Hello All

[omnibook2100]

Dear All,


I am from Greece and I have very recently taken an interest in LF photography. I do not own a camera yet, though I am warming up to the idea of getting one as soon my finances can allow it. :) I am part of this group of people wanting to get to know more regarding LF, but nobody knows good enough English to explore the topic. So I was chosen to research and let them know some basics regarding LF. I have gathered a set of questions which I want to slowly research (some I already have the answer to), but some others I haven't found a definite answer to.

Where would a good part of the forum be, to post such questions for beginners? I have read the information for e.g. on this link:
http://www.largeformatphotography.info/lenses-primer/ and I got some info, but I have been searching all over the site for e.g. If there is high iso film for LF photography (i.e. 4x5) and why, and I haven't found a definite answer to it. I've read people saying that you can get such and such film and from ISO-400 push it to ISO-3200, but this won't cover this particular question of mine.

My question would be more like: What would be natively the highest ISO film in LF photography (whether 4x5 or 8x10) and why?

If someone can instruct me to a part of this site or any other site with the coverage of all the basics I would be so so glad...

I myself shoot mostly with FF-Dslrs or occasionally with MF-Hasselblads for my art works, but LF is new, have used it a few times, but need to read on a lot, if I am to convey this information to the group.

I thank in advance anyone that takes the time -out of their busy schedule - to reply...

Take care

[Andrew O'Neill]

Welcome to the forum! ISO 400 is the fastest LF film. Most people work with a tripod, so a faster ISO film probably isn't necessary. Polaroid used to have a 3000 ISO instant film which was great.
There are many helpful articles here: http://www.largeformatphotography.info/

For questions, just post them in the appropriate forum. For example, if you want to talk about film/developer combinations, post in Darkroom: Film, Processing forum.

[Milonian]

Welcome (to you and your Group!) from Scotland! :)

[Alan Gales]

Read what you have and what Andrew gave you and then ask questions about anything you don't understand. Camera questions should be asked under cameras, lens questions under lenses, tripod questions under gear, and etcetera. You would be surprised how many lens questions are asked under cameras. :)

Welcome to the forum. We are glad to have you!

[Dan Fromm]

Hmm. If you want to learn about LF photography (gear, how to use it) you'd be better served by a good book than by questions and answers on a bulletin board like this one. Two books are often recommended here, Steve Simmons' Understanding the View Camera and Leslie Strobel's View Camera Technique. Both are are available used at reasonable prices from sellers on, e.g., abebooks.com, alibris.com, amazon.com, ...

[Larry the Sailor]

Hmm. If you want to learn about LF photography (gear, how to use it) you'd be better served by a good book than by questions and answers on a bulletin board like this one. Two books are often recommended here, Steve Simmons' Understanding the View Camera and Leslie Strobel's View Camera Technique. Both are are available used at reasonable prices from sellers on, e.g., abebooks.com, alibris.com, amazon.com, ...

Good points but I didn't know what books on the subject were rubbish and which were worthwhile till I'd been poking around here and APUG for a while.
I read a thread where some other new guy was asking about books and there they were.

[Andrew O'Neill]

This forum and apug are better than books.

[Alan Gales]

Good points but I didn't know what books on the subject were rubbish and which were worthwhile till I'd been poking around here and APUG for a while.
I read a thread where some other new guy was asking about books and there they were.

The Steve Simmons book is very easy to understand but not as extensive as the Leslie Strobel book. Buy both if you can.

Of course this forum and APUG are good too. However, the books have photographs and diagrams that show what the authors are telling you and since most of us are visual people.....
Some people learn better by asking questions and some learn better from books.

[Larry the Sailor]

My copy of "Understanding the View Camera" arrived via the brown truck of happiness yesterday. Does a good job of explaining the concepts presented, now if I just had a camera to practice them with... :)

[Alan Gales]

My copy of "Understanding the View Camera" arrived via the brown truck of happiness yesterday. Does a good job of explaining the concepts presented, now if I just had a camera to practice them with... :)

It helped me to take the book outside along with my camera to practice with before I shot any film. Of course ya gotta get that camera! :)

[omnibook2100]

Thank you all for your answers and the warm welcome. I found Simmons' book ("understanding the view camera") and have been reading it for a while now. Seems a good place to start. My group has been given (for now) a sinar monorail camera. I think it's the P2. I bought a second hand Cambo SC in very good condition but without the film back. If anyone (preferably in Europe) has and is selling a film back please let me know. Sorry for writing it here, I just got carried away with the reply. Thank you all again! :)


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