Wanderlust 4x5 P&S

[Michael Roberts]

Thanks Kuzano. I had forgotten about the Rodenstock 127 and the Optar 127--though, like Ken says, I have several of these lying around as well.

[Corran]

MonkeyBrain, I'm afraid I don't know what you are suggesting or even the point of the original statement regarding wide-angle lenses. In my way of seeing, there is simply one lens that will give me the perspective and field of view when I envision a photograph - be it a 47mm or a 450mm. Any generalization about wide-angles or the people that use them is a commentary on the photographer, not the tool, and is irrelevant.

PS: Still not offended, just not sure what the point was.

[adam satushek]

It sounds like we all have our own hopes and dreams for this camera which is great!

Personally, I will happily put my Nikkor 90 f8 on it, use the provided sports finder, attach my Sunpack potato masher flash, stop down a bit, zone focus, load some Tmax400 and play Weegee. I shoot color nearly exclusively, but for some reason this is how I see myself using this camera.

Sure 90mm is wide for me, but thats why Ill happily use my Nikkor...because I have it and never use it otherwise. I could see 120mm or 135mm being nice, but I personally think 90mm is the perfect balance of not too wide but wide enough to make zone focusing possible and at the same time keeping the camera fairly compact.

I understand wanting more...but I also think its important to recognize that this camera is probably not intended to do everything. I know ill use it as a fun point and shoot at parties and walking around at night. For critical work that requires accuate focusing, more depth of field, or different focal lengths Ill get out my Sinar (for tripod work) or Mamiya 7ii's (if it needs to be handheld). But of course I am not saying that others will not find ways to use this camera for critical work!

I guess my point is that we should be greatfull that this camera is going to be produced! Congrats Ben and Justin! It seems there was a niche for a camera like this and I am very pleased that its funded. New ideas and modifications are of course interesting to hear about but in the end im just happy the camera will be made and that it may help to increase film sales of 4x5 film (especially Portra! I love that stuff).

[David Aimone]

Very well said Adam! Back to focusing on this great project, and not defending our opinions...

“Sometimes letting things go is an act of far greater power than defending or hanging on.”
― E.T.

It sounds like we all have our own hopes and dreams for this camera which is great!

Personally, I will happily put my Nikkor 90 f8 on it, use the provided sports finder, attach my Sunpack potato masher flash, stop down a bit, zone focus, load some Tmax400 and play Weegee. I shoot color nearly exclusively, but for some reason this is how I see myself using this camera.

Sure 90mm is wide for me, but thats why Ill happily use my Nikkor...because I have it and never use it otherwise. I could see 120mm or 135mm being nice, but I personally think 90mm is the perfect balance of not too wide but wide enough to make zone focusing possible and at the same time keeping the camera fairly compact.

I understand wanting more...but I also think its important to recognize that this camera is probably not intended to do everything. I know ill use it as a fun point and shoot at parties and walking around at night. For critical work that requires accuate focusing, more depth of field, or different focal lengths Ill get out my Sinar (for tripod work) or Mamiya 7ii's (if it needs to be handheld). But of course I am not saying that others will not find ways to use this camera for critical work!

I guess my point is that we should be greatfull that this camera is going to be produced! Congrats Ben and Justin! It seems there was a niche for a camera like this and I am very pleased that its funded. New ideas and modifications are of course interesting to hear about but in the end im just happy the camera will be made and that it may help to increase film sales of 4x5 film (especially Portra! I love that stuff).

[rfesk]

For quick shooting with this camera and utilizing ground glass focusing someone needs to make a ground glass that slips into the back. (Maybe by converting a film holder to hold a groundgass???)

Oh, I think the "sunny 16" rule still applies to these 4.5 lenses. I mainly like the fact they are vey bright on the gg. With my stripped-down Crown Grapic, a quick glance at the gg tells me I am in focus with the lens wide open, then I can stop down a bit more and still shoot fast enough to hold the camera steady at 1/50th. Of course, as you point out, there is also the option of shooting wide open with a more selective focus--and, again, a glance at the gg can tell you if you are in focus at the critical areas. That's been my experience, anyway. But, hey, we've all got our preferred methods and tools.

