LF for large digital reproduction?

[E. von Hoegh]

Thank you Daniel! You’ll notice that I signed up at the start of this year, but didn't get around to asking anything. I never got a panoramic camera because I could always get stitching to work, plus working purely digitally was good for a cheap and fast workflow without compromising on quality. (when i say 'commercial,' i use the term losely, although the gallery does do very well in the summer months)

Apologies, in my OP read 5x7 as 4x5. I plan to shoot both colour and B&W equally at this time. I appreciate and enjoy shooting B&W far more than colour, but the market prefers colour. 5x7 seems to me to be a good compromise between the two, but the trouble sourcing film in that size is a killer as you mention Rick.

I would very much like to shoot 8x10, but considering my inexperience, the fact that I will be carrying this camera a lot, and the price differences, as well as lens availability, I think my best choice would be to at least start with 4x5. I also plan to use this camera not only for landscapes but also for architecture and hopefully product photography. I know a monorail camera would be more applicable for the latter but I'm just dipping my toe in here. I will mainly be shooting very long exposure light-painting type landscape photography where tonality is important, so again B&W is probably the way to go here.

I knew drum scans are the bees knees, but its now clear that if I'm going to eek every bit of quality from 4x5 they will have to become standard.

thank you all for your quick replies, my confusion is lessening!

edit:


this has my brain racing

You can find used monorails (say a Calumet CC400) for peanuts. All you need is a light-tight bellows and front and rear movements.

If you must spend big$$, spend it on the lens, a good exposure meter, and some filmholders. I'm thinking you can get set up for well under $ 1000, including a tripod, say a Marchioni Tiltall.

[Ivan J. Eberle]

While 5x7 and 8x10 will scan more readily for big enlargements on a flatbed like your Epson, the cost of film 'til you get proficient should be factored in. I believe this will likely mitigate whatever savings you might have in mind. Personally, I'd opt for 4x5 and Epson flatbed scanning for learning, proofing and small portfolio prints, with better drum or higher end flatbed scans outsourced for the big exhibition prints.

Yes, you will need good sharp lenses but you don't necessarily need Rodenstock APO Sironar S series lenses. Just about all modern coated LF lenses perform similarly by normal taking apertures of f/16 to f/32, except for the limits of coverage in extreme moves (e.g. Caltar IIN lenses are made by Rodenstock are identical to APO Sironar N lenses but for the engraving, equally spectacular and commonly found in sizes like 210mm for under $200 for near mint examples.)

[timparkin]

I have a Howtek 4500 drum scanner and a V750 and spent some time comparing them. I can get about 2400-2600 dpi out of the V750 and most colour transparencies are hard pushed to get more than this (and even when they do they are at very low contrast).

Even at 2500dpi (split the difference) you can print at 250dpi at 10x enlargements which gives you 40x50" -- and to be honest, you don't need prints that can be examined with a loupe when you are producing pictures at that size. 150 dpi prints would look sharp to nearly all non-photographers (i.e. unless you are looking for evidence of unsharpness and know enough to know what to look for).

So - any 4x5 will do the job for you (I would recommend a Chamonix for best bang per buck as I've found the Shen Hao to not be stiff enough for anything apart from still conditions).

As for lenses, most will out resolve your film, never mind your Epson scanner *and* you can always send off for drum scans.

Tim

[Frank Petronio]

For about $1000 you can get a Sinar F, heavy Gitzo 3-4-5 tripod, and a modern Rodenstock or Schneider 135 to 210 lens and not have to make apologies to anyone - you will have state-of-art, better than Ansel Adamns equipment that is as capable as anything out there. Most people go too lightweight with pretty wooden toy cameras out of the romantic aspects or idealistically thinking they will go backpacking. Then they fiddle around....

Use the Epson for small stuff and proofs, get drum scans of the selects.

[Daniel Stone]

just FYI,

IF you go with a 5x7 camera, many have 4x5 reducing backs available for them. Field cameras, less chance...

However, COLOR FILM IS AVAILABLE FOR 5X7. You just have to buy 8x10 and cut it down . Its simple, and if you properly set up a rotatrim(or other, hi quality rotary trimmer), you can make many sheets out of a 10-20 sheet box. Many emulsions for both color neg and transparency are still available in 8x10, but if you're not up to the task of doing that cutting-down in the dark, then use a 4x5 reducing back.

cheers,

Dan

[Robert Jonathan]

Definitely go for a heavy metal monorail.

I remember when I first was turned on by large format, I was an inch away from buying a wooden camera. I am very, very glad I didn't.

