[LargeFormat] Hello all

[Richard Knoppow]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Les Newcomer" <LNPhoto at twmi.rr.com>
To: "f32 Large Format Photography Mail List" 
<largeformat at f32.net>
Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2008 6:27 PM
Subject: Re: [LargeFormat] Hello all



> Most of us have a 4x5 enlarger, well we had A 4x5 

> enlarger, then like  those that rescue racing dogs and old 

> horses, we started "rescuing"  other enlargers when their 

> owners cast them aside to go over to the  dark side.  And 

> like those that rescue racing dogs, the enlargers  started 

> to breed.  New ones showed up unannounced while old 

> friends  withered and died and their bones scatter across 

> the basement...

>

> Okay that went a bit far.

>

> Most of us have 4x5 enlargers, some have 5x7 and 8x10 

> enlargers,  And  I suspect few of us have migrated to a 

> scanner in stead of an enlarger.

>

> les

>

>

>

>

> On May 29, 2008, at 5:40 PM, Tom Kumagai wrote:

>

>> Hello

>>

>> My name is Tom Kumagai and I am a new LF photographer. :D 

>> (amateur,  of course)

>>

>> I have been photographing nearly 30 years (since 10 yr 

>> old) and I  carry at least one camera every day the most 

>> of my life.

>> I buy 100ft bulk-load Tri-X every three months or so, and 

>> I don't  even count how many 120 T-Max rolls I use per 

>> month

>> (I am an IT engineer and work late too). Yes, and yes, I 

>> am  addicted to photography.

>>

>> I found a nice Nagaoka Woody 4x5 folder at an used camera 

>> shop  named Lemon, in Ginza Tokyo, only for 35,000 yen

>> recently, just fell in love with it and needless to say, 

>> I brought  home with me. My point of interest in LF 

>> cameras is its ability

>> to control perspectives and I do kind of prefer monorails 

>> for that  purpose, but a 4x5, even with limited 

>> movements,

>> being this compact and light-weight is really nice to 

>> have. I also  bought myself a standard 150 Fujinon, 6 

>> film holders,

>> and a box of Neopan Acros.

>>

>> For a monorail, maybe I will get either Sinar or Toyo, 

>> used, and  add a monorail-to-linhof converter board,etc.

>>

>> I do darkroom myself, I do monochrome almost exclusively, 

>> I don't  have 4x5 tank (though somehow I have a 2x3 

>> tank...)

>> so i will be using trays for film development for a 

>> while.

>>

>> By the way, how do you people print? My small darkroom 

>> cannot allow  me to upgrade my enlarger (up to 6x7, made 

>> by Fuji,

>> and it's a nice one too...). You all have a 4x5 enlarger?

>>

>> Cheers

>>

>> Tom


     Welcome Les and Tom, I'm glad to see some activity on 
this list after about a full year!
     I shoot several sizes but in sheet film mostly 4x5 and 
occasionally 8x10. I have an Omega D2V which will go up to 
4x5. I've been planning to make an adaptor to allow using my 
8x10 Agfa camera as an enlarger, I can do it without 
modifying the camera itself I think.
     I am not familiar with the Nagaoka camera but there is 
much similarity in view cameras. Most of the differences are 
in the number and extent of movements available. Old ones 
are IMO as good as new ones unless you are doing very 
critical studio work where duplicating set-ups accurately is 
necessary. That stuff is mostly done digitally now anyway.
    Fuji lenses are excellent although not very well known 
outside of television.
    Six holders is enough to start with. I don't know how 
many 4x5 holders I have, I think I was collecting them for a 
while.
    I have two 4x5 view cameras, an Agfa/Ansco Universal 
View, actually a 5x7 camera with a factory 4x5 back on it. I 
also have the 5x7 back. I also have 4x5 backs for both of my 
8x10 cameras, four Speed Graphics and a Graflex Super-D. 
Also a Calumet CC-400, a nice monorail camera that will do 
anything the more expensive ones will do but has no glamour 
whatever.
    I was introduced to 4x5 and Speed Graphics by a 
highschool teacher who was also a press photographer. He 
taught me a lot of tricks including how to use a Graphic as 
a weapon!
    I process in either trays or print drums. I have an old 
Nikor tank for 4x5 and use that, its quite good.
    I contact print anything larger than 4x5.
    I also have adaptors and holders for 5x7 but haven't 
shoot any so far.
    Acros is very good film. I mostly use T-Max or Plus-X 
although I've used other films in the past. I shot of lot of 
Agfa APX-100 when it was available. Good stuff, I miss it.
    I mostly shoot B&W but occasionally shoot color although 
that is usually 35mm or 120.

I hope we can stir up some more action here, I thought the 
list was dead:-(

---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA
dickburk at ix.netcom.com
    I