4x5 field camera for some architecture work with a roll back. MPP?

[suchar]

Big thanks for all the posts! This is very helpful I'll try to answer all the questions you ask.

I'm currently working on my projects with an analog Hasselblad and enjoy the film-photography routine (besides, if you want to find out what I'm shooting check my blog http://portretulicy.blogspot.com). What is more, actually the only lens I use is 80mm. I started working on the project about suburbs last summer with Mamiya RB67 and 50mm lens, but lacked the movements and after a while stopped. This project is something private, which may or may not turn into something bigger, therefore the quality of the image is important. I perceive it as a kind of sociological study. For sure the web-size images are not my target, rather the prints Perspective correction on a computer is a tool I sometimes use, but I don't want it to become the method. Moreover, movements would not only correct the perspective, but enable me to, for instance, change the proportions of the fence and the building behind it on the picture. 50mm on RB67 was often too wide, I could easily get away with something narrower (65? 70?). So, after last year's experiences I decided to seek for a LF.

Am I right to think that your suggestion is a monorail with a wide angle lens (let's say 65mm), as this kind of a kit should work better than a field camera? Would it be possible to buy such kit with the lens and a film back with $1000?

Emmanuel, this is a nice series, inspiring! Greetings from Poland

Cheers,
Chris

[Mike Anderson]

A Calumet cc-402 would certainly go wide (short) enough, but it's on the heavy side and the roll film options are limited. Somewhat hard to find, but cheap.

[rdenney]

For a thousand bucks, you can build a very nice monorail kit based on a Sinar F or even F2, including a decent rollfilm holder and the correct bag bellows. The best lens bang for the buck would be a Schneider Super Angulon f/8, 65mm, which should also fit in that kilobuck total. It will easily mount on the Sinar using a flat board.

These are the cameras made for architecture work. You get more camera for the dollar with a good monorail than with a field camera.

The MPP is really a technical camera more than a field camera (which is good for your purpose). But a good one will cost more and still struggle with the shorter lenses. The best by far of that breed is a Linhof Technika, but not with your budget.

Other choices on the cheap end include a Pentax 6x7 and a 75mm shift lens, or even something as goofy as a Pentacon Six or Kiev 60 with the excellent Arsat 55mm PCS lens, if you can find one.

If you want to change the relative size of foreground and background objects, your first tool of choice will be moving the camera and using a different lens. That recommends the view camera approach, which does not depend on specialty shift lenses to support movements.

Rick "experienced with all these options" Denney

[Frank Petronio]

I'd get a shift lens for your medium format camera or perhaps a Hasselblad Flexbody.

Using roll film on a 4x5 camera will work but it not ideal. If you want to use 120 film, get a 120 camera.

Cambo, Arca-Swiss, Linhof, and others made view cameras for 6x9 - 120 film, perhaps one of those would work?

[Ivan J. Eberle]

$1000 budget all in makes it a bit challenging to recommend anything other than a good cheap monorail and bag bellows in 4x5. You can shoot a whole lot of 4x5 film for the difference between these and a fancy 6x9 that carries a premium being still useful w/a digital back (Arca, Linhof). Low end 6x9 monorails may not work as well in the wide realm (Galvins or Gowlands). Mid range monorails with bag bellows options don't readily come to mind (Okay, there's the Peco Plaubel, maybe, but what else?).

[Joseph Dickerson]

Both Frank and Rick have given you excellent, albeit contradictory, advise. I have worked using both of their approaches and there are advantages and disadvantages to each.

If you are close to a large(ish) camera shop with a rental facility I'd strongly suggest trying both using rental gear and see which is most comfortable for you.

As I mentioned earlier both Pentax and Mamiya have PC lenses for their 6x7 systems. However they both have but one lens, and both are 75mm lenses. I had a Pentax 67 with the 75mm PC and it was an incredible lens. If you think you'll need more variety of focal lengths then Frank's suggestion is the way to go. A Sinar F-1 is what I'm now using and it's much more adaptable to differing situations, easy to transport, and probably less expensive than a medium format system. Although if you still have the Mamiya and just need to add the PC lens that becomes a moot point.