Monorails are heavy and stable, easy to set up, the standards are parallel, and you'll be ready to shoot.

Consider looking for a Horseman L series 4x5. Whether it's an LE, LS, LX, whatever, doesn't matter.

A Cambo SCX or a Cambo Legend are also good choices.

For Sinar, forget the F. You can find a used P, P2, or X, sometimes for amazingly cheap prices.

Then spend the rest on a APO Symmar or a Sironar S lens.

For scanning film, take your keepers and send them to a drum scanning service like West Coast Imaging ( http://www.westcoastimaging.com/wci/...n/wciscans.htm ).

And you can get 50 sheets of Portra 160 in 5x7 brand new at B&H: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...tra_Color.html It's quite expensive!!

[Frank Petronio]

I concur, for a few hundred more than a Sinar F you can get a better camera, I just mentioned it as a good entry point.

I guess at this time you ought to decide what film you think you'd shoot. I'll just tell you to shoot color negative, 4x5 Kodak Portra.

5x7 color is very expensive (so is 8x10).

[Adamphotoman]

When you do get to printing consider using a software rip to run your printer. You can easily double the print size using the rip.

I use a rip called Imageprint by Colorbyte. It is astounding as long as you send a 300 dpi file to the printer and have the printer resize the image to print. Don't let PS do it.
So if you only get a 40 inch file and want to go 50 inches don't sweat it.

Go 4X5

Look at U shaped standards.

Sinar P or P2 are heavy. Sinar F may not be heavy enough. Try to find a Norma and I would suggest an Apo Sironar-N or an Apo Symmar. Although the Apo Sironar-S is a better lens, if you are doing infinity to medium distance work the Apo Sironar-N or Apo Symmars will be fine and so much cheaper. The Caltars are rebranded and less expensive. Be watchful. I think Caltar11-N are the Apo Sironar-N.

Would be good to hear what you finally decide upon.
Grant

[jim steines]

I believe I will be going with a 5x7 metal field. I'm tending away from a monorail given weight considerations, but I'm not so sure this is a good decision. I'm prepared to take a hit on the body for the lens. Planning $700 on the lens, 500 or less for the rest, but considering how much of a subjective choice this is I've got my work cut out.

I'd rather take a good negative scanned on a bad scanner by a guy who knows how to scan than the best negative on a great scanner by a guy who doesn't know how to scan.

Good advice. On this, I think there is a particular art to enlarging and sharpening images. Adamphotoman I read your post with interest.

I'm confident enough in my tripod for learning but I'd like to hear what heads and (if?) QR systems are used.
timparkin, could you elaborate on lenses outresolving film?
Also, on a side note, is fibreglass ever used for construction?

[jackpie]

I believe I will be going with a 5x7 metal field. I'm tending away from a monorail given weight considerations, but I'm not so sure this is a good decision. I'm prepared to take a hit on the body for the lens. Planning $700 on the lens, 500 or less for the rest, but considering how much of a subjective choice this is I've got my work cut out.

The only 5x7 metal fields I can think of are:

Linhof Technika 5x7
Toyo Field Half Plate
Rittreck 5x7

I have no experience of the Technika, but I own and use both the Toyo and the Rittreck.

The Toyo Field is a 60s camera with interchangable backs for rollfilm, 4x5, Half Plate, 5x7 and Whole Plate. The original 5x7 back is very rare. It seems that most of the 5x7 backs in use are custom made. It's a lovely little camera, light and portable, and with a decent set of movements. I use mine with the half plate back for B&W. It uses standard Graphic Pacemaker lens boards. It conveniently folds with a Kodak Ektar 203 mounted. The longest lens I use is the Nikon 300m.

The Rittreck is a camera from the 70s and also has a full set of interchangable backs going up to 8x10. It's folds nice and compact, but is quite heavy. It has slightly more bellows extension than the Toyo. It has a larger custom lensboard so is usable with larger lenses, but still only has about 370mm of bellows extension. It seems the camera was used in Japan for mobile portraiture with big Fujinon f4.5 tessars. It's too heavy for backpacking but good from the car.

Don't dismiss mono rails. My classic 5x7 arca swiss is lighter and more flexible than the Toyo Field. Take a look at the bigger picture. The weight of the whole 5x7 kit, lenses and film holders, soon makes differences in camera weights insignificant. Then the 5x7 mono rails make more sense.

I'm confident enough in my tripod for learning but I'd like to hear what heads and (if?) QR systems are used.
timparkin, could you elaborate on lenses outresolving film?
Also, on a side note, is fibreglass ever used for construction?

Carbon fibre is used in lightweight tripods.