Jumped in head first

[binga63]

I haven't touched film since early 2004 and that was with a minolta dynax which did most of the work and my last venture with a fully manual camera was as a student in the late 70's....knowing that my condition isn't going to improve ... I don't want to leave photography with any regrets...so I've bought (ebay) a graflex press 4x5, going to dive back into black and white... the camera needs a clean and service, I know a friend who has a friend who specialises in them. Hoping to do some portraits with it....dusted off the light meter....wish me luck

 

[smoke665]

I want to do this so bad, but that would mean a dark room and related equipment. Unfortunately there are limits to what I can talk the wife into,.

 

[jcdeboever]

I haven't touched film since early 2004 and that was with a minolta dynax which did most of the work and my last venture with a fully manual camera was as a student in the late 70's....knowing that my condition isn't going to improve ... I don't want to leave photography with any regrets...so I've bought (ebay) a graflex press 4x5, going to dive back into black and white... the camera needs a clean and service, I know a friend who has a friend who specialises in them. Hoping to do some portraits with it....dusted off the light meter....wish me luck
View attachment 136001

Awesome can't wait to see what you do.

 

[WhaleDaughter]

This is a beautiful piece of equipment. I hope you have fun with it.

 

[dasmith232]

Good luck with the restoration project.

You've got plenty of potential gotchas between light leaks in the bellows and inaccurate shutter times and sticking blades. If all that works, there's still the costs associated with using the thing.

But as far as the darkroom side goes, this is how I approached it:

Film is the same cost regardless. About $40 for a box of 25 sheets of Ilford 125. At that price, we tend to shoot carefully and infrequently.

Processing by sending off to a lab can be expensive. It's about $4 per sheet, and that includes a digital scan of the negative. There are various ways to get into developing yourself. I'm not sure how *you* are but my style is that I wouldn't stop at just the minimum. By the time I'm done, I've probably racked up enough cost in developing equipment and setting up a place to work to cover at least 200 frames before I break even.

That doesn't even touch the enlarging and printing steps, but with the digital scan, I'll stay digital...

Shooting 4x5 isn't cheap. But if you're careful, it doesn't have to be too bad...?

 

[binga63]

Good luck with the restoration project.

You've got plenty of potential gotchas between light leaks in the bellows and inaccurate shutter times and sticking blades. If all that works, there's still the costs associated with using the thing.

But as far as the darkroom side goes, this is how I approached it:

Film is the same cost regardless. About $40 for a box of 25 sheets of Ilford 125. At that price, we tend to shoot carefully and infrequently.

Processing by sending off to a lab can be expensive. It's about $4 per sheet, and that includes a digital scan of the negative. There are various ways to get into developing yourself. I'm not sure how *you* are but my style is that I wouldn't stop at just the minimum. By the time I'm done, I've probably racked up enough cost in developing equipment and setting up a place to work to cover at least 200 frames before I break even.

That doesn't even touch the enlarging and printing steps, but with the digital scan, I'll stay digital...

Shooting 4x5 isn't cheap. But if you're careful, it doesn't have to be too bad...?

I'll be developing film myself, places here have placed a premium on developing 4x5 film starting at 9.95 a sheet....much more cost effective to do it myself...and also to buy the film from the US and ship it to Australia ...I will be doing the same with chemicals that are allowed to be shipped here .........I own a few enlargers and have an almost complete darkroom setup, the only thing missing are tanks that will fit 4x5...thinking of the dip method to develop.

 

[jcdeboever]

@binga63, what kind of bike is that in the background? I only see the front tip of the 30's art deco chain guard. Maybe restore that at the same time? lol

 

[dasmith232]

I'll be developing film myself, places here have placed a premium on developing 4x5 film starting at 9.95 a sheet....much more cost effective to do it myself

$9.95 a sheet?! Whoa, that's crazy. Yeah, a totally different economic scale. Plus if you already have the enlarger and tanks, then it's just about the chemicals. Hearing your description makes me feel lucky to have "affordable" processing nearby.

 

[webestang64]

Looks like a fun project.
I'll still need to get my 4x5 out and shoot something with it, it's been 10 years now since I last shot with mine.

 

[mmaria]

can't wait to see what you're going to do

 

[limr]

How exciting!! Add me to the list of folks who can't wait to see what you do with it

 

[CarlH]

Can't believe it cheaper to buy the film in the US!! As to chemicals you could always make your own eg caffenol

 

[k5MOW]

I hope you have a good time with it. Back in the late 70s had something similar and a nice dark room.

 

[Derrel]

[
I'll be developing film myself...SNIP>>> the only thing missing are tanks that will fit 4x5...thinking of the dip method to develop.

If you Google around, you'll find references to rubber band devloping method, or cylinder developing, for developing 4x5 inch sheet film inside of a standard 120 rollfilm or 35mm rollfilm tank. developing 4x5 sheet film in 120 roll-film tank

I have also heard of a way of developing sheet films being called "the taco method".

A number of people have resorted to making their own PVC pipe cylinders for developing sheet film, and using these cylinders inside of regular "daylight" type steel or plastic developing tanks, which sounds like a good way to soup sheet film.

I was lucky that my area has one of the oldest continuously operated film-based camera and photo stores in the state, and I was able to get a new old stock sheet film developing tank, the type that uses the rectangular, metal "hangers".

 

[nickgillespie]

Dude, that's awesome! Get out there and have fun!