What Equipment Are You Using?

[Troy Ammons]

Not all LF, but, I have settled into a Sinar F2, buying a 8x10 conversion back, also making some sort of P+S setup for the 4x5 sinar similar to a handy.

Rodenstock Sironar 150mm lens (super super sharp)
G-Claron 210mm lens (covers 8x10)
I am also after a nikon 90mm F8 but in no real hurry

Mamiya 7 - MF
Sony P-150 digital (love this little camera)
Sigma SD9, soon to have a SD11 if they ever release it.

I also have a Pentax 67 and a RB67 pre-s I am selling.

 

[John Kasaian]

Most used camera: Deardorff 8x10. Most used lenses : 19" RD Artar, 14" Commercial Ektar, 12" Dagor, 10" WF Ektar, 240mm G Claron & 159mm Wollensak WA on the 8x10.

 

[Ole]

And I thought my 15 LF lenses was a bit much...

No, I don't use all of them every day, and there are several I haven't tried. Like the four (!) 6" Dallmmeyer Serrac's...

 

[Donald Qualls]

I'm from the opposite side of the Atlantic relative to Ole Tjugen, but all my large format cameras are metric anyway.

I have a 1927 (appr.) Zeiss-Ikon 250/7 Ideal, 9x12 cm plate camera with 13.5 cm f/4.5 Tessar in dial-set Compur (to 200), fully operational after bellows patching and addition of ground glass from a nearly identical Ica model a couple years older -- with ten usable plate holders and a couple more rusty ones I may find a way to restore at some point. The Ica, serving as a parts camera, has a hack retrofitted bellows that is both too small and riddled with pinholes, but an identical lens and shutter in good condition; I'm on the lookout for an affordable method of replacing the bellows with the correct size (and light tight, of course).

I also have a 1935 (dated by shutter serial number) Kamera Werkstatten Kawee Camera, the U.S. sale version of the Patent Etui supercompact 9x12 cm folding plate camera; originally with a Schneider Radionar 13.5 cm f/4.5, I've retrofitted a Voigtlander Skopar of the same specs to the original rim-set Compur (to 250), and am now in search of a method of resetting the infinity focus without butchering the camera. This camera included ground glass and three plate holders, and I'm on the lookout for more holders to fit it.

On the darkroom side, I have an Omega D2 4x5 enlarger with variable condenser missing the condenser glass, and Zone VI cold light without integrator/controller, but with a good assortment of negative carriers and lens boards/tubs, mechanically sound, and with the original incandescent light head; I'm watching for either affordable condenser glass in good condition or a closed-loop controller for the cold light that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. And of course I'm looking for lenses; I currently have a Vega internally filtered 105 mm f/5.6 with a bad magenta filter and M42 mount, and a standard M39 El-Omegar 50 mm f/3.5, but no enlarging lenses suitable for large format (I may press one of my spare 13.5 cm camera lenses into service if I'm otherwise ready and don't have a proper lens yet). I'm still working on darkening a bathroom to serve as a darkroom; slow going with a very limited budget.

 

[Ornello]

I am new to APUG and am so pleased to find this great forum.

Just out of curiosity, what LF camera(s) are you folks using (format and make?) What lenses do you shoot with and what kind of shooting (studio, field, other) do you do with that equipment?

I guess I better narrow my question. For 4x5, 5x7 and 8x10, what lenses do you most routinely use?

Not all of us are LF users. Some of us use miniature cameras (35mm).

 

[Nick Zentena]

Not all of us are LF users. Some of us use miniature cameras (35mm).

All the hittler youth got those cameras or just you?

 

[John Bartley]

A relative newbie here, and strictly doing amateur shooting for fun. Also a cheapskate, I have a Calumet 400 series monorail 4x5 on a Majestic tripod. I mostly use a 165mm Ilex Paragon, but also use a 210/370 Schneider Symmar, and have recently acquired a 135/235 Schneider Symmar. I've used a polaroid back, but I don't like the flimsy negatives that 55pn gives. I always carry my homemade pinhole camera and also always keep paper negatives in a couple of 4x5 holders just for pinholing.

cheers

 

[Ornello]

All the hittler youth got those cameras or just you?

