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It almost comes down to a Plato vs. Democratus debate dosen't it? Democratus would reduce every aspect down to numbers and the higher number "for" would indicate the path (perhaps 4x5 if other criteria beat square inches) while Plato would espouse that there is an immeasureable element of satisfaction that comes from working with, perhaps, an 8x10.
What a wierd thing to think about at 7:44 in the morning!
As a LF newbie I am shocked - positively shocked! that people would shoot 8x10 or larger formats.:rolleyes: I mean, I thought moving from Super 8 to 16mm movie format was a big step, so shooting 4x5 is Valhalla for me. Of course, there's the "chick magnet" effect, but I've only noticed that when shooting one of those cute French Beaulieu S8 cameras. In my experience, LF cameras are more of a "hairy old fart" magnet.:D
This has turned out to be an interesting thread. We have all of the expected side of the debate well covered.
I've still not had the experience of working behind an 8x10 camera, and I'm quite frankly afraid of what might happen if I ever do. My 4x5 cameras proved an epiphany for me, when I realized that I was spending less money on my photography while getting a higher number of excellent results. I doubt if 8x10 would pencil out as favorably, and I'm dead certain I wouldn't want to schlep an 8x10 farther than the first level spot next to the car, so I'm not going out of my way to get under the larger darkcloth...
I understand what you are saying but don't discount 8x10 all together, you might be surprised by the experience.Quote:
I've still not had the experience of working behind an 8x10 camera, and I'm quite frankly afraid of what might happen if I ever do. My 4x5 cameras proved an epiphany for me, when I realized that I was spending less money on my photography while getting a higher number of excellent results. I doubt if 8x10 would pencil out as favorably, and I'm dead certain I wouldn't want to schlep an 8x10 farther than the first level spot next to the car, so I'm not going out of my way to get under the larger darkcloth...
Like others, I have jumped back and forth among 4X5, 5X7 and 8X10 over the years. It didn't make my pictures any more incisive.
When I do take pictures now (rarely) I use 4X5 because I can enlarge to any size I want without a noticable difference in print quality. So, I guess I differ from those folks who say there is a huge difference between a contact print and a well-made enlargement.
Oh, don't worry about that. There have been many wonderful photographs made 20ft from the bumper. If I pack something, I use a smaller camera.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan Davenport
"Anything more than 500 yds from the car just isn't photogenic." -Brett Weston