Re: [Leica] What do you do with your Images?

[George Lottermoser <imagist@concentric.net>]

mark@rabiner.cncoffice.com (Mark Rabiner)6/3/011:55 PM

> Off topic like hell but what's your 4x5 macro trick!!!!???
> half of us will be tossing and turning unless we find out!!!

No tricks, just working on that precision thing with a touch of
KISS thrown in for good luck. 

I've set up Infinity Stops, on the Tech IV, for 3 different
bellows extensions:
    2" subject : 4.75" on film
    1.5" subject : 4.75" on film
    1" subject : 4.75" on film

I've made 3 metal wire frames, proportional to the 4x5, which
attatch to the compendium lens shade mounting wire at scored
marks. The bellows are critically pre-focused to these frames, at
these marks. The frames define the view of the 4x5 negative. 

So now I can simply walk up to a macro subject, put the subject
in the frame, and fire. Bellows factor predetermined. Focus
predetermined. 

No more under the black cloth moving the camera in and out,
focusing, repeat, repeat, repeat.

Linhof actually made a device for doing this with closeup work,
more like 8x10 subject to 4x5 on film. But the ultra macro has to
be custom engineered.

Now the real tricks come into play with lighting large format
macro subjects, as the front standards of the cameras are inches
away from the subject, blocking all the light from the subject.

Serious Question - Can anyone recommend a "Strobe Guru" who could
wire an old ring light flash tube (I have 2) to fire from my
Quantum T2 or X head? 

The plugs on these 2 ring lights are identical to the quantum
tubes, but they don't fire. And I don't know which wire to put to
which of the 4 prongs to make it work or conversely blow myself
up.

George