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> 4x5 I am tempted but what camera would you recommend? |
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#11
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Practice, practice and practice are the three main ingredients to success. Personally, I like the logical methodical precision required to work with LF - but it is a HECK of a big step up from MF. When I first started using my LF I did wonder if I had taken on something I couldn't/wouldn't be able to quite manage. It takes quite a while to get on top of the very deliberate process/method you need. I made the very deliberate choice of only buying one lens to begin with and sticking with just than one lens until I felt I was starting to get on top of the format - which for me was over 2 years. My only advice to someone struggling to get on top of their LF camera is KISS (keep it simple - stupid). Its the method I use. Just because your camera can to vertical and lateral shifts and tilts doesn't mean that every shot needs them. I hardly ever use tilts - vertical or lateral. I do use the shifts quite a lot - both vertical and lateral on their own and about half the time a combination of the two - but a little bit of shift goes a long way. Martin |
#12
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My experience of showing others how to use LF is that with the right guidance it's very easy to begin to master LF with fairly consistent results.
I guess I learnt most myself about using LF from reading Michael Langford's Basic Photography, and Advanced Photography, both of which were essentially text books for Photography students. He was head of Birmingham School of Photography (part of the Polytechnic) at the time, before moving to the RCA. While neither book is specifically about LF they have sufficient detail and more importantly give a better understanding of film based photography at the level needed for LF work. Movements seem the most daunting aspect of LF but with some extreme demonstrations the principle is quickly grasped. Unlike Martin I use front or rear tilt quite a lot for landscape work, even when shooting hand held, often with compensating rise. Ian |
#13
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I was a backer of the Intrepid camera, this is my first and only 4x5 and I find it very lightweight and good to use. I recommend it - unless you need rear standard movement. You can use lenses down to 75 or maybe 65mm (with recessed lensboard) up to 300mm (with limitations, close focus is a few m out. The one thing I did - but this would apply to most cameras - I immediately swapped the standard ground glass against a higher brightness one.
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may the light be with you! FB/Twitter/flickr @maltklaus |
#14
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Books
Purchased a couple of books for some in-depth reading: Using the View Camera by Steve Simmons and View Camera Technique by Leslie Stroebel. I am not in any hurry to try a view camera but I am intrigued by all the different designs, I guess its a matter of horses for courses. I will have a better idea of what I want once I have explored all the options.
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"Tea is surely the king of all drinks. It helps against the cold, it helps against the heat,against discomfort and sickness, against weariness and weakness". Heinrich Harrer. |
#15
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The Chanonix models are great cameras, a bargain for what they are, and it's a current company so getting spares etc should you need em is not a problem. But second hand there's no doubt Linhof, Wista, Toyo, MPP etc all made superb cameras. It's all down to how much you want to carry and spend.
A few further thoughts: - one of the main day-to-day usability factors is the quality and brightness of the ground glass screen, which is the one thing the technical spec or online photos doesn't tell you. - give some thought to lensboards, don't buy a camera where lensboards are unavailable. Ideally stick with the technica type ones because they are widely available, and you can then easily and painlessly switch cameras with the same set of lenses should you decide to change camera later. - don't ignore the weight of the camera, because with a lighter camera you can get away with a lighter tripod and tripod head, which then further reduces your load. - don't bother with a expensive or inconvenient hood solution, its easy and effective enough to shade the lens with your hand if need be. - decide what the biggest filter you're likely to need is and then use stepup rings to being smaller lenses up to that size. Or use a square system (Lee etc) and fit an adaptor ring to every lens. - 50 or 60 year old lenses can perform perfectly well, no need for anything too modern and expensive. - when buying a lens the operation of the shutter is as if not more important than the condition of the glass. Old shutters are fine if working, modern copal shutters do have the edge on ease of use. - a 210mm f5.6 should work well for head and shoulders shots, they were ubiquitous among studio photographers back in the day so are plentiful, and hence often cheap. - don't forget all the other stuff you'll need to accumulate. Loupe, film holders, darkcloth, cable releases (one per lens), light meter, means to develop, neg storage sleeves etc. |
#16
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"Tea is surely the king of all drinks. It helps against the cold, it helps against the heat,against discomfort and sickness, against weariness and weakness". Heinrich Harrer. |
#17
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Dave missed an obvious big one - an enlarger. 5x4 Negs are not really big enough to cut it as a contact print - so you need an enlarger capable of handing 5x4. Second-hand Darkroom is a good source for an enlarger - but be warned they are both big and heavy Martin |
#18
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The more I read the more I am convincing myself that I do not need to buy a large format camera, its more of a want. I think that I would probably enjoy making a large format camera, I can get use of a: lathe, milling machine, router and router jig to make fine dovetail or finger joints. A winter project for 2017-2018.
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"Tea is surely the king of all drinks. It helps against the cold, it helps against the heat,against discomfort and sickness, against weariness and weakness". Heinrich Harrer. |
#19
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Adding to Dave P's comments I use quite a few 50/60 year old lenses and well as more modern, actually most are as easy to use as those in Copals, a couple are more finicky. Results are indistinguishable even with large prints - I'll qualify that by saying you need to know how to get the best from older lenses, also which to avoid. Dave's point about lens boards is very important, most of my lenses are on Linhof/Wista boards but I have a second set on Pacemaker Graphic boards, with my MPP's I've made a converter to use Wista boards. I've done the same with my 7x5 & 10x8 cameras Ian |
#20
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4x5 I am tempted
My first 4x5 was a Wista 45DX, this was in the last century. I still have it and I would recommend it. Don't fail to look up Bulldog cameras either. I wouldn't even consider any MPP, not enough movements and I don't like the build quality. My main camera nowadays is a Sinar Norma. Great cameras but a bit on the heavy side. You could always consider a 5x7 with a 4x5 reducing back, wide lenses are not really practical with the 4x5 back but 5x7 is a great format and contact prints are a nice size. Sinar made a 5x7 back and bag bellows but this is exceptional but a bit heavy although I take mine out from time to time. I'm in Tamworth if you want to look at some of this stuff.
Pete |
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