x-ray
Veteran
Beautiful, the camera that isš
My first 8x10 was made around 37-38. A company I worked for in the 70ās had a Deardorff 8x10 that was probably from the first batch or two. Part of the front standard was wooden. I know the really early ones were like that.
Rayt
Nonplayer Character
Thatās a nice shot of the Blue Swallow. I will stay there next time so can photograph it properly. My days with LF might be over. Price of sheet film tripling is one reason and the other is making prints. I never got a flat bed scanner because I didnāt want to digitize the negatives and wanted to contact print. I donāt know if anyone makes contact printing paper anymore or if I can access community labs to do that. Meanwhile I can do the same shots with digital camera with IBIS handheld with post processing perspective control.
x-ray
Veteran
I pretty much gave up on color LF due to lack of good E6 chemistry after Kodak quit making it. I think Hunt or another commercial supplier still makes good E6 chemistry but you have to buy a large quantity. So reluctantly I shoot digital color and film based B&W.
I still have a full darkroom with a 5x7 Durst 138 and love printing. Iāve got a pretty good stash of paper and film in the freezer but fear my time will run out before my supplies. Age is creating problems due to arthritis and Iāve decided to sell the 8x10 and keep the 5x7 and 4x5ās. I was going to make some nice images of it and the Cooke XV and put them on LFF but got lazy.
I still love the darkroom. Just canāt get it out of my system. I was just thinking, Iāve been processing and printing 66 years.
That a beautiful lens by the way! Iāve never used one.
A friend has a couple of knucklers Iāve shot some with and I have an Ilex Photoplastic Extreme Soft Focus 10.5ā in an Ilex 5. Had the shutter reworked but can only get up to 1/15 sec shutter speed. Itās really dreamy at f4.5 so I bought an 8 stop variable ND and will control exposure with that. Also have a Rodenstock Imagon and Wollensak portrait lens from the 30ās. It makes beautiful images. When the rain stops Iām taking the Photoplastic out to do some landscapes.
PƔl_K
Cameras. I has it.
Your avatar interested me long ago; now I know the story. I hadnāt even heard of Tucumcari - so thanks. Fading Americana is indeed fascinating. There are several websites dedicated to old Los Angeles restaurants and buildings which are now sadly gone.
Rayt
Nonplayer Character
Iāll revisit Tucumcari and other places again with a digital camera so I can shoot color. Old buildings with rust and peeling paint really come across better in color while b/w can do a lot with texture and shadows. B/W didnāt work at all for this one:
Retro-Grouch
Veteran
If you get to Tucumcari again, try also to head a bit further west to Santa Rosa. It's also one of those Route 66 towns that got bypassed when they built the new Route 40. There's a lot of the old architecture there as well, plus some great artesian spring swimming holes, chief among them being the Blue Hole, a welcome and rare treat in NM.
Rayt
Nonplayer Character
I visited Santa Rosa a few times on that trip. Yes I really need to go back. At the time I only had that LF camera with me and regretted not also bring a small handheld camera. Glad I at least had the iPhone.