I beg your pardon. What do you mean?

 

[mark]

Damn nick, that was rude.

Now to answer the question.
Nikon n50
24mm prime
Nikor 35-80
Nikor 80-200
Various filters

Hartblei Master 88
Mir 45mm
Vega 120mm
Kaleinar 150
Various really big filters (those 6x6 lense have really big pices of glass)

View Cameras
Galvin 6x9
4x5 Busch pressman d
4x5 Sinar F1
4x5 The greywolf prinzdorff
5x7 Kodak 2d
135mm xenar for the 4x5s. 150caltar, 180/360 symmar, 210 komura for the 4x5s and 5x7

I shoot them all quite regularly. Variety is the spice of life.

 

[Donald Miller]

I am new to APUG and am so pleased to find this great forum.

Just out of curiosity, what LF camera(s) are you folks using (format and make?) What lenses do you shoot with and what kind of shooting (studio, field, other) do you do with that equipment?

I guess I better narrow my question. For 4x5, 5x7 and 8x10, what lenses do you most routinely use?

Deardorff V8 8X10 ...use 210 Dagor, 375 Rodenstock (Caltar), and 450 Nikkor M

Zone VI 4X5...Use 90mm Super Angulon, 120mm Apo Symmar, 210mm Symmar, and 305 Repo Claron.

I mostly take pictures of pigeons and tadpoles.

 

[Amund]

Shen-Hao GZX 45-IIA
Nikkor 90mm f/8
Ektar 127mm f/4,7
Fujinon 150mm f/5.6

Hasselblad 500 C/M 80mm and 150mm
Nikon F100/D70 17-35mm and 70-200mm, 50mm
Holga
Pentax Me Super, 28mm,50mm,135mm.
Bessa L-25mm f/4

 

[Nick Zentena]

Damn nick, that was rude.
/QUOTE]


What do you mean? He admits using a Nazi camera. I just want to know if Hitler gave it to him personally. I bet he even has the little mustache. Those Nazis can't grow beards.

 

[BradS]

Nick, Are you not quite well today?

And now on with the question....

LF cameras: 4x5 Crown Graphic (sans rangefinder) and Omegaview 45F
LF Lenses: 127mm Raptar, 135mm Xenar, 135mm Symmar, 210mm Geronar

(It's good to be back).

 

[roteague]

I beg your pardon. What do you mean?

Ornello, just overlook it. You are welcome here, your posts have been enlightening.

 

[roteague]

[*]15x film holders (mostly loaded with Velvia 50)

I cheat, I just use Fuji QuickLoads (never did like loading film holders in the field).

 

[jimgalli]

Lenses used in last 3 mos: 4X5, 5X7; 450mm Fujinon f12.5C, 270mm Red Dot Artar, (awesome lens) 225mm Schneider Dagor type G-Claron, 165mm Kodak f7.7 coated anastigmat, 129mm Bausch & Lomb Protar VII, 90mm f4.5 Caltar (Rodenstock Grandagon) 8X10, 5X7 355mm G-Claron, 355mm Gold Dot (kern) Dagor, 12 3/4" Cooke triple convertible, 12" Wollensak triple convertible 270mm G-Claron, 9 1/2" Dagor, 225mm Schneider Dagor type G-Claron, 7 7/8" Protar VII, 162mm Cooke Series VII. All of the above are favorites, definitely not for sale. 2 of them wouldn't fetch $40 on Ebay, The little Wolly triple is a 1920's Rapid Rectilinear but it produces wonderful contrasty sharp negs on 5X7, and the tiny 165mm Kodak is smaller brother to the more recognized 203 f7.7. It's a dialyt and sharper than all get out. But this is the first and only post war and coated version I've ever seen. I recently paid WAY WAY too much for a "D-set" Bausch & Lomb Protar VII's. 8 3/4", 11 3/16", 13 3/4", and 16 1/4" plus all of the combinations of doublets of above. In the original B&L protective velvet lined case. Yes, go ahead and chide. Equipment junkie etc. I'm 52, and I plan to use all this stuff for at least the next 40 years so it will amortize itself by then. And I'll put my finished photos next to anyone's. This stuff is getting USED! (that makes it OK....sort of)

