Why do you shoot medium format with your 4x5" equipement ?

[PhiloFarmer]

For taking advantage of larger image circle coverage, and range of camera movements. I can compose more accurately with the extra room in bellows that 4x5 provides over MF. I also use the ability to stitch using rise or shift, as well the capacity of the sliding back adapter. Lots of possibilities...luring me into new territory....

[alexn]

I still consider to buy a 6X17 attachment (us$600) attach to my 4X5 with lenses up to 150mm or buy a 6X17 field camera (us$1500) can fit to all my longer lenses. Or buy a 6X17 camera ( Photoman or Dai Yi , around us$1000) for my 75mm or 90mm lens. Each addition cone quite expensive. This is a easy use camera and ready to shot. Any advise.

It really depends on how and what you shoot... I almost always shoot wide angle on my 617 roll film back. I used to have a fotoman 617 camera, and it was great, and easier to use than the roll film back on the 4x5 however because I like to shoot 4x5 and 6x17, Rather than carrying two cameras, and all the lens cones etc etc I found it to be a better idea to buy a film back for the 4x5. That way I am carrying less weight and still shooting my two favorite formats..

The advantages of the 6x17 camera are many, but then a 6x17 field camera has all the movements which, if you use them regularly on large format, you can really hate not having them on your 6x17... The 6x17 field cameras also allow more movements than a 6x17 back on a 4x5.

As I said originally. It depends most on WHAT you shoot, and HOW you shoot and whether or not you require movements to achieve your goals..

I regret selling my 6x17 fotoman as 90% of the time it was much more convenient than the 6x17 back on my 4x5 however I prefer only carrying one camera in the field.

[Edward (Halifax,NS)]

I shoot roll film with my 4X5 camera because I have not been able to afford a high quality medium format camera. My German lenses are a lot better than the lens on my Yashicamat. Also, it is easier to use a cable release on the large format lenses than on the TLR. Sharper lenses plus less camera shake equals better and larger prints.

Additional benefits include use of movements and lab processing that takes less than a month. I mostly print 11X14. On the rare occasion I need a 16X20 I can have the negative/slide drum scanned. I would love to have a 6X12 back for 10X20 prints.

Edward

[Lynn Jones]

Back in the mid 60's we created the 2.25"x2.75" roll film holder for 4x5 cameras while Calumet's, Bill Ryan and I created 220 roll film at the same time. That format size was created by Fred Simmon of Omega and the designer of the Simmon Omega camera around 1950 plus or minus.

The primary reason was that we needed view camera swings and tilts but didn't need a great deal of enlargement such as for catalogs and national ads (at Calumet, we were the largest maker of LF view cameras in the world, 85% to 90%, and made in Chicago).

Lynn

[John Rodriguez]

I plan on adding a 6x7 back to "extend" my longest lens at any given time as it acts as a 1.6x multiplier. I prefer that route over cropping a 4x5 sheet because the drum scanning price is lower for 6x7. This will be for color only; I'll stick with sheet for BW to allow zone system processing.