1988?! Jeez, that film has been expired longer than I've been alive...
1988?! Jeez, that film has been expired longer than I've been alive...
Not too far off for me as well... :/
Blummin' kids today with their fancy 5x4 large format cameras, all "look at my range of movements" and "I've taken one photo on this whole day trip". What's wrong with a good old fashioned digital camera, eh? Easy to use, easy to develop, no need to wear a t-shirt on yer head. Honestly, they don't know they're born.
5x4 ???............................I prefer 4x5
Portrait format? Why would you try and balance the tripod and camera on its side for that? Simply take a 5x4 and crop it, there's plenty of negative to spare
I remember my old Geography teacher telling us to remember that map coordinates were stated as easting followed by northing with, "you enter the house before you can climb the stairs" and it feels more natural to do it that way. Likewise 10x8 and, er, 6x9.
As for being portrait mode, i guess i'm fortuanate that my LF kit simply requires the ground glass to be turned to whichever orientation is required....the camera remains "upright"
Good idea.I used a pencil eraser to get general dirt off. For a marker, I'd suggest a *moderately* gentle solvent such as isopropyl alcohol, but be sure to try it on a small area at one end first.
There is a school of thought that says that having spent all that time setting up your camera and composing your shot you should take a duplicate image anyway. That way you have a spare shot in hand I case of operator errors, dust problems etc. Also, when you process the first sheet if it is not perfect you can alter your developing process for the second sheet.
This is ok for b&w sheets but a bit expensive for colour film.
Steve I feel your pain, I think most have us have cocked up a dev or two in our time. Do you use the Massive Dev Chart app? I find it really helps me to be very methodical as the timer tells you where you are in the dev process, it even tells you how long to agitate which is really helpful if you tend to get over-agitated like i do.
Indeed, it is an "app" it works a treat, I know not everyone has access to or a need for new fangled gadgets but I'd rather not be without mine, they do make my life easier.I assume from the word "app" it requires technology I don't have access to (phone ot ipad)? I have a Smiths mechanical lab timer and a table stuck to the fridge with magnets giving my diltuitions and times, and telling me at which times to invert the tank. I find that this saves me a lot of confusion.
Steve I feel your pain, I think most have us have cocked up a dev or two in our time. Do you use the Massive Dev Chart app? I find it really helps me to be very methodical as the timer tells you where you are in the dev process, it even tells you how long to agitate which is really helpful if you tend to get over-agitated like i do.
You can actually open the tank before putting in the fixer; but it depends to some extent on what the chemicals are - specifically, whether you use a stop bath and/or acid fixer, and whether your developer is acid or alkaline.
Taking off the top exposes the film, true; but developer doesn't act instantly, it takes a certain amount of time to noticeably develop anything. If you take off the lid and pour in an acid stop, it will stop any development action before any of the newly exposed film is developed. I assume that if you open after a plain water rinse and pour in acid fixer (and the developer is alkaline) the same would hold true. This isn't just a matter of theory - I've tried it with slow emptying tanks.
The caveat on the type of chemicals is just to ensure that the development is stopped preety quickly, as alkaline developers need the alkaline environment. There are acid based developers, just as there are alkaline fixers; but in practice you're far more likely to have used a plain wash and alkaline fixer than an acidic developer.
Hard drugs does seem to be a gateway to large format.
There used to be a popular song which started " Cigareets and whisky and wild, wild women" and at least 2 of these were readily available at my local supermarket. I think that LF is probably the photo equivalent of Sting's tantric sex escapades, since there is an awful lot of time spent enjoying the moment while only making very slight movements ...............
i want to replace the old pitted brass bits on my wista, who would i look for in the yellow pages who might be able to cut out some new shiney brass stands for me? some sort of metal fabricator who would do small jobs?
Hmm, whilst I haven't got a camera yet it does seem like a bargain (seeing as it's like £77 on Amazon). I will get a box I think, worst case scenario is I've paid £11 to learn how not to screw up haha.