View Full Version : the "best" 5x7 Camera
BLATT LAB
6-Apr-2021, 11:47
Inspired by a recent Thread: What is the "best" 5x7 Camera in your opinion and why do you prefer the camera over a different one? It would be also great to hear what you don't like about other cameras and why you decided against them.
Can't find what I want -- almost, though.
Non-folding, bellows draw of ~300mm, back tilt, full front movements, horizontal and vertical capabilities. Except for the front movements, my present 110 year old 5x7 fits the bill and is doing great...and not worth replacing until I find that 'perfect' camera.
Eastman View No.2 --
Korona View Camera (https://camerapedia.fandom.com/wiki/Korona_View_Camera), I have a complete kit in the OE suitcase, I would grab that on the road to perdition, wood for the fire
Mit plate and film holders, 2 backs, the lens board has a Packard mounted inside
Not an eBay find, it is as nice as the one in the link, with more bits
Studio is different and I have dif
BLATT LAB
6-Apr-2021, 12:20
Its probably hard to get everything we want in one package but almost is often more then good enough!
Why do you prefer non-folding over folding ?
Can't find what I want -- almost, though.
Non-folding, bellows draw of ~300mm, back tilt, full front movements, horizontal and vertical capabilities. Except for the front movements, my present 110 year old 5x7 fits the bill and is doing great...and not worth replacing until I find that 'perfect' camera.
Eastman View No.2 --
I've got the same type of Eastman View as Vaughn. I like it because it's reliable, durable and sturdy. Also, not terribly expensive and a lot lighter than my 8x10.
I agree the one thing I'd improve is to add front tilt.
It does one thing very well - exposes 5x7 film and plates, and that's all I need.
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If I had more $$$ I would buy this (https://www.chamonixviewcamera.com/cameras/45hs1) with both formats and new holders, same MFG
BUT I don't NEED anything more
so it goes
Its probably hard to get everything we want in one package but almost is often more then good enough!
Why do you prefer non-folding over folding ?
Lens can stay on the camera, quick set-up, the way they mount to the tripod lends itself to be carried over the shoulder (folders do not, as they are a square perpendicular to the orientation of the tripod legs). package size is about the same. A selling point of my present set-up is the moving block under the rails. I am not using long lenses and not needing/having the back extension, it centers the weight over the tripod and totally stiffens the hinge between the back and the front rail.
I see jim has one, also. Alas TC, that would be the 'perfect' camera if it also went vertical with 5x7. I am in under the redwood trees. I do have horizontal images, but a lot cries out for the vertical!
5x7, 180mm, platinum/palladium print
BLATT LAB
6-Apr-2021, 14:10
Would you buy a vertical only camera ?
Lens can stay on the camera, quick set-up, the way they mount to the tripod lends itself to be carried over the shoulder (folders do not, as they are a square perpendicular to the orientation of the tripod legs). package size is about the same. A selling point of my present set-up is the moving block under the rails. I am not using long lenses and not needing/having the back extension, it centers the weight over the tripod and totally stiffens the hinge between the back and the front rail.
I see jim has one, also. Alas TC, that would be the 'perfect' camera if it also went vertical with 5x7. I am in under the redwood trees. I do have horizontal images, but a lot cries out for the vertical!
5x7, 180mm, platinum/palladium print
Jeff Keller
6-Apr-2021, 14:18
Canham MQC57 (or Canham traditional wood): 24" bellows but can be used easily with a 90mm SA XL or not as easily with a 72mm SA XL. At about 6 lbs. its weight is quite reasonable.
Collapse the standards together, cover with a bag, and you don't have to fold it while carrying it around.
Jeff Keller
Location matters
I expect soon I will be limited to my 1/2 acre, horizontal will suffice
Studio is different, I started LF in wheelchair...but not needed it for years now..I still have it close at hand...JIC
I remember many late nights chatting on LF with a guy who only shot 'around the house'
His images were always interesting, he deleted them all when he left for whatever reason
Mr Blatt, just start, don't think or reason
Oren Grad
6-Apr-2021, 14:29
Older-style Nagaoka. Bellows draw, movements and rigidity adequate for my purposes. Very compact when folded. Weighs ~3.75 pounds. Sets up and takes down in seconds, with an action so simple I can do it blindfolded.
