[LargeFormat] Intro & Teaching Camera Advice

[Les Newcomer]

On Thursday, June 19, 2003, at 01:30  AM, Jonathan Taylor wrote:

> Hello all,
>
> I'm new to the list (tho I have been lurking for several weeks now), 
> and
> figured it was finally time to introduce myself.
>
> I've been shooting 35mm now since 1997, starting with Tri-X, a good 
> deal of
> darkroom experience, and an excellent teacher (http://www.JWillis.net/ 
> ).
>
> For my day job I teach a class called Design & Illustration that draws
> wacky, brilliant, and otherwise students from 10 local high schools. 
> We have
> great students and a lot of fun (http://burlingtontech.org/ ). 
> Although my
> professional background consists mostly of graphic design experience, 
> I get
> to teach photography as well. One of the great side benefits of the 
> job is
> that I we have very good resources for buying equipment. Among other 
> things
> this has allowed me to put together a nice darkroom and a fleet of old
> Minolta and Nikon manual SLRs to loan out.
>
> This year I've gotten authorization to finally buy a large-format 
> camera. I
> have two motivations for doing so:
>
> 1) I think they provide a great vehicle for learning the underlying
> principles of photography and cameras. (I remember my teacher's
> demonstrations vividly.)
>
> 2) I started getting really serious about landscape photography using
> infrared film, opaque filters, and a silly but fun Nikon shift lens
> (http://sover.net/~jtyr/ ). It didn't take long working with this 
> outfit to
> realize my vision would be much better served by a LF rig.
>
> So I have put together the following package from B&H and would greatly
> appreciate any advice. LF is new and strange territory to me. What 
> little I
> know is purely theoretical. My goal is to get a solid and usable 
> system for
> the least money possible. I budgeted $1700 (not nearly enough)! The
> practicalities of a public school purchase order precludes eBay and 
> even
> vigulent cherry picking from the usual online used dealers.
>
> Here are the uses I'm anticipating for this rig:
> 1)  classroom demo- cheapest Polaroid film possible
> 2)  landscape- Polaroid Type 55 (lovely Polargoo!), HEI, Maco, & Tri-X
> 3)  architecture- same as landscape
> 4)  limited studio- 120 roll chromes
>
> 1 Toyo-View 4x5 45C Camera                                   799.00   
> 799.00
> 1 Rodenstock 210mm f/6.8 Geronar Lens with Copal #1 Shutter  399.00   
> 399.00
>>>> Both of these are USED items.<<<
> 1 Toyo-View 158 x 158mm Lensboard for #1 Copal                54.95    
> 54.95
> 1 Rodenstock Metal Lens Wrench (for View Lens Retaining Ring) 14.95    
> 14.95
> 1 Toyo-View 4x5 Folding Focusing Hood/Groundglass Cover      110.00   
> 110.00
>>>> Do I need this?<<<
NO use a t-shirt
> 1 Horseman Roll Film Holder 451 - 6x9cm Graflok Back         398.95   
> 398.95
You don't need 6x9,  6x7 will work if you are desperate for roll film 
on an LF camera and the Calumet C2 and C2n roll backs are running $100 
or less on ebay.
> 4 Fidelity 4x5 Sheet Film Holders (Twin Pack)                 42.95   
> 171.80
>>>> Not enough of these, right?<<<
Need at least 6
> 1 Polaroid Model #545i 4x5 Polaroid Sheet Film Holder        164.95   
> 164.95
I know how schools need Purchase orders and the like, but these are 
selling on ebay for around $20-$50
(actually it's the model 545 (no "i")  which is identical but with more 
metal and less plastic.

> 1 Toyo-View Focusing Cloth 36x48" (Black/White)               44.50    
> 44.50
> 1 Wista 5x Standard Focusing Loupe                            52.95    
> 52.95
If you need to trim the budget, get an agfa plastic 8x loupe.  These 
are good/great but other things can get the job done.
> 1 Tenba CCV45 Car Case for View 45 - Black                   185.95   
> 185.95
>                                                                     
> 2,409.95
>
> These are "extras" that I really want but probably cannot afford.
> 1 Nikon Wide 90mm f/8 Nikkor-SW Lens w/ Copal #0 Shutter     699.95   
> 699.95

look around the used camera stores for a 90 Super Angulaon f8. They're 
selling on ebay for $250-$350

> 1 Toyo-View 158 x 158mm Lensboard for #0 Copal                84.95    
> 84.95
> 1 Toyo-View 4x5 Wide Angle Bellows                           369.00   
> 369.00
>>>>


> 1 Horseman Roll Film Holder 612 - 6x12cm, Graflok Back       699.95   
> 699.95

I always thought I wanted one of these, but you can shoot sheet film 
and crop it  to 6x12 for a VERY LONG time before these pay for 
themselves.
>                                                                     
> 1,871.80
>
> So there you have it. Please tell me what I've gotten wrong, how I can 
> save
> money, and anything else I'm missing.
>
> jt
>
>
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