Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "Michael Kravit" 
<michael.kravit@w...> wrote:
> Mr. Tucker, 
> So tell me my friend, how much 665 do you shoot. Normally, I 
shoot Type 55
> 4x5 and process when I get home.


I absolutely love 665. And I have shot a ton of Type55 as well, but 
I threw in the towel on the stress of 4x5 long ago. (I now freely 
choose to stress over  2 1/4only). I shoot 665PN in my Fuji680; it 
gives a square 8x8cm neg, but with the corners kinda cropped 
off. The image has "eight sides". Not ideal, but still very fun to 
work with.

I am about to buy a Mamiya 600SE to play with. This approach is 
my favorite, at least in the image stage. (Whether I can put up 
with the clunkiness of this camera is going to be another story). 
But this camera, like the 180 or 195 or 110A/B, shoots a full 
frame 665. When you clear the neg, you get this gorgeous, huge 
neg to work with, with funky edges. And the film itself is stunning. 
(I have heard it's based on the old PanatomicX).

Plus, there's no chance of that 545 holder not working properly. I 
just carry a Pelican case to the job, with four black plastic 
developing tanks with those plastic adjustable racks. Each 
tank/rack holds 14 sheets of film. I put the negs in there on the 
job, and then clear them back at the studio or hotel room.

NOTE: I'm in no way saying that this is fun. I'm just saying the 
results are worth it, most of the time. Actually in the moment, it's 
really a bitch. If you get Sodium Sulfite on something, it turns 
white; then the biohazard people show up. Or, you're in the hotel 
room, with a clothesline strung across the room, with 
clothespins and hanging wet negs, and then the maid calls 
security on you.

But my point is, 665 is much easier than Type55. The only main 
drag about 665 is that you MUST open the developed shot within 
five or so minutes after pulling it. Some people have the courage 
to push in that metal pin in the 545 holder, and not develop 
Type55 right then, but that's WAY too scary for me. I've got to 
know i've got it before I pack up everything; I've had those 545 
holders screw up too  many times. If you don't pull the 665 apart 
within a few minutes, the positive side sticks to the neg side and 
it's ruined.

Also a factor for me is that I have the Imacon Photo, which scans 
only up to 120; not 4x5. I scan the 665 in the Fuji 680 holder, one 
half and a time, and then reassemble it in Photoshop.

(Actually, after writing all this crap and realizing what I do, I''m 
selling all of it and buying a D30....). (Yeah, right....)

-MT