cheap large format

hello all
as the title says i only have £100 to spend the less the better ;) as i am not a pro:(, the main use of it would be day time landscapes, and large group photos

i was thinking of 5x4 but i am confused:( the print size will be about 8x10 and bigger:cool:

i would buy from ebay but with that sort of product it is a bit dodgy

it does not need to be the lightest or the heavyest

i could assemble a kit one but they look more money

do they come with that curtian at the back? to look through


[B]the beginner[B]

100 pounds is about 160 US, so that's going to push it. Your only options seem to be 4x5 or 8x10 pinhole cameras, or check this thread:

http://www.apug.org/forums/forum44/7...ap-camera.html

You use an enlarger to make prints larger than the negative. The "curtain" is called a dark cloth and a black T-shirt will work.

To find out more, read up here:

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/

Cheers, Steve

Also, keep in mind that film for 4x5 is expensive. 8x10 film is far more expensive. Developing costs are even worse, unless you are doing it yourself, in which case you just need to buy chemistry (and the proper equipment for a makeshift darkroom). You need to figure all this into your budget. Here are some $USD prices I know of:

Ilford FP4+ B&W 4x5 film - 25 sheets: $29.49
Ilford FP4+ B&W 8x10 film - 25 sheets: $96.99

Developing only for 4x5 B&W: $2.50 per sheet
Developing only for 8x10 B&W: $6.00 per sheet

B&W contact print from 8x10 negative: $9
RC B&W 8x10 enlargement from 4x5: $17.50; $13 per add'l

The point I am trying to make here is that the cost of the camera/lens ends up being the cheapest thing about large format that you will buy in the long run!

So, say you go 8x10 for your camera and then you decide to shoot 25 negs of B&W and do contacts from all of them. Here is your breakdown from my prices above:

25 sheet film: 96.99
25 sheets developing: 150
25 contact prints: 225
Total cost: $471.99

Cost per finished print is a total of $18.88 each!

I am starting to question why I am doing this!!!

Here's what's really weird. If you do the same thing with 4x5 and get 8x10 enlargements, it's acutally more expensive: $529.40 total or $21.18 per print.

I will just wait??

Sorry but I couldn't wait. I just calculated the cost of my film, paper, developer, fixer etc to produce a finished 10x8 B&W print on a FB paper and it came to $4.55. That is based on 3 sheets of paper to get the final print. I added in the cost of some water and electricity as well. There are other manufacturers of film and paper other than Ilford and Kodak. My costs are based on Foma/Arista film and paper, D76 developer and BTZS tubes. The film and paper come to Australia from Freestyle so I have included freight.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Steve Nicholls

Sorry but I couldn't wait. I just calculated the cost of my film, paper, developer, fixer etc to produce a finished 10x8 B&W print on a FB paper and it came to $4.55. That is based on 3 sheets of paper to get the final print. I added in the cost of some water and electricity as well. There are other manufacturers of film and paper other than Ilford and Kodak. My costs are based on Foma/Arista film and paper, D76 developer and BTZS tubes. The film and paper come to Australia from Freestyle so I have included freight.

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Yes! My quotes were based on lab processing exclusively. I'm not sure if a beginner is going to be doing their own developing and printing, so I quoted the minimum to start taking pictures and getting them printed by someone else.

If you are printing, be sure to amortize the cost of your printer. This seems to be missing from your calc?

Let me give the OP a more realistic scenario:

Entry costs:
Camera ($300 used to $6,000+new)
Dark cloth ($10 used to $60)
Focussing loupe or magnifying glasses ($6-$200)
Lens($100 used to $3,000+?)
Meter($100 used to $800)
Scanner($500 used to $800+)
Printer($500 used to $3,000+)
Film Holders ($6 used or $160 new for six)
Fuji Instant film holder ($210)
Instant film ($30 per box, 10 sheets): $3.00 per sheet
B&W sheet film: roughly $2.50 per sheet

My scenario while I have been learning...
- Expose 30 frames instant film per month: total $90
- Expose roughly 10 sheets regular b&w film per month: $40
- Lab developing for 10 sheets: $60
- 3 contact prints per month: $27
- Cost of scanning = scanner cost/months in use

...

For $160 you can get a Rolleicord 120 camera from ebay & learn to shoot. You get 12 tries for the cost or one sheet of 8x10. PLUS the cameras fit your budget.