Ikeda is very similar in all respects.
Anyone who is shopping, be careful: many of the Japanese wooden cameras that show up on eBay these days are older models that use proprietary book-form film or plate holders rather than standard block-form holders.
BLATT LAB
6-Apr-2021, 15:08
3.75 punds is lighter or the same weight as a lot of 4x5s that's great! Wich lenses are you using on it?
Older-style Nagaoka. Bellows draw, movements and rigidity adequate for my purposes. Very compact when folded. Weighs ~3.75 pounds. Sets up and takes down in seconds, with an action so simple I can do it blindfolded.
Ikeda is very similar in all respects.
Anyone who is shopping, be careful: many of the Japanese wooden cameras that show up on eBay these days are older models that use proprietary book-form film or plate holders rather than standard block-form holders.
Bernice Loui
6-Apr-2021, 15:11
"Best" 5x7 camera does not exist. There is no such camera as the "Best" camera for an extremely long list of truths, reality and facts.
What is realistic is what camera meets your image goal needs best with specific trade offs.
Bernice
Inspired by a recent Thread: What is the "best" 5x7 Camera in your opinion and why do you prefer the camera over a different one? It would be also great to hear what you don't like about other cameras and why you decided against them.
Drew Wiley
6-Apr-2021, 15:15
I've always thought of the Canham 5X7 as the sweet point in his wooden camera lineup. But if price were no object, and I could juggle yet another format, I would bag an Ebony. More realistically, I could simply acquire a 5X7 rear and bellows for my Sinar Norma, or else make a 5x7 back for my Phillips 8x10 in my own reasonably well-equipped shop. There are all kinds of camera options. But clean 5x7 holders are getting harder to find.
BLATT LAB
6-Apr-2021, 15:19
Thats why I wrote "best" and not best. I don't look for a camera to buy myself in this thread, I am just interested in what people choose as their personal "best" 5x7 camera.
I don't want to know wich is the perfect camera but the best for the person answering, wich is exactly what you said: The Camera that meets your image goal needs best with specific trade offs. Or just the camera the fits you personally the best or you like the most even if it has flaws or x does not fit all your needs 100%. The "best" 5x7 for someone can objectively be the "worst" camera available.
"Best" 5x7 camera does not exist. There is no such camera as the "Best" camera for an extremely long list of truths, reality and facts.
What is realistic is what camera meets your image goal needs best with specific trade offs.
Bernice
Oren Grad
6-Apr-2021, 15:21
3.75 punds is lighter or the same weight as a lot of 4x5s that's great! Wich lenses are you using on it?
Usually go out with two lenses - 210 Sironar-N and 150 Apo-Sironar (W). If only one lens, 180 Apo-Sironar-S. Have also used my 90/6.8 Caltar II-N (Grandagon) on occasion when I've been in the mood to experiment with ultrawide.
BLATT LAB
6-Apr-2021, 15:22
If someone really wants to get into 5x7 / is serious about shooting the format Chamonix makes great 5x7 holders. Obviously expensive but better than bad holders.
"Best" 5x7 camera does not exist. There is no such camera as the "Best" camera for an extremely long list of truths, reality and facts.
What is realistic is what camera meets your image goal needs best with specific trade offs.
Bernice
Bernice Loui
6-Apr-2021, 15:38
Film holder are a different topic. Toyo 5x7 film holders would have been good, except that never happened.
Primary importance with film holders is film flatness (adhesive or some method of assuring the film is... flat), accuracy from film holder seating face to film plate and durable.
Bernice
If someone really wants to get into 5x7 / is serious about shooting the format Chamonix makes great 5x7 holders. Obviously expensive but better than bad holders.
Bernice Loui
6-Apr-2021, 15:40
That said, Sinar remains the view camera of choice.. But, y'all knew that already.
Bernice
Thats why I wrote "best" and not best. I don't look for a camera to buy myself in this thread, I am just interested in what people choose as their personal "best" 5x7 camera.
