I snagged a magic lantern projector off Ebay for $119 for it’s Darlot Lens. I slapped the lens on the Speed Graphic and loaded some precious FP-3000B and snapped a photo.
The results seem promising.
The projector came with a few interesting items; a chrome slide, a couple of 4″ convex lens, and rather large, old light bulb. I’ve yet to test it on wet plate.
I feel a bit guilty for taking this item apart.
5×7 Ilford HP5+
D-76
Scanned
5×7 Ilford HP5+
D-76
Scanned
5×7 Ilford HP5+
D-76
Scanned
I recently been turned to Fuji-roids and decided to shoot both FP-100C color instant film and the FP-3000B B&W instant film (sadly, now discontinued). After unsuccessfully begging for a holder at LFForum, I succumb to the big auction site and got the Polaroid 405 for their current going rate. Winning the auction made feel ecstatic to start shooting, then it dawned on me that my Wista 45 does not have a Graflok back which these holders require. Another camera that has a Graflok back (e.g. Speed Graphic) would cost me $400 (sheez…). Fortunately, the Wista spring back can really expand; enough to put 2 standard 4×5 holders.
The Polaroid 405 back arrived yesterday and the first thing I did is test fit it to the Wista. Viola! It fits!
Nikkor-W 150mm at F/5.6, 1/15 seconds
Nikkor-W 150mm at F/5.6, 1/15 seconds
Some observations on using the holder and the FP-100C…
Likes:
1) Instant gratification.
2) A negative to play with in the darkroom.
3) Normal lens on a 4×5 is slightly long for this format.
4) I can use my Wista and the lenses I have for it.
5) Polaroid Land Cameras takes these film and they are inexpensive (<$50).
6) At $0.90 a sheet for a PROCESSED positive and negative is cheap.
Don’t likes:
1) Not 4×5 so it has less image info.
2) I have to consciously re-frame for 3.25″x4.25″ format.
3) The big one which I hope I can remedy, it has a blue cast to it and the images are definitely on the cool side. I’m gonna’ have to use it with an 81B or 812 warming filter.
Overall, I’m really late in the game on instant film and wished I had started on this earlier. So far the FP-3000B black and white film are still available and I’m jazzed to test it. Fuji sent the last shipment to the US early this year. I gotta’ stock up before the price makes it unobtainable. After that, FP-100C would likely be on the chopping block next.
Now… what’s an INSTAX?
It’s been 4 months since I poured a plate – this weekend the wife is away and I got to play!
5×7 Al plate
Quinn’s QC
Sawyer’s Developer
KCN
5″ Goerz Dagor, f/6.3 at 18 seconds wide open
5×7 Al plate
Quinn’s QC
Sawyer’s Developer
KCN
5″ Goerz Dagor, f/6.3 at 2 seconds wide open
Tim Scott approached me to assist him photograph the Azusa Pacific University Theater Arts’ troupe to help promote their performance of Oscar Wilde’s “An Ideal Husband”. It was a wonderful experience seeing the dedication of these actors.
The play is set around 1895, the backdrop is a house built in the same period, the costumes worn by the actors were original period pieces, and wet plate collodion photography was at it’s peak.
What could go wrong? Well, the weather. Outside temperatures during the shoot was over 90 degrees F and our chemicals were no longer cooperating when it was well over 110 in the dark tent. Sublime images were disappearing before our eyes no matter how hard we try to temper the heat. We were discontent knowing that plates were turning black. At any rate, we captured a few worthwhile images.
Plate by Scottphoto.co
I’ve finally decided to buy Reinhold’s Wollaston Meniscus. I couldn’t find a decently priced lens that will cover 11×14 format, most are ridiculously priced. This 335mm F/4.6 meniscus is only $100 and the quality is amazing – hard to believe Reinhold makes enough money to make this lucrative.
Now to find some time to play.
Tim needed to verify his Fatfish tent, chemistry and new wet plate back for his Deardorff before our photo shoot next week; so we decided to head out to Riverside, CA and shoot The Mission Inn.
I think he has nothing to worry about.
Photo by Tim Scott
The video (avi) The Mission Inn
5×7 Black Aluminum
10″ A.T. Thompson Petzval
12 seconds, wide open
OWH
“Market Pantry” Vinegar Developer
KCN
Here’s this year’s submission to World Wet Plate Day – a close up of the rosette.
I’m really intrigued by my Copper Wheel (Aeonium Sunburst) especially how it renders in collodion.
5×7 Black Aluminum
Nickel Plated Darlot Petzval (~7″, ~f/5)
24 seconds, wide open
OWH
“Market Pantry” Vinegar Developer
KCN
Made an albumen print from a negative glass plate taken in the early 1900′s of a little girl wearing a white bonnet. Impressive plate – background separation from the little girl is quite good. I’m curious as to how they can get good light; perhaps those flash powder put out a lot of UV. The mottled background is due to plate deterioration exacerbated by my poor coating method.
The wife thinks it’s eerie, I think she watches too much “Haunted Collector”. So far I find it fascinating to get a glass negative that’s over 100 years old, print it the way it would have been printed back then and still get this detail today.
I finally did it – my first albumen print from my first glass negative. Many thanks to Monsieur Louis Désiré Blanquart-Evrard. For the longest time I’ve struggled to control the fogging brought on by long exposures and long development. I did not want to do intensification or re-development. It’s quite a balance between exposure and development to get a dense negative.
The Print
Negative density range: 2.14 – 0.64 = 1.50
Albumen: 1.5% sodium chloride with vinegar
Paper: 9×11 Canson Universal Sketch (aka. Crob ‘Art) single coated (float method)
Sensitization: 12% silver nitrate, rod method
Exposure: 5 minutes next time I’ll fire up the NuArc.
I bought a few turn of the century glass negatives from E-bay – we’ll see how those turn out next!
First BGA and I really like the deeper black on these. The weight of the plate gives a substantial feel to it compared to tins. Unfortunately, these guys cost 4 times more than clear glass.
I’m starting to get “iodide holes” – I guess it’s time for silver maintenance.
4×6 BGA
E.H. Hardy Petzval (~9″, f/3.5)
4 seconds, wide open
OWH
“Market Pantry” Vinegar Developer
KCN
5×7 CGA
A.T. Thomson Petzval (~9″, ~f/5)
2.5 seconds, wide open
OWH
“Market Pantry” Vinegar Developer
KCN
