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

I've already got a 25 sheet box of Foma 100 4x5 for when my Intrepid arrives. I can see that Shanghai 100 is available in the UK in date and for £20 - I doubt I can get in date LF film any cheaper. Does anyone have any experience of the Shanghai 100 in 4x5? If so is it worth trying or would I be better putting the money towards say Foma 400 or an Ilford variety?
 
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I shot a box of it earlier in the year, I'd say it was fine. Great for practising with, the iso is probably a bit optimistic and I think I remember the emulsion being a bit soft so you need to over expose it and be careful taking it out of the tank.

Don't know why but out of the box of 25 only 3 are on Flickr. But you can get decent results.
https://flic.kr/p/2hyfUFX
View: https://flic.kr/p/2hyfUFX
 
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I've got a box of it ( or at least i think its Shanghai, sat in the fridge that i added to an order for something else as it made the postal fee more worthwhile :rolleyes::LOL:

It's still unopened so can't comment on it.

Thanks for the info @steveo_mcg ......what do you suggest, over expose a stop ?
 
auntiemaryscanary said:
I've already got a 25 sheet box of Foma 100 4x5 for when my Intrepid arrives.
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Tbh imo for a cheap film , you can't go wrong with foma 100.

I like the results I get from it devd in HC-110 ( if using constant agitation like in an Orbital processor, reduce time by 15%, so for eg, for 'B' solution which i always use, the 6mins becomes 5mins 6 seconds)

The 400 is grainy but if not printing larger than 10x8 then it's acceptable ( for me anyway) , hence I now use it for portraits to offer a slightly faster shutter speed for capturing folk that can't sit still;)
 
Just to add that there is a 200 speed foma too which I've never tried .......Perhaps you fancy being a victim giving it a try? :)
 
Asha said:
I've got a box of it ( or at least i think its Shanghai, sat in the fridge that i added to an order for something else as it made the postal fee more worthwhile :rolleyes::LOL:

It's still unopened so can't comment on it.

Thanks for the info @steveo_mcg ......what do you suggest, over expose a stop ?
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I think I rated it at about 80 but 50 would be safe (probably the same ev most of the time)
 
auntiemaryscanary said:
I've already got a 25 sheet box of Foma 100 4x5 for when my Intrepid arrives. I can see that Shanghai 100 is available in the UK in date and for £20 - I doubt I can get in date LF film any cheaper. Does anyone have any experience of the Shanghai 100 in 4x5? If so is it worth trying or would I be better putting the money towards say Foma 400 or an Ilford variety?
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I bought 2 boxes of 50 a few years ago for next to nowt and it's really not bad at all. Mine is well out of date now but I shot some earlier this year, rated at box speed, and it was spot on. It is a little delicate, so watch out for scratches, but I like it.
 
auntiemaryscanary said:
I've already got a 25 sheet box of Foma 100 4x5 for when my Intrepid arrives. I can see that Shanghai 100 is available in the UK in date and for £20 - I doubt I can get in date LF film any cheaper. Does anyone have any experience of the Shanghai 100 in 4x5? If so is it worth trying or would I be better putting the money towards say Foma 400 or an Ilford variety?
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I haven't shot Foma in sheet film, but I have shot a couple of sheets of 5x7 Shanghai when I first got the big Kodak 2D. I posted the photo on another site and commented that it was " A scene full of fine detail used to try out 5x7 Shanghai film. I could usefully have cut the development time as the neg has a bit more contrast than I would like."

On a more practical note, it's time to research reciprocity failure for these films as it may make a difference to your choices over the winter months. @steveo_mcg has certainly expressed an opinion on the figures for Foma.

EDIT: Forgot there is a larger version on Flickr if you click on it.
River Blackwater on 5x7 by Northsnapper, on Flickr
 
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steveo_mcg said:
:D

Ah foma and its comedy reciprocity!

Shanghai isn't quite so bad, actually maybe that's why I under rated it. I think I rated it at 80 and used fp4 reciprocity.
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Hmm, I'm just trying to get my head round reciprocity failure ahead of camera arriving - really pleased my only 4x5 film so far is Fomapan 100:)
 
Have you got a reciprocity app for your phone? It is much easier than trying to do the maths especially with foma and Ilford as you need to add more stops depending on the length of the exposure.
 
Well the Intrepid 4x5 purchased from Asha has had a real good look over and I'm extremely pleased. I was surprised that focusing was easier than I thought - the supplied loupe is essential but I guess my focusing ability will only be proven from dev'd film.

I had a cheapo eBay dark cloth arrive but I think I'll be asking the best way to affix it to the camera in the future. I also risked a practice indoor self portrait with one of the 3 Foma 400 sheets included in the sale.

Anyway, 1st question: any tips on using this camera to capture all the local fireworks going off?:exit:
 
auntiemaryscanary said:
Well the Intrepid 4x5 purchased from Asha has had a real good look over and I'm extremely pleased. I was surprised that focusing was easier than I thought - the supplied loupe is essential but I guess my focusing ability will only be proven from dev'd film.

