lf-photo.org.uk

Hello, I'm a less-than-beginner LF shooter; my very first 4x5 is currently crossing the pond to arrive in my greedy hands.

I do a lot of MF (6x6 and 6x9) using various old cameras, mostly folders and a vintage Bronica S2A SLR. My interest is in landscape, and I gradualy Upgraded myself from digital (don't faint already!) to MF and now I feel the pull of even larger format.

I shoot exclusively to scan, I don't have a darkroom. I do B&W and E6 depending on the mood!

So here is that gorgeous looking Crown Graphic coming to me, and I will probably have tons of silly beginner questions! I like my kit to be as portable as possible, I'm not particularily fond of tripods either. So the large monorails was clearly not for me. The Crown and it's rangefinder looks very apealing on the other hand, I will have to see how practical it is in the field...

Oh, I am a compulsive tinkerer. I fix, hack, tweak, clean and like making unlikely adaptations of things that weren't suposed to work with each others. I'm also a computer engineer, specialist in "digital signal processing" which means that I don't really know how to use photoshop but I certainly know how it does what it does !

Lastly, I'm the admin of the "Manual Focus Forum" there : http://oomz.net/mf/ it is also a small, friendly, community!

Buze,

Welcome.
I think you have come to the right place. A lot of us have only moved into LF in the last few years, so we've been there recently

I'm sure we'll be able to give you a few pointers.

Marc

Hiya - I have a Speed Graphic - although I've had it for about a year now, I'm still getting used to it and haven't really had a good run out with it, have shot some nice negatives though and find the size of the film and the negatives a complete joy.

You'll have fun with it! The best bit about the Speed/Crown Graphics is that they're intended to be used hand-held as well as the tripod so you can carry it round with you.

The whole focussing thing is fun with the Speed Graphic - not one but three ways of focussing your camera!

Euan

I've just got a Speed Graphic too - an old "pre-anniversary" model. It was cheap since it had no lens, some leather faults, and a poor description.
It turned out to be fitted with a new synthetic bellows, and the flocal plane shutter is spot on!

That's nice for me, since I intend to use it with (very) old barrel lenses. Stuff like a cheap copy of a Busch Vademecum casket set, or a Zeiss 15cm Doppel-Amatar, a Voigtländer WZ and so on...

Ole Tjugen wrote:That's nice for me, since I intend to use it with (very) old barrel lenses.

Looks like Jim is goig to make a killing here..

Marc

masch wrote:Looks like Jim is goig to make a killing here..

Ehm - I already have all these barrel lenses, and more. If by "Jim" you mean Jim Galli, then no - he won't make a killing off me. I get most of my lenses from Germany.

Ole Tjugen wrote:Ehm - I already have all these barrel lenses, and more. If by "Jim" you mean Jim Galli, then no - he won't make a killing off me. I get most of my lenses from Germany.

On of these days, I should learn to read posts correctly and completely before posting
I stand corrected!

Marc

Ok. I'm now officialy one ! Received the Crown Graphic this morning, and shot and developped my first 4 4x5 negs ! Huzah !

No disaster, I think I'll wait until I need to do an important photo before goofing off with dark slides and such

... And I received today my first 12 first Velvia 100 from Peak...

My lower jaw is still hurting from hitting the floor !

Wow !

buze wrote:My lower jaw is still hurting from hitting the floor !
Wow !

Was that surprise at the quality or the cost?

The quality ! Absolutely amazing, and I tought 6x9 slides were excellent

The cost is "ok", considering you don't exactly snap along like with a digital camera, anyway

For service, peak were excellent. Posted on saturday, got the slides on tuesday. Still waiting for the 7 E6 films I sent to dlab7 on the same day...

Now that I re-discovered this forum (was lost in a web-browser crossgrade) I can give an update !

I've been shooting that Crown Graphic a lot since september. Maybe 150 B&W sheets, and 30 to 40 trannies.
I have also started doing alternative printing (Cyanos & Vandykes) and it's some sort of a hungry machine that /needs/ fresh negs to make nice new prints!

I've beefed up my lens collection too. I started with the Optar 135mm and the Ektar 203, and now I got:
+ Optar 90mm (unmounted so far), got it free but it lacks a retaining ring
+ Wide Field Ektar 100mm f6.3 ; my new favourite !
+ Ektar 127mm -- also free, also unmounted
+ Optar 135mm
+ Ektar 203mm f7.7
+ 12" Ilex Paragon f6.3. I can focus that to about 3.5m or so.

I have 3 grafmatic backs, and a bunch of normal fidelity holders.

Anyway, I'm hooked, and I'm looking to potentialy "upgrade" to a proper filed camera. What I miss on the Crown is the rotating back really; the rest of the movements are enough to get me going. raise/fall/shift/tilt of the front is fine for landscape I found.
I also realize the Crown is more or less of of the lightest field camera I could get.. The other "serious" ones seems to take on weight rather quickly...

But then again... a rotating back would be most useful.. But if I get another camera, I'm tempted to just get over it with and get a 8x10 view.. That way I'll have the neg real estate for contacts...

Any insight ?

A recent image done with the Crown : "Dartmoor and fog"

Nice pic. I had a crown and the lack of rotating back was the reason I moved it on, great camera otherwise.
Moving to 10x8 may require the whole lens buying thing again as the ones you have may not cover the new size.

Have you seen the projects page, as you have lots of new images, maybe you fancy getting involved? Blatant plug over!!

Gari

Your 12" Ilex should cover 10x8 with some to spare. But be warned: 10x8 can get seriously heavy – your back and your wallet willl both suffer.

And you will really have to learn to love your tripod It's all worth it of course...


Richard