Most valuable tools for working LF photographers

[celtic9]

Hello everyone,

just starting out with LF photography and wondering what the most valuable tools a LF photographer should have are. I'd love to read your thoughts and experiences and maybe learn about certain tools that could be helpful, particularly in the field. I'm thinking about anything that might come in handy like meters, measuring tapes, phone apps etc.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

[DKirk]

Decent meter (spot meter preferred), for iOS there's the "reciprocity" app, sturdy tripod - if you're doing landscapes etc the Uniloc/Benbo ones are good. one of those fabric measuring tapes is handy to have, as is a decent hood/darkcloth and a decent magnifier (an 8x slide magnifier from jessops magnifies just a bit too much - a 4x-6x option is better otherwise you end up magnifying the grain on the glass making fine focus awkward).

The 5.11 Sidetrip briefcase happily holds a decent amount of gear - the front pockets can hold 4 5x4 DDS each.

Personally prefer using one of those A6 size notebooks to record exposure etc on rather than a phone app.

[Willie]

Very high quality cable release. The cheapies kink and have problems way too often.
A decent level you can see from most any angle. Top levels are almost useless when the camera is high.
A good small flashlight, like the newer LED types to help with setting shutters in dim light and for focus targets in those conditions.

[Eric Biggerstaff]

A cheap framing card, I make mine from scraps of 4 ply mount board. Nothing better for determining composition and lens selection.

[Kirk Gittings]

Your most valuable tool is your brain. Shoot as often as you can and mentally shoot when you see something interesting but don't have gear with you. Go through the whole process in your head step by step. This will also help you to know what tools you are lacking. With practice you will be able to catch fleeting light which is a big challenge with LF but also IMHO the most rewarding.

[Jim Jones]

Cameras may come and go as technology changes and one gains experience, but the right tripod is a lifetime investment. Light meters, like cameras and lenses, are a matter of personal preference. I get by with ancient Weston, GE, and Norwood selenium cell meters. For any expensive accessory except the tripod, there is probably an inexpensive alternative. Your best accessory is your brain. Fill it with good information and exercise it often.

[Jim Jones]

Darn! Kirk beat me to it! I need to speed up my typing,

[Paul Metcalf]

I carry a laminated card that tells me what f-stop to use based on focus spread and resultant/expected print size. This is derived from Stephen Peterson and Paul Hazma's articles from Photo Techniques Mar/Apr 1996 (a couple of years ago LOL).

[Preston]

Kirk's ideas made me recall a quote from a famous French Alpinist, Gaston Rebuffat, who wrote, "To be able to really see, one must, above all, opens one's heart."

--P

[Lenny Eiger]

I'm with Kirk on this one. Sure a good spotmeter is important. But that's about it. One lens is all you need, at most, two. I wouldn't bother with a framing tool (you have eyes and a camera for this), certainly not a focus chart, as I am more interested in depth of field. Just close it down to f45... its too easy. Reciprocity chart you stick in your backpack- ok, why not. After a while you won't need it...

And when you get back home, a good library...

Make life easy...