[MonkeyBrain]

MonkeyBrain, I'm afraid I don't know what you are suggesting or even the point of the original statement regarding wide-angle lenses.

Just expressing my point of view. But your absolutely right, totally irrelevant.

[Michael Roberts]

For quick shooting with this camera and utilizing ground glass focusing someone needs to make a ground glass that slips into the back. (Maybe by converting a film holder to hold a groundgass???)

According to the kickstarter description, they plan to ship the cameras with a poly-gg insert. It's not shown in the videos or photos.

"We'll include a simple metal sport finder so you can frame up your shot. If you want more accuracy, you can use our plastic "ground glass" insert, or purchase an accessory viewfinder."

[rdenney]

I think we forget the standard tool for "zooming" by press photographers--cropping.

If Ben had designed this as a true alternative to the Holga, he may have selected the 6x9 format. 90mm is just slightly wide for 6x9 and normal for 6x7.

Sinar calls their multiformat rollfilm holder the "Zoom".

Point being, it doesn't take much cropping to "normalize" a 90 on 4x5. But the the lens on a fixed-lens camera isn't wide enough, then there is nothing you can do. I select focal length more to control foreground and background size relationships, and stepping back doesn't replace a shorter lens that lets me capture the subject where I am. Thus, a fixed-lens camera really needs to err on the wide side.

I suspect that's why Speed Graphics are more likely to have been supplied with the 127 more than the 135 (and why both were more popular than the 150). The 127 was the widest fast Tessar that would provide coverage for 4x5, despite being intended for use on the 3x4 Graphics, and despite being not so wonderful in the corners.

Rick "who could live with just a 90 on a trip, knowing that cropping was an option, but not with just a 150 or 180" Denney

[AuditorOne]

A cheap (err, inexpensive) 28mm viewfinder. An inexpensive rangefinder lying around from some other experimenting that should work perfectly. A couple grafmatics, some ball bungees, lots of Efke 25, a Schneider Angulon 90 in a Linhoff Synchro-Compur with X flash, a couple Vivitar 285HV flashes and some radio triggers.

All of this right around Christmas! Man oh man, this is gonna be fun!

[Roger Cole]

I think we forget the standard tool for "zooming" by press photographers--cropping.

If Ben had designed this as a true alternative to the Holga, he may have selected the 6x9 format. 90mm is just slightly wide for 6x9 and normal for 6x7.

Sinar calls their multiformat rollfilm holder the "Zoom".

Point being, it doesn't take much cropping to "normalize" a 90 on 4x5. But the the lens on a fixed-lens camera isn't wide enough, then there is nothing you can do. I select focal length more to control foreground and background size relationships, and stepping back doesn't replace a shorter lens that lets me capture the subject where I am. Thus, a fixed-lens camera really needs to err on the wide side.

I suspect that's why Speed Graphics are more likely to have been supplied with the 127 more than the 135 (and why both were more popular than the 150). The 127 was the widest fast Tessar that would provide coverage for 4x5, despite being intended for use on the 3x4 Graphics, and despite being not so wonderful in the corners.

Rick "who could live with just a 90 on a trip, knowing that cropping was an option, but not with just a 150 or 180" Denney

Rick is of course completely correct. "Zooming with your feet" isn't the same. Perspective is solely a matter of relative camera-subject distance, NOT focal length. The reason different focal lengths give us different perspectives in practice is that we move closer or farther from the subject accordingly. Stand in the same place you'd have stood to shoot with a 150 and crop the negative in printing to 6x7 or whatever gives you an equivalent area in the print and you'll get the same perspective. Move closer to make the main subject the same size on the 4x5 film that it would have been with a 150mm lens and you'll get changes in perspective, sometimes depending on subject, foreground and background maybe very radical ones.

On the subject of Graphics, the "problem" I ran into when I looked into them is that most seem to have been stripped for use on a tripod with GG focusing, and never having even actually SEEN one in person, all the web info was more bewildering than helpful in trying to sort out what I really needed to put one of those Humpty Dumpty cameras back together again. Finding one complete and ready to go with viewfinder, rangefinder, lens and proper cam, all working well, is on my "some day I'll stumble across one and buy it" list (though it's not financially likely right now even if I did - but not that far out.)