Wista 45n as my first 4x5?

[jusxusfanatic]

Wista 45n as my first 4x5?

Hi there, some of you may know me from RFF... bu yea, I'm plannign on getting a wista 45n as my fst 4x5. Gonna shoot mostly landscapes, sometimes street. I was wondering if this is a good choice? I did think of getting a interpid before but changed my mind due to various reasons. Thanks

[MikeL]

Wista 45n as my first 4x5?

I was wondering if this is a good choice? I did think of getting a interpid before but changed my mind due to various reasons. Thanks

Yes.....actually no.....then again, maybe?......wait, no

[Mark Sampson]

Wista makes excellent cameras. One of them would be a fine choice for your first 4x5.

[Phil_F_NM]

Justin,
When you say you want to shoot "street" with a 4x5 camera, can you explain what you mean? I asked this over at RFF and you never gave an answer as to what you want to create with the LF camera regarding street photography.

Phil Forrest

[jusxusfanatic]

I 'm not going to do street, gonna do landscapes with it

[thafred]

Hi,

Street photography with 4x5 sure is possible (see my flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/57493810@N00/) but the wista 45n would not be my camera of choice for that.
The wista 4x5 is a fantastic metal camera equal to the linhof cameras but in my view as an urban LF photographer such a sturdy heavy camera is overkill. If i want to shoot with a tripod i use a shen hao ptb (chamonix 45 clone) wich saves a lot of weight. When i pack carbon tripod, 2lenses and 6 film holders I need to carry 8kg on my back wich is fairly light for what it is but gets tiring quickly. My advice for you is to get a good condition graflex with kalart rangefinder, learn to calibrate to your favorite lens and shoot that for handheld or tripod shooting. If you dont want to waste film with hanheld shooting id go for a very light field camera and invest in lenses with the money you save from not buying the wista.

[Phil_F_NM]

I 'm not going to do street, gonna do landscapes with it
"Gonna shoot mostly landscapes, sometimes street."
That is what you said in your first post here.

Phil Forrest

[Don Dudenbostel]

Think we're starting to see a pattern?

[Espacio_1999]

Don, Phil:
When you have been a teenage boy, several decades ago I presume, did it make any sense to you when completely foreign persons were scrutinising and scolding YOUR (most likely: pubescent) behaviour?


Think we're starting to see a pattern?


"Gonna shoot mostly landscapes, sometimes street."
That is what you said in your first post here.

Phil Forrest

[Oren Grad]

Folks -

What happened at another forum is irrelevant here, with the one exception noted below. If a member's conduct here is generally within guidelines, and the member responds appropriately to resolve any issues that do arise, then there is no basis for raising trouble here. If a member violates guidelines here, there are proper channels for reporting and dealing with that.

The sole exception is that members may report, in the "Advisories" subforum only, about first-hand experience with purchase and sale transactions, subject to strict rules about how the experience is reported.

Vigilante harassment is never appropriate. If you think someone has violated Forum guidelines, please report it. If you don't want to answer someone's questions, for whatever reason, then just don't, and leave it at that.

Any further discussion of events relating to Justin at RFF will be deleted.

[chassis]

Jusxusfanatic, if you like the camera, go for it. It certainly can make nice landscape images. My first LF camera was/is a metal field camera, and I have no regrets.

[Corran]

A cardboard box would work well enough for someone's first 4x5 camera. I mean, LF cameras are not exactly whiz-bang technology for the most part.

I personally prioritize weight, ease-of-use, and ability to use short lenses. The trick to things first is to learn the camera, stick with it, and practice. I know that's beating a dead horse. Don, and I, have recommended AA's "The Camera" and "The Negative" multiple times to you. So consider this yet another recommendation for said books.

Also, the problem partly is that you don't know what you want because you don't know what's available/possible. I remember I asked questions about handheld 4x5 gear waaay back when I first joined and got a quick education in what that entailed, and a few years later bought what I "wanted" back then but didn't know existed.

[Phil_F_NM]

I've been communicating with Justin via PM for a couple days. There is a phenomenon on forums of folks kind of ganging up on some when they don't really deserve it. Even I'm guilty of that and I apologized to him. In a one-on-one discussion, he's a perfectly fine individual who is interested in all aspects of photography as a hobby and is trying to find a medium that fits him. I think he deserves a chance here and wherever else he wants to hang online. I think he can be a sponge of photographic information and there is so much that it can be daunting, all the variables. I haven't discouraged him at all from large format as I don't think anyone should. Heck, the more people buying film, the better for everyone on the long run. He may or may not get a 4x5, we'll see. Either way, he deserves a chance to learn from us all and possibly teach us something as well.