I had a cheapo eBay dark cloth arrive but I think I'll be asking the best way to affix it to the camera in the future. I also risked a practice indoor self portrait with one of the 3 Foma 400 sheets included in the sale.

Anyway, 1st question: any tips on using this camera to capture all the local fireworks going off?:exit:
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A LF selfie and fireworks...... flip they av to be two of the more difficult subject matters to attempt!! Lol
 
Asha said:
A LF selfie and fireworks...... flip they av to be two of the more difficult subject matters to attempt!! Lol
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My ever forgiving wife acted as the model whilst I focused etc. I was going to stand in her place and then release the cable to achieve selfie. Of course cable release not long enough... In the end I stood in position whilst wife released shutter so really just a portrait. Main reason was to free up one of 2 fillm holders to practice loading them in the dark bag as well as having something inconsequential to practice deving with.

As for fireworks I was just being mightily silly:)
 
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Fireworks are of course doable though, not that I've tried yet ;)

A couple of ideas to help when using a changing bag ( not just for sheet film loading):

1. Use objects such as developing tank; books or whatever to support the material from inside the bag and effectively make it more like a changing tent.

2. A glorified version of the above is to put contents into a cardboard box then place said box into darkbag with open side facing the arms

Size of bag is of course a factor but if the ideas offer help then it's got to be good.

Alternatively under the bed clothes ( yes it has been done succesfully although i suspect dust is a big problem!)

Talking of dust, I vac my changing tent out regularly and similarly vac my filmholders prior to reloading them.
 
I've never photographed fireworks on film, but at a guess (and I mean this at face value, there is no sarcasm) colour might be better. I know that fireworks and rainbows have both been photographed successfully in black and white, and bonfire night articles in the 1960s were illustrated in mono, so it's still worth a shot in glorious mono.

You have a couple of advantages, in that your lens has both B and T, and is convertible. I think I'm right on both counts. For distant fireworks, a longer than normal lens would help; the assumption these days being that you won't be near. Possibly pointing in the right direction and setting an appropriate aperture then using T would get in a few displays. If the sky is dark, it shouldn't get two bright if you have to wait. In any case, multiple exposures are a doddle with LF.
 
I got results on MF of fireworks in colour but not to a quality that I wanted..... well they wouldn’t be would they having been exposed on a tiny format lol

Anyway , the method involved leaving shutter open on T or B mode and using a black card to cover the lens betwenen the explosions in the sky so as to avoid a fogging effect if stray light.
 
Asha said:
Fireworks are of course doable though, not that I've tried yet ;)

A couple of ideas to help when using a changing bag ( not just for sheet film loading):

1. Use objects such as developing tank; books or whatever to support the material from inside the bag and effectively make it more like a changing tent.

2. A glorified version of the above is to put contents into a cardboard box then place said box into darkbag with open side facing the arms

Size of bag is of course a factor but if the ideas offer help then it's got to be good.

Alternatively under the bed clothes ( yes it has been done succesfully although i suspect dust is a big problem!)

Talking of dust, I vac my changing tent out regularly and similarly vac my filmholders prior to reloading them.
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Cheers, I have a Paterson Large changing bag so will try supporting it from the inside to make a little more room for maneuver.

The vacuuming is a good tip too. Might give under the bed clothes a miss mind!
 
Apologies for reopening old wounds just to satisfy my morbid curiosity (O.K. and hopefully learn something :) ) but is there any update on the brown stained negatives @Woodsy?
 
StephenM said:
Apologies for reopening old wounds just to satisfy my morbid curiosity (O.K. and hopefully learn something :) ) but is there any update on the brown stained negatives @Woodsy?
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Sadly nothing major to report. I have learnt that, as expected, simply washing in water does nothing to the stains already present. I confess that I had to put this down for a while (given the time scales over which the effects occur), but on my next round of developing within a few days, im going to start working my way backwards through my negs and washing/soaking 6 at a time in fresh water in an attempt to remove any fix still in the emulsion. Whether this has any affect or not is unknown, but worth a try. As Frustrating as it is, I fear that what ever damage is done is there to stay. I still need to order a bottle of hypo to test some recent, less precious negs, so I shall report back on that as soon as I can.
 
I don't know if you've investigated methods of removing sulphur stains from negatives? I can recall reading about one solution (in both senses of the word) if you'd like me to look into it? It's not as if I have a lot to occupy me, given the can't go out/nowhere open/long term unemployed (sounds better than retired!) situation I'm in.
 
StephenM said:
I don't know if you've investigated methods of removing sulphur stains from negatives? I can recall reading about one solution (in both senses of the word) if you'd like me to look into it? It's not as if I have a lot to occupy me, given the can't go out/nowhere open/long term unemployed (sounds better than retired!) situation I'm in.
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I have read a few, mainly in the literature you linked me to / sent to me, but I've not tried any of them in practice I'm afraid.

