Help me pick the perfect LF camera for my needs!

**teleugeot** · 26-Mar-2012, 20:11

Originally Posted by sully75

You could also find a whole-plate camera and put 5x7 or 4x5 backs on it. Definitely a lot harder to find film and more importantly perhaps, film holders for. But a nice contact print size (you can read about this on The Online Photographer, if you like).

I started with 5x7 because I intended to contact print. Now it's 2 years in and I've never made a silver print or anything else. Just scanning and inkjet. So...I'd be realistic about that. If you end up scanning, 4x5 scans pretty darn nice for a 17x22 print on a pretty cheap Epson scanner in my experience.

I'd never heard of a whole-plate camera before--it doesn't sound like a half bad idea, although the comparative availability of 8x10 in a variety of formats outweighs the weight savings, it seems like. I definitely won't throw the idea out.

Re: printing--part of the impetus for moving to large format is so I can prevent the digital world from intervening in the process at all. I don't like having to worry about having a big enough transparency unit on my (now $500) scanner, worrying about getting the film SUPER FLAT, worrying about the maximum resolution of the scanner, having enough hard drive space and DEFINITELY about post-processing AT ALL, etc etc. My life is dominated by those machines enough--contact printing sounds simple enough to not be terribly frustrating and to provide a healthy alternative to all that scanning nonsense... Of course, if you're happy with that process, all the more power to you!!

**Drew Bedo** · 27-Mar-2012, 07:50

The Burk and James cameras come up on e-bay from time to time as well and while a little clunky, have all the movements.

If you can find a medical clinic that still uses dark room developed X-Ray film they probably have an automatic processor for their film. The chemistry is compatable with Tri-X film (but NOT T-Max and others). Get to know someone there and maybe you can work something out for developing your shots.

**Brian C. Miller** · 27-Mar-2012, 09:03

Originally Posted by teleugeot

... I'm a starving college student (music cognition/philosophy) ... I'd like it to be sub $1000 (with lens).

What camera should I buy? If anyone here has any information (or a camera to sell) that'd be awesome!!

Pinhole camera, and make it yourself.

Face it: you want to have some fun, and pinhole cameras are the cheapest that you can go. You can make an 8x10 camera out of a paint can. Jim did this shot using a Pringles can.

**teleugeot** · 27-Mar-2012, 09:30

Originally Posted by Brian C. Miller

Pinhole camera, and make it yourself.

Face it: you want to have some fun, and pinhole cameras are the cheapest that you can go. You can make an 8x10 camera out of a paint can. Jim did this shot using a Pringles can.

Once I get my toe in the water, I fully intend to shoot pinhole! I've got a few cigar boxes at home that would be absolutely perfect for this. I just feel like I would be cheating myself if I denied myself the experience of seeing that image upside-down on the ground glass for the first time... My mouth is watering already...