Darkroom Renovation Phase II Started

18x24 Mammo Shortie Sawed Off Norma by Nokton48, on Flickr

This is a test shot (my Shorty Norma) French Kodak 18x24cm Mammo Film, processed in D23 1:1. Taking camera is my new Annie/Avedon inspired 8x10 Norma. I applied 30 degrees of front and rear swing, the Norma original recessed lensboard is sharp all the way across the field. I like how the DOF drops off with the 360mm f5.6 Norma Symmar. There appears to be highlight blooming, which I find kind of attractive. Best thing about this film was that it was not at all expensive. And I have a lot of it

My "Shorty Sawed-Off Norma" has a basic rail cut down, to just accomodate a 120mm lens. Here it is shown with the 47mm f8 Super Angulon, which I am looking forward to using a lot with 2x3 and 6x9. This is not a telephoto camera, but I can easily lift and carry it with one hand without strain. The lowly Star-D tripod is sturdy enough with this setup, given proper time to settle down. I cut both ends off a basic Norma rail with my Lil Machine Shop Bandsaw. So it is now simply a hollow tube perfect length for Field and Architecture.
 
Bill Blackwell said:
I've been shooting digital almost exclusively since 2008. When I do shoot film (a few rolls a year) I send it out and have it scanned to a disk. Wish I could say I miss the darkroom experience; I really don't! But OTOH seeing your first-class set-up does bring back some fond memories.
Click to expand...

Thanks Bill ! :)
 
SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

4 inch wide strip fits tightly in holders by Nokton48, on Flickr

This cuts down nicely (I just test cut some in the dark) into 4 inch wide sheets, going directly and perfectly into my 4x5 film holders, of which I have quite a few kinds. For shooting 9x9cm full frame images with my Plaubel Makifexes, this couldn't be better. This roll will produce 1,050 sheets of 4x5, at a total net cost of 28 cents each. Pretty darn good ! :)

Fits tightly in the film holder too.
 
Film Cutting and Loading Area 5 inch Aero 2402 by Nokton48, on Flickr

My finest film holders in 4x5" are these Linhof Film and Plate Holders. They appear to hold very tightly the slightly thinner base 2402 Plus-X Aero cut down sheets. Indeed very tightly and completely uber flat. I used these holders a lot shooting landscapes long ago, and these holders are deluxe in every way. And each has a lever, to eject the sheet partially out, when unloading. Yay. No scraping up the sheets fishing them out of the holders. I use a scrap 4x5 sheet to set up a masking tape stop which I can easily find in the dark.

I have a Plaubel Makiflex Back that adjusts precisely to accept these thicker Linhof Holders. Made for using them in fact, uber Plaubel quality. I have six of these holders, along with some in 9x12cm, but not going there with that right now. Do have four sheets of 5x7 loaded up to shoot in the studio soon.
 
Great Sand Dunes Ntl Monument SW Colorado 1992 by Nokton48, on Flickr
  • Sunrise at the Great Sand Dunes National Monument SW Colorado late 1980s. 4x5 Sinar Norma, HP5 (not +) PMK+ dev 90mm F8 Norma Super Angulon. Norma Yellow Glass FIlter, 8x10 Foma fibre paper Dektol developer. Omega DII Omegalite head 180mm black Rodagon.

    What a lovely experience this was. Quite a long hike to get to this spot. Who says you can't use Monorail View Cameras in the field?
18134483@N04_m.jpg
 
6x7cm 70mm Kodak 2402 Aero Film Perfed 1982 dated by Nokton48, on Flickr


This is the Makiflex Automatic with 240mm chrome barrel Schneider Tele-Xenar, a 2x3 lens that I have not used much. Graflex RH-50 70mm back 6x7cm/18 exp. Kodak Aerographic Plus-X 2402 type II perfed, developed in Paterson five reel tank with custom twin 70mm reels. D23 1:1 12 minutes at 73F produces a beefy negative easy to print. 8x10 Arista [NODE="2"]Forum[/NODE] RC developed in Multigrade. Omega DII laser aligned 180mm black Rodagon, I like using the Makiflexes in the studio with my olde Broncolor strobes. Classic Kelly lighting. Depth of ifeld is extremely limited in this setup, but the central buds of the flowers are sharp near the center of the print. This olde film has a softness that I like. Looks vintage and now retro

This film came to me recently in four 40 foot rolls. Dated 1982 took a chance on condition. Seems to be fine.
 
5 Inch 2402 Aero PX ADOX Borax 240 Tele Xenar by Nokton48, on Flickr

5 inch Kodak Aero 2402 Plus-X cut down to 4x5. Plaubel Makiflex, Linhof Glass Plate Holder, ADOX Borax MQ developer just mixed up, 8x10 Arista [NODE="2"]Forum[/NODE] RC print. Omega DII laser aligned with 180mm black Rodagon, Multigrade developer. This 2x3 240mm Tele-Xenar I have not used much at all. F5.6 or F8 so not much DOF in this closeup. Next I will try D23 1:1 as I know that works well with 2402
 
SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr


Initial test of Makiflex Digital Back! Auto Makiflex [NODE="1"]Home[/NODE] 150mm f5.6 chrome Schneider Symmar Auto Iris Plaubel Makiflex lens mount. Key Day F11 Easily hand holdable, great way to test all my lenses. Much fun ahead. If I want I can switch to film in 30 seconds, although the camera needs totally reset in that case. But so versatile.

SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

Camera used to produce the above digital test shot ^^
 
Low Key Portrait Tim Kelly portrait lighting by Nokton48, on Flickr
  • Robert needed a strong "head shot". Low Key Tim Kelly lighting. 4x6 foot Chimera Softbox Broncolor Impact 41 monolight 90 left degrees to the set, lighting everything. A smaller Chimera 4x6 Softbox Impact 41 monolight 45 degrees camera left one stop brighter in closer as a main light. A passive fill panel right, just right out of the frame 4x8 foamcore hinged together. A standard reflector raw hard light camera back left, creating the rimlight from the backline. Dark Grey Muslin behind. A successful head shot low key. 4x5 Sinar Norma, 240mm F9 Norma Apo Ronar gives an almost clinical look. Ilford HP5 D76 1:1 8x10 fibre print on Fortezo [NODE="2"]Forum[/NODE] silver gelatin paper Dektol dev Omega DD laser aligned 180mm black Rodagon
18134483@N04_m.jpg
 
Tim Kelly Lighting Test Hasselblad 100mm Pan F Plus by Nokton48, on Flickr

Thirty years ago I studied Tim Kelly's portrait techniques. Now I am revising and revisiting it in my smaller studio. A Broncolor C171 monolight with modern 360 degree Broncolor Balloon Head at 90 degrees left. Another C171 with Pulso Softbox at 45 degrees left, set one stop brighter. A whitish fill panel semi silver at 45 degrees right, just out of the shot Finally, a smaller C70 Broncolor Monolight, with custom made old Broncolor snoot and grid, 45 degrees right but up very high, creating the spot of light just to the right and slightly above the test subject. The idea is that the lighting reads "dark, light, dark, light" which creates an artististic rythm that is very classic. Hasselblad EL/M with 100mm f3.5 T* black Planar, Hasselblad YG filter, Ilford Pan F+ developed in D23 1:1 in JOBO tank on Unicolor Uniroller. Omega DII laser aligned with Omegalite Head and 180mm black Rodagon. Arista [NODE="2"]Forum[/NODE] RC 8x10 paper developed in Multigrade. Canvas background 8x8 feet "Classic Kelly Brown" painted recently for me by artist David Maheu
 
SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

760mm F14 Rodenstock Apo Ronar Rock Solid Sinar Norma Mount, built from Norma Parts Box Stuff. This 760mm F14 is the Iddy Biddy Little Brother of the 1000mm F16 Apo Ronar that is on the way. Shown with Norma Shutter #6 ready to go. This is going to work perfectly. I'll also do this same thing with the bigger lens.
 
ETONE Developing Tank Automatic Roller3 by Nokton48, on Flickr

I've reconfigured the pulleys that move the drum, and now it's reliabily spinning both directions 1500cc of water, in my JOBO Multitank5. Three 2502 sheet film reels are inside, so I can run eighteen 2x3" or 6.5x9cm film sheets. So this becomes 100X more useful to me since it runs reliably metric sized European film, of which have a lot of. This JOBO lid leaks, a Paterson Plastic Lid catches all the chemical spillage well. So now I'm ready to spin a run of 120 roll film, as soon as I load it up. The angle iron piece bolted on the end, keeps the bigger Mutitank6 from walking off of the roller. It works!
 
Set Shop Stuff in the Studio by Nokton48, on Flickr

After studying Steve Sint's Set Shop tutorials, I made up some of the new items for the still life studio. Three 20x24 Rosco Tough Lux Diffusion Panels, two sheets (front and back) for pretty good diffusion. To the right is a Broncolor C200 Monolight Strobe, to the left, is a Marty Rickard Mirror unit, works great for bouncing spill light from the Strobe. I acquired the metal bars (which I cut into one, two, and three inch pairs, cut on my metal band saw. The Armature Wire came direct from Set Shop. The Angle Brackets and Heavy Steel Blocks came from Ebay. Quite useful, I have ordered a few more Angle Brackets. I'm using Manfrotto Clamps and Magic Arms to hold the three diffusion frames. Easy to adjust top, left and right, exactly where I want them. Got some more Manfrotto stuff incoming but I'm about done for now. You can see I have a lot of items to suspend things and really solid set building.

Set Shop New York City

Since 1977 Set Shop has been serving the photographic industry. What began as seamless paper store has expanded to well over several thousand items that now supplies a wide range of industries like display and exhibition.
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Set Shop Tutorials – Online Tutorials for Photographers

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Makiflex 4x5 Shanghai Octobox 150 F16 D23 by Nokton48, on Flickr

9x9cm image 9x12cm film Plaubel Makiflex F16. Shanghai 100 film with YG filter D23 1:1 Unidrum Uniroller Omega DII laser aligned 150mm black Rodagon at F16 Arista RC #2 8x10 Dektol 1:2 Testing the new to me Broncolor Octobox 150, beautiful light like movable window lighting. Supplemental Octobox 150 Diffuser added. Notice the attractive catchlight in the glass vase.
 
SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

Need help with these Visatec/Broncolor Impact IMPASPOT stuff you see here. I have two Impaspots, clean and working good. Have a frosted Bulb for the Visatec 1600B 600J Monolight, have one coming. 600J power and it fits all my Impact stuff, which I've been using for thirty years. Also have the CONIC SNOOT which works good with a grid on the end of it. The screen printed MASKS in three sizes, I would like to replicate, and make more in different sizes and patterns. I think they also made something for the front of this?

Also I could use a few Broncolor Impact 21/41 Frosted Domes, if anybody has any?? :)
 
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