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Hello all. I am fianlly in the LF arena, my new shen Hao has arrived, my darkroom is set up and I'm eager to get started. I have a question not seen by me in this forum. On all my cameras in 35mm and my medium format Mamiya RZ67, each and every camera has a setting for film speed. Not so with LF. What does one do? Is it simple a matter of knowing for processing purposes? What am I missing?
Most if not all LF lenses only have shutter speed and aperature. Onlt your light meter cares about the films speed. Since all 35 amd mf cameras have built in light meteres they need to know your film speed.
The film speed setting is generally tied to the light meter in the camera. There is no meter in/on a lf camera. You will need a handheld meter and there will be a place on the meter for the film speed.
Since you are new to lf may I suggest some reading
www.viewcamera.com and then go to the Free Articles section. Ther may be several articles that will be helpful to you.
here are some books
Large Format Nature Photography by Jack Dykinga
User's Guide to the View Camera by Jim Stone
Using the View Camera that I wrote.
Check your local library
steve simmons
Label your film holders or remember which film you have loaded. If you are going to develope the film yourself do a film speed test with your film-developer combination.
Once your have established your film speed (EI) then I would shoot the film 1/3 or 2/3 of a stop slower than that in order to assure adequate shadow detail.
You need a lightmeter, preferably a spotmeter, and must meter highlight and shadow areas of the scene you wish to photograph. To get started quickly, you could use a 35mm as a lightmeter.
Good luck!
Phil,
Welcome to LF. You’re gonna love it.
Alan and Steve are right about the light meter and film speed settings. I think Ron is getting a little ahead of you. Pick one film and one developer and get your feet wet.
If you plan on doing color, use the rated film speed and have a pro lab develop it for you, unless you are very adept at color film processing.
If B&W is your thing, start with a basic film like Tri-x or HP5+, expose at the rated EI and process for the recommended time and dilution. Your question about film speed indicates that you need to get your feet on the ground. There are a lot of little things, like loading film holders, metering a scene, working with camera controls, setting shutter speed and aperture, developing sheet film and a bunch of other things I can’t think of right now, that you need to get under control first and the fewer options the better. Soon enough you will gain control of the basics and then you can begin to focus on fine tuning your process.
There are hundreds of years of experience represented on this forum and most of us are ready and willing help in any way we can.
Jerome :)
http://www.jeromehawkins.com/
Look at the LF Home Page on this forum
Thanks everybody, a very welcoming group. thanks for the advice.