Arguing for the sake of arguing. I love my 5X7 Speedy. Put crap lenses on it and make fuzzy pictures by the scores. But I said, it isn't a good learning platform and I will stand by that. Unless your goal is to be weegee the great.
Originally Posted by BrianShaw
The OP said that he wants to learn large format. That usually means that he wants to learn the advantages of large format cameras. The most obvious advantage in your case is a larger piece of film. But that is only one advantage. There is also the control a view camera gives the shooter through tilts, swings, shifts. And techniques like controlling the plane of sharp focus. Or the control of parallel lines.
You can't really learn those techniques properly with a press camera. That is why you would use a view camera or some technical cameras.
There are 1 or 2 LF shooters around Montreal who I am sure would go out with you for a short shoot and let you try their cameras.
For that mater we are all over Canada, and most of us have more than one camera.
The hardest part is finding someone that can also help you develop your negatives, so you can see your results. You can have some labs print them easily enough, so I would not worry about that.
There are some LF deals out there.
I just had a Kodak Master View 4x5 pretty much given to me.
Since I had a pretty much identical Calumet already I gave it to a friend.
It came with 4 film holders, which I traded for 4 loaded film holders plus 2 lenses.
So he got everything he needed to start for free, plus I can still help him develop the film.
I'm back again, to ask some questions, mostly looking to flesh out what the books really haven't told me. Sorry for being so spotty with replies. I work evenings and it messes with my schedule.
Are brand differences important? One poster mentioned here that "it's just a box"- I'd be inclined to think so myself. However I am confused by people discussing the pursuit of intentionally fuzzy or soft photographs. I did not know that was a thing, and I'm not sure that's what I'm really after. Are some generally known for quality or sharpness while others not-so-much? I've noticed a lot of names with which I am not familiar being thrown around, like Sinar, Calumet, Crown, etc.
Someone said above that camera movement is important. Coming from medium format, that is a big interest of mine. I'd really like to experiment with the image manipulations that independent back and front positioning provides. So ideally the camera I choose would offer stability (in being able to hold swung/tilted positions) and a wide degree of movement (in swinging and tilting both lens and rear).
Is there a significant distinction in capability between monorail cameras and others? What little education I've received from outdated literature indicates to me only two real 'types' of large format, "field" and "monorail". Are there other kinds? What is each design best suited for?
Peter: I have a disparate photographic range of interest. I'd like to do a lot of close up, product-type photography, as the books I've read indicate large format was well suited for it. This stems directly from my recent Hasselblad macro projects. Additionally, I want to pursue portraiture and landscape photography. Landscape is something I have done before, where as portraiture is a practice I have little background in. I'd very much like to hone my skills in portraiture, and make my photography portfolio a little more human in the process.
Given what you want to do, a monorail camera would be a very good choice. As others have said, they tend to be more capable, more movements, more extension, more accessories....all at the cost of (generally) more bulk.
There are a whole bunch of great monorail cameras, but there are some gotchyas like accessory compatibility, spare parts, being able to check for proper function.... I agree that a good option would be getting together with some local photographers and having them show you their cameras.
Sinar, Toyo, Linhof, Cambo, Horseman....all made great cameras, although there are some trade-offs. One advantage of Sinar is that it's a huge system, and there are a lot of cameras and accessories available for a reasonable amount. For all-around use, a Sinar F2 or a Sinar Norma would be good choices. If you were just doing studio work, or work very close to a car, than a P or a P2 are terrific, but they're very heavy. Service is still available. I use a Sinar P2 in the studio.
Toyo makes some great cameras. I have a Toyo field camera, a 45AX, as my main field camera, but I haven't used a Toyo monorail. Toyos are very well built, and service is still available.
Linhof made (and still makes) some really cool cameras. Compatibility between models and accessories is a little less than Sinar, and so you have to do a lot of research to make sure you get what you need.
Horseman cameras are in some ways Japanese versions of Sinar. Some of the parts are inter-changeable.
If you look at the LF homepage, there are lots of articles on the various cameras.
“You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know
You generally can't go wrong with most choices. As with everything there is a compromise on each system. Ditto on monorail if you plan on keep withe camera in a studio type setting with the occasional dragging out to the field(unless you have a penchant for punishment which most lf photographers do). If you are attracted to landscape, save your back and get a field camera. It does well for portraits as well as tabletop to a limit. So I'd choose on the percentage of what you would like to shoot. If you are 50/50 I'd still say get a field camera or both. Brand matters less for any reputable brand as it is just a dark box. Outside of in accurate focusing Lenses can alter sharpness. Film flatness can alter sharpness. Misaligned groundglass is less common but a possible source of issues.
Unfortunately I don't even have a license to drive. I'm a bit of a hiker, and I usually to where I'm going by bike, a friend's car, or public transit. So portability is nice, although I think myself strong enough to carry 10-20 kilos on my back, if that's the kind of weight I'd be looking at. I do understand that I might be naive in thinking that by strength alone I could transform a studio camera into a view camera, portability wise.
Film flatness is one of the things the first manual I rented from the library warned of. Is that, or misaligned ground glass a common issue with used models? Should I be getting most things I purchase appraised or assessed after the purchase in order to ensure they don't need repairs?
I would have an experienced person look over a camera system before you buy it. Yes, ground glass can be mis-aligned. Film holders might not hold the film at the right place....
Something like an F2 or Norma can be placed in a back pack. I used to carry a Sinar P in a wooden box bungeed to an external back pack frame.
“You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know
Film plane and ground glass distances are critical but easily measured by yourself.
Remember that your advance to large format is actually a retreat to equipment at it's basic level. These cameras were designed so that the user could solve almost every problem.
Mono-rail cameras are ubiquitous and cheap precisely because they are inelegant and ungainly to walk with. I've walked all over the place with a monorail camera . . . when I was younger
All 5 LF cameras I've owned have given me nice sharp images without messing with the ground glass. So I don't think it's something you should really worry about.
As for brand differences. They all do the same thing. If I was looking I would look for something with a Large Lens board plus an adapter to something easier to find like a Linhof.
That way you'll be able to use most larger diameter lenses and still have an easy to find lens board option.
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