Phil Forrest

[Marco Milazzo]

I recently bought an older Wista 4X5, and like it a lot. It's a heavy camera that does well in the wind, but If you plan to backpack very far, weight could be an issue. I know one photographer who backpacks into the "outback." He had a machinist drill large holes in the body to lighten the weight. On the plus side, you can buy a Wista compendium lens hood for it.

[jusxusfanatic]

Thanks for the comments. I deceided to not get one at the moment, until I get enough funds and get the point of having one.

[xtmevolution]

just get it, life is too short! no down side to get one, or two, as long it fun. at the end only after holding in hand you'll know if that's the one anyway.

[jusxusfanatic]

Well I need to buy a lens for my M2, so I need to save up till I can get it. Sheet film is expensive anyways

[xtmevolution]

yeah, ok. some times i also don't understand why people say buy camera must make film picture, can't i just collect them for history and to be honest old camera are nice looking and new camera are not like that.

[Alan Gales]

Thanks for the comments. I deceided to not get one at the moment, until I get enough funds and get the point of having one.

Do what I did. Pick up an old unwanted 4x5 monorail with 210mm f/5.6 lens off Ebay for dirt cheap.

Some of the entry level monorails like Cambo, Calumet and Toyo are lightweight for a monorail so you may be able to use your existing tripod. If not then buy an old Leitz Tiltall for less than $100. Use an oversized black T-shirt or Sweat shirt for a dark cloth. Buy a cheap pair of "readers" from the drug store for a loupe. Use your existing light meter or one in a film or digital camera you own or even your Cell Phone with the right app.

This way you will find out if 4x5 is for you without spending very much. If you like it and decide you want a field camera then go for it. You may still want to keep the monorail for portraiture, architecture or for using long lenses. The 210mm f/5.6 lens will always come in handy. If you do decide to sell then you will get most of your money back.

Some would recommend buying a Crown or Speed Graphic instead. These cameras are great but have no back movements and limited front movements. Get a monorail which has everything and is the easiest camera to learn on. Just understand though that LF is addicting. My old 4x5 Cambo monorail turned into an 8x10 field camera. :)

[Willie]

Second what Alan said. Older Calumet and similar monorails work well and are inexpensive. Watching sales and auctions you can get one with a lens and film holders for under $300. Using it for awhile will get you in the game and you will soon find out any limitations as well as what you might want should you buy a different camera later.

Many of us started this way. I can still remember seeing my Uncle with a 22 inch monorail Calumet alongside David Muench from the early 1970's. The Calumet looked odd next to the Linhof Technica but the 4x5 chromes sure did look good. Yes, my Uncle moved on to a more exciting field camera but the experience hiking and working on location with the Calumet gave experience that helped him hone in on just what he needed for his backpacking and field photography. His second 4x5 was his last 4x5 for field use. He says he learned a lot from the Calumet and it saved him having to go the step by step upgrade later. I know he used the Calumet for a couple years before replacing it.

He started me the same way tho with a Deardorff knockoff - a Rajah from India. A whole package deal including two lensed and a Tripod for just under $500. Later sold it for what I paid for it - minus the tripod and film holders.

Get something and start photographing. All the agonizing to make sure you don't make a mistake is time wasted because you are going to make mistakes as you go along. Having the camera means you are able to make them instead of just think of them.

[DHodson]

I got a very nice Wista 45D from a user on this forum and I've enjoyed it a lot. Rugged and easily packable - heavier for sure but not unmanageable and certainly easier than a monorail.

The downside for me was the limited movements but that's something a user needs to decide for themselves. Wista is a funny beast and deciding which one you're looking at takes a bit of work. The 45D looks like the 45SP but lacks the front swing of the 45SP. It does have the micro swing back though. The 45N lacks the micro swing back which may or may not be important to you. Lot's of users do amazing work with no movements but as I said, that's something for you to decide.

Good luck
Dave

[Peter Lewin]

I won't get into all the other options people are mentioning. But to simply stick with Wista, I would start with one of their wood field cameras rather than the metal 45n. The wooden models are lighter and have full movements.

[Patrick Gauthier]

Wista 45n as my first 4x5?

Hi there, some of you may know me from RFF... bu yea, I'm plannign on getting a wista 45n as my fst 4x5. Gonna shoot mostly landscapes, sometimes street. I was wondering if this is a good choice? I did think of getting a interpid before but changed my mind due to various reasons. Thanks

The wista 45n was my first 4x5 camera. I works just fine for landscapes with plenty of movements. Also have been a few for cheap on ebay lately (45d as well).

Having a wood camera now as well, I'm happy to have started with a metal camera that I was less likely to damage from being a newbie.