doing that solarizing btw - is that on the print?

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Bob Carnie said:

The 2000w horizontal is a Durst that is being installed right now...

The Deveere is a 11x14 Vertical which can do up to 30x40 in my present setup...

The sink right now is 4ft x 14 ft and I am adding 18ft of extension, as well I have commissioned a 50 inch x 9 ft 6 slot archival washer that is being built as well to wash these big prints...

We have a 40x60 inch hot press which we use every day and I have a line on a 4ft x 8ft hot press that is 5 blocks away...

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I wish there was a lab. like yours near me! Thirty something years ago, as a child, I spent a year in Orillia, 90 miles or so from you - maybe I should go back.

Re. your Rodagons, I was wondering whether at portrait distances you'd be getting to the point where they'd be better reversed? Just a thought, and since you will probably be front mounting them if you do decide to use a shutter, it would be easy to use them either way round.


Peter

Orillia is a wonderful area , we spend a lot of our free time about 30-60 miles north of there, in Gravenhurst/Bracebridge.
If you are into hiking, fishing or hunting , or just plain old hanging outdoors this is definately a place to live.

I think I only need 3/4 length portrait so with the 360lens I don't think I would need to reverse the lens but that I am not sure of.

Bandicoot said:

I wish there was a lab. like yours near me! Thirty something years ago, as a child, I spent a year in Orillia, 90 miles or so from you - maybe I should go back.

Re. your Rodagons, I was wondering whether at portrait distances you'd be getting to the point where they'd be better reversed? Just a thought, and since you will probably be front mounting them if you do decide to use a shutter, it would be easy to use them either way round.


Peter

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