LF beginner - Advice on camera choice

[briandaly]

I'm interested in trying large format photography and would appreciate some advice on equipment choice.
I've read Steve Simmons' book and have some idea about camera movements and think that I would like to try a monorail camera.
My proposed main use for this camera would be portraiture so I think a 210mm, 240mm or 300mm lens would best suit me (I like to use 70mm to 110mm focal lengths in 35mm format).
Geared movements would appeal to me over non-geared movements.

I'm considering cameras such as the Cambo SC or Cambo Legend as they have a full range of movements on both standards but are cheaper than Sinar, Arca Swiss etc. .
I think that I can live without yaw-free movements, but would be interested to hear opinions on the benefit of this feature.

Can anyone make any recommendations based on the above?

Thanks,
Brian

[Peter K]

In Magnachrome Volume 1, Issue1 http://www.magnachrom.com/MCHome.php
you can read about the Linhof Kardan Bi camera.

[lenser]

Hi, Brian.

I use two systems.. The Cambo SCX is a wonderful monorail camera with more movements than I'll ever use, but thank God they're available for some of the commercial assignments I do.

My Zone VI, which is a wooden folding or clam shell type of field camera, has plenty of movements, but on a scaled back version compared to the Cambo. The movements in this camera are even enough to work with architectural subjects which require adjustments to make sure that walls don't converge unless you want them to do so on purpose.

Field cameras are also much lighter than the monorails and therefore easier to carry for location work.

When I use one for portraits, it's usually the Zone VI. Two reasons. One is that it is simpler and more direct to handle. The other is that for portraits, you just don't need the extreme movements. When I use either one for portraits, I pretty well leave the camera detents set at zero so I can just focus, slap in the film holder and get the image as quickly as possible.

That's because of the subject.

If you start fiddling with what the camera CAN do, just to prove the point, your subject has long since lost all interest and is getting both bored and fidgety. At that point, you might as well give it up.

As to lenses, if you're doing mostly head shots, you might want to look at the longer lenses, say around 250 to 300mm or longer to avoid the usual distortion problems that occur when the nose looks huge and the ears far away. That's occurs when you use a normal or wide angle lens and have to get very close to try to fill the frame with a head and shoulders or half length portrait. For full length images, a normal or even wider angle lens are fine.

Incidentally, both of these systems have interchangeable bellows so you can substitute a wide angle or bag bellows which allows much more range of movements with extreme wide angle lenses. Most monorails and some other field cameras have this option, but not all. If you think you will be shooting with anything wider than a 90mm in any of your work, you should consider only systems that allow you to use this option.

Good luck in the hunt.

Tim

[Bill_1856]

For portraiture/landscapes consider a Crown Graphic. You don't really need all the extra stuff such as lens/back movements, and if you decide that you want something fancier (or don't want LF at all) you can get your money back in reselling it.

[D. Bryant]

I'm interested in trying large format photography and would appreciate some advice on equipment choice.
I've read Steve Simmons' book and have some idea about camera movements and think that I would like to try a monorail camera.
My proposed main use for this camera would be portraiture so I think a 210mm, 240mm or 300mm lens would best suit me (I like to use 70mm to 110mm focal lengths in 35mm format).
Geared movements would appeal to me over non-geared movements.

I'm considering cameras such as the Cambo SC or Cambo Legend as they have a full range of movements on both standards but are cheaper than Sinar, Arca Swiss etc. .
I think that I can live without yaw-free movements, but would be interested to hear opinions on the benefit of this feature.

Can anyone make any recommendations based on the above?

Thanks,
Brian

Buy a Chamonix 45N-1. If you contact Hugo Zhang now you maybe able to take delivery of one in August. If you don't like it you can sell it for more than you paid.

I would avoid the Cambo's or any other monorail cameras.

I would also avoid the Crown and Speed Graphics, clunky cameras, IMO.


Don Bryant

[briandaly]

Thanks all for the replies.
I've thought about the Crown Graphic but it has limited movements.
My main motivation for trying LF is seeing what I can get with the camera movements, not to simply produce larger negatives (although this is an added benefit).
It may well be that once I've tried a whole range of movements, I'll stick with a few basic movements or even no movements at all. However, if I end up using the view camera just like a fixed-body camera, I might as well sell it and stick with more convenient formats.
Can anyone explain why they would use a large format camera but stick with zero detents? Is it simply for larger negative and therefore better image quality?

[Bob Salomon]

Check out the Linhof Kardan re if you are interested in a really good monorail Wista just released a new quince wood 45 field camera that should also be of interest.

[Bob Salomon]

When most people use a view camera they want to know that the tilts and swings are in the 0 position so they know that the standards are parallel before they start doing movements for corrections. The 0 detents make this very easy to ascertain. And they also make it less likely that the swings and tilts don't accidently move out of the 0 position when you don't want them to.

[Ron Marshall]

Thanks all for the replies.
I've thought about the Crown Graphic but it has limited movements.
My main motivation for trying LF is seeing what I can get with the camera movements, not to simply produce larger negatives (although this is an added benefit).
It may well be that once I've tried a whole range of movements, I'll stick with a few basic movements or even no movements at all. However, if I end up using the view camera just like a fixed-body camera, I might as well sell it and stick with more convenient formats.
Can anyone explain why they would use a large format camera but stick with zero detents? Is it simply for larger negative and therefore better image quality?

I shoot mostly landscape. On most shots I use front rise, sometimes front tilt, sometimes rear swing. Besides movements, the main benefits of LF to the final print is less noticable grain, greater detail and smoother tonality.

I strongly recommend that for your first camera you buy used. Once you get a feel for LF and a good idea of what you like to shoot you can sell it for about the same price.

For portraits and landscape usually only small movements, or none are required. Be aware of how much bellows extension is possible; to focus a 300mm for head and shoulders requires close to 400mm. Camera weight is an important consideration.

[briandaly]

Bob, what attributes has the Linhof Kardan range got over Cambo and which model in particular have you in mind?

Ron, I'll definitely be buying second-hand. Weight will not be a huge priority for me, as I don't plan to take the camera out of the house. If I feel I want to pursue LF further and be more mobile, I may then trade for a field camera. However, initially, I really want to get a good feel for what is possible with camera movements. If I start with a camera lacking certain movements, I'll always feel I've missed out