Cadet 4x5 User manual

Lo.AD'r'G F1LM Ho.LP|EF|S

Film choice in 4x5 inch is enormous, from general-application
monochrome and colour films (transparency or negative) to all
kinds of specialist films for copying, high-contrast work, and even
direct reversal (Agfa Scala).
  Cut fllm is exposed in standardized double cut fllm holders
(DCFHs); the most usual brands are Lisco and Fidelity. The DCFH
has a removable dark-slide or film sheath, and a hinged door at the
bottom of the holder. The top of the dark-slide  is white on one side
(to denote unexposed film) and black on the other (exposed). On
many types (including the Fidelity illustrated) one side is also
textured so that you can tell the sides apart by touch.
   Practice loading DCFHs in daylight, with a sheet of scrap film,
until you can do it with your eyes closed. Loading 'for real' is
easiest in a darkroom, on an uncluttered work-bench, but you can
load film in a changing bag.All film is notched, and when the
notches are along the upper right hand edge of the film, the
emulsion side is towards you.
  Make sure the dark-slide has the white side out. Withdraw it until
the  f ilm aperture is clear (you can f'eel this with your fingers). Push
down the door at the bottom of the DCFH and slide the film in. Flip
the door back. and close the dark-slide.
  As well as cut tilm. the Cadet can be used with Polaroid backs
(inside back cover) and roll film backs (page 8).
                                        The film must slip
                                          under the rails on
                                                    either side ot the
                                      DCFH. Hold the
                                          'door'down to avoid
                                               scratching and ease
                                                 loading. Note the
                                                  white top to the dark
                                                             -slide, indicating
                                           unexposed  film:
                                         compare  it with the
                                         one in the other
                                                 holder, which is
                                              black side out.





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    THE CADET 4x5 ,||tG.H CAMERA
Standard Gadet
A  Sliding bar to lock lens panel tbr lens changing.
B  Combined lockins knob for fiont swins and cross.
G  Front tilt lock.
D  Front rise lock.
E  Rear tilt lock.
G  Ltrcking knob firr rear swing.
H  Railclamp.


The standard Cadet has a 450mm bellows. The bellows extension at
intinity is normally equal to the tocal length ot the lens - in this case,
150mm. lnterchangeable lens panels are available for common
shutter sizes (#0, #1, f3) or undrilled tor custom fitting.


                                          Digitally signed by mike butkus
                                DN: cn=mike butkus,
                                 o=orphancameras, ou=29, mike butkus email=mike@butkus.org, c=US
                                     Date: 2020.06.01 20:54:33 -04'00'





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Wide Angle Gadet
F  Sliding bar to krck reversing back.
    Alkrws selection of 'landscape' (horizontal) and 'portrait'
     (vertical) tornrats without turning the cantera on its side.
J  Rear fircusin-q knob and lock.
1( Front fircusins knob and lock.

The wide angle Cadet (here seen at its full extension of 200mm) has
a shorter  rail and a bag bellows, allowing movements with lenses as
short as 47mm. The tripod boss is behind the two standards, in order
to allow them to be pressed together as closely as possible. This
camera is fitted with the optional Fresnel screen (tor added bright-
ness) and optional Graflok sliding bars. A double cut film holder is
partially inserted in the camera back.





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    AN INTF|O.DUCTi@.N TO 4X5

Monorail cameras are so versatile that it is quicker and easier to list
what they cannot do, rather than what they can do. They are not
much use for sports and action, fbr example. It is however no
coincidence that in many of the most demanding areas of photogra-
phy - advertising. architecture, still life, fbod, interiors, landscape,
and fine art. to name a f-ew - the large fbrmat (LF) camera reigns
supreme. In many other areas. fiom portraiture to special effects, LF
gives results which cannot be equalled with smaller formats.
  LF is intimidating at first: there is no doubt about that. But really,
it is not difTicult. Loading (see opposite) and processing (page 8) are
simple mechanical processes; fbcusing is scarcely demanding; a
f'ew minutes practice will soon show you what the shifi movements
do (page 4); and even the fbrbidding-sounding  Scheimpflug Rule is
easily explained with an example and a diagram (pages 2 and 3).
The extra control which is afforded by camera movements is at least
as important a reason fbr using LF as the extra image quality.
  Perhaps the most difTicult thing fbr the newcomer to LF to
appreciate  is that half a dozen exposures can be a good day's work.
The 3-5mm camera has famously been likened to the codfish, which
lays a million eggs in order that one or two may survive. The 4x5
camera is more like the elephant: gestation is prolonged, but the big
calf is tenderly looked after and valued in its own right fiom the
moment it is born.
 Basic outfit of camera, lens, cable release, film holders,  tilm,
focusing cloth and focusing lupe. The only other essentials,
at least to begin with, are a meter and a middleweight or
heavier tripod and head: a Gitzo or Mantrofto, tor example.





