Deploying the 4x5 quick and dirty...

[Deliberate1]

Friends, I am on the way up the learning curve with my Toyo 45A. I hope to learn enough to justify taking it to Israel and Egypt this summer. I have the fundamentals down, but I am slow. Are there techniques that you seasoned shooters use to get the "quick grab" when it comes along? For example, when I use my Rollei MF system street shooting, I will often set it at the hyperfocal distance in the event that I do not have enough time to get a more precise focus. Are there similar short cuts that might speed up the process with the Toyo and perhaps reduce the stress of putting it all together as the "decisive moment" fades into regret. Many thanks. David

[David A. Goldfarb]

Do you have infinity stops on the Toyo and a lens that you can keep on the camera when it's closed? That helps.

A quick release mount for the tripod is also a good thing for quick setups.

Levels on the camera will speed things up.

A folding groundglass viewer and a fresnel screen instead of a darkcloth is also good for quick shots. It helps to carry a wide brimmed hat, if you need to keep the sun off the groundglass.

When you're walking around, keep the bottom section of your tripod legs extended to the height you normally like to work at, so you can just pull out the top legs quickly to full extension.

Grafmatic or Kinematic filmholders are also handy. With two Kinematics, I've got 20 sheets in the space of about 4 regular filmholders.

[Robbie Shymanski]

It also depends on what kind of photography you do. Are you doing street shots? Hand held work? Architecture or landscape? Do you use swings or tilts?

Personally, I have two quick and dirty set ups. One is a Toyo G, the other is Crown Graphic. Either of these I can mount on a light weight tripod like a Tiltall or Slik 300. These are light enough where I can carry the tripod and camera on my shoulder. Very old timey. The Crown has bubble levels so I can hand hold if I must. I anticipate the kind of shots I want and mount the lens and filter that I know will work. I keep my light meter in my pocket. Film holders are ready to go in my bag. When I see a shot I like, I can set up and click a shutter within a minute.

The best thing you can do, other than just get tons of experience in so operating the camera becomes second nature (a la "Moonrise Hernandez"), is to anticipate the work you want. Are you going to be actively persuing the your shots, or are you passively waiting for them to accidentally cross your path ("Moonrise" again)?

[Bruce Barlow]

There is no substitute for familiarity. Do what we call "camera cuddle": Take your camera, sit in your easy chair, and learn how to find every knob and adjustment by feel. Do the same with your lenses. You can do this watching TV. We did it at a workshop and had lovely assistants blindfold people so they learned to photograph with their eyes closed. Time spent: 1 hour.

Practice a "shutter ritual": the sequence of things you do to make an exposure, and in a specific order, such as close the lens, set the fstop, set the shutter speed, cock the lens, test fire the lens (proves it's closed), recock the lens. There. You're ready to insert a holder. Practice it 100 times, which might take ten minutes.

Practice setting up and taking down your camera 50 times - keep track and reward yourself with a kiss each time (here's where having that beautiful assistant helps, or a bag of Hershey's...). Each time, think about how you could do it more efficiently. You'll still be making improvements after 25 times. Time spent: 2 hours max.

Then wander the world with your camera and practice framing an image and focusing, including movements. Time spent: a morning, if you bring film along and actually make images.

If you do all these things, handling your camera and gear will be fast, automatic, and reliable. You'll think less about that and more about the picture. As a result, you'll make better pictures whether you're in a hurry or not.

[Deliberate1]

Friends, I am greatful for your advise, and particularly the "drills" that Bruces suggests. Those are great. Bruce, I will spend some quality time with the box - and ask my lovely wife to serve as the "kiss" dispenser.

[BarryS]

I'm still working out my routine, but I look at every step and think about how I can make it faster and easier. I started with all my lenses in lens wraps and in a camera bag. I realized, I don't need the lens wraps--they were just slowing me down. I was frustrated with attaching the cable release, so I have cable release on each lens now. I find it also pays being careful when you put everything away. For lenses, I always open up the aperture, and leave the shutter open for viewing before putting away. I also make sure I have fresh film holders ready to grab. I wear my meter and loupe around my neck, so I don't have to hunt.

The biggest obstacle I'm dealing with is filtration. I have a varied collection of circular filters, ND grads, adapter rings, and step down rings, so using a filter is a major pain between hunting for the right one and screwing/unscrewing adapters. I'm thinking about getting rid of everything and getting the Lee system, so I have a single adapter for each lens and only one of each filter.

[Alan Curtis]

One of the lessons I learned long ago was that when I was in a rush to make a photograph, I needed to slow down. In a hurry was when I made a mistake photographically or worst, dropped something valuable. That is why Bruce's exercises are so good, all the set ups are automatic.

[Joanna Carter]

The biggest obstacle I'm dealing with is filtration. I have a varied collection of circular filters, ND grads, adapter rings, and step down rings, so using a filter is a major pain between hunting for the right one and screwing/unscrewing adapters. I'm thinking about getting rid of everything and getting the Lee system, so I have a single adapter for each lens and only one of each filter.

I have the Lee holder system but, due to the high cost of their filters, I use Hitech filters from Formatt. Every lens has its own adapter ring, ready and waiting to just slip on the main holder; the only lens I have a slight problem with is the Scheider 72mm Super Angulon XL which takes a clamp on filter holder which I remove for packing.

As for the filters, the Hitech will fit in a CD case, even the grads. I bought my CD case from Maplin electronics in the UK, it takes 24 filters if they are square but only 12 if they are grads.

[BarryS]

Thanks Joanna. I already have some Hitech/Formatt ND grads and I think the quality is great. So I was thinking of doing something similar. Not to threadjack, but which size Lee holder and what size filters do you use? All resin, or glass?

[Leonard Evens]

Friends, I am on the way up the learning curve with my Toyo 45A. I hope to learn enough to justify taking it to Israel and Egypt this summer. I have the fundamentals down, but I am slow. Are there techniques that you seasoned shooters use to get the "quick grab" when it comes along? For example, when I use my Rollei MF system street shooting, I will often set it at the hyperfocal distance in the event that I do not have enough time to get a more precise focus. Are there similar short cuts that might speed up the process with the Toyo and perhaps reduce the stress of putting it all together as the "decisive moment" fades into regret. Many thanks. David

The hyperfocal distance depends on the aperture as well as the focal length.

You could just focus wide open on infinity, and then stop down to your desired f-stop. Then everything from infinity down to the hyperfocal distance for that f-stop will be in focus.

If you focus at infinity and then move the standard one tenth of the f-number back, you will be focused at close to the hyperfocal distance. For example, if you are shooting at f/32, move back 3.2 mm from infinity focus. This is independent of focal length. This assumes a circle of confusion of 0.1 mm. If you prefer a smaller coc, use a smaller setback.

If you want to do it all visually on the ground glass, use the near point far point method described elsewhere in this website. Choose a near point and a far point, note their positions on the rail, and then focus halfway between them. To determine the required f-stop to insure that the near and far point will be inf focus, you can use the Hansma table described at the same location, but then you would have to carry it with you. Alternately, you could just multiply the spread on the rail between near and far points (in mm) by 10 and then divide the result by 2. Suppose for example, the near and far points are about 5 mm apart. That rule suggests an f-number of 50/2 = 25. If you stopped down to f/32, you would probably have enough of a safety factor to be sure.