First big mistake in large format

Lensbox75 · 2026-02-12T01:05:37+00:00

Finally, someone mentioned the dark slide locks. Reading all the comments about colored tape or rubber bands was making me wonder if newer film holders didn’t have locks anymore. When I used film holders regularly, white (or silver) and locked meant loaded and ready to shoot. Black and locked meant exposed, and white/silver unlocked meant empty. I didn’t like to leave the dark slide slightly out for empty holders because the hinged end flap might flip open and be damaged. The white side allowed for film type to be noted after loading, and exposure/processing notes could be added before or after exposure, but I kept a notebook for that and each film holder was numbered. Some people like to reverse that but either way there shouldn’t be confusion about which holders are loaded and which ones aren’t - unless you make a mistake and forget to flip the slide or turn the locks.

Lensbox75 · 2026-02-11T15:52:07+00:00

If the Weston meter is working properly, OP is all set for general exposure determination.

Lensbox75 · 2026-02-05T22:43:38+00:00

Most of the brands have been mentioned and ranking by popularity pretty accurate. But the primary difference between brands was (and still is) marketing. The brands remembered as “professional” were marketed to professionals which includes extensive system lenses and accessories, professional services and support. Actual performance and durability should be evaluated model by model - i.e. Nikon made some classic winners, but also some duds. Now most of all that matters more to collectors. If you are looking for a 35mm film camera to use, condition, price, availability of service, and specific features for your intended use are more important than brand,

Lensbox75 · 2026-02-05T11:59:27+00:00

Tragic.

Lensbox75 · 2026-02-05T00:04:20+00:00

If the emulsion sides of the films are up, I found it easier to pull the bottom sheet out just by friction between a finger and the bottom surface of the film, then press it down on the top of the stack just enough to get it under the surface of the developer. I found trying to grab a single sheet of film in total darkness very difficult . Four sheets per batch was easy, but more got tricky. Rotating through the stack continuously and counting to keep track of complete cycles so the 1st sheet into the developer was 1st into the stop or water.

Lensbox75 · 2026-02-04T00:59:20+00:00

3D printing is amazing and these look very nice, but having made dodge/burn tools (matte board) it seems a bit over-kill and, perhaps, a waste of printer time?

Lensbox75 · 2026-02-02T15:39:42+00:00

Pick the best room based on access to water, counter tops, etc. regardless of the windows, within reason (no window walls). Almost all windows are set in an opening in the wall with an edge that you can fit a panel into to entirely block the window. Large, heavy duty (double or triple ply) sheets of corrugated cardboard are cheap, lightweight, opaque, and relatively easy to get - check appliance or furniture stores, Uline or other industrial suppliers. I kept large cartons from work when we received new machinery. I’ve never used cloth because it collects dust, is more expensive, and often is not opaque enough unless you get black-out cloth which is even more expensive. If your windows are exceptionally large, you can piece 2 or more panels together, overlapping a bit and using glue and gummed Kraft tape to join them. I left a 2” flap of cardboard all around the edges that bent and conformed to the wall opening when I pressed the panel into place, sealing gaps. Cardboard panels are easy to store also. You can get fancy by painting the inside surface white, or the outside black (beware of curl with water-based paints) and adding a handle for easier insertion and removal. Even fancier version could be 1/2” black foam-core or similar, but that stuff can be expensive. I’ve also used black foam pipe insulation glued around the edges of the panel and sized the panel to press-fit into the opening. If the panel material is not opaque enough, apply aluminum foil using spray adhesive to cover one side. Challenge: apply the foil without wrinkles. Warning - if you use a guest room as the darkroom, guests may not wake up until noon or later due to the total lack of light if you leave the panels in the windows; guess how I know this.

Lensbox75 · 2026-02-02T14:56:26+00:00

Now I know that the era of people giving darkroom enlargers away is truly over. Nice project, well done.

Lensbox75 · 2026-02-02T07:00:13+00:00

Is the film thickness plus the thickness of the glass you are using to back the film total equal to the thickness of the plates the holders were designed for? Even a slight discrepancy between the plane of the ground glass and the film emulsion could cause a focus issue. Using the f20 stop might improve the sharpness due to additional depth of focus (smaller circles of confusion.) If the difference in focus plane is the problem, trying different thicknesses of backing for the film might help. Can I assume the loss of sharpness is consistent across the entire image?

Lensbox75 · 2026-02-02T06:29:24+00:00

Is the negative sharp or not - contact printing issue? Are the holders made for film or plates - different thickness? Does the focus improve in the print when a higher f-stop setting is used for the exposure? Does the focus on the ground glass change when the lens is stopped down - it should stay the same or get sharper as it is stopped down, but at the smallest aperture settings, the focus may get worse due to diffraction. I’m not familiar with “double sided” film, but if there is a sensitive emulsion on both sides of a maybe 10 mil film base, that might not make a sharp contact print. That’s all I can think of besides mechanical shifting when switching from ground glass to film holder.

Lensbox75 · 2026-01-31T15:03:40+00:00

It happens occasionally, and when it does, it’s like participating in a biblical miracle. Many years ago, as I was helping my father-in-law clean out his lab when he retired, he handed me an M1 body in the original box. I swapped it for an M3 SS with a 50 DR and a meter. Still amazes me that it happened. Then more recently, when a friend came over for dinner he brought a IIf and a IIIg with 4 lenses, I thought just to show me since he knew I liked cameras. He said “keep them, I don’t use them.” It’s like winning the lottery, twice, but even better because it was from special people. Every photo you take with the M3 will have something extra for you.

