Horseman 6x12 Handheld?

[omanoman]

Possible to use a horseman 6x12 handheld for travel and landscape photography with both 45mm & 65mm lenses and 6x12 back? Is there a camera mounted meter for quick exposure checks?

Thanks

[Bob Tescione]

It should be no problem to use a Horseman 612 for travel and landscape work. I do not have 2 lenses for mine, but I use the camera regularly all over the western USA, both hand held and with a tripod or monopod. I find that the accessory ground glass back is difficult to use with the 45mm lens as it very dark for viewing. There is no meter with this camera, but I have thought about using a Voightlander VC meter in one of the accessory shoes on the top of the camera. Remember also that the 6x12 back only makes 6 exposures, so you may be changing film often, but if you are used to large Format, that shouldn't be a problem.

Good Luck.
Bob

[Ted Harris]

I'll second Bob's coments. I have used a Fuji G617 handheld and if you can do that the Horseman 612 is a piece of cake. Now, having said that you can do it it is NOT something I would recommend unless you absolutely have to do so. Keeping the camera stable and, most importantly, level with the horizon is vry hard without a tripod.

[Bob Tescione]

I also use a Fuji G617, and I find that I almost always use it with either a monopod or tripod. And as Ted says, the Horseman 612 is MUCH more hand-holdable. Keeping level is much more important with the 1:2 and 1:3 formats.

On the other hand, when i want to be much more contemplative in my photography, I will slow down and use my Horseman 980 field camera.

Bob

[ic-racer]

This discussion pertains to super critical landscape work: I have been having very good success using the Horseman 6x9 camera and the 65mm lens as a hand-held camera.

Using TMY I found I need F16 at 1/250 for optimum results. Exposures in bright sunlight, emperically, have shown good shadow detail and excellent sharpness most of the time. It is borderline almost as sharp as a tripod in that not 100% of the pictues will be super sharp. However, MOST are just as sharp (meaning, when I look at the negatives with 8x loupe, I cannot tell which were handheld and which were on the tripod) Timing of respirations, wind etc. tend to play a role in the 10% that don't come out. I am also using the electronic solenoid because, for sure, the "clunk" of the body-mounted cable release would always shake the camera.

I still keep 'testing the limit' but most of the time if the sun it not bright and I go to 1/125 I can't make a good negative. Also, opening up to 11 or 8 gives me more blurryness at the corners and more susceptibility to wavy film in the filmholder. I am sure there are subject matter in which some camera movement is tolerated, however, I am commenting on what I can do so I cannot tell if it is on the tripod or not (in terms of sharpness). Now, in terms of CONTENT, I would hope that my image is different because I am not constrained to the tripod.

I have the focusing cam installed for the 65mm lens, but most of the time I am at infinity, so I suspect that depending on your subject matter, lack of a rangefinder sould not be a problem. Also, I don't use a meter because I can't open up any more and I can't slow the shutter down and still get good results. (I carry the meter around with me but, the sun is either "just bright enough" or "not bright enough." I have never had the sun "too bright" that has required F22 or 1/500).

Of course when I am USING the tripod I like to use the Horseman TTL meter that fits on the back.

[Paul Droluk]

I shoot 612 and 617 handheld on a regular basis, and am able to consistently make sharp hand held images with a 58mm lens on 612, 90mm on 617, at 1/60 second. At 1/30 second, I probably get 70% or so acceptable sharpness. Your 45mm lens would likely give you one more shutter speed. Obviously, the question being how sharp is sharp. My benchmark is viewing 15x30 (or 45) inch prints made on Pictorico PHGF, viewed from around 2.5 feet. Tripod mounted results will of course be better, though barely perceptible at this magnification.

ic-racer's comments are valid for the Horseman 6x9 technical cameras... which are nowhere near as easy to hand hold as a non-bellows 6x12. I also shoot with a Horseman VHR occasionally, and would have to add at least 1 shutter speed for comparable results... assuming no windage.

A lot depends on your shooting technique... breathing control, how you brace the camera, and how you squeeze off the shot. Natural body stillness... is your handwriting illegible after a single cup of java? Camera ergonomics... the cameras I use have two large handles (much larger than the Horseman) and are heavier, which I find to be an asset for hand held work.

[omanoman]

Thanks for all the comments guys, very helpful.

Just to let you know most of my landscape / interior work will be done on a tripod.
But l would like to attempt to shoot street and travel shots handheld, perhaps with a 400iso film to get better shutter speeds and a smaller aperture in lower light. Dont care much for corner sharpness for the travel shots as the focus will be mostly center or just of center, so will probably go down to f8 at 30th sec, with a steady hand. Thanks again.

Oman

[JW Dewdney]

I shoot 612 and 617 handheld on a regular basis, and am able to consistently make sharp hand held images with a 58mm lens on 612, 90mm on 617, at 1/60 second. At 1/30 second, I probably get 70% or so acceptable sharpness. Your 45mm lens would likely give you one more shutter speed. Obviously, the question being how sharp is sharp. My benchmark is viewing 15x30 (or 45) inch prints made on Pictorico PHGF, viewed from around 2.5 feet. Tripod mounted results will of course be better, though barely perceptible at this magnification.

I've always gotten very sharp results at 1/30 or 1/60th with a 55mm lens in my old nikon. And that's for an 8x enlargement, too. I see no reason why it should be ANY different with a 6x12. The film certainly doesn't know the difference.

[Paul Droluk]

I went in to Hong Kong the other day and took a 612 with Fujinon 105/5.6W along. Just testing out Ilford XP-2 for the first time. Obviously not art, but this was shot hand-held... 1/60 @ f16-1/3. Overcast late afternoon light. The scanned file is sharp enough to make a crisp 15x30 inch print.