What are the standards of LF Photo ?

[Drew Wiley]

Well, I got up there Thursday; was T-shirt weather and calm enough for me to work
the intricate rock formations down by the water until late afternoon with the 8X10.
Saturday, however, Salt Point lived up to its name and the spray was everywhere,
along with spectacular surf, so I had to resort to med format and long lenses. Ended
up with both in the pack at around 90 lbs; but an easy area to walk about. Relatively
uncrowded, though my camping/med-format friends were a little naive about the
racoons and got a full slab of bacon heisted.

[Ralph Barker]

FWIW, when this forum originated back in 1993, I'm confident the name was chosen to avoid any confusion of being part of View Camera Magazine.

As noted earlier, the focus of the forum has always been on the broad category of view cameras - monorails, field cameras, technical cameras, etc. Old-style press cameras (Crown and Speed Graphics, etc.) were grandfathered in, since many used 4x5 sheet film and the basic concepts were similar. Similarly, other formats available via an adapter back attached to a view camera were always tolerated, even though they didn't fit the "large format" definition of "4x5 or larger". It's rather like tolerating an occasional small burp coming from the vicinity of a pretty woman.

One of the reasons this forum has continued to thrive is the fact that we've stayed true to the original vision, rather than going off in the various directions possible. There is simply no desire for the this forum to become a general, all-formats photography forum. So, we've stuck to our guns with respect to the core sub-forums.

Also as noted earlier, discussions relating to other formats, and images from those formats, are welcome in The Lounge, however.

[Jack Dahlgren]

FWIW, when this forum originated back in 1993, I'm confident the name was chosen to avoid any confusion of being part of View Camera Magazine.

As noted earlier, the focus of the forum has always been on the broad category of view cameras - monorails, field cameras, technical cameras, etc. Old-style press cameras (Crown and Speed Graphics, etc.) were grandfathered in, since many used 4x5 sheet film and the basic concepts were similar. Similarly, other formats available via an adapter back attached to a view camera were always tolerated, even though they didn't fit the "large format" definition of "4x5 or larger". It's rather like tolerating an occasional small burp coming from the vicinity of a pretty woman.

One of the reasons this forum has continued to thrive is the fact that we've stayed true to the original vision, rather than going off in the various directions possible. There is simply no desire for the this forum to become a general, all-formats photography forum. So, we've stuck to our guns with respect to the core sub-forums.

Also as noted earlier, discussions relating to other formats, and images from those formats, are welcome in The Lounge, however.

Hmmmm...
I've seen polaroid conversions and some excellent work done with 4x5 point and shoots (hand-made) which are clearly not view cameras and there has been no issue.

I don't think there is still any desire for the forum to become a general all-formats forum. No one is advocating that. All that is being requested is that the BIG 6x17 cameras (only a few sq. cm smaller than 4x5) be considered as large since the users of those cameras are clearly fellow travellers.

This forum thrives because of the people here. Not because 6x17 is excluded.

[Sirius Glass]

Firmly rejected? The vote was 54% Against and 46% For, but I would have been surprised if it had passed!

If you got'em, smoke'em.

Can't we all just get a bong!

Why are we arguing about this? It is not like someone is posting 35mm photographs.

Steve

[Vaughn]

Well, I got up there Thursday; was T-shirt weather and calm enough for me to work...though my camping/med-format friends were a little naive about the
racoons and got a full slab of bacon heisted.

I camped north of there on the Lost Coast last weekend. I took a moon-lit stroll on the beach up to the mouth of the Mattole River, almost surprised (and got surprised by) a skunk on the beach. Fortunately we were both interested in different things in different places, so no disagreements. Earlier, I did have a ground squirrel jump in the van and start going thru my food box...cheeky bastard! I was just resting my eyes for a bit in the campground when he invited himself in..

Too windy the whole time for the 5x7, but I was out there to kick back, so no problem. Not exactly in my backyard -- about an hour and a half drive (the last 30 miles takes an hour), but it does not get much prettier and wild, and still be on a paved (mostly) road.

Vaughn

[sanking]

Similarly, other formats available via an adapter back attached to a view camera were always tolerated, even though they didn't fit the "large format" definition of "4x5 or larger". It's rather like tolerating an occasional small burp coming from the vicinity of a pretty woman.

More like a loud fart from an ugly man IMHO.

Sandy

[IanG]

Hmmmm...
I've seen polaroid conversions and some excellent work done with 4x5 point and shoots (hand-made) which are clearly not view cameras and there has been no issue.

I don't think there is still any desire for the forum to become a general all-formats forum. No one is advocating that. All that is being requested is that the BIG 6x17 cameras (only a few sq. cm smaller than 4x5) be considered as large since the users of those cameras are clearly fellow travellers.

This forum thrives because of the people here. Not because 6x17 is excluded.

This is why we want a proper open discussion about 6x17 now being fully included.

As Ralph Barker says legitimate discussion etc and the posting of images us is already allowed in the Lounge but extremely poor moderation with a thread being moved then posts & images deleted because the thread was in the wrong section has riled Large format users who also use 6x17.

Allowing 6x17 (and possibly 6x12) isn't going to make this site a general all format photography forum it would just clear up an anomaly where 6x7 & 6x9 are allowed but 6x17 which needs a large format darkroom with a minimum of a 7"x5" enlarger isn't.

Ian