Looking at the negative, I'd say 2-3 were heavily stained, while perhaps another 10-12 had speck to small drip sized patches of damage. These I can tolerate if I need to rescan, so really what I need to figure out is a preventative method/treatment. As above, my first attempt will be to simply soak the negs in water for a long time, perhaps 30-45 mins each batch in the hope that this might dissolve any remaining fix. Other than developer, is there such a thing as fix stop? Very kind of you to offer, and I would never say no to your expertise, but please don't feel obliged in any way to invest time into this, unless you have it to spare and really want to!
 
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Well I've been looking at getting back into fillum photography after leaving for the delights of digital close on 20 years ago. No interest in the fiddly 35mm and instead looked at a couple of MF options before my eye wandered into this forum.

I shot some (OK about 3) 5x4 images on a nightschool C&G course a lifetime ago, and found it difficult, unwieldy, slow and unpredictable, but I did like the results. I still have the two B&W negs and 1 colour transparency somewhere

Now I'm older, and have a little more patience (with inanimate objects at least) it seems the ideal time to try this again. Some browsing of the interweb pointed me at Intrepids, and this forum at Chroma. I've been diligent, I'm watching half a dozen 135 and 150mm lens' on ebay, darkslides are there too, though I may plump for the new 2 pack bundle if I go intrepid, I've got over my shock at the cost of film, and just about come to terms with descending into the murky world of developing my own B&W once more.

And then I looked at scanning

Dear God how expensive is that? £600 notes minimum for a scanner, or about £5 a shot if it's done commercially.

So, if you've managed to last this long, are there options I'm not aware of? I've seen reference to using a DSLR, but I tried that with 35mm film back in the day and was never impressed with the results.

I've dipped briefly into the Big Film Scanner thread, so I'm aware that may shed some light and I'll get a coffee and go have another read after I press send on this, but any suggestions which don't result in potential bankruptcy are great fully received
 
flook999 said:
difficult, unwieldy, slow and unpredictable
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Sums up the owners of large format cameras nicely :LOL:


I've "only" got a V550 scanner. So I made up a 4x5 holder from a piece of glass with some tape on it to align the negative, I then scan part of it, rotate it and scan again. I then use Lightroom panorama merge to merge the two scans into a single image, it works really well. I have used a digital camera to do the same but I find this scanner approach easier because there is less to set up. Also unless you have a lot of pixels on the camera sensor you are throwing away a lot of the available 4x5 resolution
 
sirch said:
Sums up the owners of large format cameras nicely :LOL:


I've "only" got a V550 scanner. So I made up a 4x5 holder from a piece of glass with some tape on it to align the negative, I then scan part of it, rotate it and scan again. I then use Lightroom panorama merge to merge the two scans into a single image, it works really well. I have used a digital camera to do the same but I find this scanner approach easier because there is less to set up. Also unless you have a lot of pixels on the camera sensor you are throwing away a lot of the available 4x5 resolution
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hehe thanks Chris, that price is a little more palatable. Looking on Amazon, there is a V600 that seems to be described exactly the same way and have the same functions as the V550, a later model perhaps? More research required methinks
 
flook999 said:
hehe thanks Chris, that price is a little more palatable. Looking on Amazon, there is a V600 that seems to be described exactly the same way and have the same functions as the V550, a later model perhaps? More research required methinks
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The V600 is identical in performance to the V550, the only difference is that it comes bundled with a copy of Silverfast I believe.
 
Alternatively go wet print .

intrepid enlarger kit or an easier option , take the plunge on a 10x8 intrepid camera and do straight 10x8 contact prints .
 
flook999 said:
Well I've been looking at getting back into fillum photography after leaving for the delights of digital close on 20 years ago. No interest in the fiddly 35mm and instead looked at a couple of MF options before my eye wandered into this forum.

I shot some (OK about 3) 5x4 images on a nightschool C&G course a lifetime ago, and found it difficult, unwieldy, slow and unpredictable, but I did like the results. I still have the two B&W negs and 1 colour transparency somewhere

Now I'm older, and have a little more patience (with inanimate objects at least) it seems the ideal time to try this again. Some browsing of the interweb pointed me at Intrepids, and this forum at Chroma. I've been diligent, I'm watching half a dozen 135 and 150mm lens' on ebay, darkslides are there too, though I may plump for the new 2 pack bundle if I go intrepid, I've got over my shock at the cost of film, and just about come to terms with descending into the murky world of developing my own B&W once more.

And then I looked at scanning

Dear God how expensive is that? £600 notes minimum for a scanner, or about £5 a shot if it's done commercially.

So, if you've managed to last this long, are there options I'm not aware of? I've seen reference to using a DSLR, but I tried that with 35mm film back in the day and was never impressed with the results.

I've dipped briefly into the Big Film Scanner thread, so I'm aware that may shed some light and I'll get a coffee and go have another read after I press send on this, but any suggestions which don't result in potential bankruptcy are great fully received
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I've got an Epson 4890, quite old but it does scan LF and does it quite well. As to Cameras I've got a Chroma and lens for sale on a certain auction site, it's purple :) and cheap.
 
Yep I have the mode d’emploi .

Also found it easily enough on the internet
 
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