Most valuable tools for working LF photographers

[celtic9]

Hello everyone,

just starting out with LF photography and wondering what the most valuable tools a LF photographer should have are. I'd love to read your thoughts and experiences and maybe learn about certain tools that could be helpful, particularly in the field. I'm thinking about anything that might come in handy like meters, measuring tapes, phone apps etc.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

[DKirk]

Decent meter (spot meter preferred), for iOS there's the "reciprocity" app, sturdy tripod - if you're doing landscapes etc the Uniloc/Benbo ones are good. one of those fabric measuring tapes is handy to have, as is a decent hood/darkcloth and a decent magnifier (an 8x slide magnifier from jessops magnifies just a bit too much - a 4x-6x option is better otherwise you end up magnifying the grain on the glass making fine focus awkward).

The 5.11 Sidetrip briefcase happily holds a decent amount of gear - the front pockets can hold 4 5x4 DDS each.

Personally prefer using one of those A6 size notebooks to record exposure etc on rather than a phone app.

[Willie]

Very high quality cable release. The cheapies kink and have problems way too often.
A decent level you can see from most any angle. Top levels are almost useless when the camera is high.
A good small flashlight, like the newer LED types to help with setting shutters in dim light and for focus targets in those conditions.

[Eric Biggerstaff]

A cheap framing card, I make mine from scraps of 4 ply mount board. Nothing better for determining composition and lens selection.

[Kirk Gittings]

Your most valuable tool is your brain. Shoot as often as you can and mentally shoot when you see something interesting but don't have gear with you. Go through the whole process in your head step by step. This will also help you to know what tools you are lacking. With practice you will be able to catch fleeting light which is a big challenge with LF but also IMHO the most rewarding.

[Jim Jones]

Cameras may come and go as technology changes and one gains experience, but the right tripod is a lifetime investment. Light meters, like cameras and lenses, are a matter of personal preference. I get by with ancient Weston, GE, and Norwood selenium cell meters. For any expensive accessory except the tripod, there is probably an inexpensive alternative. Your best accessory is your brain. Fill it with good information and exercise it often.

[Jim Jones]

Darn! Kirk beat me to it! I need to speed up my typing,

[Paul Metcalf]

I carry a laminated card that tells me what f-stop to use based on focus spread and resultant/expected print size. This is derived from Stephen Peterson and Paul Hazma's articles from Photo Techniques Mar/Apr 1996 (a couple of years ago LOL).

138788

[Preston]

Kirk's ideas made me recall a quote from a famous French Alpinist, Gaston Rebuffat, who wrote, "To be able to really see, one must, above all, opens one's heart."

--P

[Lenny Eiger]

I'm with Kirk on this one. Sure a good spotmeter is important. But that's about it. One lens is all you need, at most, two. I wouldn't bother with a framing tool (you have eyes and a camera for this), certainly not a focus chart, as I am more interested in depth of field. Just close it down to f45... its too easy. Reciprocity chart you stick in your backpack- ok, why not. After a while you won't need it...

And when you get back home, a good library...

Make life easy...

[Peter Langham]

film

[Peter De Smidt]

Give lots of thought to your packing/carrying system. A good system makes carrying even heavy loads reasonable. A bad system makes carrying anything an exercise in frustration.
In addition to comfort, you want to consider how easy it is to get to everything. I once went on an 8 day hiking/camping trip on Isle Royale with a 4x5 in a trekking back pack. The pack was great for weight distribution, but it was a top loader, which required a lot of packing/unpacking to use the camera. I didn't take very many pictures. I have a Photobackpacker P3, which is terrific. I"m not sure if they're still available.

I put a piece of brightly colored tape on all things lose-able, such as lens caps, cable releases, meters.... This makes the items easier to spot if they end up where they shouldn't be.

I use a Tewe 4x5 viewfinder to pick compositions. It's not as nice as a Linhof, but it's a lot cheaper. For years I used a piece of mat board with a 4x5" hole, along with a string with knot in it to determine lenses. There was a knot at the hyper-focal point for each of my lenses at f/22. Put appropriate knot on check. Hold card up. If you shoot enough, as in enough to be good with a musical instrument, then you probably won't need such things. If you photograph a couple of times a month, then you might find them helpful.

Regarding standard equipment, get a good tripod and head. Properly treated, they can last for decades. You can have one of the very best cameras, but if it isn't held firmly in the proper position, you won't get great results.

[Heroique]

I'll underscore remarks about a dependable, sturdy tripod – don't scrimp here.

Back home in the darkroom, a quality 4-bladed easel should get the same attention.

Saunders, for example, made no better 4-bladed easels than their VT2000 (16x20 easel – w/ four guide slots for 5x7, 8x10, 11x14, and 16x20 paper) and VT1400 (11x14 easel – w/ three guide slots for 5x7, 8x10 and 11x14 paper).

I don't think they're made anymore, so you may have to search the used market, but they appear often enough.

-----
A viewing card is the most under-rated field tool in the LF world. Get one, or better, make one. Try it out, and you'll "see" for yourself! Just don't let it monopolize or dictate your vision; rather, use the viewing card as the maidservant of your vision.