          o

S,ETT''|,G UP THE CAMERA

Tighten the tripod boss well on the tripod head to avoid any risk ot
movement. When the rail clamp is slackened off. the rail cart rotate
slightly about its own axis fbr precise levelling.
Focusing
Open the shutter tbr focusing (see inside back cover). You cart fbcus
using either front or rear standards. or both. For extreme close-ups.
back fbcusing may be essential.  If you try to fbcus with the fiont
standard. you are changing the lens/subject distance and the lens/
film distance simultaneously. and fbcusing may be irnpossible. A
Fresnel screen (a user-fltted option) makes the screen brighter all
the way to the corners.
Shift Movements
The 'shifi' movements on the fiont standard are rise/fall (vertical
shifi) and cross (horizontal  shift). As you shifi the lens. the whole
image moves upwards. downwards or sideways on the ground glass.
allowing considerable control of framing, apparent viewpoint and
perspective. Obviously, the lens must have a big enough circle of
coverage to allow the desired shifts.

Manufacturers publish tables of coverage for all their lenses, but
these are usually conservative. The best way to see if a lens is suit-
able tor a particular application is to fest it, with and without move-
ments. Picture A was taken using a 105mm lens designed tor 6x9cm
format; note the cut-off. For a quick, cheap, easy test, load a DCFH
with regular photographic printing paper and rate  it at about El 3.

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Srarings and Tllts
Swings (movements about the vertical axis) and tilts (movements
about the horizontal axis) are provided at both fiont and rear. They
are used both to hold receding planes in focus (the Scheimpflug
Rule) and for 'indirect' shift movements. Swinging or tilting the
front standard does not affect image shape, but swinging or tilting
the rear standard does. See pages 4 and 5 for an example of this.

1 Front rise
2 Front and back tilt (in opposite directions).
3 Front and back tilt together, to create'indirect'rise
4 Front and back swing (in opposite directions).
5 The Scheimpflug Rule states that it the subiect plane, lens panel
   plane and image plane all meet at a single line, everything will be
   in focus without stopping down.
  =V





The picture B (left) was taken at
 full aperture with a 150mm lens,
without any movements.
Picture C (lower left) was again
 taken at full aperture, from the
 same camera position, but with
 the front tilted in contormity with
 the Scheimpflug Rule.   o

MOVEMENTS AND ]MAGE S,HAPE





90mm lens without any    90mm lens with front rise,
front rise.                  Note the improvement in
                           composition and that all
                             uprights are parallel.


The camera, with a
90mm iens, was set
more or less level
with the model car;
no movements were
used. The car looks
 slab-sided and dull.
The artwork on the
hood is barely visible,
and though it will not
show in small-scale
reproduction, the rear
end is slightly out of
focus even at f/22.

The camera has been
raised, and drop lront
has been introduced
to create a pleasing
perspective with a
'sideftop'view. Front
swing and tilt have
been introduced to
ensure front-to-back
sharpness. The car
still looks natural,
and the hood is now
much more visible.

