Why shooting large format in these times?

[Light Guru]

A year ago I began to teach Large Format Photography to small groups of amateur photographers, (from 1 to a maximum of 3). Most of them are medium format users who want to go one steep beyond in image quality, and the least are just curious about large format and want to know more and try a large format camera.
I always introduce them to Large Format Photography showing various samples of prints and transparencies taken with large format gear and explaining with the samples the advantages we all know about Large Format Photography.
In my last workshop one of my students, (One of the just curious about Large Format), asked me why shooting large format today, when the gap in quality between a 36MP full frame SLR digital camera and 4x5 format is very narrow, the offer in film is reducing day by day, there is no color film available for 5x7, the scarce color film available for 8x10 is prohibitive expensive in Europe and the two major lens makers have drastically reduced their Large Format lens portfolio?. Not to mention the slowness of Large Format process in general.
I told him that Large Format helps to concentrate in the image, have a more reflexive approach to the subject, the distinctive aspect of a Large Format image and the pleasure of the process of "making" Large Format images.
Which are your reasons to shot Large Format?

Well for starters there is a bigger quality difference then that person thinks.

10 hours of post processing cannot make up for for the lack of 10 minutes of thought before pressing the shutter button.

[Peter Lewin]

I think the simple answer is that most of us enjoy the "process" of working with large format equipment, just as those of us who still have darkrooms enjoy the process of trays, chemicals, and the tactile feel of negatives. I doubt the majority of us are still using LF purely for "quality" reasons.

[ScottPhotoCo]

Magic!

Know what I mean?

Tim
www.ScottPhoto.co

[Jody_S]

No, it's not just about the quality. The process is very important.

[C. D. Keth]

No, it's not just about the quality. The process is very important.

That's the most important part to me. The image quality is nice but my 5dmkIII can make files large enough for 99% of my printing and digital file purposes. The need to slow down and be deliberate is important to me. It's also important to me sometimes to have full scheimpflug and perspective control in camera. I dislike complicated photoshop files.

[Jim collum]

Quality has little to do with it for me (since that can be used to describe any number of capture methods, lenses, films, sensors, and any combination).

For me it's simply fun.. The feel of the camera, the operation of it and the lens, the processing of a sheet of film, and the way it forces me into a meditative means of photography (I can get there with pretty much any camera.. but it happens automatically by simply picking up the 4x5 or 8x10)

[Preston]

Why shooting large format in these times?

Because these times is the only times I have. Besides, it's fun, it helps me to see, and to feel.

--P

[Rollinhofuji]

I have several reasons. I myself upgraded from 35mm to MF, and for a long time wanted to go LF. Several people convinced me several times that it is useless for prints smaller than 1m*2m, time-consuming, expensive, cumbersome (silly dark cloth and everything) and so on.
Finally, I ignored them and bought a Technikardan - one of the best decisions I´ve ever made. My images changed. My style changed. My whole photography improved, I think - similar to the time when I migrated to 6x6 from 35mm.

So, my reasons:
- More image control
- Better yield of "good" images
- Better tonality
- Better quality
- More fun
- and finally: It feels right.

It just doesn´t feel right to me any more to shoot 35mm or even MF.

But it does feel right to me to set up my gear and haul the camera around with my huge backpack. It feels right to load sheet film in my changing tent. It definitely feels right to look at the negs and slides on the light table in my favourite lab.

And finally, I guess it will feel right when I hold my brand-new Master Technika 3000 in my bare hands this Friday (or perhaps Saturday). Did not buy a new camera for ages, but I think it was the right decision to do it now. And hopefully, it will feel right shooting it the next 50 years.

Regards,
Jan

P.S.: Needless to say that it does not feel right to shoot digital. Tried it several times. Definitely it doesn´t.

[dave clayton]

because digital bores me senseless, i go shoot digital i feel ive made nothing got no connection with the process and accomplished nothing at all. plus i like to handle negatives you feel you have made some art and not a file on the computer

[Regular Rod]

Simply because I can get results nearer to what I want with a Large Format camera than I can with a digital camera...

RR