Newbie Questions

[John G.]

Thanks all

Rather then reply to indiviual posts I'd just state the following points

RE: 5x7 I like the format but the shortage of emulsions is not going to get better. And provided proper darkroom care is used then cutting 8x10's in half shouldnt be that much of an issue.

RE: 6x17. I tend to see in panorama but I wouldnt want to have it as an only option. And it seems to me that unless you get a dedicated 6x17 view camera that the weight of rollfilm backs, bag bellows, and a 6x17 GG as well as 4x5 gear adds up pretty quickly.

RE: costs in general, my experience in most things is that the cheapest way is usually to set it up right the first time. Film cost obviously is different, but I'd have to upgrade my darkroom in any case.

I'm not trying to justify doing things differently to "normal", rather I'm chasing input from you who have experience. I'd say at this point I'll probably go 4x5, but shop for lenses with sufficient coverage for 5x8.

I's still like to see a 2.5x8 panoramic though.. it's an insanely wide AR.

And, just how much of a PITA are half darkslides anyway?

thanks again
John

[Thebes]

IMHO, its not just the using of half dark slides, its also having to set up the camera to have the image on the half of the ground glass you want it on. Totally doable if the camera has enough movements, but it will slow you down and complicate its use.

For a newbie to LF I would recommend a 4x5 monorail. Get a good cheap system one and play around with it, that is the best way to learn to use movements, its what I did and how I was taught in college. A Cambo SC (what the university used) costs less than most lenses used and is very versatile. Right now I only have a camera with front movements, these are enough for my work, I knew this buying it, and I know how to set it up to do what I want using only those front movements- but as a new shooter it would have been very frustrating, probably I would have given up. I can imagine that using a half darkslide might be similarly frustrating until you know how you plan to set the camera up from a bit of experience.

Many 4x5 monorails are useable in the field, and if you get creative you will be able to put lenses in boards to use with a future 6x17 or 5x8 or even 8x10 that will not only work on a 4x5 monorail but will offer significant movements useful for still lifes, tabletops, etc. I have a 210mm plasmat on the way which will almost cover 8x10 but I bought it for 4x5... you don't normally get this interchangability with medium format or 35mm, but you can with LF. Most monorails offer a large lensboard and you can often get an adapter to, say, put a lens mounted on a linhof board onto a cambo monorail, so you could consider one as being something extra for your future setup rather than not buying the right gear the first time.

For 6x17 there are cheap(ish) Chinese extension backs now than will go onto a 4x5 graflok back. Many people like these, but do understand that the camera and back outfit might limit lens choice during its use, for example you might not be able to focus a short lens to infinity with an extension back.

[AJ Edmondson]

I didn't find using half darkslides that much of a pain but I had a pretty rigid routine which dictated that the first exposure was always on the top-half with the film back installed from the right and the second exposure, top-half with the film back installed from the left ... with the old Calumet 8x10 I was using I simply reversed the film back as soon as I had made the first exposure (if the second exposure wasn't made at the same time/location) so I didn't forget which half of the film holder was already exposed.