big time

It's here: my new Tachihara 4x5 folding field camera. Hand crafted from cherry wood and brass with all the legendary precision of Chinese engineering. Mounted on the front is a Nikkor-W 135mm f/5.6 lens in a Copal #0 shutter. That's right, I'm shooting Nikon now.

Here's a picture of a camera taking a picture of a camera. Did I just blow your mind?

The first official photo taken by the beast is visible on Channing Johnson's blog, and here's the second, a shot of the beer store next door to the paper. The colors are a little janky on account of I shot it on polaroid film that expired six years ago. (Thrown in for free by Jim at Midwest Photo Exchange, where I got the whole kit. Thanks Jim!) Don't hold your breath for the first shot on actual film (currently working with Velvia 100 and T-Max 100); the closest place I've found that can process it is in Boston.