Finally Got a Field Camera!

[Colorado CJ]

I'm a long time DSLR photographer and have been shooting large format for the past year with a Sinar F1.

My photography involves long hikes in the high country, many time with 4000 ft elevation changes and 10+ miles of back country hiking.

Needless to say, the Sinar was starting to weigh me down.

I finally found a field camera in my price range at KEH. It is a rosewood Zone VI Wista 4x5 in excellent+ condition for $525.00.

It arrives tomorrow. I can't wait to get it up into the high country!.

[jose angel]

Congratulations! There is no more fun than a nice mountain trip making LF photographs. Enjoy!

[Brassai]

You're going to wonder why you stayed with the Sinar so long after being with the Wista for about five minutes.

[Colorado CJ]

The package arrived today. It was so light, I thought that they might have forgot to pack the camera :D.

Opening the package revieled a brand new looking Wista Zone VI. It looks like it has never been used! Beautiful wood without a single scratch and perfect ground glass. The only thing that doesn't make it absolutely perfect is a couple of slight wrinkles in the bellows.

I can't believe the deal I got on this camera, $525.00. The new version goes for nearly $3000.00 at B&H.

I already shot 4 sheets through it at my shop. I just couldn't wait for the weekend to take it to the mountains.

[Colorado CJ]

Here are a few photos of the new (to me) camera. The bellows are a little wrinkled, but it is in great shape otherwise.

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3838/14664364156_0d21f002d4_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/okQGyL)Wista-Zone-VI-1 (https://flic.kr/p/okQGyL) by Colorado CJ (https://www.flickr.com/people//), on Flickr

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3922/14684194731_4cf11564b9_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/onAkve)Wista-Zone-VI-2 (https://flic.kr/p/onAkve) by Colorado CJ (https://www.flickr.com/people//), on Flickr

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5583/14684194641_19049c3edb_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/onAktF)Wista-Zone-VI-3 (https://flic.kr/p/onAktF) by Colorado CJ (https://www.flickr.com/people//), on Flickr

[Light Guru]

Beautiful camera! And at an awesome price also.

[Leigh]

That's a great camera. I have a somewhat later version of it, and love it.

Good shooting. ;-)

- Leigh

[Colorado CJ]

Beautiful camera! And at an awesome price also.

I grabbed it as soon as KEH listed it, my credit card is still smoking from how fast it was taken out of my wallet ;)


That's a great camera. I have a somewhat later version of it, and love it.

Good shooting. ;-)

- Leigh

Thanks, I see this camera being with me for many decades.


They really are pretty cameras. Now you have to find a field to use it in.

Oh, I have plenty of fields to take it in, ;). This one is 30 minutes from my house.

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5471/10771309293_ccff25a592_o.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/55229792@N03/10771309293/)
Horseshoe-Park----RMNP----RB67 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/55229792@N03/10771309293/) by Colorado CJ (https://www.flickr.com/people/55229792@N03/), on Flickr

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7384/11077101504_1b54b2036e_o.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/55229792@N03/11077101504/)
Fall-in-the-Park (https://www.flickr.com/photos/55229792@N03/11077101504/) by Colorado CJ (https://www.flickr.com/people/55229792@N03/), on Flickr

[Colorado CJ]

I rode up into the high country today to try out the new camera. I shot all twelve sheets I had and I'm now developing them. I'm not sure if they'll be dry enough to digitize tonight.

When I digitize them, I'll post them up. Anyway, here are a couple photos of the outing. The metal tripod will have to go. I am looking for either a reis or Berlebach wood tripod to go with the camera.

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2906/14723416073_64446ec384_o.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/55229792@N03/14723416073/)
20-July-2014-1 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/55229792@N03/14723416073/) by Colorado CJ (https://www.flickr.com/people/55229792@N03/), on Flickr

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2915/14701143234_e3c09f1ddd_o.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/55229792@N03/14701143234/)
20-July-2014-2 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/55229792@N03/14701143234/) by Colorado CJ (https://www.flickr.com/people/55229792@N03/), on Flickr


This elk grazed right up to me as I was sitting and taking a break, its hard work hiking around at 12,000 ft.

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5577/14680533836_68b20d7252_o.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/55229792@N03/14680533836/)
20-July-2014-3 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/55229792@N03/14680533836/) by Colorado CJ (https://www.flickr.com/people/55229792@N03/), on Flickr

[John Kasaian]

Congratulations!

[StoneNYC]

That is a massive lens for a light camera... But nice! Wish I had access to "the high country"

[Colorado CJ]

That is a massive lens for a light camera... But nice! Wish I had access to "the high country"

Yeah, it packs all right though.

I have a Fujinon W 125mm F5.6 coming soon. I think that will be able to stay attached to the camera while folded.

As for having access to the high country, yeah, it is pretty hard to beat. I live 30 minutes from where those photos were taken, I really wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

[Colorado CJ]

Well it took a while to work out, but here is the first shot from my new camera. This was shot on Foma 200 using a #25 red gel, exposed at 160 using the zone system. It was developed in Rodinal at 50:1 for 8 minutes.

Please ignore the streaking in the sky, that is an artifact of digitizing and stitching the image (I really need to pick up a negative scanner).

It was near noon with the sun overhead and not nearly as clear as normal, a decent amount of haze was in the air. Not a very good time to get the best out of photos, but it was still fun.

The other photos will have to wait until tomorrow. Now that I have a process worked out to digitize, they should be much faster to finish.

http://www.andrewmarjamaphotography.com/photos/i-VtMHgvb/0/XL/i-VtMHgvb-XL.jpg

[StoneNYC]

Well it took a while to work out, but here is the first shot from my new camera. This was shot on Foma 200 using a #25 red gel, exposed at 160 using the zone system. It was developed in Rodinal at 50:1 for 8 minutes.

Please ignore the streaking in the sky, that is an artifact of digitizing and stitching the image (I really need to pick up a negative scanner).

It was near noon with the sun overhead and not nearly as clear as normal, a decent amount of haze was in the air. Not a very good time to get the best out of photos, but it was still fun.

The other photos will have to wait until tomorrow. Now that I have a process worked out to digitize, they should be much faster to finish.

http://www.andrewmarjamaphotography.com/photos/i-VtMHgvb/0/XL/i-VtMHgvb-XL.jpg

Congrats!

[northcarolinajack]

Colorado,
From North Carolina Jack, all seems good in your state. My first wood field camera was a Zone V. The 125mm lens choice is good as well, wide is good when in the big outdoors!

Jack

[Colorado CJ]

Thanks guys.

Jack, yeah, I can see me using this camera for a long time to come. It is the perfect "small" size large format camera for taking on my bike. Fits right in my backpack or in a saddle bag and travels extremely well. I can't wait to take it on all my road trips through these mountains and the desert southwest.

[Colorado CJ]

Here is the second photo I took on Sunday with the new camera.

I am finding better ways to digitize. This one shows no artifacts in the sky from stitching (I have to stitch 9 images together, making for a roughly 150 megapixel image).

It was still high noon though, so the photo doesn't have the character it would have if shot in the morning or evening.

Mummy Mountain is in the distance.

http://www.andrewmarjamaphotography.com/photos/i-Q8mw6Zs/0/XL/i-Q8mw6Zs-XL.jpg (http://www.andrewmarjamaphotography.com/Sharing/n-dpsGR/i-Q8mw6Zs/A)