I don't want to know wich is the perfect camera but the best for the person answering, wich is exactly what you said: The Camera that meets your image goal needs best with specific trade offs. Or just the camera the fits you personally the best or you like the most even if it has flaws or x does not fit all your needs 100%. The "best" 5x7 for someone can objectively be the "worst" camera available.
Would you buy a vertical only camera ?
No -- I am not always in the woods! I do have a 4x5 that is either one or the other -- but because it is difficult to change (undoing screws and stuff that can get lost in the field), it is easier just to turn the camera 90 degrees with the head for the other orientation. I usually have it set up for vertical as the default. The camera only weighs a couple pounds, so no strain on the pod/head.
Edit
As you mentioned, it is a personal thing. I have a Sinar 5x7 I have not used and have no intention of using it. Too 'fiddly' for my personality. Too many bits and pieces. Bellows have holes in the corners, too, but so it goes. I believe the 5x7 back is a home-made job.
The Eastman View No.2 is a sweet, light, beastie that is also quite a beautifully made tool. It takes a different mind-set than mine to consider a Sinar to be beautiful.
Zion National Park
5x7, using the the 210mm, I think...forgot to write that down. Platinum print
djdister
6-Apr-2021, 19:09
I stopped buying LF cameras after I got the Canham 5x7 MQC. Then I added the Canham 617 rollfilm back and also the 4x5 back adapter. I've used lenses from a 75mm to 360mm with the same bellows. So yeah, it works for me...
BLATT LAB
7-Apr-2021, 00:42
The Canham Metal Cameras are great! How do you like the Motorized 6x17 back ?
I stopped buying LF cameras after I got the Canham 5x7 MQC. Then I added the Canham 617 rollfilm back and also the 4x5 back adapter. I've used lenses from a 75mm to 360mm with the same bellows. So yeah, it works for me...
Joseph Kashi
7-Apr-2021, 01:12
Another reasonable 5x7 option would be the Wista Rittreck 5x7, made for a few decades. The latest that I saw Wista advertising new Rittrecks in View Camera magazine was the end of 1989. Rittrecks are an all metal folding field camera, well-protected, and relatively compact but at 9.4 pounds, they are a few pounds heavier than the very nice Canham MQC 5x7 or most 5x7 wood folders. Rittrecks are about 2.5 pounds lighter than the equivalent Linhof 5x7 Technika. The Technika does have the advantage of 23" triple-extension while the Rittrack is only double-extension with about 14"-15" bellows extension. The Rittreck rotating 4x5 reduction back is easy to find.
Rittrecks are readily available on EBay with good condition copies priced at or under $500, have complete movements. are very sturdy, and fold into a stout metal shell. In many ways, they're a good backpack 5x7 if you don't plan to walk too far. They're faster and easier to set up and use than my other 5x7 cameras, a Tachihara (or maybe it's a Tachi clone), a lovely wood Agfa Ansco tailboard in nice condition, not to mention a stout 5x7 monorail Toyo G. These are all nice 5x7 cameras in good condition and they all have their merits and uses, but I find that I usually take the Rittreck kit when heading out the door.
The 'best' camera is the one that's with you when taking photos. My first LF camera was a Linhof SuperTechnika 13x18 V, and I love it. You can put a 58 mm and a 450 mm and get focus on a lot of subjects, closed is a tank. If my first camera was a Canham, an Ebony, a Deardoff or a Lotus, I would be in love too, and no watching around. When I want to travel really light, I have a 4x5 camera.
A friend has a Rittreck and it's a lovely camera too. And the 5x7 monorails? Sinar, Linhof, Arca, Toyo, there is a lot of good cameras for 5x7 or 13x18 film.
Another reasonable 5x7 option would be the Wista Rittreck 5x7, made for a few decades. The latest that I saw Wista advertising new Rittrecks in View Camera magazine was the end of 1989. Rittrecks are compact but at 9.4 pounds, they are a few pounds heavier than the very nice Canham MQC 5x7 or most wood folders.
On the other hand, they are readily available on EBay with good condition copies at or under $500, have complete movements. are very sturdy, and fold into a stout metal shell. In many ways, they're really a good backpack 5x7 if you don't plan to walk too far. They're faster and easier to set up and use than my other 5x7 cameras, a Tachihara (or maybe it's a Tachi clone), a lovely wood Agfa Ansco tailboard in nice condition, not to mention a stout 5x7 monorail Toyo G. These are all nice 5x7 cameras in good condition and they all have their merits and uses, but I find that I usually take the Rittreck kit when heading out the door.
