Topic: Harman Titan 8x10

[LT]

Damion, Ed & I went to Focus on Imaging trade show yesterday ... and got to inspect the prototype of the new Harman Titan 8x10 camera

here are a couple of pics ... one of me with Mike Walker (MR TITAN himself) (I'm the one who is gurning)



and one of me and my pics on the Ilford Photo stand:



I'm assured we will get to do a review of this camera quite soon.  

[Andrea.]

 

[kenny]

Wow!! That looks fantastic! 

Are there gonna be 3 pinholes on this camera? How do they work?

I'm intrigued!

[Ed Wenn]

Yeah, we had a fantastic time at the Harman stand (which was almost single-handedly flying the analogue photography flag it has to be said) and it was great meeting the Harman crew and associates like Mike Walker and Dave Butcher who were friendly and knowledgeable to a person.

Leon's being a little bit modest here in not pointing out that Harman used two prints of his pinholes to promote the Titan camera (see on the wall behind Mike & Leon). They looked very nice indeed. There was also lots of talk around the booth about how much the Harman staff had enjoyed the Filmwasters video podcast review of the camera (perhaps unsurprising given that Leon gave it a big 'thumbs-up') and several of them mentioned how they'd loved Francois' DIY dark room section of the podcast too.  

The three of us also got our portraits taken on the 8x10 camera they had set up at the booth. They were using paper negs this year instead of the DPP they'd used to such great effect last year and it worked really well.

[Urban Hafner]

Great! I can't wait for the review of the camera. I think my wallet thinks that I'm too excited about this.

[LT]

Are there gonna be 3 pinholes on this camera? How do they work?

Kenny - they are for shift and rise perspective correction.  Seeing as this is a prototype, not sure whether this will make it on to the final product. 

Review to follow soon.

[Roger Thoms]

Are there gonna be 3 pinholes on this camera? How do they work?

Kenny - they are for shift and rise perspective correction.  Seeing as this is a prototype, not sure whether this will make it on to the final product. 

Review to follow soon.

Let's hope so, it's a fantastic idea, I would buy one for sure. Even with out the three pinholes I'm sure I'll buy one.

Also does the 8x10 have two tripod mounts and two bullseye levels? This one of the things I really like about the 4x5.

Roger

[LT]

Roger - it definitely has 2 tripod mounts ... but the levels on this prototype are small bar types (and there are a lot of them!) ... we'll have to wait and see if they make it into the final cut.

[Suzi Livingstone]

Great stuff guys and Leon's pinholes look super 

[astrobeck]

props to Leon for having photos for the world to see!

I'm too in love with the  4 x 5 version to get an 8 x 10, but definitely want to see results out of it.   

[Roger Thoms]

Roger - it definitely has 2 tripod mounts ... but the levels on this prototype are small bar types (and there are a lot of them!) ... we'll have to wait and see if they make it into the final cut.

Leon, thank for the reply. I imagine the bar type are more accurate, that's encouraging.

Roger

[stevesegz]

Looks like another winner for LF. Great to see Harman etc thinking about ways to expand the LF film market through good marketing, great products at realistic prices. (fingers crossed)

Have been so impressed with the sharpness of the 5x4 version i am sure this will be just as good.

[Francois]

I imagine the bar type are more accurate, that's encouraging.

Well, a level is a level... but the linear types are easier to use since you can adjust the front to back tilt separately from the left to right. With a fridge level, it tends to go all over the place until you nail it. With dual bubbles, you can concentrate on the directions individually.

Now, it is great that they find our podcasts worth listening to... I guess we must be where quality is the No.1 priority

[Mike (happyforest)]

Leon's pinholes look good but I'm not sure that he could give an objective, unbiased review of the new 8x10 pinhole. He's obviously closely associated with Ilford given they have his images on display here and some have been used on paper boxes.

I think that should Ilford ask filmwaster.com to carry out a video podcast review, another filmwaster should do it.  I'd volunteer but do not have the equipment to develope 8x10 film.  Actually yes I do I have a paterson thermodrum, but probably not the experience with large format sheet film to do justice to the camera.

Maybe Leon's the right person to do it afterall.

[jojonas~]

the triple pinholes for perspective adjustments seem smart. I wonder how much difference they make though?

also, I don't think leon doing another review would be a conflict of interest. but maybe we need two reviewers to round things off? I wouldn't mind being the one, just  as an example mind you

[stevesegz]

Or every one takes an image and passes the camera on for a Filmwasters test? 

[jojonas~]

leon, are you presenting your photos in the second shot or are you lost and sad after mr titan took the 8x10 away?

