[Vertex Ninja]

Sweet! I've got one just like it in maple. Sadly I haven't had the funds to purchase a lens for it. However it still smells great after a year of sitting... yes I said 'smells'. Steve, surely you can back me up on this. Can't wait to see what you do with it.

[Blue]

Have you loaded film in it yet? Can you get a 120 back for it?

[stevebrot]

Sweet! I've got one just like it in maple. Sadly I haven't had the funds to purchase a lens for it. However it still smells great after a year of sitting... yes I said 'smells'. Steve, surely you can back me up on this. Can't wait to see what you do with it.

A year without a lens!? Now that is what I call CBA! You should at least get a 150/5.6. I got my Caltar II-N 150/5.6 for $249 from Adorama in Ex condition. Not cheap, but not particularly expensive either. As for the smell...mine has the aroma of rubbed-oil finish...

Steve

[stevebrot]

Have you loaded film in it yet? Can you get a 120 back for it?

The Chamonix has a Graflok-type back and will support any holders designed for that system. I bought a Linhof Super Rollex 6x7 roll film holder and am into my second test roll of 120. The RFH requires removal of the ground glass, so the flow is a little more clumsy than using sheet film. I will do some 4x5 once I get a workable setup for developing the film.

Steve

[Vertex Ninja]

A year without a lens!? Now that is what I call CBA! You should at least get a 150/5.6. I got my Caltar-N II 150/5.6 for $249 from Adorama in Ex condition. Not cheap, but not particularly expensive either. As for the smell...mine has the aroma of rubbed-oil finish...

Steve

Ha! It was CBA for sure . It's just one of those things. I could've got a lens, but then I came across the silver MZ-S and 43mm, and now I need a new tripod in a bad way. I'll eventually take it out for a spin I'm just taking my sweet time doing it.

...still nice to look at and smell from time to time.

[icywarm]

The accountant in me wants to point out you could have had it sooner if you didn't allow the government to take an interest free loan from you for the year, but other than that looks like fun, what is the development time for something like this, I have a picture in my mind of everyone needing to stand still for 5 mins well the photo exposes.

[pingflood]

The accountant in me wants to point out you could have had it sooner if you didn't allow the government to take an interest free loan from you for the year, but other than that looks like fun, what is the development time for something like this, I have a picture in my mind of everyone needing to stand still for 5 mins well the photo exposes.

For portraits, figure f/11 to f/16; for landscapes f/64. No multi minute exposures, but plan on either bumping the output on the studio strobes or asking your subjects to sit still while the 1/5 exposure is done.

And yeah, I don't like giving interest free loans to Uncle Sam either. Usually we try to be within $500 owed to make things easier, though last year we had some unexpected long term cap gains and had to write a nice $30k check to the IRS...

[tuco]

...what is the development time for something like this, I have a picture in my mind of everyone needing to stand still for 5 mins well the photo exposes.

The exposure time is the same as a 35mm camera using the same film. Whether you want to expose the same is another matter. With a modern lens, typically f5.6 is the widest aperture and 1/500th is the fastest shutter.

[Clarkey]

Snip.....
The big challenge now, aside from the steep learning curve, is to find a way to digitize the 120 and 4x5 negatives. I would get a Epson V700, but I am out money for this project
Steve

Try and pick yourself up a Epson 4490 (photo) or 4990 (cheap!) and pick yourself up some of these holders. I think you will be pleasantly surprised...with well exposed shots. Those scanners can often be picked up for less than $100 notes.

The Microtek i900 is also supposed to be really good for Large format work.

Silverfast software is nice, but complicated, I've had some good fun with vuescan, but ended up using the bundled epson software (which is updated on epson website).
Have fun!

[jct us101]

That camera looks beautiful, what is it? An old high school teacher gave me one not too long ago that looks almost exactly the same as that.

What a beautiful piece of equipment! Now I'll reveal my ignorance and ask what kind of a camera is it actually? Large format, medium format - or either depending on the attached back? Is there a good website-for-dummies regarding cameras like this?

[pingflood]

Try and pick yourself up a Epson 4490 (photo) or 4990 (cheap!)

The 4490 is a great scanner but won't light up a full 4x5 neg; you need the 4990 for that.

By the way, if anyone wants a 4490 I have one that I need to unload ASAP so PM me...

[stevebrot]

What a beautiful piece of equipment! Now I'll reveal my ignorance and ask what kind of a camera is it actually? Large format, medium format - or either depending on the attached back? Is there a good website-for-dummies regarding cameras like this?

Sorry...that is a Chamonix 045N-2 4x5 view camera (Link to Chamonix Web Site). It is considered large format, but will accept 120/220 roll film with an appropriate adapter. As for good Web sites...Two come to mind:

• A large format photography home page
• View Camera Getting Started In Large Format

There are also forums similar to this one that specialize in traditional photography. While the Web has good resources, there are also a couple of good books out there:

• Adams, Ansel. The Camera.
• Simmons, Steve. Using The View Camera.

Steve

[stevebrot]

Try and pick yourself up a Epson 4490 (photo) or 4990 (cheap!) and pick yourself up some of these holders. I think you will be pleasantly surprised...with well exposed shots. Those scanners can often be picked up for less than $100 notes.

The Microtek i900 is also supposed to be really good for Large format work.

Silverfast software is nice, but complicated, I've had some good fun with vuescan, but ended up using the bundled epson software (which is updated on epson website).
Have fun!

Thanks for the suggestions. The 4990 with the betterscanning.com holder is supposed to be a good combination. All I need is to find a source for the 4990.

I wish there were some way I could just project from my enlarger to my existing flatbed scanner (Microtek s400).


Steve

[pingflood]

Thanks for the suggestions. The 4990 with the betterscanning.com holder is supposed to be a good combination. All I need is to find a source for the 4990.

I wish there were some way I could just project from my enlarger to my existing flatbed scanner (Microtek s400).


Steve

You wouldn't need to project the image, just use the enlarger as an even light source to illuminate a neg you put on the scanner. But that probably wouldn't work since the scanner will try to light it still...