my first foray into 12x20 ...

scootermm · Feb 25, 2007

APUG is about the only place I think I can come too where I can adequately share my excitement and have an audience of people who'll appreciate it

I picked up my (new to me) 12x20 Folmer & Schwing camera yesterday up in Fort Worth, TX. Stopped by Burleson, TX and visited mike Castles, he graciously helped me cut a few lensboards for it, and allowed me to set the camera up and play with it some on his porch.

Got up this morning and loaded some ilford MGIV paper in the holders to test them out and make some paper negs.

This was literally my first shot with the camera.... negs turned out pretty good and I decided to contact print it onto another sheet of Ilford MGIV

thanks for letting me share.

Donald Miller · Feb 25, 2007

Congratulations Matt, sounds as if you are running with the big dogs now. Nice study of form by the way.

photomc · Feb 25, 2007

Not only is this a BIG camera, it is also a very "pretty" camera. By that, I mean it is really nice shape and as the fit/finish of the folks that made them leave me in awe.

Here are a few digi-snaps of Matt and the camera (if these need to be removed by the moderators, please do)

David Brown · Feb 25, 2007

Of course, to buy film for the thing, Matt has had to give up his apartment and move in under that bridge. :rolleyes:

Robert Hall · Feb 25, 2007

Matt is looking pretty happy there. I bet you couldnt pry that smile off his face.

Now you've done it Matt! Where will this madness end?

Colin Graham · Feb 25, 2007

David Brown said:
Of course, to buy film for the thing, Matt has had to give up his apartment and move in under that bridge. :rolleyes:

Lol...You have anything left for the ilford order Matt? Very cool, btw.

Gay Larson · Feb 26, 2007

Congratulations Matt...I know you have been looking forward to this for a while. happy shooting!

Harrigan · Feb 26, 2007

There is some inexpensive 12x20 film floating around at this time, take a look. Calumet was selling some 12x20 hp5 I think just expired and others. Certainly someone on apug will step up and give you a few sheets of film for this baby. Good luck you are one of the few who have the skills to shoot this format.

scootermm · Feb 26, 2007

Harrigan said:
Good luck you are one of the few who have the skills to shoot this format.

thanks harrigan. I appreciate the comment.

also, thanks everyone for the kind words of encouragement. Thanks to a gracious/generous fellow ULFer and Texan Im going to have a few boxes of film soon to shoot and test out with. Really looking forward to it.
Especially looking forward to trying to get a few churches shots for the Dead Link Removed. I think this format and the 'wide' 355mm G claron will work well in these older churches we are shooting.

Thanks again to mike castles for helping me cut a few lensboards and get the lens mounted properly on the camera.

colrehogan · Feb 26, 2007

Congratulations on the new toy, Matt!

Robert Hall · Feb 26, 2007

Matt,

After shooting with several lenses, I think my second most favorite lens was a very clean 24" artar with a copal #3 I had installed. It is by far and away my sharpest, most contrasty lens for the format.

mark · Feb 26, 2007

AAHHHH to be young and single. My wife would kill me if I came home with one of these.

Enjoy the freedom and the camera. It looks good.

scootermm · Feb 26, 2007

Robert Hall said:
Matt,

After shooting with several lenses, I think my second most favorite lens was a very clean 24" artar with a copal #3 I had installed. It is by far and away my sharpest, most contrasty lens for the format.

the "first most favorite lens" being?...

The 355mm G claron (what I have mounted right now and used for that paper neg shot) looks to be a nice lens on the format, perhaps a bit wide, but that will just force me to be selective about using the camera.

Im hoping to perhaps find a 450mm+/- lens for a reasonable price sometime in the future. Maybe a barrel mounted ronar or nikkor process lens. Need something fairly reasonably priced as I dont have $700-800 to burn. I imagine that would/could become the "standard" lens for me and this format. I find myself shooting solely one lens when I use a certain format/camera. I only shot with a 135mm lens on 4x5, a 300mm on 8x10, and my 355mm on 7x17. So I imagine a 450mm lens would fit me well. I just missed out on a 450mm Ronar just now on ebay that went for $36... so Im hoping I can come across another in that price range.

Im not sure if the 24" RD Artar will work for me Robert. I dont believe the F&S front rail is long enough. if I remember right someone mentioned an extension board being needed for a 24"/600mm to focus at infinity. So I imagine a 450mm would be plenty short enough and hopefully offer coverage.

Does anyone happen to know if Ronar 450mm lenses, 450/480mm Nikkor Process lenses will cover this format. I know You (robert), Sandy King and Carl Weese (or used too) shoot in this format. But not sure of who else.

thanks in advance.

