Large Format photography group - From "zero to hero!"

Strappy said:
Quick question, can I freeze quickload sheets or will that damage them?
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Hi Dean

If you have the time or patience to sift through the responses, there is a thread on the Large Format site on freezing film and it runs to 18 pages! Can't hope to distil a simple answer in this reply, but I'm thinking that your QL is probably a few years old already and I'm not sure if the worst harm will already have been done? I have 10 year old Acros QLs in a fridge, but I haven't used any recently. I guess I should have frozen them at the time, but I'd have needed another freezer and I was sure that I'd shoot them in no time at all.:rolleyes:

http://www.largeformatphotography.i...lypse-and-Proper-Freezing-and-Storage-of-Film
 
Thanks, Peter. I've only glanced through the opening pages of that thread but it looks as though there's nothing specific to quickloads that could cause a problem. :)
 
Strappy said:
Quick question, can I freeze quickload sheets or will that damage them?
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I hope not, I've just picked up 8 boxes of the stuff and put them in the freezer.

They were sold to me as having been stored frozen so I'm pretty confident that they should be ok.
 
On the topic of freezing film, i'm considering pre loading my darkslides then fridging/ freezing them, however i'm concerned of the formation of condensation on the inside of the holders whilst they are thawing out and this leaving water marks on the film.....Have other folk found this to be an issue?
 
Asha said:
On the topic of freezing film, i'm considering pre loading my darkslides then fridging/ freezing them, however i'm concerned of the formation of condensation on the inside of the holders whilst they are thawing out and this leaving water marks on the film.....Have other folk found this to be an issue?
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I have never tried it but have read of others that store film loaded darkslides in the fridge. I wouldn't have thought that there was any greater chance of condensation problems occurring than with say refrigerated roll film. I think the important thing would be to allow the darkslide to come up to room temperature before using it.

I'm not sure that I would want to store my darkslides (that are plastic) in the freezer, I'd be concerned that the freezing process may cause them to become brittle over time. I may be wrong but wouldn't want to risk this.
 
wickerman said:
I have never tried it but have read of others that store film loaded darkslides in the fridge. I wouldn't have thought that there was any greater chance of condensation problems occurring than with say refrigerated roll film. I think the important thing would be to allow the darkslide to come up to room temperature before using it.

I'm not sure that I would want to store my darkslides (that are plastic) in the freezer, I'd be concerned that the freezing process may cause them to become brittle over time. I may be wrong but wouldn't want to risk this.
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Good point re freezing the plastic, perhaps that's not such à clever idea.

As for the condensation, my concern arises from water acumualating on the inside of the darkslide and dripping onto the émulsion. We all know how for instance how à jam jar is soaking wet within à minute of removing from à fridge in hot weather.

It would certainly be beneficial to be able pré load so as to be "ready to go" as it were.
 
No idea if it would be a problem, as I've not tried it. I store my unexposed roll film (and remaining 35mm) in a fridge in my darkroom, but I do so knowing that it's well sealed and no water vapour will get in. Years ago, I did the same with some exposed roll film, and left it there for a long time before getting around to processing it (probably forgot about it!). The results were unusable.

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That is a section of the sky....

The moral would seem to be to pack it in an airtight pack with silica gel if you're broken the seals. This reasoning means that I don't put unsealed film in the fridge. In passing, I have the opposite problem with regard to fridge use than many here have. In my case, it's having to make space for food at Christmas time :D
 
Do you large format users ever approach other large format users? I saw one out in the wild yesterday in my hometown and had to do a double take, very unusual sight for my town. Didn't get the chance to say hello as they were too far away but good to see it still being used.
 
Laudrup said:
Do you large format users ever approach other large format users? I saw one out in the wild yesterday in my hometown and had to do a double take, very unusual sight for my town. Didn't get the chance to say hello as they were too far away but good to see it still being used.
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I've never seen another LF user whilst out and about, if I did I'd certainly go and say hello. In fact, I rarely ever see another film user.
 
I did meet a chap a couple of years ago with a Shen Hao but when I tried to talk to him he was very surly and uncommunicative... Youngish fella, I think I heard someone call him Woodsy... summink like that.:D
 
I was photographing in Whitby harbour a while ago and someone shouted down that they had an Ebony... And when photographing in the Shambles in York a photographer stopped for a chat who used to use 5x4 professionally. I think LF types are all oop north where men are men. Or something.
 
