I made a post a few months ago asking for advice on purchasing 5x4 and
I finally made the decision to buy 5x4 which i bought the following
Toyoview 5x4
extension bellows
leather bag bellows
Toyo view reflex viewer
3x 5x4 dark slides
15 inch rail
6 inch rail
fitted case
schneider 75mm Super Angulon F5.6
Schneider-Kreuznach center filter III multicoating
schneider 150mm Symmar-S F5.6
6x9 Mamya roll film back with toyo quick roll slider
I think it was impossible to make a decision about the various different cameras to choose so I thought you have to start somewhere and there was some suggestions about Toya's so I got this...
After working with 35mm canons manual /a digital EosD60 and my main form of work coming from my Bronica Sqai with interiors of homes mainly using 80 and 40mm lenses.
My response to attempting to work out the whole 5x4 system is this.
I needed a good play - I set up in my living room during an evening when it was dark outside with the 75mm lens and found it imposible to see through the back with a dark cloth but when i added lights around i could see enough. I played for a couple of days changing the lenses and also the sliding 6x9 back and soon it got easier viewing . The thought of loading film frightened me more than anything else. I started out loading 120 roll film to the slider back which i worked out . A few days later i got the courage to attempt to load film in the darkslides in my coat cupboard at night time. I managed it surprisingly and went out the following day to test it out shooting at an architectural building locally. It was an amazing feeling as the light was stunning sunshine and a bright blue sky looking at the ground glass screen was amazing and so clear so much different to viewing dark interiors. The film processed well and without polaroids my metering was bang on.
These were my findings with the whole set up as a novice to 5x4 and shooting on a regular basis from packing my kit to processing the film to returning home.
1.The 5x4 kit was shipped to me from London to Gothenburg/Sweden in a hardback case which is huge and takes up half my cupboard when the camera is on the monorail it doesn't even fit back in this huge box as the box is split into compartments. In my opinion the box is a waist of space and useless thats my first thoughts. This leaves me know way of transporting the camera on the rail. So as inconvenient as it is I got a huge Ikea bag and put foam in it with the 16inch rail and the camera mounted. I got a seperate medium sized loweprowe bag to put extra lens,normal bellows and darkslides in.
My thoughts here are what do people do to transport there kit? as I tried making the whole thing on location and it is a pain still to transport .
2. The day I shot was very strong blues around midday and normally i have skylight filters on my lenses that are screwed on to the lens. My question here is do you automatically put skylight filters on 5x4 lenses to protect them and also filter away excess blues? Will i get further vignetting with my Schneider-Kreuznach center filter III multicoating?
3. Focusing was somewhat not obvious I thought about the whole hyperfocal distance thing that i was used to and i thought maybe focus 1/3 into my scene and shoot f45 keeping both front and back parallel but i had to tilt the front a little to stop vignetting from my lens. Since I have been reading various posts and books and I am still not certain on how to focus..My question is if i focus on the near point and then focus on the furthest point-do i then move the camera to the middle/the difference between the 2 where the monorail has moved shoot at a small aperture f22-45 and everything will be sharp?
4. In Sweden in Gothenburg the city I am living the 5x4 is dead you cant even find a darkcloth or a darkslide holder you can just about buy a few films but none of the quickload .So if i make an order from abroad its best to ship as much at the same time which leads me to think I probably need a polaroid back and definatley need more film holders- i read about the Graflox 6 holder do people recommend this?Is it easy to fog the 2nd piece of film are you more vulnerable?Any advice on where to buy darkslides about 25/30 of them for a reasonable price? I am finding out it is very expensive 5x4 with all the add ons you need i realise i need another wider lens for my 6x9 back as a 75mm is not enough and probably need a 90mm lens also for architecture.I also looked into the quickload films fuji and kodak and the prices are so expensive especially from Sweden where Id have to import it aswell.I read all the posts and info about fuji and kodak systems and i hear so many complaints about the film not being flat or being jammed and using the dedicated holder to the film.Then the failure rate on Kodak is ridiculous so a fuji one is more suitable ..however who wants to invest money on the film or the loader when the results are awful so i have not considered jumping into the fire there.
5 .Post production I need to scan and will epson 4870 be useful for magazines and bigger I have had an epson 1240u for years using a flatbed adapter and the colour and detail is awful professionally speaking.Does anyone that does architectural work give scans from an Epson 4870 or any other scanner to their client/Architect or do they make sure they get a flextight or drumscan?
Anyway I have alot of questions which begins with the carrying/transporting.
I bought Steve Simmons book Using the view camera and Norman Mcgraphs Photographing Buildings inside out and am slowly going through them.
Anyway I am finding that you only discover the view camera by looking through it physically.
If anyone can give out advice I would appreciate it.
thanks
James
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