The Sinar F/1/2 is a fantastic camera and quite cheap used. Versatile in the extreme, and most accessories are inexpensive as well.

Good luck,

JD

[rdenney]

I'd get a shift lens for your medium format camera or perhaps a Hasselblad Flexbody.

Using roll film on a 4x5 camera will work but it not ideal. If you want to use 120 film, get a 120 camera.

Cambo, Arca-Swiss, Linhof, and others made view cameras for 6x9 - 120 film, perhaps one of those would work?

Normally Frank and I are in sync on stuff like this. But I have to disagree about 6x9 view cameras. They tend to be less flexible, or more expensive than your budget, or both. The best ones are the gear-driven models intended to be a good fit with digital backs, such as the Cambo and Arca models Frank mentioned, but they are really expensive.

If you go with a native rollfilm camera, the shift lens is likely to be the only choice in your budget. The 75mm Pentax lens may run $600-700 (I paid half that for mine, but it's nearly beat to death), but a $300 body (with non-metered prism or waist-level finder) is not unusual. The 55mm Arsat, which is a very nice lens, will only run $300-400, and you can adapt it to a Mamiya or Pentax 645 camera, or get a Kiev 60 and hope it works.

The Flexbody and similar examples I've seen would blow your budget.

Rick "taking the thousand-buck budget seriously" Denney

[Kevin J. Kolosky]

Since you are already familiar with Hasselblad equipment, why not look around for a flexbody (if you want to use hasselblad lenses) or an arcbody that uses a rodenstock lens. that way you can continue to shoot 120 film.

You could also take a look at the Linhoff M679 Medium Format view camera so that you could still use 120 size film.

[anglophone1]

Emmanuel
Thanks for posting this, I have been thinking of a similar project in Ireland.

portraying detached houses (which means not very high) in the suburbs.

Hello from France !
Without interfering with the choice of your equipement, this work by Daniel Bouzard in the Île-de-France area (Paris and suburbs) seems to correspond to something close to your project.
http://www.galerie-photo.com/daniel-bouzard.html
The text is in French but the images speak for themselves.
In his project Daniel Bouzard has decided to ask the owners to be portrayed in front of their home. Many accepted, some refused.
But eventually following this route, Daniel had no problem of image rights with houses & owners, since he only took pictures with people who had given their consent.
My understanding is that people who accepted were probably proud and happy to be portayed "seriously" in front of their home with a view camera on tripod, i.e. exactly the opposite attitude of a stolen image.
All technical details are mentioned at the end of the article, as a summary, Daniel uses a 4x5" monorail, a Schneider 110 Xl lens, and prints on traditional sliver-gelatin + (selenium + viradon) toner.
The equivalent in 6x7 (56x70 - 56x72 mm) of the 110 mm for 4x5" (94x120 mm) is a focal length of about 65 mm as mentioned by Kirk.
a 90 mm in 4x5" would translate as a 55 mm in 6x7. Focusing a 55 at infinity may be difficult on some wooden field cameras.
A 65 mm is probably easier to focus on a wide range of very affordable 4x5" cameras.

[suchar]

Guys,

I have at least two reasons which make me think of LF rather than MF. Firstly, I live in Poland which does not provide a rich market of used gear, especially the more specific one like Mamiya tilt-shift lenses. I'd already been looking for one I didn't find any. It is much easier to buy LF here, which includes even quite rare MPP (sold already) and Sinar gear as well. Buying on ebay is not easy, as this kind of stuff is usually not shipped worldwide. Secondly, I still consider going into panoramic photography, at least I want to have this option. B&W photography on LF is not that costly and I can afford. It seems to me LF is a better option, more versatile.

I'm not that familiar with Hasselblad gear, as in fact I use just one body and one particular lens

What is now on my mind is "sell Mamiya, save a bit more, and get a decent Sinar kit".

Thank you!