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

4x5--Gowland front moves PocketView, Linhof Tech V
5x7--Press Graflex reflex camera
8x10--Gowland PocketView with full movements
11x14"--American Optical (1890's folding flatbed)

Lenses--mostly from the 1960's-70's for 4x5", and classic lenses like Dagors, Artar, WF Ektar for the big cameras, and a Tessar and a really fast Xenar just for the 5x7. Also two Veritos, a big Heliar, and an old Voigtlander Petzval I'm waiting to mount.

 

[JG Motamedi]

Whole Plate "Sliding Box" Daguerreotype Camera with 11" Dallmeyer Petzval lens .

4x5/5x7 Wooden Canham with a three lens "field" kit (150, 240, 360) as well a collection of fast and portrait lenses (150/2.8 Xenotar, 240/3.5 Xenar, 9" Dallmeyer Petzval)

11x14 Burke and James with a 22" Dallmeyer Petzval (can you guess I like these?), and a 17" Kodak Dialyte.

I have a few other cameras which are in pieces slowly being refinished; a 8x10 Century Studio Camera and Stand (just bought a 16" Vitax for it), as well as a 10x8 Gandolfi Traditional.

 

[Graeme Hird]

I cheat, I just use Fuji QuickLoads (never did like loading film holders in the field).

I cheat too - I don't shoot more than about 16 shots in a day. I reload at night or in my change bag in a pub drinking my favourite beer (a cold one).

 

[ChrisC]

My 9-or-so months after coming back from the dark side doesn't allow me alot of stuff, but I make do with what I've got, and love every second of it:

• Shen Hao HZX45-IIA
• Rodenstock 150/5.6 Apo Sironar-N
• Lee Filter Holder with Hitech soft 2-stop & hard 3-stop ND filters
• Some old, almost completly useless Sekonic meter than needs to be replaced post haste
• Lowepro Nature Trekker to throw it all in

Next on the to-buy list is a new meter, then I'll start saving for a couple more lenses sometime down the line.

 

[Dave Wooten]

Wista 8 x 10- 210 S 5.6, barely covers 8 x 10 but nice movements up to 5 x 7 , 300 nikkor M f/9, 450 fuginon c f/12 . 355 G Claron f/9.

7 x 17 Wisner, I am new to this format and have been "target practicing" with it, View camera store just called today and said my order of several months ago for Bergger 7 x 17 was in so I am happy to begin that project. Think I will take a class or two in alternative processes.

The above lenses 300 and 355 and 450 all cover nicely in the larger formats , as well as 4 x 5 and 5 x 7 and 8 x 10. and were recommended to me on this forum....I have a crown graphic I want to "Wee Gee it" in the street but need to get a bellows for it, I also came upon a case of flashbulbs. Can anyone recommend me a good cigar.

Welcome, welcome, welcome

 

[Dan Fromm]

Hmm. Not sure I qualify for large format, don't shoot bigger than 2x3.

35 mm: Nikon FM2n, FG. 24/2.8 Nikkor. 35-70/3.3-4.5 Nikkor, 55/2.8 MicroNikkor, 105/2.8 MicroNikkor, 200/4 MicroNikkor, 400/6.3 TeleAstranar, 700/8 Questar. Sometimes (rarely) 50/1.8 Nikkor, 75-200/4.5 Vivitar SCAF, 25/3.5 and 40/4.5 Luminars. Also have a 500/5.6 Century that must go.

