I Went Mirrorless in the Late Sixties (Page 2): I had a Crown Graphic in the late 1950's and loved it. I also had a lightback that enabled me to use the camera as an enlarger. I sold...

dbrugger25 Loc: Raleigh, NC

I had a Crown Graphic in the late 1950's and loved it. I also had a lightback that enabled me to use the camera as an enlarger. I sold it and bought a Canon Pellix because I was going on a trip and needed a smaller camera. I wish I had found a way to keep it. The 4" X 5" photos were tack-sharp. I was a teenager at the time and didn't have much money.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

rmalarz wrote:

The one on the right was made in the 40s. I purchased it in 1969. The other was produced and purchased more recently and is used almost exclusively now. Oh, I still use mirrored cameras, that is what was used to produce this photo.
--Bob

Nice! Is your workflow purely optical with those, or do you scan the film and print digitally?

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Architect1776 wrote:

I went to mirrorless after starting out with a mirror camera.
Here is my mirror camera then my mirrorless camera I went to.

Very funny! I got one of those Instamatic 104s for Christmas when I was ten. I still have it in a shoebox full of old cameras. I have a flashcube or two as well.

My first camera was a TLR, an Argus Seventy-Five that took 620 film and Press 25 flashbulbs. My uncle gave it to me when I was five. That was my "evil inspiration," as my Mom liked to call it. (She wanted me to be a doctor.)

JohnR Loc: The Gates of Hell

I envy you your resources - I would love to be able to shoot/develop/print myself again - I used to do it in the 70's when I built myself a little darkroom under the house. My present home however is on a concrete slab so no room for the darkroom. I remember well the smells of those old 4x5 cameras and the developer/fixers. I used the 4x5's a lot at work in those days. Sometimes so sad thinking of lost pleasures.

Alafoto Loc: Montgomery, AL

Manglesphoto wrote:

I started out Mirrorless in 1956 with a Yashica "A" TLR

It didn't use a mirror to reflect the image from the viewing lens to the viewfinder?

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

burkphoto wrote:

Very funny! I got one of those Instamatic 104s for Christmas when I was ten. I still have it in a shoebox full of old cameras. I have a flashcube or two as well.

My first camera was a TLR, an Argus Seventy-Five that took 620 film and Press 25 flashbulbs. My uncle gave it to me when I was five. That was my "evil inspiration," as my Mom liked to call it. (She wanted me to be a doctor.)

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Bill, after I develop the film, I scan the negatives. I'll digitally print from those scans. Due to the rare need for a print, as of late, it doesn't pay to keep chemicals and paper stored for long periods of time.
--Bob

burkphoto wrote:

Nice! Is your workflow purely optical with those, or do you scan the film and print digitally?

JohnCl Loc: Central Arizona

The new one looks good. What is the brand?

User ID

Manglesphoto wrote:

I started out Mirrorless in 1956 with a Yashica "A" TLR

Make no sense at all. Typical uhh.

User ID

JohnCl wrote:

The new one looks good. What is the brand?

Looks like Sinar, or maybe Horseman ?

BebuLamar

User ID wrote:

Looks like Sinar, or maybe Horseman ?

Sinar is still making view cameras. I think Linhof too but I think Horseman no longer makes cameras

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Thanks, John. The one on the right is a Graphic View II. The one on the left is an Arca Swiss F-Line.
--Bob

JohnCl wrote:

The new one looks good. What is the brand?

OldSchool-WI Loc: Brandon, Wisconsin 53919

rmalarz wrote:

The one on the right was made in the 40s. I purchased it in 1969. The other was produced and purchased more recently and is used almost exclusively now. Oh, I still use mirrored cameras, that is what was used to produce this photo.
--Bob

Finally some truly professional cameras. And since you are posting such a photo and not myself---you will not be attacked by the Snarkies? I have the view camera on the right in the photo and use a large Dogmar and sometimes a Dagor lens. Although I have a folding Graphic tripod--I use a Tiltsall with mine. Karsh of Ottawa used the "Graphic View" when he traveled to England to make portraits of the War greats. A wonderful camera. I bought mine in the mid-sixties and just happened upon an old man in Washington, DC who had a used items store and just happened to have red new bellows! His name was Mr. Kamras and he had once worked for Underwood and Underwood in 1900 when they made the best "stereoptican cards!" I bought a Goertz stereo camera from Kamras back then---probably in about 1967. ---Wonderful cameras in your shots. Maybe the snarkies could take lessons in what is needed for commercial--industrial--architectural--and--portrait photography at the upper levels?---Eric P.S. What types of work did you do with these cameras?

OldSchool-WI Loc: Brandon, Wisconsin 53919

dbrugger25 wrote:

I had a Crown Graphic in the late 1950's and loved it. I also had a lightback that enabled me to use the camera as an enlarger. I sold it and bought a Canon Pellix because I was going on a trip and needed a smaller camera. I wish I had found a way to keep it. The 4" X 5" photos were tack-sharp. I was a teenager at the time and didn't have much money.

You could return to the Crown Graphic on eBay for very little outlay. I also like the Crown over the focal plane Speed. And in used old cameras---the focal planes get stiff. You can use a 1/500 between the lens on your Crown and in most cases--that is plenty fast. In the fifties I bought a Graflex (SLR) ---with magazines as well as film holders. I adapted the front by combining the Graflex with a German U-front to get triple extension bellows for close work, also.-----Eric

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Eric, I've switched to using the AS 4x5 almost exclusively. The sole reason is the Graflok back. This allows a great degree of flexibility to that camera. I had a custom front standard made for it so my Graphic lens boards are interchangeable between the two cameras. The vast majority of my lenses are Schneider or Nikkor. I still use the 203mm Graftar that came with the Graphic when I purchased it.

I use the 4x5 a great deal for landscapes mostly. Otherwise, whenever the mood strikes me, I use it for a variety of other subjects, including macro.

I started out using a Tiltall tripod, as it was the only one I had. Approximately 20 years ago, I purchased a used Gitzo and that has been my "go-to" tripod since.
--Bob

OldSchool-WI wrote:

Finally some truly professional cameras. And sinc... (show quote)