My new Wehman 8x10

[Tom Hoskinson]

I just got back from the mountains with my brand new Wehman 8x10. The whole kit, camera, lenses, film holders, etc. packed neatly into my Kelty Redwing 3100 internal frame backpack.

The Wehman is well engineered and well made. The “learning curve” for the Wehman was very short for me. The camera sets up quickly and easily in the field.

Bruce’s description of the Rear Swing says: “This mechanism is unique to this camera. To a achieve focus and swing, 3 knobs are used: The swing and center lock knobs tighten in a clockwise direction. With the center lock knob loose, both sides of the camera are free to slide. When the swing lock (left rear of camera) is loose, both sides are free to move independently, affecting swing.”

I found the camera easy to swing and focus. The only problem was my Calumet focusing cloth – the wind kept getting under it and blowing it off the camera. When I got back home, I ordered an 8x10 BLACKJACKET focusing cloth from http://www.quietworks.com/

I’ll let you know how these first pictures turn out. I shot Efke 100 8x10 with my 240mm G Claron (it covers 8x10 at all apertures) and will develop it semi-stand in Pyrocat-HD.

 

[Francesco]

Tom, hurrah for the BlackJacket! The best accessory for the 8x10 user! I am glad you ventured out to take some pics with the Wehman. Looking forward to those negatives being printed.

 

[Tom Hoskinson]

I went out again today and shot some more Efke 100 8x10.

BTW, my Wehman has 3 backs: An 8x10, a 5x7 and a 4x5 Singer Graphic Graflock.

This time I used my North Face polyester shell (a lightweight jacket) instead of the Calumet focusing cloth - a bit small, but definitely a vast improvement over the Calumet focusing cloth. Can't wait to get my Blackjacket!

Just for the heck of it a shot a sheet of Efke 100 with my 110mm Super Symmar XL at f45. I figured what the heck, if lens covers 5x7 with limited movements at f22 (and it does!), maybe it will cover 8x10 at f45?? It looked good on the ground glass at the 10 inch edges with a 7x magnifier - even with an inch and a half of front rise. I took the same shot with the 240mm G Claron at f45.

We will see - probably develop it Monday eve.

 

[Francesco]

It would not surprise me if the 110 XL covers stopped down and dead on. Why should it not? Is not its design superior to the Nikkor 120 SW which supposedly covers 8x10? Anyway if there is a little vignetting perhaps the quality of the shot will compensate. Heck, some vignette at times makes the image charming.

 

[Tom Hoskinson]

Francesco,
The 110XL image really looked good in the GG - very sharp. Wow! Talk about wide angle! I shot basically the same scene that I recently posted in my APUG Gallery. Different film, different lighting and effectively wider angle this time.

By the way, I got sniped (eBay) in the last second on the 210mm Process Apo Nikkor today. Oh well!

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Many users of the 110 SS XL report that it just covers 8x10", so you should be okay, as long as you checked the corners.

 

[Tom Hoskinson]

Thanks, David. The corners looked ok in the ground glass with a 7x loupe. Very curious to see what the neg looks like!

 

[Tom Hoskinson]

I developed 4 sheets of Efke 100 8x10 this morning (16x20 tray with cradle/slosher). I developed semi-stand in Pyrocat-HD 2:2:100 for 16 minutes at 21.67 deg. C. Twenty seconds of agitation initially, followed by 10 seconds of agitation at 8 minutes. Fixed in TF-4 non-hardening alkaline fixer.

Three of the images (all shot with the 240mm G Claron - biting sharp!) look well exposed for contact printing on Azo.

The fourth image was taken with the 110m Super Symmar XL and I blew the exposure (underexposed). It is too thin for Azo contact printing, but about right for a condensor enlarger. The neg is very, very sharp out to the edges of the film.

 

[Francesco]

On the fourth image Tom did you use the Wehman straight on (back and front and their central levels)? How supple was the bellows? I am not so certain I can squeeze the bellows this close on the Wisner 8x10 Expedition. Your use of the Wehman and the 110 XL is certainly interesting as that would make the lens the widest commercially available lens for 8x10 work I think.

 

[Tom Hoskinson]

Francesco, the lens was squared up with the back - side to side, with about 1.75 inch of front rise. The bellows was still reasonably supple. Although this was a horizontal shot, a vertical would also have worked with no camera bed intrusion.

When I asked Bruce Wehman about the feasibility of using this lens he laughed and said - "No Problem."