          @

MA'<'NG AN E;XPo.s,UFrE

Working methodically  is the secret of avoiding mistakes such as
double exposures, blank exposures, wrong exposures and fogged
film: there are no interlocks. Work methodically, though, and after a
few mistakes (everyone makes them) it will soon become second
nature to operate the camera. Each photographer has a particular
preference, but a typical drill is as follows.
1 Sef the camera up on the tripod. Lock all movements at
    zero (no shifts, swings or tilts).
2  Open the shutter, and open the diaphragm to maximum
     aperture.
3 Compose and focus roughly, without using the lupe. You
   may find that you need to move closer or further away - or to
    change lenses.
4 Compose accurately using shift movements if necessary
     either to preserve parallels without convergence  or to shift
    apparent viewpoint.
5  Focus accurately. Use the lupe to make sure that everything
     is in focus. As well as focusing controls, use swings and tilts as
     necessary.
6  Lock all the controls, including focusing, shift, swing and
       tilt. Failure to do so can mean that your carefully-composed
     shot is knocked out of alignment as you inserl the film holder.
7  Close the shutte,r and re-cock  it if necessary.
8  Take an exposure reading and set appropriate speed and
     aperture.
9  lnsert film holder. Check that the top of the dark-slide is
    white side out (unexposed  film).
10 Pull dark-slide. In bright light, shade the mouth of the film
    holder if necessary, or cover it with the focusing cloth.
11 Fire the shutter.
12 Reverse and replace dark-slide so that it is dark side out,
     indicating that the film has been exposed. Some photographers
     partially re-insert the dark-slide before they fire the shutter.
13 Remove film holder,
14 Zero all movements.

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              crrEcr< LrsT

In practice. the sequence on these pages can be reduced to a much
shorter seven-step check list to avoid double exposures. blank
exposurcs. etc. If you tirllow these seven steps. everything else
c()nles naturally. (This list is repeated on the back cover.)
1 Open shutter and diaphragm.
2  Focus and compose.
3  Close and set shutter and diaphragm.
4  lnsert tilm holder.
5  Pull dark-slide.
6  Expose.
7 Replace dark-slide, dark side out.





                                 Above: Cadet camera showing
                                        extensive movements  - you
                                      are lar more likely to run out
                                       of lens coverage betore you
                                    run out of movements with
                                 a monorail camera.



Pull the ground-glass back with your finger to make it easier to insert
or remove the tilm-holder. As you push the DCFH in, release the back
at around the half-way point and push it in the rest of the way, steady-
ing the camera back with your other hand. As you remove the holden
angle  it backwards to disengage it from the locking groove/light trap.
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PNo,c.Es.s.'r'G

The traditional way to process monochrome cut film is individually
 in open dishes or trays. like paper. but in complete darkness. Any
 filrn developer. short-stop and fixer may be used. Experienced users
can process several films at once. but fbr the novice. there are
considerable risks of scratching and finger marks.
   Daylight developing tanks of various patterns are available fbr
batch processing. but they must be loaded in total darkness. Another
possibility is a Nova deep tank intended filr paper processing.
   Colour processing is normally undertaken commercially in
prof'essional labs (look in the Yellow Pages) though you can also get
small hand lines consisting of a row of small tanks. The film is
loaded into a rack and transf'erred fiom one bath to the next, again
in the dark.
  Send film to the lab in used film boxes marked with your name
and address and clearly labelled "EXPOSED F|LM - OPEN
ONLY lN DARKROOM - PLEASE RETURN BOX". To each
box. tape a note saying how many sheets are in there. what sort of
fllm it is. and any special instructions. Examples might include
"TWO SHEETS E-6 PUSH ONE" or "FOUR SHEETS XP-2
PROCESS C-41".


Any Cadet can be used with slip-in roll film backs such as the
Cambo (6x7cm. 6x9cm or 6x l2cm). With the addition of the user-
fitted Graf'lok sliding bar kit, it can also be used with other patterns
of roll-f ilrn back which require the ground glass to be removed.
                             Cambo and similar roll-film
                                    backs are inserted in the
                              same way as film holders
                                 and Polaroid 545i backs.
                                       This camera does not have
                                        the optional Graflok bars
                                                 titted.



