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Thread: LF on a Cruise ship

  1. #1

    LF on a Cruise ship

    My wife and I are planning to take a cruise in Scandinavia this summer that will cruise up the fjords in Norway. Can you get sharp exposures with a 4x5 and Velvia 100 film? Or should I leave the 4x5 home and just use my dSLR?
    Thanks

  2. #2

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    LF on a Cruise ship

    I have no direct experience, but I would imagine that when a large ship is at anchor in a fjord it should be stable enough to permit exposures of about 1/8 second or shorter.

    Keep a UV filter on the lens to prevent salt deposition on the front element.

  3. #3

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    LF on a Cruise ship

    I don't see why you wouldn't bring it. Maybe someone else can speak from actual experience, but if you shoot at handheld speeds you should be fine -- if 100 ASA doesn't work for you I've used 400 ASA Color Neg to get fine results. Modern lenses are plenty sharp at f/11-16. I guess I'd also worry about salt spray (use a UV or a cheaper lens) and consider a handheld camera like a Linhof Technika or Graphic.

    Of course you might also find the camera is a nice ice-breaker and you'll have a lot of curious new friends, which can be nice too.

  4. #4
    All metric sizes to 24x30 Ole Tjugen's Avatar
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    LF on a Cruise ship

    Engine vibrations are you biggest problem, not salt spray. A tripod will transmit the vibrations from the deck to the camera, giving blurry pictures. I've tried...

    A hand held camera is the way to go on a cruise ship. I left my LF at home and brought a MF SLR, since none of my LF cameras (at that time) were particularly hand-holdable.

    All the best scenes are in transit. The ship will not be at anchor in the best spots - our fjords tend to be about 300m deep, or deeper: Not good anchorage.

  5. #5
    Whatever David A. Goldfarb's Avatar
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    LF on a Cruise ship

    Just be sure not to use the Graflex SLR for aircraft carrier landings, and you should be okay.

  6. #6

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    LF on a Cruise ship

    I travelled the Fjords on a cruise ship - 12 days...all around Norway Fjords, eventually around NorthCape..fantastic trip. There were a couple of off shore excursions, where I used my 4 x 5, glad I had it. Wouldn't take photo's from the ship however, unless in port....My wife also carried a 35mm...which I would recommend for sure.

    Keep in mind, it rains a lot....I carried a Tach. 4x5 with ready loads, one lens. You also have to take tours where you have 'freedom' to roam and are not stuck to a schedule....

    Also, many ports have interesting places to shoot without taking a tour.....

    Scott

  7. #7

    LF on a Cruise ship

    LF use on a ship is an almost impossibility. Engine vibrations are an issue while underway, but least of your problems anyways (especially on a cruise ship). There'd be so few a stable enough times to give an LF shot a try, I don't think it'd be worth the extra load. As suggested earlier a hand held set up is the only sensible way to go. Unless of course you'll LF througthout and then justify your shots with an "arty" phrase.
    Witold
    simplest solutions are usually the most difficult ...

  8. #8

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    LF on a Cruise ship

    I've seen some wonderful 4x5s and even 8x10s made from sailing ships at speed no less, at the Marine Museum in Mystic Harbor, CT. They might be online if you search around Wooden Boat magazine... I guess back when film was only 32 ASA they didn't have the internet to tell them not to try it!

    There is a long history of using large format on sea-faring vessels, steam and sail. Surely some of those shots were "successful."

    Heck, I know a Brownie isn't quite LF but some geek named George Eastman used one on the deck of a steamship to promote a little venture of his.

  9. #9

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    LF on a Cruise ship

    > I don't see why you wouldn't bring it.

    Domestic harmony? Unless your wife is also bringing her 4x5.:-)

  10. #10
    tim atherton's Avatar
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    LF on a Cruise ship

    I dunno - Frank Hurley did pretty well - and he wasn't stuck in ice all the time
    You'd be amazed how small the demand is for pictures of trees... - Fred Astaire to Audrey Hepburn

    www.photo-muse.blogspot.com blog

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