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Hi I'm Bill from Guildford. I've been playing with photography for a couple of years now and got most enjoyment from film stuff. I only shoot 35mm at the moment (but have a very nice Canon EOS1v to do it with), and have an old zeiss medium format folder to start playing with medium format. I have been tasked with building a couple of larger view cameras for work, no real need to make prints, they are just educational demos basically for pinhole photography.I will start with pin hole stuff and would like the option of printing direct to the Harman direct positive paper. I would then like to extend this to a proper lens setup, so I'm here looking for into and advice.

I've also recently aquired a very nice Devere 405 enlarger so I can now print from 5X4 negs, I'm probably going to want a nice small 5X4 monorail the more I hang about here and see the fantastic picture you guys(and girls) have taken!

I'm new to all this so be nice and humour the stupid questions

Welcome to the dark slide Bill

Will be interested to see how you get on with your LF pinhole... are you involved with a school or college?

Paul

I work in a university (Surrey) in electronic engineering (so my home brew LF camera will probably have Ap and Sp modes ), but we do a fair bit of 'widening access' stuff which is taking science and engineering to kids from ages of about 6 to 16. One of our projects was pin hole camera based, we really need something a bit more instant (kids don't 'get' film we had a couple of instances of them taking the film out to check the pictures before processing) so I'm thinking more group based, big view camera they can all get behind and Harman direct positive paper for making the images (last time I have 20 rolls of C-41 to dev and scan each session). I did try and construct a pin-hole camera with flat bed scanner on the back, think large format digital on the cheap. It had promise but needed (a lot of) work.

All sounds like good fun! especially using a flatbed scanner as a pinhole! Don't know if you've had time to peruse yet but there's been one or two threads regarding home made LF cameras. Or you can try what a friend of mine does... he turns whole rooms into a pinhole camera! http://www.derekreayphotography.co.uk/P ... scura.html

Welcome again and good luck with your project

Paul

Welcome Bill.
Really keen to learn how you got on with the Direct Positive paper. I'm a complete LF newbie but, as soon as my 8x10 kit is assembled, I'll be christening it with this paper. I really like the idea of in camera positives, though I will need to find a way of taming the contrast by pre-flashing without a darkroom.
What size are you going to make the camera? The paper goes up to 20x16
All the best,
John

John Hamlen wrote:Welcome Bill.
Really keen to learn how you got on with the Direct Positive paper. I'm a complete LF newbie but, as soon as my 8x10 kit is assembled, I'll be christening it with this paper. I really like the idea of in camera positives, though I will need to find a way of taming the contrast by pre-flashing without a darkroom.
What size are you going to make the camera? The paper goes up to 20x16
All the best,
John

John, one of my chums on the Filmwasters forum has had a go with this paper http://www.filmwasters.com/forum/index.php?topic=4138.0

Paul

I'll post my successes with the positive paper (if I fail I'll just keep schtumm ).

My intention was to build a 4X5 (see I'm learning, didn't call it 5X4) camera mainly for portability but I may go straight to 8X10 my worry is outgrowing the pinhole and the subsequent cost of lenses! For the pinhole and positive paper I'm considering using a simple light tight box with a pinhole in the base and mount the paper on the lid, then just go out to do a single shot and re-load in the darkroom. Its a bit clunky but cheap and I work at surrey uni so we have plenty of stuff to shoot withing 5 mins walk while I get the hang of it.

Bill Backhouse wrote:… (see I'm learning, didn't call it 5X4)

No, no, no!!! 4x5 is Yankee talk; we're a UK forum and do things right. 5x4 is perfect here

But we're all European these days - shouldn't that be 127 x 102?

</me runs and hides far far away>

Surely it should be 102 x 127

or someware between quarter plate and half plate to us luddites

Dave

Neil Barnes wrote:But we're all European these days - shouldn't that be 127 x 102?

</me runs and hides far far away>

Thwack!

Jeez I'll refer to it as such:

120 = roll film

5X4 = little sheets

8X10 = big sheets

20X24 = flippin silly sheets

I'll probably go with big sheets but chop them into little sheets for testing. as I havn't anything to dev flippin silly sheets in I won't be using them (Although I do have a jobodrum suitable for 20X16 so could cut some smaller sheets off to fit!!)

Bill Backhouse wrote:Jeez I'll refer to it as such:

120 = roll film

5X4 = little sheets

8X10 = big sheets

20X24 = flippin silly sheets

I'll probably go with big sheets but chop them into little sheets for testing. as I havn't anything to dev flippin silly sheets in I won't be using them (Although I do have a jobodrum suitable for 20X16 so could cut some smaller sheets off to fit!!)

You've already upset Joanna so we don't want to upset the 5x7 users now....

5x7 = medium sheets

Paul Mitchell wrote:You've already upset Joanna so we don't want to upset the 5x7 users now....

Oh, and it's 10x8 as well

Paul Mitchell wrote: John, one of my chums on the Filmwasters forum has had a go with this paper http://www.filmwasters.com/forum/index.php?topic=4138.0
Paul

Thanks Paul. Some really nice images and great post-flashing info.