2x3: Pacemaker Speed Graphic, Century Graphic. 38/4.5 Biogon, 1.75"/2.8 Elcan, 47/5.6 SA, 65/8 Ilex, 80/6.3 WF Ektar, 4"/2 Taylor Hobson, 100/6.3 Reichert Neupolar, 101/4.5 Ektar, 127/4.7 Tominon, 6"/9 Cooke Copying Lens, 160/5.6 Pro Raptar, 7"/4.5 Aviar, 180/10 Apo Saphir, 210/9 Konica Hexanon GRII, 10.16"/9 Taylor Hobson Copying Lens, 12"/4 Taylor Hobson Telephoto. Sometimes use a 4"/5.6 Enlarging Pro Raptar instead of the Neupolar for closeup. The 1.75" Elcan probably should go.

Have 30 cm/9 Apotal, 305/9 Apo Nikkor, 360/10 Apo Saphir, 450/10 Lomo RF-5, 480/9 Apo Nikkor, all in barrel. Can't use any of these until I complete bracketry and coupler for a tandem camera that will incorporate both of my 2x3 Graphics. And then will need mount adapters for the lenses I use. Plan to run a shootout, on a Nikon, between the Apotal and 305 Apo Nikkor. The Apo Saphir has won a shootout, on a Nikon, with a 14"/5.6 Aviar and a 14"/10 Wray Apo Process Lustrar Ser. II; these two must go. Can't see a way to hang the 480 Apo Nikkor on anything I own, so will just pony up for an adapter for it. The RF-5 can be used, just barely, with the 210 GRII's mount adapter, and has shot very well on a Nikon.

The 180 Apo Saphir shoots better than the 7" Aviar, the Aviar really should go.

Also have a heap of short focal length macro lenses for use, mainly, above 1:1. Triage time approaches.

 

[Monophoto]

Well, let's see:

LF -Zone VI Lightweight 4x5
+ 210 mm f5.6 (Caltar/Rodenstock)
+ 90 mm f8 (Caltar/Schneider)
+ Adorama digital spot meter
+ Arista 400 film rated EI 200, HC-110 dilution H, 12 min @ 68 deg
+ Tiltall tripod

MF - Yashica A TLR
+ Kodak T-Max 400 film HC-110 dilution B, 6 min @ 68 deg
+ Seconic meter (for available light)
+ Wein flash meter (for studio applications)

35mm - Nikon FM-2 and FE-2
+ 50mm f1.8 Nikor
+ 100mm f2.8 Nikor E
+ 80-200mm f4.5 Soligor Zoom
+ 35-70mm f3.5 Nikor Zoom
+ 28MM f2.8 Sigma
+ 24mm f2.8 Quantaray
+ various gadgets and accessories accumulated over about 20 years
+ Kodak T-Max 400 rated EI 200, HC-110B, 4.5 min @ 68 deg.

also Olympus 35RC
+ HP-5 rated EI 200, HC110, dilution B, 5 min @ 68 deg.

Yup - - too much stuff!

 

[Nick Zentena]

Nick, Are you not quite well today?
.

Funny I don't remember you complaining about him calling everybody a Nazi. His on going racist comments. Implying some people are sub human trolls.

Am I well? I'm tired of the racist code words. I don't find them enlighting. I don't find them funny. I find them revolting. But then that is just me.

He wants to call people Nazis. I'll call him a Nazi.

 

[Baxter Bradford]

My, how this thread has grown, almost at the speed of the infamous "deleted" thread. Just had an out of body experience at all of the abbreviations etc. Four years ago this would have had me running scared and never ever daring to try LF (talk of relative merits of the APO-Blahblar still has me in circles of confusion). The sad thing is that I now understand a lot of it. Progress? I suppose that if the LF anorak fits.......

The beauty of LF is that the outfit is so personal with gear being acquired to match perceived needs, or indeed, whims. The problem being that it is a bit like decent outdoor clothing in that it never wears out, becoming ever harder to justify new items. The old ones continue to work really well and chasing diminishing returns on the newest products.

So in 4 years I have managed to fill a bag with hardware that does the job really well, the system continues to be limited by the software - me!

FWIW: Ebony SU45, 90, 120, 150, 210 and 300mm lenses. Lee filters, 508 meter, DDS and Fuji QL plus 6x12 rfh and some 120 film to feed this.

I use this on the beach (which I like to think of as my office) and in the local landscape and forest.