I was in Newlyn harbour once shooting the boats with my Wista when some chap ambled up and pulled out a medium format digital phase one plasma cannon thing which i thought was impressive, never seen one in the flesh. So i let the side down there im afraid!

Although i was in Mousehole shooting away and some foxy chick walked by and wanted a look under my dark cloth with cheered me up some :)
 
I always carry a (fogged) sheet of 5x4 in my notebook to show to anyone who enquires. It's more normal for someone to approach me than not.
 
Andysnap said:
I did meet a chap a couple of years ago with a Shen Hao but when I tried to talk to him he was very surly and uncommunicative... Youngish fella, I think I heard someone call him Woodsy... summink like that.:D
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:D

You know, it's funny! I had another LF shooter come up to me not long after that and say "Hi, err, did that fella over there, I think he said his name was 'annndeehhh', come up to you and try and talk to you as well? I dunno about you, but I couldn't understand a bloomin' word he said in that strange accent!".

:D:D
 
Dunna tok daft lad, I Anna gorran accent.
 
Has anyone used the Intrepid 5x4 yet, or know anyone who has?
I watched the video yesterday and it does look a reasonably cheap way of getting into LF. I'm having second thoughts about it at the moment, weighing up cost against improvement and amount of use... I'm sort of considering a middle way, something that will give me the movements but allow a 6x9 back so I can use it to keep the cost down but for those extra special occasions shoot 5x4... The horns of a dilemma, that's what I'm in....:eek:
 
Andysnap said:
Has anyone used the Intrepid 5x4 yet, or know anyone who has?
I watched the video yesterday and it does look a reasonably cheap way of getting into LF. I'm having second thoughts about it at the moment, weighing up cost against improvement and amount of use... I'm sort of considering a middle way, something that will give me the movements but allow a 6x9 back so I can use it to keep the cost down but for those extra special occasions shoot 5x4... The horns of a dilemma, that's what I'm in....:eek:
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I'm still waiting for mine, should be here soon so I'll let you know when it does.
 
RaglanSurf said:
I'm still waiting for mine, should be here soon so I'll let you know when it does.
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Ta very much. I just think I may be looking at LF just because the cameras are cool and sexy, I may be better off sticking with MF and learning to use that properly.... 6x12 is very appealing as well... aaaghh!!!!
 
Gutted. My lovely clear ground glass I got a few months ago has broken, clean break in four whole pieces. I'm not sure if it happened when the bag was in the car or if something hit it while I was packing it away. It's wrapped in my dark cloth and I never had a problem with the old one.

Le sigh.
 
Andysnap said:
Ta very much. I just think I may be looking at LF just because the cameras are cool and sexy, I may be better off sticking with MF and learning to use that properly.... 6x12 is very appealing as well... aaaghh!!!!
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Being completely biased, naturally, I would say go for it. Knowing you chap, you'll get on with it just fine and, once you have it, you'll master it in just the same way you mastered MF. Again, being completely biased and indeed having shot (RB67) and still shoot (645 Super), for me the advantages of LF overcome the disadvantages of LF. I think you might be hiding a little behind the "sticking with safety and "mastering" that. I say, what do you think you have left to learn that you don't know already? I'd wager that what you have left to learn is extremely little and that LF is something you can grow into.

...Also, yes, they are cool and sexy :D
 
Woodsy said:
Being completely biased, naturally, I would say go for it. Knowing you chap, you'll get on with it just fine and, once you have it, you'll master it in just the same way you mastered MF. Again, being completely biased and indeed having shot (RB67) and still shoot (645 Super), for me the advantages of LF overcome the disadvantages of LF. I think you might be hiding a little behind the "sticking with safety and "mastering" that. I say, what do you think you have left to learn that you don't know already? I'd wager that what you have left to learn is extremely little and that LF is something you can grow into.

...Also, yes, they are cool and sexy :D
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Damn it.... you're probably right. I do feel though that having a LF camera that can take 6x9 or 6 x 12 (do they exist?) would suit me as I could then stop fretting about how much per shot it was for 5 x 4. :D
 
Andysnap said:
Damn it.... you're probably right. I do feel though that having a LF camera that can take 6x9 or 6 x 12 (do they exist?) would suit me as I could then stop fretting about how much per shot it was for 5 x 4. :D
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iirc, 5x4 cameras can use 120 roll film adapters that go up to 612. If you wanted 617 I believe you'd need to got 5x7. Indeed, as pointed out to me by @wickerman, 612 can be had on the 'cheap' with 5x4 by simply getting a spare dark slide and carefully cutting it down to give two near 5x12 format photos on a single sheet of film by masking; something I plan to try at the earliest convenience! Just so you know, the roll film adapters for LF tend to be quite expensive for what they are. I'd also personally fall on the side of the fence that says MF(only) field cameras are not really worth it unless weight is absolutely critical.

