Hi all, advanced amateur new to large Format

[pudentaineLf]

Hi everyone! What a great idea for a forum!! I just joined yesterday after hearing about you all from another forum and since I'm starting to work in large format film I thought I'd join to absorb some of the great knowledge all the members must have in total here, and hopefully learn enough to help other new members in the future. So for now I'll just help put up the proverbial folding chairs, help empty ashtrays and keep quiet and try and learn some things.

Icebreaker: What kind of Large Format camera do you have and would you recommend it for a newbie?


Look forward to meeting you all, don't be shy, I am. (joking)

By the way my name is Thomas!

[Andrew O'Neill]

Hi Thomas. I have a Canham light weight 8x10 (with a 4x5 reducing back). It was my first 8x10 camera. Would I recommend it to a newbie? Certainly. My first LF camera was a very old 4x5 Cambo studio camera. Would I recommend it to a newbie? Yes... but not for hiking!!
Welcome to the forum!

[pudentaineLf]

Hi Thomas. I have a Canham light weight 8x10 (with a 4x5 reducing back). It was my first 8x10 camera. Would I recommend it to a newbie? Certainly. My first LF camera was a very old 4x5 Cambo studio camera. Would I recommend it to a newbie? Yes... but not for hiking!!
Welcome to the forum!

Nice meeting you & thanks for the suggestions. I get the feeling this forum might not be as big as some of the other photography forums I've checked out, I'm saying that because there was nothing in the classified, a very few number of guests and members online when ever I've logged in. I' just asking because I'm a little curious and because your the only member to say Hi. Gosh, I hope LFP's aren't like engineers, ha , ha.(They're supposed to be really weird). Seriously, I don't believe in generalizations like that. I'm going to research your suggestions. I'm currently looking at a Speed Graphics body that's been sitting in storage for years but it has no lens, if I can get it cheap enough that might be a good 1st Large format. I'm not specifically into the big names, someone told me yesterday the owned a 4 x 5 Busch and thought it was built much better that the Speed. I couldn't open the link to your page!(oops, my fault)
Regards-Thomas

Finally saw your work...very nice!

[Andrew O'Neill]

Thank you for the compliment! Good luck in your quest, Thomas. I look forward to hearing what you settled on and looking at your images!

[Alan Gales]

Hello Thomas,

I own a Wehman 8x10 field camera, Sinar P 4x5 monorail, Tachihara 4x5 field camera, and a 4x5 Crown Graphic. I recommend all of them! :D

Welcome to large format and to the forum.

Alan

[Light Guru]

What kind of Large Format camera do you have and would you recommend it for a newbie?

As far as size goes I chose 4x5 because the film is easier to get and there are more options for ways to process it. Is also much cheeper then 5x7 or 8x10

[pudentaineLf]

Nice, I'd have to agree...

[Alan Gales]

Choosing 4x5 is probably the best way to start since everything is cheaper. Learn on 4x5 and move up to a larger format later if you wish. Of course if you choose to stay with 4x5 that's perfectly fine too.

[Leszek Vogt]

Welcome to LF, Thomas. I used to live in your neck of the woods....when SF was part of Brisbane metropolis :D. Well, I just found 5x7 or it found me...for insanely small amount of pesos (refuting it). But, I also have this hefty doorstop (Calumet 45NX)..a 4x5 rig. You can get more films with the latter format. I'd say that field camera is lighter, assuming you may want to go on hikes. Good luck choosing.

Les

[Robert Perrin]

