Is a Crown Graphic a good choice?

[Jehu]

I'm kind of new to LF in general. It's been almost two years since I got my first 4X5. I've been hooked ever since. I recently shot some Pierce Arrows for a rancher in California. He's got dozens of them. I sent him the prints from the shoot and was surprised when he responded with an invitation to an annual Car Tour. There are going to be about 150 cars in the tour. No cars manufactured after 1920 will be allowed.

I have about 4 months to prepare for this. It will be 3 days on the road with some serious subject matter to shoot. I will, of course, have my trusty Calumet monorail but I also want to shoot hand-held. Neither the Mamiya 645 nor the Nikon SLR seem to be appropriate for this tour.

I was looking at a Crown Graphic at the local camera store. With a 120 roll back and the 4X5 capability, it seems like it may be a good choice.

Any suggestions? Am I on the right track for what I'm trying to do?

[David de Gruyl]

With a working rangefinder, they are a joy to use handheld. Otherwise, they are the world largest point and shoot.

Personally, I have never used a roll film back on a large format camera, so I can't address that, but I can't imagine that it is painful.

If you do go this route, make sure that you get the hang of doing everything one handed. You have to hold the camera up, hold the dark slide and trip the shutter all at once. I am not trying to make a big deal out of it, but it is the clumsiest part.

[Frank Petronio]

The Crown is arguably the best handheld 4x5 camera. Light, reliable, priced right, easy -- hard to beat even by much more expensive alternatives.

120 on a 4x5 never appealed to me, might as well just use a medium format camera. Take the money you'd spend on a back and get a good Harrison changing tent and a bunch of film holders.

[Jehu]

I just noticed that I started this thread in the darkroom section. Can it be moved?

[Len Middleton]

Jehu,

If you are seriously looking at doing handheld, then for 4x5 you should be looking for some 4x5 Graphamatics, if you do not already have some.

Shuffling six shots without removing the Graphamatic unit sure beats pulling out a darkslide, storing it during the shot, re-insrting darkslide (the correct way around), flipping over the sheet holder, then repeating the process. And in typing this up almost forgot one of the steps (re-inserting darkslide), which of course should you do that in operating it would be painful to your phsyche.

And of course after the Graphamatic shuffles through the six shots, it locks you out so that you do not inadvertently double expose them.

I have used a Linhof Technika handheld with a 120 roll back and with 4x5 Graphamatics, but have not done it with individual film holders, and for good reason.

Hope that helps,

Len

[Jack Dahlgren]

If you want to use 120 film, get a 2 1/4" x 3 1/4" Crown or Speed with roll-film back. Same classic looks and functionality but in a package sized right for the film. If you are mobile, it would be easier to keep it fed and is easier to hold out the window of a moving car.

[Frank Bunnik]

But with a 4x5 Graphic you can use a 6x12 back. There is a guy selling Da Yi backs on ebay for about 179 US$, complete with masks for 6x4.5 , 6x6 and 6x9. I bought one from him and it is an excellent product, same as the Shen Hao back which sells for about 300US$, just a different brand name.

[Jack Dahlgren]

But with a 4x5 Graphic you can use a 6x12 back. There is a guy selling Da Yi backs on ebay for about 179 US$, complete with masks for 6x4.5 , 6x6 and 6x9. I bought one from him and it is an excellent product, same as the Shen Hao back which sells for about 300US$, just a different brand name.

Sure, but you can get a whole camera and 6x9 back for that amount. He is bringing another 4x5 anyway. I just think that handling on a 23 is MUCH easier than a 45 handheld and I have both.

[Kirk Fry]

Hey guys, you know those little clippy things on the back of the crown's back, that is where you put the dark slide when you are taking a shot. The crown looks like a truck and flies little a bird. Try one especially hand held. I don't bother to use the range finder outside, I just marked the rail and preset it. The infinity stops are useful too. KFry

[Bill_1856]

The problem with shooting 120 roll film on a 4x5 camera is that you'll be using only a small portion of the lens coverage, so it's like always using a telephoto.