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I HAVE BEEN TO THE MOUNTAINTOP

 
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DAB



Joined: 26 Sep 2003
Posts: 9

PostPosted: Tue Mar 04, 2003 11:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am the relatively new owner of a Pacemaker and a SSG. My family went on a skiing vacation in Vermont last week and I brought the Pacemaker with me, not yet willing to risk the SSG crashing off a cliff.

I also brought my Mamiya RB67, figuring that camera could withstand a small bomb blast without being damaged.

On a beautiful, clear, cold day, I took the RB67 up the chairlift in my Photo Trekker backpack. I set it up on the summit and took numerous scenic shots. I also stopped at various points on the way down the mountain (while skiing with 20 – 25 lbs of equipment on my back) to unpack the camera and grab some more shots. I had two backs and two lenses with me, although I ended up using mostly the 50mm wide-angle.

The next day was also beautiful and clear and I repeated my routine, but this time with the Pacemaker, a 90mm Optar and an old Kodak lens that I would guess is about 150mm. I must have been quite a sight under my black shroud as skiers whizzed by me. I shot both black and white and color, mostly with the 90mm.

I have not yet seen the proofs, but I have some thoughts.

For me, the RB67 was much easier and faster to set up, snap and take down than the Pacemaker (not quite a fair comparison since I am much more familiar with the Mamiya).

The RB67 kit was slightly heavier than the Pacemaker kit, but not substantially (I had a full grafmatic and 5 or 6 double holders with me).

Also, there was a “weirdness” factor. I wasn’t embarrassed or inhibited using the Pacemaker, and I took my time and took the pictures I wanted to, but I really stood out. I was more self-conscious than when using the Mamiya.

Some of the shots I took with each camera were very similar. My feeling is that, unless the Pacemaker prints turn out significantly better than the Mamiya ones, I will stick to the Mamiya for general use. Based on my first two series of test shots (before the trip), I am not optimistic about the Pacemaker shots.

The two advantages (for my use) of the Pacemaker would be if I wanted to make a huge enlargement of something, or if I needed movements for macro purposes.

This is a speed graphic list, and I’m not looking to antagonize anyone. I would like to learn to love my Pacemaker. I would appreciate sincere feedback on my semi-informed opinions. I read someone’s opinion somewhere that he used medium format for the most part and kept large format for “special occasions”. That seems about right to me (and taking pix at 6000 feet would be one of those special occasions).

I should have the pix back in a couple of days.
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Les



Joined: 09 May 2001
Posts: 2682
Location: Detroit, MI

PostPosted: Wed Mar 05, 2003 4:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lets see....

By the 60s Ansel was using a Hasselblad
Paul Strand was ogling it.
Half or more of the newspapers had gone to medium format in one form or another.

I think your in good company

And while this comunity would prefer to see you use a 2x3 Pacemaker or Century, the fact that your RB is not much more than a 70s version of a Graflex RB Jr. has not gone un-noticed here.

You've discovered what most people trying to make a living in photography did back in the 60s... That is that for nominal size prints, 120 was faster, cheaper, sharper, had more depth of field, more efficient, and just plain better than 4x5 for typical press and scenic photography.
In areas like Architectural, and studio photography that needed perspective control Large format still held court.

Graflex saw the benefits too back in '38, which is why they came out with the Mini-speed, and improved it with the Pacemaker 23 line.

In fact I'm quite impressed with the fact that you were able to take the RB up and ski down. If it were meThe Dr.s would still be trying to extracate the camera from unkownk parts of my body.
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DAB



Joined: 26 Sep 2003
Posts: 9

PostPosted: Sun Mar 09, 2003 3:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

OK, I’m going to love the Speed Graphic, or at least the 4x5 format, for a while longer.

I got back my proofs, both 120 from the RB67 and the 4x5’s. The 4x5 shots on the mountain were great! It might be a Lawrence of Arabia type of thing – they’re the kind of scenes that look much better on the big screen than on the small one. When I was figuring out what to enlarge a few of them to, it also struck me how I only have to enlarge the 4x5’s 3x to get a nice large print. I knew that before, of course, but seeing the reality of it hit home.