Also the original Toyo Field 4 3/4 x 6 1/2 with a 5x7 back. Mine weighs less than 6 lbs. Full movements in the front except for shift. For my use - almost perfect.
Love the one you're with (https://youtu.be/HH3ruuml-R4)
The 'best' camera is the one that's with you when taking photos. My first LF camera was a Linhof SuperTechnika 13x18 V, and I love it. You can put a 58 mm and a 450 mm and get focus on a lot of subjects, closed is a tank. If my first camera was a Canham, an Ebony, a Deardoff or a Lotus, I would be in love too, and no watching around. When I want to travel really light, I have a 4x5 camera.
A friend has a Rittreck and it's a lovely camera too. And the 5x7 monorails? Sinar, Linhof, Arca, Toyo, there is a lot of good cameras for 5x7 or 13x18 film.
Luis-F-S
7-Apr-2021, 08:20
Deardorff V5 23” bellows. Have 2 wouldn’t use anything else. One from 1951 and one from 1987!
Jim Noel
7-Apr-2021, 08:21
My pre-1939 5x7 Deardorff is my go to camera regardless of film size. I have owned it since the 1950's and it still has original bellows. It came with a 4x5 back which I have used only 1 or 2 times. The 8x10 Wehman weighs a bit less and gets a lot of use, as does the 5x12 Korona. I have a 5x7 Seroco (Sears Roebuck Company) from 1902 which with its original lens and shutter weighs just under 2 lbs. I use it occasionally with dry plates.
In the past I have had Calumet 8x10, 4x5 Sinar, 4x5 Graphic View and other rail cameras but at my age they are too heavy, bulky and finicky for me in studio or field. I won't get into lenses.
The one camera I should never have sold was a Baby Deardorff, a true 4x5 not 5x7 with 4x5 back. It's only problem was its value to collectors. When one with more cents than sense offered me many times what I paid for it I sold it and moved on.
I had an Indian copy (exact) of a Deardorff Special. Bought new with a 4x5 back, I found a Deardorff 5x7 back that fit perfectly. It had front swing. It was a sweet 5x7 set-up until it got ripped off. Fine machines, even with the Rajah being a little rough around the edges.
The bigger the camera, the harder to steal
Ben Calwell
7-Apr-2021, 09:41
I have a Linhof Tech III 5x7. Heavy, but it is the smoothest operating LF camera I’ve used. I stripped it down to bare metal and hope one day to have it re-covered in leather.
BLATT LAB
7-Apr-2021, 12:40
The Linhof are Amazing in so many ways, when you want a camera on the lighter side they are nor for you but when you dont care about weight it dosnt get better
John Earley
11-Apr-2021, 07:44
Although I would love a Canham or Chamonix I settled on a like new B&J Commercial View 5x7. It has a 21in bellows, full movements and under 8lbs. I added a lens board converter for Linhoff boards.
https://live.staticflickr.com/4809/46245904121_4a655cb83f_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2dsAm7v)
B&J 5x7 Commercial View Camera (https://flic.kr/p/2dsAm7v) by JOHN EARLEY (https://www.flickr.com/photos/jacketch/), on Flickr
John Kasaian
11-Apr-2021, 08:02
Speed Graphic for handheld work with a 203mm Ektar on the snout.
An Agfa Ansco for tripod work with either a 159mm Wolly WA, 215mm Ilex or 14" Artar up front.
I'd love to get a Nagaoka someday----probably wishful thinking at this stage of the game though.
Jim Noel
11-Apr-2021, 10:01
In my opinion there is no better 5x7 than my pre-1939 Deardorff. Sturdy, long bellows, great movements, fast to set up and dependable for the last 60+ years. During that time I have owned and used at least 6 other 5x7's, but this one is still with me.
djdister
11-Apr-2021, 10:03
The Canham Metal Cameras are great! How do you like the Motorized 6x17 back ?