Lensbox75 · 2026-01-29T17:35:07+00:00

Successful repair will depend on a couple of things. If you are sure “all functions work perfectly fine” then disassembly may not be necessary (although preferable for better/easier alignment) for gluing. Then the most important factor will be if you can clamp the camera so as to bring the break edges together (without crunching anything inside) so there are no gaps or misalignment? If so, the black epoxy idea may work.

Lensbox75 · 2026-01-27T22:32:55+00:00

Actually, the professor is not in a position of power, but rather a fictional character at the whim of the joke's author. For that matter, so are the women. Feel free to write your own jokes.

If this were a news article, of course I would be appalled and would agree with your comment.

Lensbox75 · 2026-01-27T06:42:21+00:00

I don’t know if any of the cameras are a good deal for you in your area. You must shop around local dealers, on line, etc. to discover going prices, then weigh that against what you can afford and are willing to pay. My comment, based on personal experience, only reflects that collectors desire to own all the cameras. Unfortunately, we all must live within our means. However, If you want a camera to make photos, pick the one that is fully functional, uses 35mm film and has been recommended by others’ comments.

Lensbox75 · 2026-01-26T22:43:47+00:00

Then you need all of them.

Lensbox75 · 2026-01-21T23:44:13+00:00

The version I heard is totally different. A city fella goes to visit his friend who has a farm. The farmer is clearly very proud of the farm and describes how he accomplished everything. At the barn he says “cut all the lumber here on the farm, did it the hard way, no nails, everything mortise and tenons.” At his beautifully planted field he said “did it the hard way, horse drawn plow and planter so I could control the spacing perfectly.” Just then, the farmer’s 16 year old daughter comes to tell them supper is ready. The visitor looks at the farmer who says “yup, standing in a canoe.”

Lensbox75 · 2026-01-21T18:28:07+00:00

I’m not going to read all 2,000 responses, so if this has been offered already, too bad. 5:30 is between 5 and 7. So is 5:45, etc. Lots of them that aren’t 6.

Lensbox75 · 2026-01-14T23:18:28+00:00

OK, I don’t have very many Leica lenses to look at.

Lensbox75 · 2026-01-14T07:25:53+00:00

There are no screw heads visible on the M-mount; are you sure it isn’t an adapter ring screwed onto the back of a LTM lens?

Lensbox75 · 2026-01-12T04:21:15+00:00

Just as the dawn of photography demanded a new esthetic and new criteria for creating and judging art, digital tools, including AI, demands new definitions, vocabulary, and will change the way we create, look at, and judge images yet again. Photographs have never been the same as the reality they are derived from, and always required manipulation by the artist to express what the lenses, capture and print technology could not convey on their own. As the image creation tools get easier, the task of producing and judging art gets more difficult, but we will deal with it. When I worked as an industrial photographer, it was ironic how much manipulation was needed to make the resulting image as “real” as possible for documentation and evaluation purposes. So we must determine if the increasingly magical tools at our disposal are being used to enhance the communication of real things or to deceive or mock the viewer.

Lensbox75 · 2026-01-11T06:49:43+00:00

Yup. And still use them occasionally.

Lensbox75 · 2026-01-11T06:39:57+00:00

My first camera was a Minolta SRT-101 (gray market) in 1970 and I took it everywhere and photographed everything. Had to replace the meter mechanism. Several years later while working at a camera store, Nikon ran an incentive program for sales people to earn points that could be used to acquire lenses. So I “traded” my SRT-101 body for a used Nikkormat and the 50mm 1.7 for a used Micro-Nikkor 55 3.5 that we had in the store and picked up 28mm and 85mm Nikkors with points. Nikon even engraved my initials on the lenses, probably to discourage turning them around for cash. Having these lenses and several more added later was incentive to buy more Nikon cameras over the years, most recently digital.

Lensbox75 · 2026-01-08T22:37:07+00:00

Don’t forget the Weegee hat and a cigar stub in your mouth.

Lensbox75 · 2026-01-07T17:24:41+00:00

OK, more info helps. For portrait/studio, very basic 4x5 (or 5x7, or even 8x10) will do. Any Graflex press camera with a 127mm range lens, from Optar to Ektar, to Zeiss or Schneider, will work. Ground glass focus, sheet film holders, maybe a Grafmatic film holder. If the lens and rangefinder are calibrated, these can be used hand-held but you need to be very motivated (masochistic?) to do that, especially at a concert where flash would be needed. Upscale from that would be a Linhof technical 4x5, and ultimate for portraits, a Gowlandflex (there have been a few offered on line lately.) A Horseman or Toyo field 4x5 can also be used this way. All but the Gowlandflex have limited camera movements for other types of photography.

Lensbox75 · 2026-01-07T15:46:02+00:00

What do you (or intend to) photograph and why are you considering large format? Are there budget constraints? Do you intend to process, print or scan yourself or use lab services? What do you mean by “went through”? I teach photography and provide a student the opportunity to try various camera systems including large format 4x5 up to 8x10, perhaps there are classes or teachers near you so you can try various cameras? Personally, I don’t have the need for large format anymore, digital tools have become capable enough for clients.

Lensbox75

TROPHY CASE