Robert Hall · Feb 26, 2007

355 G is the mainstay of these cameras. Dick (Arentz) shoots it more than others as well as I.

You may want to look, then at a 19" artar. Cheap and should have the coverage you need.

Best of luck!

Jeremy · Feb 26, 2007

matt, i have a 480mm red dot, if that thing will cover then we can try it out.

Brickbird · Feb 26, 2007

12x20

Jeremy said:
matt, i have a 480mm red dot, if that thing will cover then we can try it out.

Matt,
If you come up this way you could try out my 19" Apo Artar and a 480mm Apo Nikkor I use on my 12x20 Lotus. Also have others that you can put up to your camera to check out coverage. My main lens is a 355 like yours. I am in Dallas so let me know if you make it this way to Denton. Congratulations and happy shooting!

Tav Walraven

bobherbst · Feb 26, 2007

Lenses for 12x20

My 480mm APO Nikkor would cover 12x20 at infinity, but a large area in all corners would never be sharp regardless of f-stop. I sold the elements and used the shutter for another lens. I use a 19" red dot on the 12x20 which at infinity, has some lack of sharpness in the corners. But it will cover anything less than infinity with movements. Your camera probably doesn't have the bellows, but I also use 24", 30", and 35" red dot artars on my 12x20, a 355mm G-Claron, and an old 14" Dagor in shutter. A 210mm Super Angulon will barely cover - slight corner clips, but significant distortion. I've used them all on my camera.

But all this aside, the reality is now you have to feed it. Buckle your seat belt, but enjoy the ride.

Bob Herbst

sanking · Feb 26, 2007

scootermm said:
the "first most favorite lens" being?...

The 355mm G claron (what I have mounted right now and used for that paper neg shot) looks to be a nice lens on the format, perhaps a bit wide, but that will just force me to be selective about using the camera.

Im hoping to perhaps find a 450mm+/- lens for a reasonable price sometime in the future. Maybe a barrel mounted ronar or nikkor process lens. Need something fairly reasonably priced as I dont have $700-800 to burn. I imagine that would/could become the "standard" lens for me and this format. I find myself shooting solely one lens when I use a certain format/camera. I only shot with a 135mm lens on 4x5, a 300mm on 8x10, and my 355mm on 7x17. So I imagine a 450mm lens would fit me well. I just missed out on a 450mm Ronar just now on ebay that went for $36... so Im hoping I can come across another in that price range.

Im not sure if the 24" RD Artar will work for me Robert. I dont believe the F&S front rail is long enough. if I remember right someone mentioned an extension board being needed for a 24"/600mm to focus at infinity. So I imagine a 450mm would be plenty short enough and hopefully offer coverage.

Does anyone happen to know if Ronar 450mm lenses, 450/480mm Nikkor Process lenses will cover this format. I know You (robert), Sandy King and Carl Weese (or used too) shoot in this format. But not sure of who else.

thanks in advance.

The 450/480mm process type lenses may have enough circle of illumination but even if they do performance will be very soft on the edges. You can improve performance a lot by stopping down.

The 450mm Nikkor M is a great lens for 12X20. I would not waste my money on any other lens of this focual length, unless you want to try out one of the huge plasmat type (Symmar, Symmar-S, Nikkor-W, Fujinon-W). You would get great coverage with them, and a brighter ground glass to. But they are really large.

Sandy King

removed account4 · Feb 26, 2007

congratulations matt
that looks like a LOT of fun!

-john

Alex Hawley · Feb 26, 2007

Too cool Matt, too cool!

scootermm · Feb 26, 2007

sanking said:
The 450mm Nikkor M is a great lens for 12X20. I would not waste my money on any other lens of this focual length, unless you want to try out one of the huge plasmat type (Symmar, Symmar-S, Nikkor-W, Fujinon-W). You would get great coverage with them, and a brighter ground glass to. But they are really large.

Sandy King

as always, very helpful Sandy.

In doing some research tonite it seems like the spot on perfect lens is the 450mm Nikkor M. So I think I may take your advice (and similiar advice from others) and save up for the Nikkor M. The 355mm G Claron really seems to cover well stopped down so Ill just stick with it for now.

thanks to others for the help/advice and well wishes.

Hopefully soon Ill have some film to burn and some HUGE paper to coat to make some pd prints.

jimgalli · Feb 26, 2007

Way to go Matt. That first try looks mighty good. Congrats!

my first foray into 12x20 ...

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