ULF Banquet Landscape Photography and Rear Movements

[Grumium]

I am wondering, which rear movements you are frequently using on your ULF camera (e.g. 7x17, 8x20, 12x20) when you are out in the field (preferably landscape photography).

My Canham 7x17 offers tilt, shift/cross and swing on the rear. Coming from Ebony RSW45 and Mike Walker Titan cameras (both featuring fixed rear standards), I consider to dispense with shift and swing in favor of increased rigidity. This would be achieved by a custom built rear bracket (still allowing for swing).

Could you photograph without rear shift and rear swing (but front rise/fall, front swing, front tilt, rear tilt)?

[Lachlan 717]

What lens/lenses are you using? You need to consider the size of the image circle that's required to cover these ULF formats, and the impact that front movements have on coverage. You will quickly run out of usable coverage with many lenses if you use front movements.

My 7x17 only has front rise/fall. Swing and tilt are only available on the rear. IMO, you'd be better off locking the front movements. I would also suggest making sure that your tripod/head coverage is the best suited to ULF. Again IMO, scrimping on this aspect is going to impact your images significantly.

[Grumium]

I use a Nikkor M 450 solely, which offers plenty of coverage. Tripod/head: Gitzo Systematic and Linhof 3D Micro.

[jb7]

I use a Nikkor M 450 solely, which offers plenty of coverage. Tripod/head: Gitzo Systematic and Linhof 3D Micro.

It's difficult to run out of coverage on the 450M, though I've only used it up to 11x17. You might find the edge of the circle a little quicker on 12x20, I suppose-

As with any camera, it's down to the picture- rear tilts and swings will influence the representation of the geometry of a scene. Even in landscape photography you might find that verticals sometimes need to be preserved, and that rules out rear tilt, and your compositions will tell you if you're using too much rear swing.

In my limited experience, I found front tilts and swings to be essential, and rear shift was easier than front shift, simply because rear shift is more accessible, and there's no difference in effect compared to front shift. Similarly with rise, that's on the front standard, and I don't have rise on the rear.

If you're using a lens with limited coverage, then you'll be much more limited overall, of course-

[Doug Howk]

Don't know the limits of my Ilex 265mm, but my old 7X17 Korona doesn't have many movements anyway. Just front rise and rear tilt & swing.

[Jim Noel]

I prefer rear movements even if fronts are available. I use rear swings and tilts almost all the time.

[SergeiR]

I rarely use rear movement to do anything but to control projection geometry. Front is place to move if one need to control plane of focus, imho.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

The 8x20 That I built has Front rise and fall, front tilt. Rear has tilt and swing. Everything I need!

[sanking]

The 8x20 That I built has Front rise and fall, front tilt. Rear has tilt and swing. Everything I need!

Those are the essentials.

I also find front swing very useful if the lens has good coverage.

Sandy

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Sandy, I added all of the above plus front swing on the 14x17 when I built it! I had rear shift too but when I did the rebuild I eliminated it.