The Canham motorized 6x17 back is a great piece of engineering - and the best rollfilm back I've worked with. It does take some practice to get the hang of loading the film, but after that it's just wonderful. Plus it looks pretty badass on the back of the Canham 5x7 MQC...
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John Kasaian
11-Apr-2021, 11:21
Just ask Charles and Irene :)
https://www.okmorephotos.com/backtothepast
more:
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/4/24/21232988/charles-custer-route-66-photos-americana-obituary
Yeah, these were taken with a 5x7.
Doug Howk
11-Apr-2021, 17:37
Recently purchased a lightly used Shen-Hao 5X7 [TFC57-B] that has more movements than I'll ever use. I had been using 8X10 cameras [KMV & B&J] with 5X7 reducing backs; but getting too old to carry them into the field. So, enjoying the lighter weight.
Tracy Storer
11-Apr-2021, 18:03
I'll echo what a couple others have said: "Best doesn't exist"
A heavy studio camera will be poorly suited to hiking, a lightweight field camera may not be versatile enough for the studio. Do you like to use wide or very wide lenses or long or very long lenses, or need long bellows for lots of close up work? These kinds of needs will be better served by one camera over another.
Identify what you THINK you'd like to do, and try to find the right tool, er, Camera, for THAT.
"You don't go dancing in hiking shoes."
Inspired by a recent Thread: What is the "best" 5x7 Camera in your opinion and why do you prefer the camera over a different one? It would be also great to hear what you don't like about other cameras and why you decided against them.
Jim Jones
11-Apr-2021, 19:00
[QUOTE=John Earley;1595574]Although I would love a Canham or Chamonix I settled on a like new B&J Commercial View 5x7. It has a 21in bellows, full movements and under 8lbs. I added a lens board converter for Linhoff boards.
A 5x7 B&J like yours was my favorite LF camera for decades. It is in no way the very best, nor perhaps near the best, but it was always good enough. That big easy-to-make lensboard was a great advantage over some otherwise fine cameras with tiny Linhoff boards. The B&J was always expendable and replaceable, leaving me to worry about the picture, not the camera.
John Earley
12-Apr-2021, 06:42
https://www.okmorephotos.com/backtothepast
Thanks!!!!!!
https://www.okmorephotos.com/backtothepast
Thanks!!!!!!
Off-topic but why is all of the film rebate text backwards? I mean the "Kodak Safety Film" is inverted, but the image and notch code is correct - did they used to print the emulsion name inverted? Or I should say, printed correctly when viewed emulsion side, which is then inverted in the print...
Also, I dislike the faux-HDR applied to these images in editing.
Tin Can
12-Apr-2021, 07:42
I was born that year, and don't recall the style/decor very well, but I have seen nearly every scene, shop, furniture, taverns etc IRL up until recently. Yes, matching uniforms are now rare. I had chairs just like the shoe store recently, the machine shop with crankshafts standing on end, I have been in similar as mechanic.
However most is already gone, the Plague has demolished old time business.
I suggest stopping at any building that has a sign 'Supper Club' (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_supper_clubs) particularly upper midwest. When I vacation I just wander old roads, when I find a Supper Club about 2 pm, I stop and ask to see the menu, then ask where is the closest motel! I never eat near a Hotel. I get a cheap room early, and eat very well. Then on the road by 10 am for 4 more hours of back roads. Buy gas at the oldest looking gas station. Talk to everybody.
Off-topic but why is all of the film rebate text backwards? I mean the "Kodak Safety Film" is inverted, but the image and notch code is correct - did they used to print the emulsion name inverted? Or I should say, printed correctly when viewed emulsion side, which is then inverted in the print...
Also, I dislike the faux-HDR applied to these images in editing.
Eric Biggerstaff
12-Apr-2021, 08:01
My 5X7 Deardorf Special (comes with a 4X5 back as well), classic, sturdy and has all the bellows I need, a wonderful tool.
Chauncey Walden
12-Apr-2021, 13:09
Having seen Eric's Deardorf Special and his results from it, I would have to say that it is one extremely beautiful camera and capable of amazing work. Personally I have 2 5x7s. My first is a Conley circa 1910 which got me (and Eric) hooked on 5x7. My second is a Rittreck which has more features and a slew of backs but I mostly use the native 5x7 and the whole plate ones.