Welcome, Thomas. Your mention of Busch caught my attention. Now neither the Busch or Graphics have rear movements. If that's not a problem they are great starting cameras. I'd certainly recommend the Busch over a Graphic with a couple of exceptions. I've owned a 4x5 Busch D since 1953 and it's still an excellent camera. It's the Crown Graphic that compares to the Busch D. Unless you really need the focal plane shutter there'd be no advanatage to the larger and heavier Speed over Crown among Pacemaker Graphics. There are two points I'll give the Graphics. Some will have the Graphlock back needed for Polaroid or Fuji instant film holders, some roll film holders and I think Graphmatics. And the lens board is slightly larger and much easier to find. The Busch is smaller, lighter and all metal (All sheet film graphics I know of except the Super and Century models are wood bodies). The Busch has a revolving back. The only way to take a vertical with any but the Super Graphic is to turn the camera on its side. Busch's front standard is machined aluminum instead of stamped steel and has decent movements. If I can bore you with a long story: A buddy worked in the camera store. I'd decided to get a Busch. He'd just bought a Crown and eventually convinced me to order a Crown Graphic instead. At the time I had a summer job with the local weekly paper. The next day I went to the county fair to shoot the Town's mural made of grapes. I had the paper's Speed Graphic. The mural was tilted back and too high to properly center with my tripod, and there was a pole in the way. Okay I needed a forward tilt, rise and shift. Well the only way to get a forward tilt on a Speed or Crown Graphic is to drop the bed. Then the rise will only get you back to neutral. When I tried to shift, the standard promptly hit the bed support. I got the best shot I could, changed my order back to a Busch and have never regretted it. For many years it was my only still camera. By the way if you run across a 4x5 Tower, it's a Busch rebranded for Montgomery Wards and would probably go for a bargain price. Anyway whatever you get will be great fun.

[Robert Perrin]

Oh, oh! Someone turned on the light while the brain was developing. Tower was Sears brand, not Montgomery Ward. Anyway it's still a Busch and a fine camera.

[dperez]

Welcome to the forum. Good luck with your adventure in LF photography.

I use an Arca-Swiss 4x5 classic, and an Ebony RW810. The advice you have been given so far I think is solid. When I started I found the Arca-Swiss used with three lenses, standard and bag bellows, pelican case, lens shade, filter holders and a few other bits for around $2,000. It was a nice find, but you can get into this for much cheaper.

Have fun,

-DP

[pudentaineLf]

Long maybe, but still a great story, I don't know about anyone else but I like war stories, there's always something to learn. I'm with you 100% on the Busch cameras. If I had the money I'd have a Busch Model D for a field camera and Camulet (not too knowledgable about these yet) 5 x 7 or 8 x 10 for my soon to be studio. I'm a retired bachelor what am I gonna do with a huge dining room, with a dining table and chairs in it, Ive got the furniture up for sale and my new dining room studio will be ready soon after. It has huge windows on one side that let in a lot of California SW sunlight & I'm close to the coast so its' cold enough to let it in...sorry if this is a duplicate!

thanks for the info



Welcome, Thomas. Your mention of Busch caught my attention. Now neither the Busch or Graphics have rear movements. If that's not a problem they are great starting cameras. I'd certainly recommend the Busch over a Graphic with a couple of exceptions. I've owned a 4x5 Busch D since 1953 and it's still an excellent camera. It's the Crown Graphic that compares to the Busch D. Unless you really need the focal plane shutter there'd be no advanatage to the larger and heavier Speed over Crown among Pacemaker Graphics. There are two points I'll give the Graphics. Some will have the Graphlock back needed for Polaroid or Fuji instant film holders, some roll film holders and I think Graphmatics. And the lens board is slightly larger and much easier to find. The Busch is smaller, lighter and all metal (All sheet film graphics I know of except the Super and Century models are wood bodies). The Busch has a revolving back. The only way to take a vertical with any but the Super Graphic is to turn the camera on its side. Busch's front standard is machined aluminum instead of stamped steel and has decent movements. If I can bore you with a long story: A buddy worked in the camera store. I'd decided to get a Busch. He'd just bought a Crown and eventually convinced me to order a Crown Graphic instead. At the time I had a summer job with the local weekly paper. The next day I went to the county fair to shoot the Town's mural made of grapes. I had the paper's Speed Graphic. The mural was tilted back and too high to properly center with my tripod, and there was a pole in the way. Okay I needed a forward tilt, rise and shift. Well the only way to get a forward tilt on a Speed or Crown Graphic is to drop the bed. Then the rise will only get you back to neutral. When I tried to shift, the standard promptly hit the bed support. I got the best shot I could, changed my order back to a Busch and have never regretted it. For many years it was my only still camera. By the way if you run across a 4x5 Tower, it's a Busch rebranded for Montgomery Wards and would probably go for a bargain price. Anyway whatever you get will be great fun.