Who here shoots 8x10 LF anyway?

[removed account4]

daniel:

i began using a 8x10 in the spring of this year. i bought one of jim galli's cameras, and later sold it and bought a szabad.

while i have a bunch of film for it, i shoot mostly paper negatives.

 

[Gregg Brekke]

I'm hooked on 8x10 - enlarging 120 or 35mm just stinks in comparison to a sweet big contact print. I use it mostly in studio for portraits - will be posting some to a gallery as soon as I get out of the darkroom and onto the scanner.

My Nikon FM3a and Rollei TLR get a bunch of use, but mostly for color work processed at the lab...

Gregg

 

[Ian Grant]

Well I'm looking forward to joining you all, bought a 10"x8" Agfa field camera with a Goerz Dagor lens.

They are rarely up for sale here in the UK so I bought via Ebay from the States, the shipping and import taxes have added over 50% to the cost ! So it's a good job the USD is so weak at the moment.

So awaiting arrival next week, film & dark-slides are ready, and I'm tracking its shipping by UPS.

It will be an antidote for the need to shoot digital for commercial work, and hopefully be a stimulant to my personal exhibition work.

Ian

 

[photomc]

Congratulatinos on the camera Ian. Wanted to go with a 5x7 first then move up, but considered an 8x10 with a 5x7 back because I know I will want to move up in format.

Guess it will have to wait for now, since found a nice 5x7..will have to just enjoy all the 8x10 and larger work you guys produce.

 

[veriwide]

I use a 8x10 Deardorff, 4x5 Sinar, Hassy 500C, Veriwide 100, and a fun little Holga. I have been shooting the 4x5 and Veriwide mostly for this past year, as I have been printing 11x14 for a couple of classes. I'll be working with platinum printing this spring, so I'm planning on a lot of 8x10 use. I am having some cyanotype success that is also screaming for 8x10 negs. I got hold of a Series VII Protar so I can not wait to do wide angle in this large of a format. I also have a 12 inch red dot Artar and a 13 inch convertable Wollensak Raptar. I'll probably still wait a few days to pull the 'dorff out as we are expecting a Sunday night low of 5 with 60 mph winds here in the NW North Carolina mountains.

 

[mwtroxell]

Well I'm looking forward to joining you all, bought a 10"x8" Agfa field camera with a Goerz Dagor lens.

Ian

Ian,

After using a 4x5 for the last 14 years, I got a Agfa 8x10 last December (a Christmas present from my family). Its a good camera. I think you will enjoy it.

Mike

 

[Ian Grant]

Ian,

After using a 4x5 for the last 14 years, I got a Agfa 8x10 last December (a Christmas present from my family). Its a good camera. I think you will enjoy it.

Mike

Mike like you I've used 5x4 but for a little longer, I think about 28 year - actually the first 5x4 camera has retired to my loft but was D-Vere monorail with Whole Plate, Half Plate and 5x4 backs, I still have all 3 backs but only ever used the 5x4

What's your Agfa like, I can't find a camera that looks remotely similar to mine on the internet. My Dagor lens is made in New York, not Germany, and I suspect the camera is of US origin as well despite being an Agfa :-0

 

[doughowk]

Just got an 8X10 B&J Grover from another APUGer. I've tried contact printing on AZO before, but only had 4X5 & digitally enlarged negatives. Looking forward to contact printing on various papers including pt/pl with the 8X10 negs.

 

[scootermm]

fairly recent 8x10 addict as well.
I spend alot of time working on the camera but part of me loves that.
its a wonderful format and Ive learned so much in the short 5 months Ive had it.

cant wait to take more negatives and eventually get my 8x10 a 7x17 or 8x20 sibling.

 

[lee]

you still in NO Scootermm made any negs yet in the French Quarter?


lee\c

 

[scootermm]

I am still in beautiful N'aulins.
Spent the first day in the french quarter walking the streets hauling my 8x10. Took some negs there and at the St. Louis Cemetary #1. Spent the next day at one of the HUGE cemetaries in Metairie. I drove in and was literally overwhelmed. I basically picked one corner of the cemetary and said I wouldnt go out side that corner and just concentrated on finding photos in that area I wanted to take. Ended up working well. Im off to the Laura Plantation tomorrow morning then who knows where else the three days after that.

found a darkroom here in town I could rent so Im gonna try and develope the negs Ive taken so far on monday.

 

[colrehogan]

Mike like you I've used 5x4 but for a little longer, I think about 28 year - actually the first 5x4 camera has retired to my loft but was D-Vere monorail with Whole Plate, Half Plate and 5x4 backs, I still have all 3 backs but only ever used the 5x4

What's your Agfa like, I can't find a camera that looks remotely similar to mine on the internet. My Dagor lens is made in New York, not Germany, and I suspect the camera is of US origin as well despite being an Agfa :-0

I have an Ansco, which despite checking out the website below, I can't find anything that looks exactly like what I have, I've found a few that look close.