[Ed Wenn]

It's interesting that you've picked up on this point actually, Mike et al.....because we were talking this very thing through amongst ourselves (Leon, myself and Damion) when we met up at Focus - i.e. the potential for FW to be seen as being in bed with Ilford/Harman in some way primarily due to Leon's relationship with the company and things like the recent podcast interview with Steven Brierley and the Harman Titan video podcast review. We value our independence here at FW very highly indeed and have kept the site free of ads/promotions/tie-ins/partenrships and the (these days) seemingly inevitable bl**dy online store etc. etc. for that reason.

I probably don't needto spell if out here, but I will anyway; we have not received any sponsorship from Ilford/Harman at any point, nor are we looking to in the future.

In our dealings with them as a company, a manufacturer and a group of people we have found them to be a class act all round who care deeply about the future of analogue photography. For that reason we are behind them 100% at the present time, but that doesn't mean we won't question them about things like last year's hike in film prices, or give their products a less-than-glowing review if we we think the product in question doesn't live up to their usual standard.

Also, for the record, I'm not a huge user of Ilford products myself as I primarily use instant film these days and historically have seemed to get on better with Fujifilm, Kodak and Agfa films.

Specifically relating to the proposed review of the 8x10, the plan is for Leon, Damion and myself to get together to shoot the review together assuming it gets to us as promised, so it won't just be The Druid flying solo again 

I know your original comments were made only semi-seriously, but it's absolutely vital to the 5 of us that FW is seen to be 100% independent and so one of us will always leap onto a thread like this and say more or less what I've said above just to reinforce where we stand.

[jojonas~]

well I'm glad you have a clear standpoint and that you take the time to write that out, ed.

this be truly one of the top things I like about how this site is run. straight and open.  


PS to leon: sorry if jumping on you a lot today. it's just that your expressions really crack me up!
you're deserving of a thank you for brightening up my day

[Mike (happyforest)]

Ed|leon

My comments were very much tongue in cheek! and slighly jealous that I didn't have the oppertunity to try the new camera out.

From the other reviews that Leon has done. I know that he would not be anything other than honest in his opinion.  Remember he didn't like the direct postivie paper at first for example.

Personally I really respect Leon's skills both his vision and ability to translate that into a final print from film.  This is what Ilford get out of this relatonship on Ilford paper and it this inspires others to use this wonderful medium of silver gelatin, film and paper then great.

I am sure that if Leon were to use kodak, fuji, maco or any other film\paper manufacturers material (where available), I am sure that he would do justice to this material as he does for Ilford.

Ilford are in the business of manufacturing silver gelatin material and as this site is dedicated to film wasting then it should come as no surprise to those that visit us that Ilford feature prominently because of their commentment to this medium.

I am also grateful for the five of you who set this site up as it has encouraged me to look for oppertunities to use film and sometime it is the collaboration etc that drive my picture taking. I also think it was an insprired decision to keep the site independent.  (However I haven't forgotten the april fool attempt last year.)

Here's to many more years of filmwasting and wonderful images from everybody who particpates in making this site what it is.

Thank you everyone.

Mike

[Ed Wenn]

Understood, Mike and thanks for confirming that we're all on the same page (as I suspected we were).

Personally, the 4x5 Titan Pinhole was kind of useless to me without a more versatile film back, so I didn't buy one. I had a chat with Mike Walker about this at Focus and he may well produce a version of the camera with a different back so that it would be able to accommodate instant film, roll film etc. From that point onwards I'll be all over it....

The 8x10 won't be much use to me however as I don't have any instant or roll film which is that big  

[LT]

thanks Mike - it means a lot to me that you see my tinkerings as honest etc.  It's also good to hear the site is inspiring you as much as it does the 5 of us.  That was and remains the sole purpose of fw.com - inspiration and creativity.

Despite Ed's comment earlier, I don't really have a 'relationship' with Ilford at all! (other than using their stuff mostly) I've been lucky on a few occasions and very pushy at other times and they have led to some good opportunities for me - but there is no formal arrangements etc. That said, I do support them as I think they are the only remaining film/ paper company who really engage with their customers.

that said, I'm still not 100% on the new mg art paper(I like it more than I did), I don't really like the way prices have hiked so much recently (so much so that I can't afford to use ilford printing paper any more) ... so it's not all sunshine out of the proverbial backside

The other reason we have done so much on Ilford products on the site, is because they are happy for us to do it!  If Kodak or Fuji were sending us stuff to review, we'd do that too.

[Ed Wenn]

Hear, hear. Even I'd rustle up a review of sorts if Linhof/Alpa/Ebony etc. fancied sending me anything to review. Just saying....
 

[Francois]

Heck, I'd do a review even if it was a cheap Lomo product!

[Jack Johnson]

I don't really like the way prices have hiked so much recently (so much so that I can't afford to use ilford printing paper any more) ... so it's not all sunshine out of the proverbial backside

I wonder how much of that is the spiraling cost of silver, and how much of that is the spiraling cost of petroleum products (as they get dinged twice: once to procure the raw materials, and again to get them to you)?

Segueing over to the eureka thread....