[Mark Sawyer]

Your most valuable tool is your brain...

Nonsense! It will just lie to you and get you in trouble. Trust me, I know... :rolleyes:

As far as physical tools go, a good tripod, meter, loupe, and filmholders. Whatever serviceable camera and lens will be fine, although those are what most people fret over...

[David Lobato]

Memorization of basic exposure compensations for bellows draw and film reciprocity. Estimates within a 3rd of a stop work for me.

And a capable repair person who knows you can make LF photography much easier.

[K. Praslowicz]

Very high quality cable release. The cheapies kink and have problems way too often.

I used to buy expensive high quality cable releases and they'd still always break on me. Now I just keep an army of the cheapest ones I can get off eBay in my bag and toss `em as I kill them. Main point though, cheap or inexpensive, always have backups on hand.

[Vaughn]

Some sort of note-taking devise. I use Rite-in-the-Rain survey notebooks and a pencil, but others go higher tech. Not only will notes help to figure out what went wrong, they'll tell you what went right...so that you can do it again! One eventually decides what info helps -- rather than a pre-printed form designed by someone else.

I like these: http://www.riteintherain.com/stapled-notebook-level-4-5-8-x-7

I have quite a collection of them filled -- they become my journals of a sort.

Example of how I use them:

[Michael E]

I carry a post-it pad to label film holders with my notes. I later transfer these to my negative filing sheets to keep my notes close to the negs.

[Kirk Gittings]

I do too. I shove the end without the adhesive under the light trap lip so there are no loose ends.

[Eric Woodbury]

I carry a laminated card that tells me what f-stop to use based on focus spread and resultant/expected print size. This is derived from Stephen Peterson and Paul Hazma's articles from Photo Techniques Mar/Apr 1996 (a couple of years ago LOL).

138788

I tape a condensed version of this to the side of my cameras. And I stick the reciprocity table to my meter. Lots of stick.

The variability here of "Most Valuable Tools" is amazing.

[Christopher Barrett]

I recently picked up this Peak Zooming Loupe. A little spendy but SO awesome...

http://static.bhphoto.com/images/images500x500/Peak_1302044_8_16x_Zoom_Loupe_1323296322000_40720.jpg

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/40720-REG/Peak_1302044_8_16x_Zoom_Loupe.html

[DrTang]

$$$$

would be first


then a big ol heavy tripod is next

[Alan Gales]

Quality shoes and proper clothing.

Kirk's brain won't do you any good if you feet, knees or back are hurting or you are shivering from the cold.

[Bob Salomon]

I recently picked up this Peak Zooming Loupe. A little spendy but SO awesome...

http://static.bhphoto.com/images/images500x500/Peak_1302044_8_16x_Zoom_Loupe_1323296322000_40720.jpg

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/40720-REG/Peak_1302044_8_16x_Zoom_Loupe.html

It is very nice but it is really designed for prints, not focusing as pictured here. A focusing loupe has an opaque skirt, as does one for looking at transparencies. Does that transparent skirt come off?
Also, zooming from 8 to 16x is a bit much for ground glass focusing. You would usually be using 4 or 6x and 8x at the extreme. So the zoom part isn't that useful since it starts at 8x.

[Jim Jones]

For the price of just that loupe I could find a LF camera, adequate lens, film holders, and cheap loupe. By scrimping thus, it's easier to work less and still balance income and expenses. The transparent base is a practical asset. It can always be masked with black tape when used with a camera. As for the high magnification, seeing the texture of the ground glass insures that the eye is correctly focused.

[Ken Lee]

http://www.kenleegallery.com/images/forum/zonevifilter.jpg

A Zone VI viewing filter: small, light, no batteries required.

I cover mine with white tape to better simulate the appearance of a matted print.

[John Kasaian]

I agree with Kirk's brain.
Followed by curiosity.

For taking and printing hardware it depends on what you want to accomplish---certainly a dark place to load and unload film is valuable, as is a cable release.
If you are shooting a handheld Speeder or Linhof then a tripod, dark cloth, loupe etc.... aren't nearly as valuable as they would be if you're shooting a camera requiring a tripod.
If you are shooting an 8x10 or even a 5x7, then an enlarger becomes less valuable if you're interest is in contact printing.
For B&W, filters I find are extremely valuable, and of course good film holders!

[Bob Salomon]

For the price of just that loupe I could find a LF camera, adequate lens, film holders, and cheap loupe. By scrimping thus, it's easier to work less and still balance income and expenses. The transparent base is a practical asset. It can always be masked with black tape when used with a camera. As for the high magnification, seeing the texture of the ground glass insures that the eye is correctly focused.

You easily see the grain at 4x. While seeing that the loupe is properly focused on the grain of the gig you don't want so much magnification that you lose the important details due to too much magnification either. Also, when you get to extreme magnifications with a zoom type loupe that can not increase the diameter of it's lens then as you increase magnification the brightness of the image is reduced making focusing more difficult. You want the brightest image in the loupe possible. Not the dimmest. And taping the clear area of an almost $300.00 loupe is hardly the best way to treat that loupe!