Try here:
http://www.fiberq.com/cam/scovill/agfacomm.htm

Good luck!

 

[JackRosa]

I use an 8x10 as my only camera: an Ebony SV810UE -the one with asymmetric tilts/swings. I also enlarge my 8x10 negatives to 16x20, 20x24 and 30x40 .... nothing like a 30x40 from a big negative!

 

[tomtom]

i bought a korona 8x10 off ebay about a year and a half a ago. i'd been terrified of the thing until this past summer. after i used it for the first time, i fell in love. i haven't touched my 4x5 since. i'm still trying to figure out how to use the darn thing but i'm enjoying every minute of it i can't remember who but there's a gentleman on apug with the signaure "have i told you how small my 4x5 negatives look today"- not perfectly quoted (please forgive me) but that's how i've felt since i started using the camera.

tomtom

 

[lee]

i can't remember who but there's a gentleman on apug with the signaure "have i told you how small my 4x5 negatives look today"- not perfectly quoted (please forgive me) but that's how i've felt since i started using the camera.

tomtom,

that is fellow texan photomc. nice guy

lee\c

 

[photomc]

that is fellow texan photomc. nice guy

lee\c

Thanks Lee.

 

[colrehogan]

i bought a korona 8x10 off ebay about a year and a half a ago. i'd been terrified of the thing until this past summer. after i used it for the first time, i fell in love. i haven't touched my 4x5 since. i'm still trying to figure out how to use the darn thing but i'm enjoying every minute of it i can't remember who but there's a gentleman on apug with the signaure "have i told you how small my 4x5 negatives look today"- not perfectly quoted (please forgive me) but that's how i've felt since i started using the camera.

tomtom

I felt the same way the first time I used mine. Once I get through my remaining 4x5 film, I might consider using 8x10 only.

 

[Ian Grant]

I have an Ansco, which despite checking out the website below, I can't find anything that looks exactly like what I have, I've found a few that look close.

Try here:
http://www.fiberq.com/cam/scovill/agfacomm.htm

Good luck!

Thanks Diane

Thats the site I looked at. I'm sure the camera will be an American Agfa, as the lens is a New York, Goerz Dagor.

It looks like this
http://www.lostlabours.co.uk/Uploads/10x8.JPG
and does show similarities to those Agfa-Ansco's on the site, but has far more front movements compared to the linked camera.

It's on a flight hopefully bound for the UK at this very moment, according to the UPS tracking system.

So waiting in anticipation of trying it over Christmas

Ian

 

[John Kasaian]

I enjoy the heck out of 8x10. I've got a few other formats I play with, but for most purposes my 8x10 'dorff will be the first choice. It is a really fun camera to work with. I've collected a whole bunch of film holders and some really good classic lenses which only adds to the fun, but when I was limited to three holders and a single lens it was still a heck of a lot of fun.

 

[Sean]

I have the 1st->5th off and will be firing up my 8x10 Deardorff for my first 8x10 session

 

[rbarker]

I have the 1st->5th off and will be firing up my 8x10 Deardorff for my first 8x10 session

You'll have a lot of fun with it, Sean. Don't forget to check the oil before you fire it up, though.

 

[Daniel Grenier]

I have the 1st->5th off and will be firing up my 8x10 Deardorff for my first 8x10 session

That's it, Sean. Get used to the addiction now.

I don' know if you have shot sheet film before but if you haven't, do yourself a favor and let me suggeset some steps to avoid wasted time, effort, and $$$. My first time out with my 8x10 produced less than stellar results. I mean flare, badly exposed negs, awfull mottling etc.. In time, and with better procedures, materials and equipment, I was able to produce negs/prints that now meet the criterias I had when moving up to 8x10 in the first place.

i.e.
Use Pyrocat HD to process your film
Brush-process each sheet separately
Develop your film by inspection
Print Azo in Amidol (for silver prints)
Get a Thomas Safelight if you don't have one
Have your shutter speeds tested and write them down
Determine your own film speed
Use lens shades
Etc......

In any case, Sean, have a great time with it and welcome to the "club".

 

[Sean]

Thanks. There is some great info on Tuan's site, whole pages of what 'not' to do hehe

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Tuan's potential LF blunder page is great. Most of those are errors you make once and get it out of your system, and then it becomes surprisingly simple, once you assimilate everything into a routine.

http://largeformatphotography.info/mistakes.html

 

[razzledog]

I recently shot some Tri-X on my newly aquired 8x10 Hasemi field camera and was amazed by both the speed of operation and ease of development. When later on I processed some 4x5 negs, I found them more difficult to handle than 8x10 negs. I plan to shoot some 8x10 Fuji RDP`s over Christmas. The camera currently has a Graphic Kowa 240mm lens fitted and the whole system not only folds up nicely, but is an absolute joy to use. Amazingly it produces a neg 4 times larger and with my eyesight, I don`t even need my glasses! The Arcus 1200 flatbed handles the neg well and produces excellent results
Dean.