Sticking with 8x10 or just holding on to 4x5 format?

[Roger Thoms]

I'll echo some of Noah B's comment above. Fit the camera to the project. If you don't have the camera, the project won't happen. I ditched my 8x10 gear after about 3-4 years because it was expensive overkill for what I do. 4x5 will fit the bill most of the time, and I hated contact printing in silver-gelatin. Then, one day, I walked into a mom-and-pop photo store and saw a whole-plate kit for sale, complete with 6 film holders. Three of my 4x5 lenses will cover the format, and it's much nicer on my back than the 8x10. It came with a 4x5 conversion back and I'm getting ready to finish a 5x7 back for it. So if you sell the camera, keep at least some of the lenses that will do double-duty with smaller formats.

Hey that mom & pop store wasn't Kaufmann's Cameras by any chance?

Roger

[Brian C. Miller]

I work p/t as a photography teacher and whilst I used to get 'enough' freelancing work, it has declined significantly, I will lose my teaching position in September due to Govt cutbacks and will have to try and make a 'proper' go of the freelancing. My business 'voice' which is pretty quiet, says "sell the 8x10", but the other voice says, "you busted a gut to get the kit together-hang in there"

#1, you need a stable source of income.
#2, you are facing being laid off from your part-time teaching position.
#3, your freelancing work is diminishing.

Right now, you need to think about what will make money for you. Sell off the 8x10 gear if you must, but right now it is equipment that you can use. If you really are making money with film portraiture, then hang in there with the 8x10.

If you are serious with your business, then you need to run it as a business. What does your 8x10 do for you? Is your 8x10 lens sharp, or is it one of the "portraiture" lenses? For me, all of my soft lenses are for 8x10 format. If your 8x10 lens is sharp, like a Schniedenstockon Fujikkoragonar, then there's little to differentiate it from your 4x5. You need to figure out the business angle for that camera. Would the sitter pay extra just because you are using an 8x10?

You have to look at what your are going to do, and why people should come to you with their money. That's the real question for any business, no matter what it is. If you want to have a real business with that film equipment, then you have to show to the customer what film can do and what digital can't do.

[dimento]

Thus I have two 4x5's (field and a press), a 5x7, two 8x10's and an 11x14...

lol, more of an addict than me!

[dimento]

#1, you need a stable source of income.
#2, you are facing being laid off from your part-time teaching position.
#3, your freelancing work is diminishing.

Right now, you need to think about what will make money for you. Sell off the 8x10 gear if you must, but right now it is equipment that you can use. If you really are making money with film portraiture, then hang in there with the 8x10.

If you are serious with your business, then you need to run it as a business. What does your 8x10 do for you? Is your 8x10 lens sharp, or is it one of the "portraiture" lenses? For me, all of my soft lenses are for 8x10 format. If your 8x10 lens is sharp, like a Schniedenstockon Fujikkoragonar, then there's little to differentiate it from your 4x5. You need to figure out the business angle for that camera. Would the sitter pay extra just because you are using an 8x10?

You have to look at what your are going to do, and why people should come to you with their money. That's the real question for any business, no matter what it is. If you want to have a real business with that film equipment, then you have to show to the customer what film can do and what digital can't do.

excellent advice, thanks

[dimento]

What you have is already paid for. Waiting and watching will get you some holders, probably older wood holders for a decent price. Saving a bit will get extra film - and then you are in business again.

If it is a straight financial decision you are probably better off selling unless your vision is 8x10 and nothing else. You could shoot 4x5 with a reducing back tho it is cumbersome and some don't like doing that.

Good luck with the decision.

Thanks Dakotah, I guess I bought the 8x10 for absolute image quality, and I like working with the slower process. The dilemma is mostly financial, have some stock of 4x5 and 8x10, process my own B+W, struggling to afford colour processing and new film purchases at present. Main consideration for keeping 4x5 and ditching 8x10, is "shoot more for less" I spoke to a pro lab in London yesterday and they have drum scanned and printed 4x5 to 10feet by 6 feet, now I don't want to open that 4x5 vs 8x10 IQ debate, but perhaps at normal viewing distances 4x5 is enough, I'm thinking max print sizes of 4x5 feet nowhere near 10x6. I may keep the 10x8 as a 1-2 times a year 'project' camera.

thanks for your input, D

[Jonathan Barlow]

8x10 paper negatives are a lot of fun and can produce some very interesting images. You can make contact prints from paper negatives or scan them in a flatbed scanner for digital reproduction.

I'm also into 8x10 Polaroids. Although not inexpensive like paper negatives, just as much fun.

I use a Deardorff V8 and a Canham metal 8x10. I bought 6 brand new Fidelity 8x10 film holders on eBay for $50 apiece and 6 like-new 1920's wooden Kodak 8x10 holders at a flea market for $10 apiece.

[Jody_S]

Thanks Dakotah, I guess I bought the 8x10 for absolute image quality, and I like working with the slower process. The dilemma is mostly financial, have some stock of 4x5 and 8x10, process my own B+W, struggling to afford colour processing and new film purchases at present. Main consideration for keeping 4x5 and ditching 8x10, is "shoot more for less" I spoke to a pro lab in London yesterday and they have drum scanned and printed 4x5 to 10feet by 6 feet, now I don't want to open that 4x5 vs 8x10 IQ debate, but perhaps at normal viewing distances 4x5 is enough, I'm thinking max print sizes of 4x5 feet nowhere near 10x6. I may keep the 10x8 as a 1-2 times a year 'project' camera.

thanks for your input, D

The main reason I'm shooting 8x10 at the moment instead of 4x5 is, in fact, cost. X-ray film in 8x10 is cheaper than 4x5 B&W.

[tenderobject]

I'm also in your shoes a few months ago but in different angle. I just sold my favourite camera kit just to fund my jump on 8x10. My vision changed last year when i started contact printing my 4x5 negs and i started with alt process again so basically it would be better for me to shoot on a bigger format. So i decided to sell my leica gear to fund 8x10. Hopefully this move is better. I had a lot of vision with bigger format i can't wait to get m first8x10! Goodluck to you!

[dimento]

Thanks for all the replies, advice and personal insight. After weighing things up I have decided to stick with 8x10 and decide whether to use on a project by project basis, according to cost and other factors like location. Slightly off-topic, but has anyone found a cheap solution for transporting a cambo scx/sc or legend 8x10? I have looked at extra large rolling suitcases, storage boxes etc, but all the ready made solutions appear to be just a fraction too small in one or other dimension. I can't afford something like a huge peli case, so maybe some other solution (preferably something that can be bought in this part of the world (Europe))

thanks
D

[Drew Bedo]

In retrospec, and for what its worth: I now regret ever selling-off every camera I've ever parted with.