[pdh]

Oh you can hand-hold a 10x8 pinhole. The results are just a bit ... how shall we say? ... impressionistic?

[Jim Jones]

You easily see the grain at 4x. While seeing that the loupe is properly focused on the grain of the gig you don't want so much magnification that you lose the important details due to too much magnification either. Also, when you get to extreme magnifications with a zoom type loupe that can not increase the diameter of it's lens then as you increase magnification the brightness of the image is reduced making focusing more difficult. You want the brightest image in the loupe possible. Not the dimmest. And taping the clear area of an almost $300.00 loupe is hardly the best way to treat that loupe!

Yes, 4X was certainly enough on my old original B&J ground glass, but I grind them finer than that. Now, after cataract surgery, I should do some more testing. I have yet to explore the effect of maximum camera lens aperture on different finishes on the GG.

[Henrim]

I wouldn't bother with a framing tool (you have eyes and a camera for this)

To me a framing tool (director's viewfinder in my case) is an essential tool in landscape photography. Especially when hiking with large format gear. I consider the viewfinder as my 'camera'. The 4x5 gear stays in the backpack until I'm done with 'taking the image'. When I'm done I take the gear out, set it up and record the mental image on film. With the viewfinder it's easier to try different angles (in some occasions different focal lengths too) and walk around to find the best spot to take the photograph.

[Lenny Eiger]

To me a framing tool (director's viewfinder in my case) is an essential tool in landscape photography. Especially when hiking with large format gear. I consider the viewfinder as my 'camera'. The 4x5 gear stays in the backpack until I'm done with 'taking the image'. When I'm done I take the gear out, set it up and record the mental image on film. With the viewfinder it's easier to try different angles (in some occasions different focal lengths too) and walk around to find the best spot to take the photograph.

I do something similar. I carry my camera on the tripod so that its easier (and faster) to shoot. I find I'm more spontaneous this way. However, when I see something I want to photograph I put the tripod and look all around. Like you, I take the shot before I set the camera up...

I use only 1 or 2 lenses, and after a while I can see exactly what the camera will see (or frame). I find that its an important step, this being able to imagine what will be in the camera. I find this tool we are talking about a hindrance... of course, that's just me... everyone has their own way of working.

[John Kasaian]

I find that a Swiss Army Knife is a valuable tool. The #2 Phillips and especially the cork screw & bottle opener :o

[Doremus Scudder]

Although brain, hands, camera, meter, lenses, light-tight holders and film are certainly essential, I think the OP is after valuable accessories that make the process of making a photograph more streamlined and successful.

So, in that vein... I second (or third...) the viewing frame/filter. I have the Zone VI incarnation (they were cheap when I bought mine, now they're pretty spendy on the used market), but you can easily make one from a card or the like. The advantage here is that you can frame up your shot, decide if it's even worth setting up for and have a pretty good idea of which lens you need before you ever start unpacking. It's one of my most valuable time-saving tools (of course, you need your brain to use it...).

Second on my list is a field notebook with exposure records/worksheet, bellows extension factors, reciprocity adjustments, filter info and whatever other information you need to consult regularly. While I'm good at math, I hate calculating (in my head or otherwise) when I'm shooting and concentrating on other things like composition and exposure.

Third (and especially with architecture) is a well-positioned quality gridded ground glass. Levels and angle finders are nice, but if you really want things square, you need to use the grid.

Finally, I focus using the near-far method, and a good rule on the rail or bed of the camera coupled with a table of optimum f-stops like the one posted above are really a boon to me.

BTW, I like my 4-diopter flip-up glasses and an 8x loupe for focusing.

Best,

Doremus

[Drew Bedo]

Most valuable?

I'd have to say that film is the most costly recurring expense and without it you just have gear.

There are alternatives to traditional films such as X-Ray films or paper negatuves. Whatever the case, the sensitive medium is the choke-point in the LF creative process . . .without it you just have equipment.

[TXFZ1]

This thread reminds me of the old joke:

All the organs of the body were having a meeting, trying to decide who was the one in charge.

"I should be in charge," said the brain, "Because I run all the body's systems, so without me nothing would happen."

"I should be in charge," said the blood , "because I circulate oxygen all over so without me you'd all waste away."

"I should be in charge," said the stomach , "because I process food and give all of you energy."

"I should be in charge," said the legs , "because I carry the body wherever it needs to go."

"I should be in charge," said the eyes, "Because I allow the body to see where it goes."

"I should be in charge," said the rectum , "Because I'm responsible for waste removal."

All the other body parts laughed at the rectum and insulted him, so in a huff, he shut down tight.

Within a few days, the brain had a terrible headache, the stomach was bloated, the legs got wobbly, the eyes got watery, and the blood was toxic. They all decided that the rectum should be the boss.


The Moral of the story?


The ass hole is usually in charge!

[peter schrager]

A sturdy case so you sit down on it..