My 1st LF camera. But which one?

[Dan Fromm]

T, whatever you do will be wrong.

Buy a camera that appeals, use it, and it will teach you what does and doesn't suit you. Then sell the first camera and buy one that suits you better.

[Ari]

hotelroomnudes.blogspot.com

Some guys just do it better than the others ;-p

Interesting, Frank, but I fail to see how that helps the OP in pursuit of a camera

[Frank Petronio]

Opps wrong thread, that was meant for the "sick of nudes" thread just to mess with that guy's head....

[Dan Fromm]

Opps wrong thread, that was meant for the "sick of nudes" thread just to mess with that guy's head....

Eh? Wot? Innit messed enough already?

[Alan Gales]

T, whatever you do will be wrong.

Buy a camera that appeals, use it, and it will teach you what does and doesn't suit you. Then sell the first camera and buy one that suits you better.

Truer words never spoken. Also applies to 35mm, medium format, and digital!

[Ole Tjugen]

Portable camera which won't limit your lens selection - look for a second-hand Gandolfi. Either the Variant (best) or the Traditional (almost as good, in some ways better).

[Bill_1856]

Stick with your Mamiya 7, just always put it on a tripod and compose carefully when shooting a landscape.

[richardhkirkando]

Don't be afraid of a cheaper first camera - as others have said, you'll probably decide you want something different, and end up selling it. I started with a Speed Graphic with no movements, then jumped to a Toyo monorail with every movement imaginable. Neither were just right, and I eventually settled on a Technika, which I found to be a good compromise.

[John Kasaian]

If I had the $$ and needed a 4x5, I think a Linhof Technika would be an excellent choice--lots of movements, handholdable if need be, and built like a tank. John Sexton and Roman Loranc sure use theirs to good effect! Serious back packers would likely opt for a lighter wieght woody like a Tachi or Shen (or Baby 'dorff!)

My current 4x5 is a Graphic View 2 and along with the Calument 400 series are excellent monorails that certainly won't break the bank.

[Professional]

I have Shen Hao HZX45 IIA, it is very lightweight, wish i have more money to go with Linhof or Ebony.