Drew Bedo
16-Apr-2021, 09:57
"Best" cvamera?
I have always rthought that the best camera to shoot with was the one you have when shooting.
I mean . . .what is the "best" car to own? Fastest? Cheapest. Most long-lived? Can carry my wife, six kids and a dog?
Keeping it large format: I think a TravelWide or WillTravel could be packed up a cliff face for a few shots while a Linhoff Technika (any model) would be a less desirable choice.
I had a B&J 5x7 for a while and it was good to have then. It had about every movement but it was heavy and clunky. I only used it with a 4x5 back . . .now have a cute little Wista 45DX.
No such thing as a "best" camera in my opinion.
Drew Wiley
16-Apr-2021, 11:26
Best flavor of ice cream? Hard to tell unless you taste them all. And tastes differ.
tastes differ.
I look at cameras like guitars or cars. Some just feel right, and that contributes to their ease of use. I don't think you can design for personal preference. To me that tactile interface is important. I had several Canhams & an Ebony. Beautiful cameras, but the one that just felt right and stuck with me was an old Deardorff.
Drew Wiley
16-Apr-2021, 14:02
I could have bought a lovely Dorff 4x5/5x7 Special reasonably many years ago, but was glad I invested in the Sinar system instead, for around the same price - way more versatile.
Bernice Loui
16-Apr-2021, 14:41
As previously posted, there is no "best" camera. Only a camera that meets the image goals of the image maker... which is driven and determined by a long list of needs, factors and more..
Bernice
As previously posted, there is no "best" camera. Only a camera that meets the image goals of the image maker... which is driven and determined by a long list of needs, factors and more..Bernice
Which is exactly the OP's intention...to have people write of their long list of needs, factors and more, when it comes to a 5x7 that fits them and their needs. It should be taken for granted that few people would share the same list.
I could have bought a lovely Dorff 4x5/5x7 Special reasonably many years ago, but was glad I invested in the Sinar system instead, for around the same price - way more versatile.
Yes Sinars are cool.....I just couldn't see lugging one around the mountains, no matter how versatile. Not only tastes, but needs differ
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Drew Wiley
16-Apr-2021, 18:49
Well, I had a Sinar in the pack the first overnight crosscountry ski trip I ever took - as a lousy beginner skier! Good thing snow makes for soft landings! It didn't take me long to learn that snowshoes are a better idea, at least for me.
leica-dealer
17-Apr-2021, 01:42
There is no better 5x7 camera, there is the 5x7 camera that you like more than the others. I bought 3 linhof 5x7 and never dreamed of buying 3 5x7 cameras from other brands.
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John Layton
17-Apr-2021, 04:51
Depends. Sometimes...this is best:
(have modified one of these to 5x7)
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And other times...this is best:
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Tin Can
17-Apr-2021, 05:53
OK, how many different 5X7 do we have?
5
The Chamonix 57 N3 seems like a fine field camera, well designed and light. But it's horizontal only. I wonder if anyone here has worked with it, or a similar camera. Would tilting the whole camera 90 deg. to shoot vertical frames be a pain in the long run, if you work in that orientation say 1/3 of the time?
Conrad . Marvin
17-Apr-2021, 07:04
My two cents. I think that the best camera of whatever format is the one that you have or can afford. Make negatives with it for a time and if it works for your needs, use it. If you find yourself always wanting to do something that the camera will not do, change it or replace it. So..are All 5x7 cameras “Best” in the right hands?
John Layton
17-Apr-2021, 08:20
Linhof Technikas are undeniably wonderful...but if more than one 5x7...then (if needing the "best") they should be different to meet different needs - otherwise, that's just a collection (IMHO).
Too bad there is no 5x7 Technikardan...which would at least allow sticking to your favorite brand while adding something complimentary!
(Ha! Must be getting crotchety/opinionated in my old age!)
cp_photo
17-Apr-2021, 10:15
I've been very happy with my Argentum 5x7 I received last year. My other 5x7 is a reducing back for my Svedovsky 11x14.
