Have you ever been mocked for LF?

**jcoldslabs** · 25-Jul-2014, 19:40

In 1988 when I proudly showed off my first LF camera--a brand new Toyo 45A--to my girlfriend she said, "Why'd you buy such an old camera?" She wasn't mocking me, but she didn't understand, as many people don't, that the presence of bellows ≠ old.

The joke's on her, though, since these days she's got to put up with a Century 10A on a Semi-Centennial stand parked in her living room. Now she understands what "old" means in reference to cameras!

Jonathan

**Mark G** · 25-Jul-2014, 23:35

If you think that you get daft questions using LF you aught to try pinhole!!!

Click image for larger version.

Name: Old Oak Pinhole 5x4 001 comp.jpg
Views: 111
Size: 53.9 KB
ID: 118944

I can't remember how many times iv'e been asked "Where is the lens then?" and "why do you keep your camera in that box?"

**Liquid Artist** · 26-Jul-2014, 03:57

Originally Posted by Mark G

If you think that you get daft questions using LF you aught to try pinhole!!!

I can't remember how many times iv'e been asked "Where is the lens then?" and "why do you keep your camera in that box?"

Cool looking camera Mark, did you follow some sort of pattern or just design your own?

**Kevin J. Kolosky** · 26-Jul-2014, 06:10

I have asked people who looked interesting to me if I could take their portrait and they refused because they could not see their "picture" right away. I don't know if that is mocking or not.

**Mark G** · 26-Jul-2014, 10:56

Originally Posted by Liquid Artist

Cool looking camera Mark, did you follow some sort of pattern or just design your own?

Thanks, I can't claim total originality, I used some ideas of the net, but the shutter and basic design was mine. This is one of my early attempts, I have since built a "loose" panel in the front so that any expansion and contraction are eliminated. this one is made from an old oak beam that came out of an old barn in Scotland that was dated to around 1600 A local builder had to replace this timber as it was rotten at one end, and i managed to scrounge it off him. (He was going to chop it up for firewood.) I managed to build three cameras out of the beam. The rest of the timber was too far gone to use. I took this one to Portugal with me and the dry heat split the front panel. It is now filled and covered with Duct tape and works a treat. the sight lines are brass inlay . it has brass tripod mounts for portrait and landscape also a simple shutter using a cable release. Hmmm I think that iv'e put this on the wrong thread. I'll post some pics on the proper thread later.

**Liquid Artist** · 26-Jul-2014, 22:25

Originally Posted by Mark G

Thanks, I can't claim total originality, I used some ideas of the net, but the shutter and basic design was mine. This is one of my early attempts, I have since built a "loose" panel in the front so that any expansion and contraction are eliminated. this one is made from an old oak beam that came out of an old barn in Scotland that was dated to around 1600 A local builder had to replace this timber as it was rotten at one end, and i managed to scrounge it off him. (He was going to chop it up for firewood.) I managed to build three cameras out of the beam. The rest of the timber was too far gone to use. I took this one to Portugal with me and the dry heat split the front panel. It is now filled and covered with Duct tape and works a treat. the sight lines are brass inlay . it has brass tripod mounts for portrait and landscape also a simple shutter using a cable release. Hmmm I think that iv'e put this on the wrong thread. I'll post some pics on the proper thread later.

Very interesting Mark, thanks for sharing.
I am sorry if anyone is bothered by Marks or this post being here. Definitely my fault for asking about it.

**jnantz** · 28-Jul-2014, 00:41

not mocked but questioned what i was doing with a birdhouse on a tripod off the side of the road when people saw me a few hours later ... it was a cyclone 3 magazine camera with the leather stripped off ...
i showed her the paper negative which was hand coated and looked like a painting and she kind of smiled and said " thats some birdhouse!"

**arca andy** · 4-Oct-2014, 12:22

Some once kids through stones at me whilst I was shooting Tower Bridge from the banks of the Thames....does that count as mocked? They missed by the way!

**invisibleflash** · 4-Oct-2014, 13:53

People are fascinated with LF like it is something from medieval times.

**Andrew O'Neill** · 4-Oct-2014, 15:40

People usually just have a good look. Some ask me if it's an old camera. Some chat while I'm working with the camera and reminisce about some old camera that they used to shoot. Some are surprised that you can still buy film. I remember a guy asking me "where's the thing you light and it goes BOOM?" Never really had any mocking that I can recall.