So errm, the back, how does it rotate... Asking for a friend.
I tried turning looking at it sideways but that didn't help.You don't, the back is fixed…….
You rotate the front!
I'll leave quietly!
So I've got the front standard lying down on the bellows but I can't work out how to pivot everything forward for stowage.It's my 6th LF camera. I had problems. In my case, it was because I had to push the front braces in the opposite direction to the one I expected. I couldn't find any instructions on the internet, so it may be trial and error. Sorry.
It's my 6th LF camera. I had problems.
So I've got the front standard lying down on the bellows but I can't work out how to pivot everything forward for stowage.
It's my 6th LF camera. I had problems. In my case, it was because I had to push the front braces in the opposite direction to the one I expected. I couldn't find any instructions on the internet, so it may be trial and error. Sorry.
Fecking magnets, remembered now. Caught my finger...
Sorry bud, haven't been online tonight. If you have a look in the Chroma Camera Group on Flickr, there are step by step photos showing the front/rear standards folding down.
https://www.flickr.com/groups/chromacamera/pool/
Basically;
1) Move the focusing bed forwards a little bit to give some space between the front/rear standards.
2) Loosen the rise/fall and tilt locking knobs on the front standard (both sides).
3) Loosen the two knobs that lock the front uprights in place and push the retaining pieces on each side upwards to release the uprights.
4) Push the lens surround forwards (front tilt) to release it from the locking magnets, and fold the front uprights backwards, towards the back of the camera.
5) As the uprights fold backwards, the lens surround will naturally rotate forwards as the bellows pushes it, until it sits flat to the bed.
6) Move the focusing bed back again, so that the front of the bed is in line with the front of the camera base.
7) Loosen the knobs that lock the rear standard in place, along with the rise/fall knob on each side.
8) Gently fold the rear standard forwards until it's sitting flat (with the rise/fall knobs loosened, the back will find it's place with the bellows).
9) Tighten the rear standard locking knobs again to hold the rear standard in the closed position.
10) In true Haynes manual fashion, to open the Chroma perform the same steps in reverse ;0)
Any problems, give me a shout.
Nice one. Cheers. Had the rear standard loose at the same time and it was causing the bellows to be crushed.
As a matter of interest, how many are there out in the wild now?
That's pretty good going actually. Well done.
Pity you couldn't be in Scotland for the group photo. Or could you make a day trip?
Funnily enough, the “Dark Knight Edition” is the most popular choice with around 80 cameras [emoji6]
So, I took my Chroma out behind Kenilworth Castle this afternoon with a DDS full of expired FP4 from @Peter B (thanks Peter). Conditions dappled cloud.
View attachment 136867
I'm still very slow at setting it up. Getting the (supplied) lens board in place is one issue; it seems quite stiff (but no doubt that helps it be light tight). Once set up, there seemed quite a lot of play in the camera above the Arca Swiss clamp; I was using a rather small clamp and will try again with a bigger one. It also seemed to come a bit loose at the end; not quite sure how to lock it.
I managed to turn the back to landscape orientation after a bit of fiddling. The two metal bits were quite a bit harder to use in this orientation. I do find it hard to get the GGS to slot back into place after the DDS has been in. @sirch found a place to press that would make it pop back but I couldn't find it again.
Just for info, the scene metered at f/8 and 1/125 for ISO 125. I did some quick maths in my head and shot a frame at f/32 and 1/8. I then remembered I'd added an orange filter, so I shot a second frame at a bit wider (?) than f/22 and 1/4. Still not sure either of those are right.
Since I was quite a lot lower than the Castle, it needed a lot of front rise with a level camera base. I rather suspect some vignetting! I wasn't paying too much attention to the composition, more on getting a vaguely interesting scene focused right and trying to remember to do All The Things. I did put the dark slides back the other way round!
While packing up I found I had a rather annoying fan club!
So, I took my Chroma out behind Kenilworth Castle this afternoon with a DDS full of expired FP4 from @Peter B (thanks Peter). Conditions dappled cloud.
View attachment 136867
I'm still very slow at setting it up. Getting the (supplied) lens board in place is one issue; it seems quite stiff (but no doubt that helps it be light tight). Once set up, there seemed quite a lot of play in the camera above the Arca Swiss clamp; I was using a rather small clamp and will try again with a bigger one. It also seemed to come a bit loose at the end; not quite sure how to lock it.
I have a 135 mm lens, We found out at Onich that you can't focus to infinity with this lens with the front standard on the front peg, and (AFAIK) you can't fold the camera with the front standard on the middle peg! Might be worth mentioning this to anyone undecided about which lens to buy; it's pretty annoying to have to move the front standard each time (though maybe it's, um, standard!).
I managed to turn the back to landscape orientation after a bit of fiddling. The two metal bits were quite a bit harder to use in this orientation. I do find it hard to get the GGS to slot back into place after the DDS has been in. @sirch found a place to press that would make it pop back but I couldn't find it again.
Just for info, the scene metered at f/8 and 1/125 for ISO 125. I did some quick maths in my head and shot a frame at f/32 and 1/8. I then remembered I'd added an orange filter, so I shot a second frame at a bit wider (?) than f/22 and 1/4. Still not sure either of those are right.
Since I was quite a lot lower than the Castle, it needed a lot of front rise with a level camera base. I rather suspect some vignetting! I wasn't paying too much attention to the composition, more on getting a vaguely interesting scene focused right and trying to remember to do All The Things. I did put the dark slides back the other way round!
While packing up I found I had a rather annoying fan club!
View attachment 136868
I did plan to take another couple of frames inside the Castle, but on reflection (and after cake!) I decided I'd better get these processed first.
Does anyone have a good example of a LF cheat sheet to attach to the GGS protector?
Thanks for the detailed feedback Chris, all really useful. You're right that you won't be able to get a 135mm lens close enough to focus to infinity using the front mount point. That's a side-effect of having three fixed points (at roughly 75mm, 115mm and 170mm)...
I'm not sure what you mean about the Arca clamp being loose? Do you mean that, after tightening the tripod foot into the camera there was still play? The rubber gasket around the tripod thread on the base of the camera should add enough grip but let me know if I'm looking at it the wrong way?
The bottom piece of the ground glass holder is cut from the same acrylic as the surrounding frame so is a snug fit. If you push down on the sides of the ground glass frame, next to the metal Graflok plates, whilst pushing the plates in they should slide in better.
I'm glad you got to use the movements, I'm looking forward to seeing the results
I wasn't planning to use movements, but the Castle would have been right at the top of the frame if I hadn't. Makes me realise how much I must have been tilting my 135 cameras up when taking previous shots from there!
And yes, I'm very much looking forward to seeing some results, too. I've got to get the exposed sheets out of the DDS and into a box, first! Bit of a pain that I don't have easy access to a flatbed scanner, so I'll have to pay for scans. Harman Labs looks cheaper than Peak with scanning taken into account, but I've asked both for prices.
I agree it’s a bit fiddly on first use but I find that keeping gentle pressure on the ground glass (towards the camera), then sliding out the Graflok plates, will allow you to fit it back into position. Once it’s flat against the camera back you can then slide in the Graflok plates one at a time. As the plates are simply secured in by two posts, gravity makes them naturally slide in towards the GG. If they’re not moved out of the way, you won’t be able to slot the GG back in. Keep practicing and it will get easier [emoji1303]