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Testimonials
At the View Camera Store, we believe in raising the customer care bar to the highest level. Here are just a few testimonials from some of our satisfied customers.
 For the devoted large format film photographer and BTZS practitioner, there is nothing more prized than a reliable counselor and supplier. And, for me, the View Camera Store is simply the best in both respects. When I brought all my materials tests up to date early this year, Fred and his team consulted with me through every phase of the exacting procedures. And, when I dropped and broke my treasured PDA, the View Camera Store responded with a new device and ExpoDev software in a matter of HOURS. Using BTZS techniques and supplies from the View Camera Store allows me to focus on what’s important to me…making photographs.
-- Bill Waldron
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I have had a very long professional and friendly relationship with Fred Newman. He is without doubt one of the most honest and trustworthy persons that I have known. I took a “BTZS” week- long seminar with him, and became very familiar with the BTZS methodology. The BTZS system has made large format photography both easy, and fun. I have continued to purchase Ilford film, printing paper, and various chemicals from Fred and the service is outstanding. The View Camera Store is THE place to go for those who continue to pursue analog photography.
-- Elliot Puritz, MD
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Fred Newman is your go to guy for large format gear and now even Leica!
Fred is one of the nicest guys in the biz, very helpful, and his knowledge of Phil Davis' BTZS (Beyond The Zone System) is of great help to those who want to harness the full power of their materials, and finally be worry free to concentrate on vision and composition.
His film testing services are probably the best money I've ever spent in my photographic life. A small investment in time and money, is handsomely re-paid by good negatives that are fun to print in the darkroom.
-- Max Marinucci
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Fred: I went out yesterday and exposed my first 5 (actually 6, but forgot to close the shutter on one of them after focusing - again) TMax 400 negatives using the incident meter, armed with Expodev on the Palm. I just wanted to test the whole process, so I just went near my house and took some exposures of Huntington Harbor. After developing the negatives last night and then making my first prints with the Matcher function of Plotter tonight, I wanted to give you my impressions. First of all, the negatives I ended up with appear to be the most printable negatives I ever made. Looking at the various Matcher graphs, I ended up printing using the #2 filter settings of MG IV on my Super Chromega color head. All parts of the print looked great without any dodging or burning. Pretty amazing - for me.
If this is an indication of things to come, it gives me the confidence to actually go out and do some serious picture taking. One of my problems doing large format photography has been lack of confidence that I would end up with printable negatives. It's discouraging to contemplate expending the time and energy to use large format when you have no confidence in the results. It just seems like a big waste of time, so I always ended up not doing it.
1 - The incident metering worked great. I always had a problem figuring out what to place on what zone. It's nice to not have to do that.
2 - TMax has an almost non existent grain structure. It took me about 10 minutes to find it with my grain magnifier. You must be able to blow it up quite large. Is Tmax 100 even more so?
3 - It was windy - what a pain. I'm going to order one of your focusing hoods.
4 - I want to talk to you about getting lighter - not me, my camera. Weight is the last thing that gives me pause to go out and use large format. I saw your video about the carbon fiber tripod, etc. I'm going to do that, although it sure is expensive. Between the tripod and heads, it approaches $1K. I currently use the Wisner variety of Zone VI cameras. I also have a Wista variety that I don't use. What do you recommend for a lighter weight 4x5? I also think there's a backpack in my future soon.
Thanks! -- Bob
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A chemist by trade I always loved photography and like many of my generation I was enthralled by Adams's photographs. I started with 35 mm and quickly realized this was not the format for me, so I directly jumped to 4x5.
Thinking that if the zone system was good enough for Adams, it should be good enough for me for many years I had a love/hate relationship with B&W photography and the zone system, when it worked, it worked wonderfully, and when it did not, back to the darkroom for some more testing! As a chemist I am comfortable in the lab, and could not understand what I was doing wrong and why sometimes the system failed me.
Of course, through out all these years and countless sheets of film for testing the second edition of the BTZS sat on my shelve, since I thought it was way too complicated. It was not until I had moved back to Mexico and had nothing to read that I gave the book a serious chance and I sat down to read it carefully. By now I am sure most of you know how this story ends. I felt like such a fool for not giving the BTZS a fair chance. I started doing all by hand (yep I even had the work book that came with the book) and now I am a full "member" of the BTZS using the plotter and the ExpoDev for all my exposures. In short, Thank you Phil! for liberating me from the drudgery of film testing and allowing me to concentrate on the important thing, the making of art.
-- Jorge
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I started in LF photography in 1996 - I took a workshop with Fred Newman. It was he who got me started in LF and BTZS techniques. Over the years I have slowly weaned myself from using a handheld computer. I now carry a small notebook with me in the field containing all the different exposure iterations for all the different SBRs that one may encounter. I find this quick and convenient to use. It is amazing how BTZS has liberated me from the concerns of technique. I can concentrate fully on composition and focus. BTZS has given me a motto when taking photos: "One Neg - One Shot".
-- Francis
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I'm fairly new to LF and needed to order a few things and chose Fred Newman's site, The View Camera Store. I couldn't have asked for better service. Even after completion of transactions, I had something of a general question for Fred and he graciously answered very quickly, provided pictures for clarification and then went on to point out something I should look out for. You just can't beat that kind of personal service! Highly recommended.
-- Bob
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I have purchased several items from Fred over the course of the last few years and always found him to be first-class in every respect! Wish I could say the same of ALL of the dealers.
-- Joel
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Another vote for the ''View Camera Store''. Fred does great film tests and the BTZS tubes make film developing a pleasure. Highly recommended.
-- Kev
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Been a customer since 2000, and have always been very happy.
-- Roger
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I'm in England, but I bought some small LF accessories from the View Camera online store last october for shipment to Richard Ritter's Vermont address where I was due to attend a LF workshop. I recall Fred being extremely helpful in organising this, the sales service was second to none. And that was just from the online store!
--John
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I just purchased a new 8x10 Canham Traditional . Service was five star and the price was excellent. Fred could have made an extra five hundred dollars off me but encouraged me to try my new camera first before buying the wide angle bellows. I found I really didn't need it and saved nearly five hundred dollars. I've purchased a couple of other expensive items and needed service on one. I couldn't have asked for more or better service than I received from Fred and his crew. I plan to purchase future equipment from them and can not say enough good about them.
-- Don
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Several years ago living in WNY State I ordered camera, lens and other needed items. They arrived so fast it was amazing. The helpfulness on the phone was superior to what I have received in what some refer to stores with many employee's.
- - Norm
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