One last thing to note, when considering using 120 film on 5x4 make sure that what ever camera you do get (if you do, that is), that the bellows can go short enough to give you the wider end you would like. My ebony for example would probably struggle to get a 75mm lens in focus without a recessed lens board. On 5x4, 75mm is of course rather wide (22mm-ish on 135 film), but 75mm on 67 MF is quite a standard-ish length. It obviously improves the larger the film ratio you choose.

Come to think of it... by using that masking method, you could achieve almost any pano format you wanted, it's just that the short axis would not be the same length at true 617 done on 120 film. It'd be a huge waste of film as well!
 
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You speak much sense young Woodsy... the force is strong in this one. :D
 
Woodsy said:
iirc, 5x4 cameras can use 120 roll film adapters that go up to 612. If you wanted 617 I believe you'd need to got 5x7. Indeed, as pointed out to me by @wickerman, 612 can be had on the 'cheap' with 5x4 by simply getting a spare dark slide and carefully cutting it down to give two near 5x12 format photos on a single sheet of film by masking; something I plan to try at the earliest convenience! Just so you know, the roll film adapters for LF tend to be quite expensive for what they are. I'd also personally fall on the side of the fence that says MF(only) field cameras are not really worth it unless weight is absolutely critical.
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5" is 12.7cm (according to an online converter) so 6x12 is possible. 6x17 does require a 5x7 camera (and to print conventionally, a 5x7 enlarger too).

There's an example of two images on a single 5x4 sheet in Roger HIcks/Frances Shultz "Medium and LF Photography".

I first started in LF photography because I'd just spent a day around Wells with a Mamiya RZ67 and shift lens and was an easy target for the salesman in the shop I popped in to to buy film to sell a lighter 5x4 camera to. Here's my RZ67 with shift lens alongside a Wista 5x4 with standard lens attached (and folded inside).

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ive got a 120 "adaptor" for my wista. Its just a larger version of the 120 backs you have on your MF camera really. I havnt used it for ages though as i found it a bit fiddly to use and there was something going on with the wind-on mechanism. It could of just been broken through and working ones are a joy to use! I'll stick some pics up later if i can find it.

@StephenM - that shift lens there, i was thinking of getting one for my Rz too. Is it just shift though or is it tilt and shift? I would want a tilt more than a shift for landscapes really.
 
Just shift - that was the only option at the time I bought it. Mamiya subsequently made a tilt/shift adaptor for the camera body and a couple of SB (short barrel) lenses so that you could both tilt and shift. Don't underestimate shift on landscapes though. When I've levelled the camera, I normally need some shift to get the framing right.

I also have a roll film back, which is basically a Mamiya RB film back attached to a metal plate that can be used as a replacement back on the camera (or slipped under the ground glass instead of a standard film holder).
 
I've seen adaptors to use RB backs on graflock cameras, unfortunately I don't have a graflock camera and tbh if I want 6x7 I'd rather just grab the RB.
 
My Walker allows the back to be fitted instead of the ground glass; I haven't checked my other cameras. I saw the advantages of a roll film back as a cheaper way to use colour film and still have the benefits of camera movements. I never actually want to use 6x7 but sometimes I need to use a smaller camera :D.
 
Thats true, Its not so much the 6x7 I want but often I need the (relative) speed of use, basic indestructibility and ability to resist winds up to and including full gale force that I chose to grab the RB.
 
I keep being drawn to Speed Graphics and MPP Press type of cameras. I know they don't have quite the range of movements that a 'proper' field camera has but price and portability seem reasonable and there are a lot of them about so a reasonably cheap way of getting into LF.
Anyone used one, any general thoughts?
 
Me too Andy although I really don't need more kit! There's something about their form factor which makes them appealing.
 
Andysnap said:
I keep being drawn to Speed Graphics and MPP Press type of cameras. I know they don't have quite the range of movements that a 'proper' field camera has but price and portability seem reasonable and there are a lot of them about so a reasonably cheap way of getting into LF.
Anyone used one, any general thoughts?
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stevelmx5 said:
Me too Andy although I really don't need more kit! There's something about their form factor which makes them appealing.
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They look good but the requisite hat for press cameras is just a pain in the wind!
 
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