[LargeFormat] BW 4x5 processing

[Joseph O'Neil]

>I was down at Vistek and Henry's last night Ken, and was surprised at
>how "stripped down" both are ... the shelves don't have much depth, as
>it were. (So sorry, no Jobo ... )
-snip-

>Where do the big stores in other regional centres stand?

         Alt-Camera went belly up a few eyars agos.  In fact, allt he major 
camera sotres in downtown toronto, on Queen St. East have gone "yuck", IMO, 
compared to what they all sued to be.  At one time I used to go a coupel 
times a year just down Qeen St. E to see allt he camera stores in the area 
- Torontom Camera on Young, Vistek, henry's, and Alt- all on Queens, and 
allt he pawn shops in the area too.  ti was a photogrpahers dream.

         All the good camera stores are very thin on stock anymore.  The 
only two I reccomedn in Toronto - for large format and darkroom are:

www.harrysproshop.com

         The guy who runs this store used to run the pro department of 
Alt-0Camera many moons ago.  Best prices on LF lenses and cameras in all fo 
Canada, does mail order, and speaks" large format" fluently".  i do nto 
thing he stock darkroom supplies

www.eightelmphoto.com

         They used to be just off Younge St, on #8 Elm, but now are in a 
smaller shop on Bay street, near Elm.  Again, as with Harry's, they speak 
"large format" fluently".

         They also stock a lot of not only large format suppleir, but 
darkroom supplies aimed at the large format market.  They also ahve allt he 
hard to find stuff liek Bergger and Forte Pan papers, chemistry, they sell 
PMMK Pyro (or used to),a nd lots of other hard to find things.
         A very small store, but the shelves are stuffed tight as can be, 
so ont he balance of things, maybe better to have a small sotre packed full 
of stuff than a large store with thin shelves.  :)
         However, not sure either store stocks Jobo.  Even ten years ago, 
Vistek stocked very little Jobo, save for used stuff, which all looked liek 
it went through a war zone and had nevefr been cleaned in a million years.

         Note to retailers sellign used Jobo processors - anywhere - clena 
off the used fix, even if it takes you a while and some elbow 
grease.  Really gross to buy another person's mess - in short - it isn't 
going to happen!

         Those are the oly two stores let in all Canada i  buy large format 
suppleis form - paer, film, lenses, etc.  We used to have a wonderful store 
here in my hometown of London, Ontario, but they just closed up this past 
year, and nobody has pciked up the slack.  Now, instead of picking up 4x5 
Tri-X off the shelf, it''s now special order.  :(
         At leas 8 Elm keeps 4x5 film and B&W chemistry in stock at all times.
joe



http://www.oneilphoto.on.ca
http://www.multiboard.com/~joneil
Una salus victis, nullam sperare salutem