Field camera Movements - Reading Recommendations

[Keith Cocker]

Hi,

I'm enjoying getting to grips with my Toyo Field 45A. Results from using its movements are a bit hit and miss at the moment!

I would value some reading recommendations - books or sites that might give me some guidance on using the cameras movements. I understand what the camera does in terms of movements. What I'm really after is some more detailed guidance on what I can use the movements for and what results they have.

thanks

[Greg Lockrey]

The Camera by Ansel Adams is a good starter book. It will give you the fundamentals of how and why in camera movements. This is probably the best site to get specific questions answered about large format. What I have garnered over the years as to the purpose of the movements is: have your back parallel to the work and lens tilted enough to the intersecting planes enough to maximize your focus. All other movements are done to exaggerate different effects. Which you will see in your view finder.

[steve simmons]

Here are three books I usualy recommend.

Large Format Nature Photography by Jack Dykinga
User's Guide to the View Camera by Jim Stone
Using the View Camera that I wrote.

Try your library.

I generally use the back swing and tilt for shape and size relationship adjustments and the front swing and tilt for focus - to more closely align the plane of focus with the plane of the subject.

Rise and fall and shift, front or rear, are tools to help you select which part of the image circle you want to record onto the film.

steve simmons

[Laurent]

I really appreciated the article about the view camera, field and movements in a former issue of View Camera. I don't remember the issue # (it was the one containing also an article on Roy Stryker's photograph's collections, if that is of any help), as it was very simply said and very "results oriented". It's after reading (again and again and again and...) that I started having a feeling about how I should tweak my field camera to achieve what I want.

[John Bowen]

Keith,

All of the books Steve has recommended will help you READ about it....but the best advice is (after some reading) get out there and use your camera, use your camera, use your camera.
I was where you are almost 30 years ago and I can recall just how frustrating it was the first few times, but it's like riding a bike... after the first few times it just becomes second nature.

Have Fun!

John

[steve simmons]

I really appreciated the article about the view camera, field and movements in a former issue of View Camera. I don't remember the issue # (it was the one containing also an article on Roy Stryker's photograph's collections, if that is of any help), as it was very simply said and very "results oriented". It's after reading (again and again and again and...) that I started having a feeling about how I should tweak my field camera to achieve what I want.


January 07 was the issue date.

We have put this article up in the Free Articles section of the View Camera web site

www.viewcamera.com

It is called
Field Camera Movements.pdf

steve simmons

[lenser]

Hi, Keith.

If you can somehow find a copy of the old Zone VI catalog from the eighties, there is a comprehensive section on all movements and their effect from that camera. Most field cameras seem to share many basic traits, so this information may help with your questions.

Good luck.

Tim

[Bruce Barlow]

Go Mr. Simmons one further and try the front and rear swings and tilts, and each time you try something, make a negative or a Polaroid of each variation and compare them. If rear tilt makes things loom, how much compared to front tilt? Two pictures and you know the answer forever. Four pictures in total. A few minutes of time. A good investment.

[Jorge Gasteazoro]

The best book to learn about camera movements is "View Camera Technique" by Leslie Stroebel.

[Leonard Evens]

The previous recommendations for books to read are all good, but I would differ from Steve Simmons in that I would put his book first in the list, as an introduction to the subject.

You should also look at the material on focusing in the Large Format Website (lfphoto.info), in which this forum appears.

Before you get into tilts and swings, experiment with rise/fall and swing. Those are the movements that are most commonly used because you use them to determine the basic framing of the photograph and where the center of perspective appears to be.

It will take some effort to understand tilts and swings. You will see lots of discussion of the Scheimpflug Rule, but that is only one necessary element. The important principle is the Hinge Line Rule, and that is not discussed as thorughly. Merklinger goes on at great length about it in various of his publications, which are available on the web, and he has a really neat animation which helps you to understand it. The lfphoto.info site also has some information about it.

The hinge line helps, in particular, when you try to understand depth of field when there is a tilt or swing. The depth of field region forms a wedge starting at the hinge line. Once you have set the tilt/swing, if you focus by moving the rear standard, the hinge line stays fixed and the whole wedge swings about it. The Scheimpflug line, on the other hand, moves both horizontally and up and down. One important consequence of this is that you can't get much vertical depth of field close to the lens, so scenes requiring that are not amenable to improvement by the use of tilt/swing movements.