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Thread: I don't own a large format camera...

  1. #11

    Re: I don't own a large format camera...

    If you want Big beautiful prints then 4X5 or 5X7 is the way to go. Keep in mind that transparencies require dead on exposures and centre filters with wide angles. You might want to start with Black and white or colour neg film [to start with.] Also SOME of your lenses can be used on multiple formats. A 360 Apo Ronar can act like a telephoto on 4X5 and be almost normal on 8X10.
    With each format increase the level of difficulty, speed, and cost goes up almost ex-potentially. The effort is worth it. But how much weight do you want to carry? What do you want to accomplish?

    It's fun.

    welcome to group therepy...

    Grant

  2. #12

    Re: I don't own a large format camera...

    Welcome to the good part of the dark side. It'll make you slow down and really think about photography.

    It's like turning a writer into a poet.

    And you won't need no stinkin' writers.
    "I meant what I said, not what you heard"--Jflavell

  3. #13

    Join Date
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    Re: I don't own a large format camera...

    Wait - I thought digital was the Dark side.

  4. #14
    Scott Davis
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    Re: I don't own a large format camera...

    Who's saying you need a bunch of assistants to shoot 8x10??? Only if you're trying to do high-volume catalog production or something. For personal work, 8x10 is a piece of cake! Easy to load, easy to handle, easy to process. You want to talk turkey about shooting big film? There are those of us who shoot ULF (11x14 and bigger - my current monster is a 14x17) without an assistant! Granted I'm only taking 1 shot every 20 minutes or so, but I don't want rapid throughput on a shoot with something like that. I couldn't afford it at $325/25 sheets of film.

  5. #15
    おせわに なります! Andrew O'Neill's Avatar
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    Re: I don't own a large format camera...

    As far as going 8x10, those cameras are beasts and probably won't fit what i'm trying to accomplish without a team of assistants
    Don't know where you heard that before. 8x10's are not beasts and you certainly do not need a team of assistants. My 14x17 is a beast and yet I do not need a team of assistants.
    Anyways, welcome to the forum.

  6. #16

    Re: I don't own a large format camera...

    The slippery slope of LF; welcome

    I would go straight to 810. FIlm is not cheap but cheap film can be found to make the learning curve less expensive. I use the arista 400 in 810.

    I have found 810 is ideal for me to work on composition and exposure. The bottom line is that you can see more of the subject.

    The workflow has taken me a little while to figure out but I am getting there. With 810 a good drum scan will run about $100. An epson v700 will make great proof scans and web scans. They can be had refurb for about $450.

    One great advantage of large format is contact printing. Even 45 looks great with a good contact print. My expectations of size of print has fallen all the way back to contact prints.

    Another very cool option is to have the neg drum scanned then either work it yourself or hire the work out and have a digital negative made in any size you want/need. The file can be worked so that you get almost the same resolution as a straight contact print in the default fim size. Once you have the digital neg you contact print that. It is a very nice way to get large, hi quality traditional prints that cna be superior to an enlarged print.

    I strongly suggest developing yourself. The almost instant feedback has been invaluable to me in moving forward in LF. I can shoot in the early am and have negs within an hour or so. Let them dry 2 hours and scan
    david

  7. #17

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    Re: I don't own a large format camera...

    Quote Originally Posted by Jesse-Califonia View Post

    As far as going 8x10, those cameras are beasts and probably won't fit what i'm trying to accomplish without a team of assistants (which i won't have).
    Really? I've lugged mine - tripod, 2 lenses, a couple filters, 4 filmholders, meter, and all that miscellaneous stuff - including lunch - as far back in the woods as I could go and get out before dark, say 7 or 8 miles. No assistants. And I'm an old f@rt.
    One man's Mede is another man's Persian.

  8. #18

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    Re: I don't own a large format camera...

    Whoa, all you 8x10 guru's got the wrong idea. i'm setting out to capture social settings and working entirely with people sometimes in found locations and light. Some of my planned work incorporates agency models but even then i will need to work faster then 20min a shot.

    I'm worried about staying nimble, like maybe skipping a rail system all together, let alone a bag with a bunch of 8x10 film holders and the big camera/tripod setup? Not to say i couldn't do it, maybe set up a home base of sorts and dip back in for lens changes and new film holders, just would be afraid i'd miss too many shots. Any of you guys have experience to share please do....

    i feel like maybe i should start a new thread at this point.

  9. #19

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    Re: I don't own a large format camera...

    What you need is an 80 megapixel MF digital system.

  10. #20

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    Re: I don't own a large format camera...

    Hi Jesse,

    This is not said to discourage you from trying LF but given your subjects, your want to avoid a tripod, and your need for speed & spotanaity, I think you may want to consider MF. Say a GF 670 .

    LF logistics can be considerable. Some cameras like a Speed Graphic are quicker than others but still not near as quick as a roll film camera for your found situations.

    Reading this paper on soft focus lenses. One of the interesting bits in there was that part of the drive to make SF lenses was that once wet plate and albumen prints came into use the detail available had gotten "too good", "too truthful", all of a sudden portrait sitters were complaining about blemishes and retouching became imperative. Soft focus lenses reduce the need for retouching.

    My point here is that your need for detail at 60" may be different than others. Sure if your from the f/64 school of thought, 4x may be a good limit. To me it doesn't sound like you are there though.

    Where LF may shine for you though is in controlling the focus to isolate a subject. For example you could skew the camera to focus on only one person in a police lineup. This though takes time and tripod to do well. This can be done nicely on 4x5 but larger cameras like 5x7 and 8x10 make this easier to see.
    You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus. ~ Mark Twain

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