The RB67 shots were better for everything other than scenics on that vacation – close-ups, family shots, etc. Another couple of shots of horses milling around a farm with their breath smoking and mountains in the background – I was able to stop the car, set up the RB and shoot quickly – It may be lack of practice, but I don’t think I would have gotten as good a shot with the SG.

More use of the SG will cut down on more stupid mistakes. On the wide-angles I did not drop the bed, so I had to crop off the bottom of the pictures. Fortunately, I probably would have cropped out those parts anyway. One shot I forgot to close the lens before opening the dark slide. Another had some fogging that somehow must have occurred while loading. Another two shots (from the grafmatic) had what looked like a hair printed on the negatives – and I was so careful, spraying dust, wiping with antistatic, etc., while loading the film. I’m thinking of gong the quickload route.

All in all, I think I got a few outstanding shots for my trophy wall, which made all the trouble of using this format worthwhile. Before my next trip, I’m going to do a lens upgrade, and see how sharp my prints can really be.
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45PSS



Joined: 28 Sep 2001
Posts: 4081
Location: Mid Peninsula, Ca.

PostPosted: Mon Mar 10, 2003 9:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

And i was prepared to start a new thread and GLOAT about having rebuilt a SSG and 1/1000 shutter. The test polaroids even at 1/1000 sec showed the shutter was/is functioning properly so I loaded a Grafmatic with TMax 400 and went out around the neighbor hood, nice clear afternoon, could see the finicnal distric (transamerica pymarid ect.) some 25 miles away. When I got home I pulled the tank out, loaded the film, and developed as usual. Beautiful clear pieces of film with almost no fog as the developer was dead.
I like the feel of the SSG and will mix some fresh developer in a little while.
So much for the "I goofed also". Another solution for the "forgot to drop the bed"-get a hack saw and cut it off.
The unexpected foged negetive-possible hole in bellows. With lens board and focus panel removed, extend bellows fully. Put an appliance light bulb in a portable socket, or focus a mini mag to spot at 2 inches. Turn the room lights off, the darker the better. If using the light bulb be very careful not ot burn the inside of the bellows with it. Place the light source inside the bellows and observe the outside, especially the corners and folds for any hint of light. Paint any thin spot with black fabric paint (inside) or coat (outside) with thin layer of black silicone rubber or rubberized tool dip.
Yes the felt light traps in the grafmatic need to be vaccumed, or brushed out, they can trap contaniments.
Set the darkslide reminder bell to-"Check lens before removing."
Happy shooting.
Charles

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While a picture may be worth a thousand words, a quality photograph is worth a million.



[ This Message was edited by: 45PSS on 2003-03-10 02:30 ]
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marlenedegrood



Joined: 29 Apr 2003
Posts: 9
Location: Arizona

PostPosted: Wed Apr 30, 2003 12:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm a newcomer, and I think this forum is great! This is also my first response to a post.

While it may be true that a smaller format is easier to shoot with and can produce similar quality, for me the difference is the time spent in selecting and composing an image. I used to do a lot of aerial photography with the crown, having sold my speed and crown a while back, I have recently purchased another on Ebay to be used strictly for polaroid image and/or emulsion transfers. 4x5 polaroid film is pretty expensive at over $3.00 per shot.......I spend a lot more time composing and waiting for the right lighting before tripping that shutter. Am I excited about my "new" crown graphic......you bet! Although I appear to have a "collection" of cameras.......I use them all, just for different purposes.
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Les



Joined: 09 May 2001
Posts: 2682
Location: Detroit, MI

PostPosted: Wed Apr 30, 2003 12:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Welcome to the club, even though I've been here a while I'm still a newcomer too.
there is no doubt that Large format has a different pace to it. Sometimes, as in down hill skiing, the pace of LF sometimes conflicts with location, the ability to keep oneself out of the hospital, etc.

Les Newcomer


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45PSS



Joined: 28 Sep 2001
Posts: 4081
Location: Mid Peninsula, Ca.

PostPosted: Mon Dec 16, 2019 8:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
As far as I see, you are a fan of winter sports. So, I adore skiing, too. Many people are surprised to know it because I often vape and there are some myths that vaping can't combine with sports, but that's only stereotypes. If I buy vape on mt baker vapor, it doesn't mean anything.

Nicotine junky spam! GO AWAY!
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The best camera ever made is the one that YOU enjoy using and produces the image quality that satifies YOU.
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