The Necessities: A look into a 4x5 photographer.

[pdjr1991]

Can anyone recommend a good loupe, i would like it for multipurpose to use for focus work and for negatives. Is that even possible? ive heard some suggest against it. also can someone please explain all the focusing ground glasses? ive heard fresnel and a couple other names. what are each's benifits?

 

[RPippin]

Check out The View Camera Store at Dead Link Removed to see the tubes. Also there is a nifty video that shows how to use them.

 

[pdjr1991]

Check out The View Camera Store at Dead Link Removed to see the tubes. Also there is a nifty video that shows how to use them.

thanks i think ill try em out!

 

[pdjr1991]

I noticed he stops it in the light. have you had any fog issues?

 

[Mark Fisher]

I use the Combiplan tank and find it works well for me. I managed to run across three of them used and cheap. I just fill them with developer, stop and fix and transfer the film carrier between them. Before that, I just turned off the lights, popped off the top, and emptied/filled it. I tried BTZS tubes and I never really liked them. I actually have a set that is barely used that I'd be happy to sell!

For film, I used Acros until it got too expensive. I use it in medium format and love it. It was really great for LF due to its lack of reciprocity failure. I'm now using Tmax400 in Xtol.

I use a Tachihara which has every movement I'll ever use.

I have a ton of holders because I prefer to load them at home rather than in the field (dust).

The thing that LF taught me is to look in every edge and corner of the ground glass. It really improved my composition.

Don't breathe under the darkcloth...it fogs up everything (winter) or makes it unbearably hot (summer)....I'm only (half) kidding

 

[Bill Burk]

I noticed he stops it in the light. have you had any fog issues?

It's one of the things that makes the idea of BTZS tubes so clever.

Putting the film in stop stops the developing, no more developing happens, so no fog develops.

(I don't personally have experience with the BTZS but the explanation is so obvious I believe it).

 

[Peter De Smidt]

I've been doing LF photography for about 20 years. Here are some late-night, off-the-top-of my-head tips.

-Decide what types of things you like to photograph. This will greatly impact your choice of equipment. For example, if you want to do long back packing trips, a Toho camera would be ideal, along with some low weight lenses. On the other hand, if you want to do studio work, a big, heavy monorail, such as a Sinar P2, would fit the bill, along with some large aperture glass. The latter will make it easier to focus. Unfortunately, I do a little of everything. As a result, I settled on a Toyo AX, a metal field camera. I'm very happy with it, although if I won Lotto, I'd buy an Arca F-line kit, mainly because it would be more versatile with very short and long lenses. Cameras like the Toyo, Linhof, Horseman...and other metal cameras tend to be sturdier than their wooden brethren.

-Light tripods are more fun to carry, but heavier ones do a better job keeping everything still.

-Old lenses can be very good performers. In particular, I had a 203 Ektar that I really liked, but they often have strange flash-syncs, filter threads, and dodgy shutters. Make sure to add the cost of a CLA (Clean, Lube, Adjust) in the cost when you compare prices.

-Depending on what you photograph, you might not need a shutter. Use slow film, and a filter if necessary. Acros is a great film for long exposures.

-My favorite holders are Toyo, but Fidelity ones are good too.

-Badger Graphics and KEH are good places to buy from.

-Cheaper isn't better if it's a pain to use.

-More expensive is worse, unless it's better to use.

-a Jobo CPP-2 with a revision 3 motor and an Expert Drum is a very good way to develop sheet film.

 

[pdjr1991]

I use the Combiplan tank and find it works well for me. I managed to run across three of them used and cheap. I just fill them with developer, stop and fix and transfer the film carrier between them. Before that, I just turned off the lights, popped off the top, and emptied/filled it. I tried BTZS tubes and I never really liked them. I actually have a set that is barely used that I'd be happy to sell!

For film, I used Acros until it got too expensive. I use it in medium format and love it. It was really great for LF due to its lack of reciprocity failure. I'm now using Tmax400 in Xtol.

I use a Tachihara which has every movement I'll ever use.

I have a ton of holders because I prefer to load them at home rather than in the field (dust).

The thing that LF taught me is to look in every edge and corner of the ground glass. It really improved my composition.

