Is large format photography on the rise?

[Vick Ko]

Is large format photography on the rise?

I am intrigued because a dealer friend of mine is saying that he is getting more requests for modern 4x5 cameras.

And my current observations are that LF lenses aren't getting cheaper.

...Vick

[Steven Tribe]

As they say:

"The Jury is still out on this."

Lots of new people, but time will tell if they can overcome the usual setbacks and have the available time to make the progress that makes for continued interest.

As far as pricing of LF lenses -

Standard (ex Studio and prof. photographer's) modern lenses with shutters have been quite stable in the 4 years I have been looking. Availability is falling as the Generation change has been completed.

Standard antique lenses like Dagor and Protar have been falling slightly in this same period.

Pictorial lenses and Petzvals for the larger formats have risen a lot - but appear to have reached their maximum about 18 months ago. Demand for the more special/rare/huge/unique lenses is very unpredictable!

Lenses that were unsaleable a few years ago (projection lenses) now acheive prices which approach that of the "real" article.

This is just my personal impression, CCHarrison's website has data for a few years as regards Pictorial lenses.

[vinny]

You'll also notice that many of the newbie questions here asking about 4x5 are directly related to huge prints. Galleries want bigger and bigger prints and people think it'll be so easy to do it "if i just get a large format camera"

[Kirk Gittings]

Participation is a bit down here from a high point about 2 years ago. Allot of the sales here of "kits" look to me about people getting out of LF. Who knows for sure?

[Eric Biggerstaff]

I know of one well known US camera maker who says he cannot make cameras fast enough, and the sizes 5X7 on up are the ones being sold the most. Also, a VP at a large retailer told me he has been having a tough time keeping enlargers in stock as many schools and individuals are once again doing darkroom work. So, perhaps there is a bit of a move back to historic processes and film. Only time will tell.

[BrianShaw]

Allot of the sales here of "kits" look to me about people getting out of LF. Who knows for sure?

As you say, who knows for sure. I suspect that youare right about the sellers, but the buyers are likely to be users. I can't imagine someone buying all this stuff just to hoarde and store in a closet. But for me, I am shooting much less LF than ever before... for a variety of reasons.

[Kirk Gittings]

You are right of course-there is allot of buying activity by newbies it appears also.

For me it is on a project by project basis with most b&w projects being 100% large format and all color being digital, but overall a ton less since going digital for my commercial work.

[DennisD]

Let's hope it's on the "rise"

and not on the "fall",

clearly there's been a "shift",

so best to "swing" with it

until there's a "tilt" !

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I'm really sorry about this, but I couldn't resist ...
just be glad I didn't try to make it rhyme or put in the part about "dropping the bed" !

[sully75]

Nobody is giving stuff away on here, that's for sure. I've only been in this for a couple of years, but seems to me that prices have risen a little bit for basic stuff and there are not too many insane bargains.

[mandoman7]

As you say, who knows for sure.... but the buyers are likely to be users. I can't imagine someone buying all this stuff just to hoarde and store in a closet.

I don't think they buy to hoard, but they may not have really grappled with what the challenge really represents. With modern expressive arts, it seems to be more about attitude and image than learning about difficult procedures through trial and error. Youngsters may like the idea of appearing to be artisans, but many stall when they get to the learning-the-craft part. They apparently thought that they could "just do it".