[stevebrot]

Down the rabbit hole I go, into large format



HP5+, DD-X (tray processed), v700 scan. Arca-Swiss 4x5 F-line Classic, Caltar II-N 210/5.6 @ f/32.

Oh, my! When you jump down a rabbit hole you don't hold back. Are you going to post a photo of the camera in the gear porn section?


Steve

[baro-nite]

Oh, my! When you jump down a rabbit hole you don't hold back. Are you going to post a photo of the camera in the gear porn section?

Undoubtedly. I've had the camera since January but have only just put together all the pieces to start shooting and developing at home, and didn't want to show it off till I did.

[stevebrot]

but have only just put together all the pieces to start shooting and developing at home

Oh, yes...all the pieces. It took me forever to get all the "stuff" together to actually start shooting. Lenses? That was the easy part. Like you, I opted for the Caltar II-N line, though my first was the 150/5.6 in Copal 0...a lovely and compact lens. Hmmmm...something is missing. Oh, yeah, we need a lens board to attach it to the camera. What do you mean it takes a special tool? Cable release? One for each lens? This is starting to get expensive. I was lucky with the film holders. My local used camera place had a box full of them in decent shape. Tripod...Ohhhhh...Houston, we have a problem. My Giotto legs were fine, but the ball head was hard to manage with the big camera. Luck would have it that the same camera store had an old Bogen head for $15 that fit the bill. Whew!

Finally, I was able to shoot using a jacket for a darkcloth and a cheap Agfa loupe for fine focus. I still don't have a decent dark cloth, but I did upgrade the loupe to a very nice Fuji unit and acquired another Caltar II-N (90/6.8) for wide-angle. I also managed to acquire several 6x7 roll film holders. (Are we hearing a sucking sound yet?) Scanner...I need a scanner and so one

The most difficult part, as you are discovering was to figure out how to develop. The Jobo 4x5 tank was the best solution, but availability was sketchy at the time and I was out of money. I initially did "taco" in a Patterson tank with mixed success (scratched negs) and eventually ended up doing four at a time in a Unicolor paper drum on a motorized base. The drum is just large enough to accommodate the full volume of developer needed. I still use the taco method for semi-stand development.


Steve

[wuzet]

ME Super, SMC M35/2, TriX 400, Pyrocat HD

[baro-nite]

Oh, yes...all the pieces. It took me forever to get all the "stuff" together to actually start shooting.

Haha, yes my story is similar.

So far (knock on wood) tray development is working out better than I had feared, what with all the reports of inevitable scratched negs. Holding off on the Jobo for now.

[gary2881]

Hay, baro-nite, I like your trees. Rabbit hole for sure. Pretty soon you'll have 5x7, then 8x10....

Pentax 67, HP-5+, WD2D+

75mm f4.5



75mm f4.5



150mm f2.8

[baro-nite]

Hay, baro-nite, I like your trees. Rabbit hole for sure. Pretty soon you'll have 5x7, then 8x10....

Thanks Gary. I first saw your work on the LF forum and have been following you on Flickr since. Indeed I have been thinking of 8x10, both because larger formats are always calling, but mainly because I think it would be feasible for me to do 8x10 contact prints at home.

[gary2881]

Contact prints from 8x10 or larger are very cool. Just be young and strong!

This is an 8x10 on Arista 100, WD2D+



I wouldn't want to discourage you. I'm just getting too old and stiff to manage the large camera.

[baro-nite]

Contact prints from 8x10 or larger are very cool. Just be young and strong!

This is an 8x10 on Arista 100, WD2D+

...

I wouldn't want to discourage you. I'm just getting too old and stiff to manage the large camera.

I'm not getting any younger myself, but I should still have a few years where I could enjoy lugging a big camera. So I guess I'd better not wait too long.

How do you like the Arista films?

[ivrabec985]

Pentax K2
Fomapan 200

K 135 2.5


K 50 1.2

[Lauzi]

Pentax LX, 28mm, f5.6, 1/125, yellow filter, Ilford HP5+

[gofour3]

Hay, baro-nite, I like your trees. Rabbit hole for sure. Pretty soon you'll have 5x7, then 8x10....

Pentax 67, HP-5+, WD2D+

75mm f4.5



75mm f4.5



150mm f2.8

Nice work the the 67!

Phil.

[gary2881]

How do you like the Arista films?

Hp-5+ is my favorite film. The Arista films are attractive because they about half the price of the main-line films. Some batches of Arista have had defects, although it seems to be better now. The biggest drawback for me is that I don't get the look that I like.

---------- Post added 03-29-15 at 05:46 PM ----------

Thanks, Phil, the more I use the 67, the better I like it.

[baro-nite]

Hp-5+ is my favorite film. The Arista films are attractive because they about half the price of the main-line films. Some batches of Arista have had defects, although it seems to be better now. The biggest drawback for me is that I don't get the look that I like.

Thanks, good info. I decided to start my large format work with HP5+ and I'll stick with it for a while.

[gary2881]

Pentax 67, HP-5+, WD2D+