Large format noob ;)

[mac]

greetings all,

my name is mac, and ive been shooting 35mm film for about 30 years.:eek:
i recently moved up to digital(nikon D700) but there was still something creative missing.:confused:
maybe i got confused not having to 'swish' my paper in trays threw me off or something... :D

anyways, i have been considering large format for some time now and am currently looking for a camera. i think i might start with a pinhole design and see where it goes from there...:)

if anyone has any suggestions on where to start, please don't hesitate to say hello!

cheers

mac

[Pawlowski6132]

I don't think your pinhole experience will be representative of general LF experience.

Start with inexpensive graphic or calumet rail.

[Brian C. Miller]

Hi, Mac! If you choose to start with pinhole, use a coffee can or something like that. There's a few threads around there about pinhole cameras.

There are lots of cheap cameras, like Calumet Orbit or similar. There's a For Sale forum here, but you won't be able to access it until you've been a member for a month. You'll need a camera, lens, and film holders.

I think that any use of large format film is the large format experience. Some of the forum members have built their own cameras, including folding their own bellows. Didn't someone here build a 16x20?

Anyways, welcome to the forum and enjoy!

[Vick Vickery]

Welcome to group therapy, Mac! :) There are several cameras around that are consistantly attractively priced and capable of very good work. I, too, would tend to recommend one of the monorail cameras like the Cambo, Calumet (either the rebranded Cambo or the older 400 series), Graphic View II, or even a Graphic press camera (be sure to get one with the Graflok back for ease of use with roll film backs, etc.). If you want to experiment with pinhole exposures as well as lenses, you can put a pinhole on a lensboard with any of these.

One advantage of the press cameras is that they usually come with a workable lens in place, while the full view cameras are more often sold with no lens.