One more Chapter and another addtion

[ComicDom1]

Going back to shooting film has been fun, but now I have renewed my enthusiasm for photography. The reason why is although I have been shooting my medium format Hasselblad 201F, I was also able to pick up a Large Format Cambo SC-2 4x5 View Camera on ebay. Right now you can pickup a 4X5 View camera for next to nothing.

While I was in Chicago last Saturday, I decided to visit both the Helix Camera Store and Calumet. Since I live 3 1/2 to 4 hours away, I really do not get to go there much and having the opportunity was special. I have to say I was less than impressed with the prices and staff at Helix. So I moved on and drove a short distance to Calumet. I entered the store and it was the difference in the staff, cleanliness of the store, and atmosphere was like night and day. Maybe the fact that Calumet was in a newer building was part of it, but typically I like older buildings and Helix certainly could have done things over the years to make their store( I believe the last one they have open), more customer friendly and appealing. So lets move on to what happened to me at Calumet.

First and foremost Calumet was very busy and stayed that way. So I started browsing around and waiting my turn to talk to one of the staff to get him to check out my Cambo SC-2 and lens. I also wanted to get some sort of value on it for insurance purposes. While I was browsing around, I noticed something in one of the used Camera display cases that I had to have. Let me describe it for you.

There were Gold/Brass Colored Knobs, a Nice Clean looking Bellows, Mahogany Wood, and Gold/Brass Nameplate that said " Made By Zone VI Newfane Vermont USA"

I instantly fell in love with the Camera. I have always wanted to own a wooden camera and on top of it, it was a Zone IV designed and built by Fred Picker. For those of you that do not know, Fred Picker was a very special photographer and teacher. Fred developed a Zone VI school and published a book called Zone VI workshop to teach photographers how to spot meter and understand different light zones when creating an image in order to get the best possible exposure and negative possible. That was the starting point and Fred also carried in on through the printing process. I would highly recommend reading Fred Pickers book if you can find a copy and also Ansel Adams book The Camera, and one of his other books called The Negative. Of course if you are doing your own prints and using a traditional dark room is your thing then the third book is called The Print.

OK, getting back to the Zone VI Large Format View Camera I found. After talking to the salesman and negotiating with the store manager, I walked out of the store the new owner of what looked to me like a Mint (possibly new) Zone VI camera in its original box complete with the instructions that came with it. Over the years there were several different makers Fred Picker used for the Zone VI Camera made starting with Tachihara, Wisner, Zone VI Studios (Fred Picker) when it was taken in house and built in Vermont USA. Each model was made with different wood depending on the years the different companies made these fine hand made wooden field cameras. Eventually Fred Picker sold the company to Calumet. From what I discovered Richard Ritter who oversaw the production of these camera's is still around and makes lens boards and repairs various cameras. In fact I have been in touch with him by email and will soon speak to him on the phone.

For those of you who might not understand my enthusiasm, let me briefly explain it. First the Zone VI is 4x5 camera. So it will create a 4"x 5" negative which will contain more than enough information to rival and out-do the best 35mm Digital Camera. It folds up and it light weight which makes it perfect for those who go backpacking out into the wilderness. It allows you to take a camera with you that creates a large size negative with out killing your back dragging a very Heavy Camera. In addition, the 4x5 Large Format View Rail and Field Camera's offer you something that 35mm and Medium Format Cameras cannot. Complete control over perspective. Depending on 4x5 camera you have, you can swing the front side to side, tilt the front up and down, and raised the front up and down. The rear of the camera can be adjusted in these directions too but how much is limited by the design of the camera, the movements provided, and the coverage of the Lens angle of view and the size of the image circle. I hope I explained this clearly enough so you can understand the difference and the opportunity you have for creation if you venture into this area.

Here is a like to a Current auction on Ebay so you can at least get a quick look at one of the Zone VI cameras:

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Zone-VI-4x5-...item45f3373550

I hope some of you have found this interesting.

Jason Stoller

[Glasstream15]

WOW!!!!

I am not familiar with that specific camera, but I am familiar with the capabilities of those beasts. My father was a photographer when i was growing up and he had a couple of Speed Graphics and 4X5, 5X7 and 8X10 view cameras. I only saw the 8X10 out of it's case once but the 4X5 and 5X7 got a good bit of use. And it was amazing what kind of pictures you could get of the archtecture of Palm Beach He even had some pictures he had taken in Italy and in the Holy Land when he was a corespondent in WW2. Those things are a lot more work than a modern SLR, but I don't think Ansel Adams would have gotten the pictures he did with a 35. It took one of those big, ugly, fairly heavy but oh so capable "View Cameras".

I wish I still had some of his old equipment and I am jealous of your new find.

[ComicDom1]

I just developed my second batch of 4x5 film. I would encourage anyone who enjoys shooting film to explore the opportunities available in large format. There are plenty of 4x5 cameras available at reasonable prices on ebay. Also KEH seems to have a good stock of them. The difference in large format versus 35mm or even medium format (120) is that you get control of the perspective.

The Large Format cameras are really not difficult to use. Of course you need a hand held light meter and some patience. Usually 2 lenses is all you will need to get started but many people just start with 1. A good stable tripod is a must. There are plenty of information on the web and several excellent books to help someone new to large format to quickly get comfortable. As with any new format, there is a learning curve but I think once you see the negatives from Large Format and the images they can produce you will be hooked.

Jason