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       LETSEIS AND S/HUTTEF|S
 I     Shutter cocking lever.
 ll    Shutter speed setting dial.
 llt   Aperture setting lever and
       scale.
 llf   Shutter opening lever
     (may also open diaphragm;
    may work only with
      shutter cocked.)
\f    Flashsynchronization
       nipple.
lfl    Shutter release.
Vll  Cable release socket.
Vlll  Flash synch selector (older   Copal Shutter
      lenses only) (M = bulb.
    X = electronic flash. V =
       self'-timer.)
lX   Interrupter (older lenses
      only) (Hold the interrupter
     and release the shutten the
      shutter will stay open. To
      re-close the shutter. pull
      the cocking Iever back
       slightly.)
X    Selector fbr I/B/T (MlBlZl
      Select  I or M and cock
      shutter fbr timed speeds.
                               Synch ro-Com pu r-P Sh utter      Select B fbr brief
      exposures: do not cock
      shutter (Shutter remains
     open while release is
      depressed). Select T orZ
      lbr long exposures; do not
     cock shutter (Open on
       first pressure, close on
      second).
     With Compound shutters,
     allow 5- l0 seconds afier
     cocking for air pressure to
      equalize.

                          Compound Shutter

Equiwalent Focal Lengths Jor 35mm
As with any format, individual photographers prefer different
focal lengths, and the following are common focal lengths with
(in brackets) their approximate equivalents for 35mm:
Wide-AngIe   tStandard,   Long-Focus
47mm (l4mm)      120mm (35mm)    240mm (70mm)
58mm (l7mm)       I27mm (37mm)    27Omm (80mm)
65mm (l9mm)      135mm (39mm)    300mm (90mm)
72mm (20mm)      150mm (45mm)    360mm (105mm)
75mm (21mm)      180mm (50mm)    480mm (135mm)
90mm (26mm)      210mm (60mm)    600mm (180mm)

The standard Cadet (450mm bellows) can be used with lenses from
65mm to 360mm and the wide-angle Cadet (200mm bag bellows)
can be used with lenses from 47mm to l80mm. Both can be used
with longer lenses of telephoto construction.
  With a l50mm lens, the standard Cadet will focus to twice life
size. For greater magnifications, use shorter focal lengths.
      E.ELLC,7,/...S E;XTENT'o.,|' FACTo.F|S

For most general outdoor photography the lens-to-film distance is
approximately equal to the focal length of the lens. However, for
close-up work the lens-to-film distance increases and so the metered
exposure has to be increased.
  The effective f/number  is equal to the total extension or lens-to-
film distance (V) multiplied by the indicated aperture (l), divided by
the focal length of the lens (F)...
               Vxf
                      F

But as a simple rule-of-thumb the following can be applied.
For a 2/:rds life-size image increase the exposure I stop.
For a life-size image increase the exposure 2 stops.
For a ltlz times life-size image increase the exposure 3 stops.
For a twice life-size image increase the exposure 2 stops.


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       POLANO'D MATERIALS

Polaroid materials are invaluable for checking exposure, lighting
and composition, and for origination: all pictures in this booklet
were shot on Polaroid film. Polaroids can also be a uniquely rapid
and convenient learning tool. You can learn a great deal, very
quickly, by experimenting with sequences of pictures like those on
pages 4 and 5.
  The 545i back is the most versatile and the easiest to use, but its
single sheet film is the most expensive. The 405 is the cheapest to
buy and to run, but the image is significantly smaller than 4x5
inches; some photographers mark the ground glass to show the
reduced area. The 550 takes 4x5 inch pack film. All use peel-apart
film.
  Type 55 P/1.{ sheet film (for the 545i) and Type 665 PAI pack film
(for the 405) yield a positive and a sharp, high-quality monochrome
negative which may be recovered by clearing in a sodium sulphite
solution, or just washed off even in a bucket of water, to check
critical sharpness. All processing can be carried out in daylight;
many photographers use no other black and white film.

                              The 545i back accepts single
                                 sheefs of film and slips under the
                             ground glass like a DCFH. The
                                    outer envelope, here pulled ready
                                          tor exposure, protects the film
                                            until  it is loaded and while  it is
                                 being processed. Exposed but
                               unprocessed film may be
                             removed for later processing.
                                     This camera does not have the
                                     optional Graflok bars.
                                                                    f"      ''                               The 405 back accepl" 6-"0*,
                             and 10-sheet tilm packs. It will
                                             just about fit under the ground
                                     glass but it is easier to use the
                                     optional Graflok slides. The
                                      picture area is approximately
                                   72x95 mm, just under 3x4 inches,
                               and each picture must of course
                               be pulled out and processed
                                  before the next shot can be
                                    taken.


                              v,I