Don't breathe under the darkcloth...it fogs up everything (winter) or makes it unbearably hot (summer)....I'm only (half) kidding

Thanks that helps! i get some extra cash every semester and im willing to spend some money on film and stuff. im interested in the tubes if your interested in selling them! I also have a ton of holders but i should probably make sure theres no light leaks. Gaffers tape should do the trick, anybody have experience reconditioning their 4x5 holders?

 

[pdjr1991]

It's one of the things that makes the idea of BTZS tubes so clever.

Putting the film in stop stops the developing, no more developing happens, so no fog develops.

(I don't personally have experience with the BTZS but the explanation is so obvious I believe it).

haha yea im willing to believe it, if all else fails i could take the precaution and do my stop and fix under a safelight.

 

[pdjr1991]

I've been doing LF photography for about 20 years. Here are some late-night, off-the-top-of my-head tips.

-Decide what types of things you like to photograph. This will greatly impact your choice of equipment. For example, if you want to do long back packing trips, a Toho camera would be ideal, along with some low weight lenses. On the other hand, if you want to do studio work, a big, heavy monorail, such as a Sinar P2, would fit the bill, along with some large aperture glass. The latter will make it easier to focus. Unfortunately, I do a little of everything. As a result, I settled on a Toyo AX, a metal field camera. I'm very happy with it, although if I won Lotto, I'd buy an Arca F-line kit, mainly because it would be more versatile with very short and long lenses. Cameras like the Toyo, Linhof, Horseman...and other metal cameras tend to be sturdier than their wooden brethren.

-Light tripods are more fun to carry, but heavier ones do a better job keeping everything still.

-Old lenses can be very good performers. In particular, I had a 203 Ektar that I really liked, but they often have strange flash-syncs, filter threads, and dodgy shutters. Make sure to add the cost of a CLA (Clean, Lube, Adjust) in the cost when you compare prices.

-Depending on what you photograph, you might not need a shutter. Use slow film, and a filter if necessary. Acros is a great film for long exposures.

-My favorite holders are Toyo, but Fidelity ones are good too.

-Badger Graphics and KEH are good places to buy from.

-Cheaper isn't better if it's a pain to use.

-More expensive is worse, unless it's better to use.

-a Jobo CPP-2 with a revision 3 motor and an Expert Drum is a very good way to develop sheet film.

Great tips! looks like im definitely going with acros for my film of choice but ill "train" using arista's cheap film. I am probably going to do a little bit of everything for awhile and luckily i own a monorail and a press camera (a field camera would be nice but that might be next semester). What do you recommend lens wise for the monorail if i were to do some studio work? Portraits and commercial? I thought about getting a jobo but there hard to find and seemed a little pricey.

 

[Peter De Smidt]

A 210mm F5.6 plasmat is a very useful studio lens. Any fairly recent version from the major manufacturers will probably be good. I have a Fuji 210mm NW, but I've used versions from a number of manufacturers, and all have been good lenses. Since there were so many 210s made, they are available for only a little money. A good lens to pair with it would be a 90-125mm large coverage lens. Again, there's lots of choices. Grandagons, Super Angulons, SW Nikkor.... Personally, I like 120mm, it's wide without giving the extremely distorted super wide look, and they're fairly easy to focus. 90mm can be very useful if you do a lot of architecture. These can be harder to focus, especially in dim interior light. If you're doing a lot of tight head shots, a 300mm would be nice. For field work, a Fuji 300c or Nikon 300M are very good lenses, but if you have a sturdy camera, a 300 F5.6 plasmat would be great in a studio. They are huge, but in a studio that doesn't matter, and the ground glass is very bright.

For starting out, developing BW film in trays isn't hard. I never liked doing this with 8x10 film, but 4x5 is no problem. I've had my Jobo for a decade, and it gives very even and scratch free negatives, but I haven't been following their price situation.

 

[dasBlute]

Thanks, i was thinking about getting the combi tank. what didn't you like about it?

My experiences with the combitank:
- slow to fill/empty
- PITA to load
- cheaply made plastic, sharp edges, easy to break

 

[E. von Hoegh]

im aware. im also aware that freestyle carries an e6 kit. i would mainly shoot just for the experience!

Are you aware that Kodachrome is not an E6 process film?

 

[pdjr1991]

Are you aware that Kodachrome is not an E6 process film?

Whoops i my mistake, i have ektachrome.