The Chamonix 57 N3 seems like a fine field camera, well designed and light. But it's horizontal only. I wonder if anyone here has worked with it, or a similar camera. Would tilting the whole camera 90 deg. to shoot vertical frames be a pain in the long run, if you work in that orientation say 1/3 of the time?
FotoD, I had one for a while and used it as a back up to my old Deardorff. I liked it a lot. Light, relatively small can take a 4x5 back. I default to landscape composition frequently and don't shoot many images in portrait orientation. I didn't find it too aggravating to tilt the Ries double tilt head i use.
The Chamonix 57 N3 seems like a fine field camera, well designed and light. But it's horizontal only. I wonder if anyone here has worked with it, or a similar camera. Would tilting the whole camera 90 deg. to shoot vertical frames be a pain in the long run, if you work in that orientation say 1/3 of the time?
I have been doing this with a light-weight 4x5 rail camera in the field since the early 80s (but less as I moved up in format). Changing the orientation on my camera was not easy -- removing screws in the field is a disaster waiting, speaking from experience (screw into the creek!) It is easier to turn the head 90 degrees to get the other orientation...other than the lens is now a foot or so to the side of where it is for a vertical. Sometimes not an issue.
Depending on the camera, if the body only has front rise/fall and no shift, you will not have front rise/fall turning the camera 90 degrees...and so forth. For my camera's movements and design, it was easier to have it set up for vertical orientation, and then flip the head 90 degrees for horizontals.
Swing becomes tilt and all that -- one gets use to it. I found whatever orientation I had the camera set up for was what I tended to see the most! You might find your work would start to trend towards 80 to 90% horizontals almost subconscienously.
BLATT LAB
18-Apr-2021, 00:41
In wich situations do you use the reducing back? Studio shoots ? Seems like an interesting combo since there is such a huge side difference.
I've been very happy with my Argentum 5x7 I received last year. My other 5x7 is a reducing back for my Svedovsky 11x14.
Thanks Greg and Vaughn for your comments! It sounds workable enough. And I agree with you Vaughn, the strengths/quirks of the camera really affect how you "see" and expose.
Tin Can
18-Apr-2021, 04:03
Counterpoint
What is the best, largest, heaviest, most intractable 5X7?
I submit my Deardorff Studio Camera which I bought with only a 5X7 back
The old box was sold to me completely dismantled from a storage locker with at least 3 of them, I got the reject. I spent 5 times the purchase price to make it good enough for me, not counting a lens
A challenge to assemble. repair. To make it fit my 12' ft tall studio, I cut 5 ft off the top
I have shot it fully extended as shown, which is 75"
4 years ago I moved it 300 miles with the help of member Peter DeSmidt!
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51122344802_f9288c9b99_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kTvo2Y)5X7 Deardorff S11 New Bellows (https://flic.kr/p/2kTvo2Y) by TIN CAN COLLEGE (https://www.flickr.com/photos/tincancollege/), on Flickr
John Layton
18-Apr-2021, 07:57
...great way to mitigate bellows-induced flare! :cool:
cp_photo
18-Apr-2021, 12:58
I don't imagine I would have ordered a 5x7 back for the camera if I had bought it new. The camera included 8x10 and 5x7 backs which have proven fun and useful. Primarily in studio portraits and still life pictures experimenting with utilizing the generous bellows extension. Also I have been using 11x14 direct positive paper and I'll sometimes shoot a sheet of 5x7 to test lighting before using an (expensive) 11x14 sheet.
In wich situations do you use the reducing back? Studio shoots ? Seems like an interesting combo since there is such a huge side difference.
Bertha DeCool
18-Apr-2021, 20:22
My teacher from the early '80s passed away a few years ago. His teacher was Gerta Peterich who died years before and who left him her papers and equipment.
My teacher's daughter and some of my peers decided I should inherit her equipment, as and I quote "You're the only one stupid enough to want it" and, I will add, use it.
The best 5x7 camera is the one you have, it seems. Mine is a Kodak 2D that came with two Wollensak lenses and a 36cm Nicola Perscheid f4.5.
Also included was a 4x5 Graphic View set up that I gave to a friend's daughter who was very interested and who shows a genuine skill in portraiture. Pass it on.
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