All the discussion about what is large format photography got me thinking that maybe a couple polls would be of interest to many to see what the general consensus is of this forums’ users. Sorry if the wording isn’t the best.
Images captured by a traditional view camera 4x5 inches in size and larger?
Any film or digital file 4x5 inches or larger captured & created by any means?
All the discussion about what is large format photography got me thinking that maybe a couple polls would be of interest to many to see what the general consensus is of this forums’ users. Sorry if the wording isn’t the best.
I consider I'm shooting LF when I use my 4x5 and 8x10 pinhole cameras. They are not traditional view cameras.
I presume roll film backs such as 6 cm X 12 cm on 4 X 5 and 6 cm X 17 cm on 4 X 5 and 5 X 7 cameras would be acceptable.
Rich
Please restate your second option. What's a digital file that is 4X5 or larger????
To me LF means any size sheet film.
Digital files have no size as such, so how do we decide?
I'll go with the Germans: LF starts at 100 square centimeters. Whether that is film or some other capture medium doesn't matter.
I think the common definition would basically be as follows, and this is how I've learned to think of it:
4x5 film or larger in any type of camera (view, SLR, pinhole, box), or 6xWhatever in a roll film back specifically on a view camera. Digital on a view camera would also be large format (e.g. a scanning back or a stitching SLR adapter back), but equivalent sized digital files composed by stitching from an SLR with a panoramic head would not be. Ie, the common denominator for the exceptions to the 4x5"+ sheet film definition is the view camera, because obviously the view camera and LF photography are virtually synonymous in a majority of cases.
Of course these are arbitrary categories, but without arbitrary categorization of things all of the human experience would be a mush of raw sensory experience
I don't typically get upset when people break from expectations but the slew of recent non-LF (as defined above) posts in the picture threads kind of defeats the purpose of having a LF-oriented forum. There are plenty of other places for digital and non-LF film photography.
Well I wrote these polls last night right before going to bed. On this and the other poll I wrote I had more wording to go with each possible vote but was limited by 80 characters to a line. So I quickly redid it but in retrospect should have put more thought into it when I wasn't so tired. My intention was not to simply stir the pot or create divisions but to just get a better feel for the opinions of forum members. I thought a poll would give more numbers as most people just read posts and don't actually write responses. If anyone cares to they can make a new poll, better worded and structured and we can just kill these.
Really a tough question in todays world. Naturally I would say any 4x5 or larger format.
But then the other day I was thinking about panaromic 8x10 format as a roll film back?
So one could shoot similar photos as those doing 4x10 except on medium roll film, would it be LF or medium format?
I've started making all of my photos digital, with the resolution set to 1 pixel per inch. That way I only need 4 pixels by 5 pixels to qualify as large format. Ain't nuthin' to this large format...
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