I need advice to buy 5x4 for interiors & architecture Im changing from using medium format

[james silverman]

I have a question for you guys

I have had 2 transparencies back from a magazine with big purple and big yellow marks over the film what would you do in this situation?

any answers welcome

[CG]

Hmmm.

"2 transparencies back from a magazine with big purple and big yellow marks over the film".

Sounds like they just bought all rights at a very high price...

If they are otherwise folks you wish to get along with in the future, a phone call might be the way to start. If this was the last straw on top of a relationship you would have ended anyway, maybe a consise letter detailing what the images were worth in total - basically a bill for everything - and a clear expectation that you will be paid in full for total loss, and promptly. That kind of carelessness is inexcusable - I know it happens all too regularly, and that you are not the first to receive this kind of treatment, but in what other trade is it OK to wreck artwork that belongs to the artist??????? And, my assumption, it doesn't sound like they returned your transparencies with a check and an apology as they should have.

There are professional photographer's organizations that help with these kinds of messes. You might be able to get information from an advocacy group who's on your side.

Best luck,

C

[Ole Dyre Hesledalen]

Good advice in tremendous quantities here, James. As you you may gather from this, there are obviously as many and quite well reasoned choices in cameras and lenses as there are photographers out there. However, regarding your location in the world I would recommend that you look to Norway for your large format camera needs; used Sinar equipment especially is quite frequently put on the market here, often as somewhat complete kits, depending of course on what you decice you need in terms of lenses and accessories. My belief is that you'll be able to find a camera and two to three lenses well below your budget. I personally use a Sinar in P, C and F configuration depending on what and where I'm photographing. A good thing about these cameras is that they're modular; everything fits everything. More or less. The P is sturdy but somewhat heavy, the F lighter but a little flimsier and the C is a Combination (C, get it ?) of these two. As Sinar cameras are probably among the most widely used LF cameras in our corner of the world, parts and additional equipment are not very hard to find.

E-mail me and I'll be happy to share with you what I can find available around here.

[Kirk Gittings]

James,

Virtually all I have done for the last 30 years is architectural photography. I am being blessed this year with a 30 year retrospective book being done about me called Shelter from the Storm: The photography of Kirk Gittings. I have also done allot of work for those same magazines over the years and many more. The important issue is a camera which can use very wide lenses without a recessed board. That narrows the field allot. No field cameras will work without a hassle because of the protruding bed, though I used a Tachihara for many years. That leaves monorails.

I am a believer in simple, cheap, well made tools. I don't much care about impressive cameras when something old and cheap will do the job. Believe it or not I do architectural work for magazines and books all over the world and I use an old (like 40 year old) Calumet Wide Field and have for probably twenty years. As a matter of fact a book out of the UK this coming spring that you may see called The New Country House which has squite a few of my images. I picked up a used Wide Field in good working order for a back up at Universal in Chicago a year ago for 150.00 bucks! It will do a 47mm lens on a flat board with plenty of movements. To get good use out of longer lens (210 up) though you need extension boards. Calumet still has a good supply of parts for them.

I use both roll film in Calumet/Cambo C2N backs and 4x5 holders in the camera. I use a 47mm, 65mm, 90mm, 120mm, 150mm, 210mm and 305. For long telephoto images I use a 70's vintage Hassleblad. These days I primarily shoot roll film so that I don't have to load film holders in motel rooms after long days shooting. My primary lens for the roll film (6x9) is the 65mm for the 4x5 it is a 90mm. 120 film is so good these days that I have had 0 complaints from magazines or any clients and it is considerably cheaper and more convenient. Mostly we are shooting Velvia 100F or NPS and scanning it on a 4870. Both films are very forgiving in mixed light situations and the 4870 is more than adequate for magazine reproduction if you know what you are doing.

Best of luck.

[Warren Williams]

I would like to provide a minority report. I am an architect who recently returned to large format photography after a 20 year hiatus. My own criteria is portability - lots of lugging equipment around to get the rignt angle onthe building etc. Also I photograph in cities and it is simply not safe to stick your head under a dark cloth for extended periods of time - great way to have equipement walk away at the least. I use front rise and a 90mm lens frequently and occasionaly some shifts to avoid reflections but I have used other movements much less. Also, I didn't want to spend teh money and add the weight of a 5.6 wide angle so my ability to rise is only about 35mm max anyway (which is more than enough for most shots)

I firmly believe in starting out as cheaply and as lightweight as possible with a system that will still get most of the job done. I chose to get a Shen-Hao field camera, bag bellows, reflex viewer, and 90,150 and 300 mm lenses. If I were to use a roll film back I would probably add a 65mm lens. I even treated myself to a carbon fiber tripod and the whole system goes into a medium sized backpack (not the tripod of course) and I can carry it around buildings all day if I need to. If you use this approach Aand after using the system you can't get the shots you want go to a monorail camera and sell the Shen Hao (easily done since there is a high demand for 4X5 field cameras). Whatever camera you use make sure it accepts a bag bellows . People will tell you they are not needed with 90mm lenses but they make life much easier as you aren't fighting the bellow's stiffness when using front rise.

Finally, large format is very different than MF and you very well may not like it. I have used shift lenses on medium format (on a Pentax 6X7) They are big and expensive but they do work within the limits of only having one focal length to rise with.. Good luck Warren Williams