I am having strange cravings and flashbacks.,

**gaweidert** · 08-24-2013, 07:49 PM

For some strange reason I have the incredible desire to get a 4 x 5 Field Camera. I also want to get some Ilford B&W film for it and build a darkroom. I'm too old for a mid life crisis. What the heck is going on here? Maybe I should take my Bronica ETRsi out of retirement and use it instead. I really miss the smell of fixer. Got addicted to it some 45 years ago. I have visions of Ilford Pan and Tri-X and Plus-X films in my head. Now it's ID 76, DK50 and D76 developers. Metol, Elon, Hydorquinone, Phenidone AAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!

Bob from Aus · 08-24-2013, 08:45 PM

I think my two cubic metres of slides has cured me of film for ever. I can sit at my computer and access my five internal and seven external hard drives. I usually find the digital photos I need in minutes. I look at the boxes, filing cabinet and bookshelf of slides and it just motivates me to replace them all with digital.

I have drawers of slides I have taken out of their files and need to be physically filed again. I have lost count of how many hundreds of slides people have not returned. Long live digital.

For you it might be vision for me it is probably a nightmare of where i can put them access them and use them.

I do have a display of my favourite film cameras - it's like a museum. But that doesn't mean I need to put film through them.

**blackcloudbrew** · 08-24-2013, 09:03 PM

I've gone back to film about 3 or so years ago. I've settled on medium format 6x7 and 645 as nice sizes because 120 film is quite available. I develop the b&w at home and do my printing at a local rent-a-lab and at my local junior college when I'm taking classes. I to love the eau do fixer smell. You are not strange, you are just discerning. Oh, I'm a HC-110 and Rodinol guy now...

**gaweidert** · 08-25-2013, 04:54 AM

Bob from Aus

Since you so this as a business I can understand your issues with film. In your world digital is the way to go. Years ago a friend of mine wanted to make tintypes. So he got a copy of "The Silver Sunbeam" and mixed the solutions and bingo! No images. Turns out that the chemical were too pure. Once he added some dirt from his basement floor (I kid you not) everything started working. Even made some money going to Civil War reenactments here in the sates. Reenactors were lining up for photographs.

I still think that conventional photography is better than digital in terms of image quality. It is also a better long term storage medium. You will always be able to scan your images. The rated life of a CD or DVD is five years. I fear that in this digital world we live in there wil be scan records for historians to plow trough 100 ears from now.

You should hire an able assistant to scan your slides. You should be able to set up a copy station pretty easy using a DSLR, macro lens, mounting system and a light table to back light the slides. There may still be some gold to mine there.

normhead · 08-25-2013, 05:27 AM

The issue with large format continues to be the lack of functionality of tilt shift mechanisms. At least on 1 4x5 it's large enough to visually check your DoF and focus plane visually before you commit to an exposure. At some point you'll see an iPad used with something like a D800 to accomplish this, but I'm guessing it's still a year or two away. The bottleneck I'm suspect right now is the speed of the video output from the camera being used. When using an iPad for live view for focussing, you really wouldn't want to deal with lag.

Until something like that arrives some of us will be remembering something that is currently lost. A part of photography that's simply not present in the digital conversion. Something that was, that technical advances have not replicated.

Nesster · 08-25-2013, 05:31 AM

I would say go for it, have fun, that's what those old cameras are for. Later when 4x5 film is gone, there won't be as easy a chance. I know I'm headed there eventually, I'm only up to 6x9 / 2x3

Gareth.Ig · 08-25-2013, 06:26 AM

Originally posted by gaweidert

For some strange reason I have the incredible desire to get a 4 x 5 Field Camera. I also want to get some Ilford B&W film for it and build a darkroom. I'm too old for a mid life crisis. What the heck is going on here? Maybe I should take my Bronica ETRsi out of retirement and use it instead. I really miss the smell of fixer. Got addicted to it some 45 years ago. I have visions of Ilford Pan and Tri-X and Plus-X films in my head. Now it's ID 76, DK50 and D76 developers. Metol, Elon, Hydorquinone, Phenidone AAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!

Right there with you, just started shooting a Bronica GS-1. Somebody has a Horseman LS, complete with lens and lightmeter up for sale for $350 here locally. Its driving me nuts not giving into it. THe only thing holding me back is the fact I can't seem to compose a decent image on the Bronica to save my life.

wildlifephotog · 08-25-2013, 08:25 AM

You could get the 4X5, then use the digital at the rear instead of film.
I used an old lens for it's PK mount, mounted on a board to replace the ground glass.

