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Sinar F2 - first test shots in 4x5
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 06, 2013 1:41 am    Post subject: Sinar F2 - first test shots in 4x5 Reply with quote

I do not have a great set o images to show, just some first test shots. Getting to know the camera, the first shots with Large Format film, and getting started with film development after maybe 25 years far from photographic chemicals.
I'll show some of them now and will elaborate a little bit more about the problems I had at this very first try with the Sinar F2:

Technical data:
Camera: Sinar F2
Lens: Schnneider Sinaron 5.6/210 MC
Film: Fomapan ISO 100 at ISO 80 and Shanghai ISO 100 at ISO 50.
Developer: Agfa Rodinal 1:100 and 1:50
Scanning: Camera scanning with Canon 5DMkII, Leica Summicron 2/50 and Leitz macro lens Elpro VI a

1) Shanghai ISO 100

_MG_9596 por Renato Augusto Salles, no Flickr

2) Shanghai ISO 100

_MG_9598 por Renato Augusto Salles, no Flickr

3) Fomapan 100 at ISO 80

4x52013-9559 por Renato Augusto Salles, no Flickr

4) Fomapan 100 at ISO 80

4x52013-9557 por Renato Augusto Salles, no Flickr

5) Fomapan 100 at ISO 80

9756+9764_4x5 por Renato Augusto Salles, no Flickr

6) Fomapan 100 at ISO 80

9752+9754_4x5 por Renato Augusto Salles, no Flickr

Problems I had til now:

a) scanning procedures with camera is far from ideal, as I never tried it and i'm in a condition of "work in progress" with it.
The next move will be to find a scanner which fits in my budget - 200-300 US$. Maybe a Epson V600, but will see if it works with 4x5. The order of pics are in the order I took and the order it have been scanned - the first shots shows more severe scanning faults.

b) the first film I developed with Agfa Rodinal 1:100 made me tough the developer was bad, so clear the negatives had come. But analyzing these I came to the conclusion that the film was severely under-exposed - maybe 2 f-stops. First tough, the camera bellows extension - but the table I looked at sad to not compensate, as the bellows extension was in the range of 1X. After the second negative coming under-exposed with - this time - 1:50 dilution, as I double-checked the exposure with 2 different Gossen Lunasix light meters, the only possible answer was reciprocity failure, and bingo! Looking at the Fomapan 100 reciprocity tables, I was 2 f-stops less then the exposure compensation needed... Next time I'll pay more attention to that.

Positive points:
a) the camera is a pleasure to work with: you set some movement, tight and it stays tight with no wobbling. Just pay attention to the procedure of removing the lens, if you open the bracket that connects the lens plate to the camera and don't support it with your hand it will fall down to the ground.

b) I hadn't any concern with the development process of the negatives - apart making fitting in the 4x5' negatives in the Yankee development tank - which I never used before - and putting in and removing the negatives in the negative holder. The process was so natural, work flowing nicely, seemed that i never stopped to do it - 25 years far from the lab and I'm comfortable as I was 25 years ago.

More will come,

Cheers,

Renato


PostPosted: Fri Dec 06, 2013 3:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Awesome! I really like tte old window shot.

For scanning are you using an old light table of some sort? Just a couple ofd tips I've found that helps. !. shoot the images od the negative so that they are almost too light (look at your cameras historogram or "blinky" to see if you clip the highlights).

2, If you can, find a hood for your macro lens that places the lens close to it's maximum magnification when setting the camera/lens right on the negative and shoot the full negative with however manyy images it takes to cover the complete negative, then stitch in post. Focus each image using live view at 100% focusing on the grain. This gives you a very large native resolution image that can print huge. It also lets you fix in post easier.

3. In post, after you invert the image use auto levels (you can adjust them to your liking), then use the curves feature and change the curve to a somewhat "S" shape. You can then adjust the curves layer opaqueness using any setting that looks right.

Hope this helps!


BTW, I just ordered a Sinar F1 setup from KEH for my firrst LF camera. I'll be taking it on my usual hikes/camps/motorcycle trips. I can't wait!


PostPosted: Wed Dec 11, 2013 1:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Window shot is very nice, great start and look forward to more of your shots with this setup.


PostPosted: Wed Dec 11, 2013 1:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I like first one best, great step , congrats!


PostPosted: Wed Dec 11, 2013 9:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

When I was a Scientific Photographer in the Geology Dept. of University College London the Boss had some budget money granted so let me order a British MPP Mk VIII with 150mm f5.6 Symmar lens - I got some good results developing in dishes and even did Gevaert' Scientiacolor' negative film ! Then I was given a 9x12cm Voigtlander 'AVUS' by one of the lecturers--- since leaving in 1970 I have no enlarger to fit those LF negs but I will try your idea of photographing a 9x12cm neg with my Pentax K10D -- thanks for the idea !


PostPosted: Wed Dec 11, 2013 7:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Very nice work Renato!

pentaxpete wrote:
When I was a Scientific Photographer in the Geology Dept. of University College London the Boss had some budget money granted so let me order a British MPP Mk VIII with 150mm f5.6 Symmar lens - I got some good results developing in dishes and even did Gevaert' Scientiacolor' negative film ! Then I was given a 9x12cm Voigtlander 'AVUS' by one of the lecturers--- since leaving in 1970 I have no enlarger to fit those LF negs but I will try your idea of photographing a 9x12cm neg with my Pentax K10D -- thanks for the idea !


I expect the Symmar was the more expensive option to the Wray Lustrar 5.6/7". I have both the Symmar and Lustrar and stopped down to f8 or less, I can't see much difference at all. Wray lenses are dirt cheap today, seems they don't have a reputation like TT&H, Ross and Dallmeyer, which is good for me because I can buy them very cheap and find they are excellent performers.


PostPosted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 2:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks guys, really, the view camera is not that hard to operate, but one have to establish a routine doing things, I'm sure that working more with it I'll be able to make better shots in the future, because for me this series is very difficult to like, the pics are almost footsteps in the path for a better result in the future. But I give some time for myself to know the camera, acquire the details of development with 4x5 sheet film, and slowly the things seems to go a little bit better,

Andrew,

Thanks for your advice, I'm trying now to put the histogram to the right - without clipping any channel - and it makes sense: we just acquire the more possible amount of information from the negative and it transaltes in a richer imagto work with,

Attila, thanks for your support, working hard, there is no way the task doesn't achieve what we intended to,

MMelvis and Pentaxpete,

Thank you for viewing, I appreciated that,

Cheers,

Renato