[pure-silver] Re: Large camera plans
- From: "Richard Knoppow" <dickburk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <pure-silver@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 1 Dec 2006 22:32:37 -0800
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark Blackwell" <mblackwell1958@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <pure-silver@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, December 01, 2006 8:31 PM
Subject: [pure-silver] Re: Large camera plans
Richard from what I am seeing the Graphics are developing
a bit of a following and prices for a while were going up.
Oh they can still be had and I might still get one if for
nothing else the lens. Lots I saw on ebay left a lot to
be desired.
I hadn't missed the handheld possibilities and in fact it
was a plus. I have plenty of other portrait cameras. I
was thinking something 4x5 to take in the field. More
movements would be desirable, but the graphic would work.
Granted I guess I probably will tackle this one day. Not
because I have to, but because I want to. Just seems like
it might be both fun and satisfing to use a camera that
works well you built with your own two hands.
Have you considered a Mamiya RB or RZ 67? These cameras
have excellent lenses and the 6x7 negative is large enough
to produce excellent tone rendition and sharpness on any
ordinary size print (meaning up to around 16x20). I don't
have one so I can't talk from experience but I have known
several photographers who used them and were very happy with
them. They are significantly larger than a Hassy or
Rolleiflex. Probably they should be compared to something
like a 2x3 format Graflex but with many more features. There
is some limited lens movement, enought to cope with
extending DOF on tilted fields and some amount of
perspective correction. The main thing is the ability to
interchange lenses. For portraiture a longer than normal
lens is often desirable, but that, of course, depends on the
style of portrait you want to shoot.
I understand they are available used now for good prices.
Because of my eyesight (no accomodation at all any more),
and the relatively light weight I wind up shooting with a
Nikon-F a lot of the time. However, even when I use T-Max
100 and Perceptol the grain, sharpness, and smoothness of
tone rendition don't come close to 4x5 or even 2-1/4 x
2-1/4.
I also understand how you feel about building something. I
also like to build or to restore things. Most of my cameras
have needed some attention. I just about completely rebuilt
the Agfa/Ansco 8x10. When I got it home I found most of the
glue joints had dryed up. It was more like a camera kit than
an assembled camera. It was fun but sometimes frustrating.
One needs a lot of concentration on detail. I had to replace
the bellows on it. I wound up getting one from Flexible
Products in Florida. The bellows works and was done promptly
but the workmanship left a lot to be desired. Camera Bellows
in England seems to be the best of the bellows makers. They
are the only ones who will make bellows of genuine leather.
Leather is great for looks but synthetic materials are much
toughter and longer lived. The bellows on the Calumet and
Graflex cameras are synthetic.
---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA
dickburk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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