08-24-2013, 07:49 PM	#1
gaweidert Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Rochester, NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,325	I am having strange cravings and flashbacks., For some strange reason I have the incredible desire to get a 4 x 5 Field Camera. I also want to get some Ilford B&W film for it and build a darkroom. I'm too old for a mid life crisis. What the heck is going on here? Maybe I should take my Bronica ETRsi out of retirement and use it instead. I really miss the smell of fixer. Got addicted to it some 45 years ago. I have visions of Ilford Pan and Tri-X and Plus-X films in my head. Now it's ID 76, DK50 and D76 developers. Metol, Elon, Hydorquinone, Phenidone AAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!

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08-24-2013, 08:45 PM	#2
Bob from Aus Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,094	I think my two cubic metres of slides has cured me of film for ever. I can sit at my computer and access my five internal and seven external hard drives. I usually find the digital photos I need in minutes. I look at the boxes, filing cabinet and bookshelf of slides and it just motivates me to replace them all with digital. I have drawers of slides I have taken out of their files and need to be physically filed again. I have lost count of how many hundreds of slides people have not returned. Long live digital. For you it might be vision for me it is probably a nightmare of where i can put them access them and use them. I do have a display of my favourite film cameras - it's like a museum. But that doesn't mean I need to put film through them.

08-24-2013, 09:03 PM	#3
blackcloudbrew Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Cotati, California USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,460	I've gone back to film about 3 or so years ago. I've settled on medium format 6x7 and 645 as nice sizes because 120 film is quite available. I develop the b&w at home and do my printing at a local rent-a-lab and at my local junior college when I'm taking classes. I to love the eau do fixer smell. You are not strange, you are just discerning. Oh, I'm a HC-110 and Rodinol guy now...

08-25-2013, 04:54 AM	#4
gaweidert Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Rochester, NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,325 Original Poster	Bob from Aus Since you so this as a business I can understand your issues with film. In your world digital is the way to go. Years ago a friend of mine wanted to make tintypes. So he got a copy of "The Silver Sunbeam" and mixed the solutions and bingo! No images. Turns out that the chemical were too pure. Once he added some dirt from his basement floor (I kid you not) everything started working. Even made some money going to Civil War reenactments here in the sates. Reenactors were lining up for photographs. I still think that conventional photography is better than digital in terms of image quality. It is also a better long term storage medium. You will always be able to scan your images. The rated life of a CD or DVD is five years. I fear that in this digital world we live in there wil be scan records for historians to plow trough 100 ears from now. You should hire an able assistant to scan your slides. You should be able to set up a copy station pretty easy using a DSLR, macro lens, mounting system and a light table to back light the slides. There may still be some gold to mine there.

08-25-2013, 05:27 AM	#5
normhead Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Near Algonquin Park Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 40,451	The issue with large format continues to be the lack of functionality of tilt shift mechanisms. At least on 1 4x5 it's large enough to visually check your DoF and focus plane visually before you commit to an exposure. At some point you'll see an iPad used with something like a D800 to accomplish this, but I'm guessing it's still a year or two away. The bottleneck I'm suspect right now is the speed of the video output from the camera being used. When using an iPad for live view for focussing, you really wouldn't want to deal with lag. Until something like that arrives some of us will be remembering something that is currently lost. A part of photography that's simply not present in the digital conversion. Something that was, that technical advances have not replicated.

08-25-2013, 05:31 AM	#6
Nesster Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: NJ USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 13,072	I would say go for it, have fun, that's what those old cameras are for. Later when 4x5 film is gone, there won't be as easy a chance. I know I'm headed there eventually, I'm only up to 6x9 / 2x3

08-25-2013, 06:26 AM	#7
Gareth.Ig Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Cochrane, AB Photos: Gallery Posts: 508	Originally posted by gaweidert For some strange reason I have the incredible desire to get a 4 x 5 Field Camera. I also want to get some Ilford B&W film for it and build a darkroom. I'm too old for a mid life crisis. What the heck is going on here? Maybe I should take my Bronica ETRsi out of retirement and use it instead. I really miss the smell of fixer. Got addicted to it some 45 years ago. I have visions of Ilford Pan and Tri-X and Plus-X films in my head. Now it's ID 76, DK50 and D76 developers. Metol, Elon, Hydorquinone, Phenidone AAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HELP ME!!!!!!!!!! Right there with you, just started shooting a Bronica GS-1. Somebody has a Horseman LS, complete with lens and lightmeter up for sale for $350 here locally. Its driving me nuts not giving into it. THe only thing holding me back is the fact I can't seem to compose a decent image on the Bronica to save my life.

08-25-2013, 08:25 AM	#8
wildlifephotog Inactive Account Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: USA Posts: 924	You could get the 4X5, then use the digital at the rear instead of film. I used an old lens for it's PK mount, mounted on a board to replace the ground glass.