Beginner Large Format: Ebony or Chamonix?

[biedron]

The OP wrote:

for color i want to shoot large format 4x5 with fuji velvia 50.

In which case maybe the most pressing concern is not which camera, but where to get Velvia 50 sheet film Or if you can find a stash, which freezer to store it in.

According to an email from Fujifilm North America I received this morning:

"Please be advised that Fujichrome Velvia 50 4x5 and 8x10 sheet film have been discontinued. However, Fujichrome Velvia 100 film are currently still produced in 4x5 and 8x10 20 sheet. There are no current plans to reintroduce Fujichrome Velvia 50 in the 4x5 and 8x10 format."

Bob

[dave_whatever]

Thats funny as fuji in japan have apparently just redesigned the packaging for the velvia range.

If there's one thing we can learnt from recent events concerning Velvia, and that is to pay little attention to what regional distributers claim is being discontinued.

http://www.onlandscape.co.uk/news/re...y-exaggerated/

[biedron]

Dave,

It was that link to the onlandscape article that prompted me to email Fuji North America and ask explicitly if sheet velvia was going to be available again. In my email to them, I even provided a link to a similar page that claimed it would be available after the packaging redesign.

So maybe it will live on only in Japan. That would seem to make little sense though.

Bob

[gmfotografie]

there was this post which makes me happy....: http://www.largeformatphotography.in...-Velvia-50-4x5

is velvia now still produced or not....?!

(but we should open a new thread:
is velvia50 sheet still alive?)

[Harley Goldman]

I would absolutely get the Chamonix. It gives your far more latitude in lens selection. When I shot 35mm, I was a wide angle guy. Since moving to 4x5, I slowly moved to longer and longer lenses. Now, I use a 240mm 70% of the time, and use the 300mm and 450mm a lot. The Chamonix will handle everything from a 58mm to a 450mm, the latter with the extension board. I love mine. Why limit yourself?

[gmfotografie]

my friednds, thank you so much.

i will order the chamonix theses days.

the next question is, which lenses can you recomend me?
(i have to order the lensboard)

i don't want to have a lens just for the start. i want to have a great, a sharp lens!
maybe you can recomend me lenses for 75mm, 90mm, 150mm and 300mm.
(i will stay at 4x5 inch)

for example:

75mm?
http://www.photobörse.com/productinf...ngolon%20.html

90mm
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Schneider-...item1c33ed5763

150mm?
http://www.photobörse.com/productinf...ar%20S%20.html

best whishes from austria
michael

[Steve Barber]

The two lenses you will probably use for about 90 percent of the time would be a 90mm and a 210. Try a Rodenstock 90mm f6.8 Grandagon and a Nikon 210mm f5.6 Nikkor W. If you just want to impress everybody with your top of the line lens, the Schneider 90mm f5.6 Super Angulon XL and Rodenstock 210mm f5.6 Sironar-S. In between for the 90mm and a good match for the Rodenstock 210mm would be the Rodenstock 90mm f4.5 Grandagon-N, but it is noticeably heavier and bulkier than the 90mm f6.8 Grandagon.

I do not know about the Chamonix and the 90mm Super Angulon XL combination. If you choose that, then be sure that it will fit without any interference with the rear element of the lens with the camera and, with any of the shorter lenses, be sure the bellows is not compressed and will allow full movements when the lens is focused at infinity.

[James Morris]

Pretty much all modern LF lenses are great. I don't know of any bad ones?

For a starter 150mm, the Schneider you link to will work really well, as will similar by Rodenstock, Fuji etc.

[Daniel Stone]

the "big four" all make(or made) wonderful products.
yes, some were a little bit better in the corners, but for the majority of LF users, they're pretty much all more than acceptible IMO.

I personally lean towards Fujinon lenses, as I like the way they render colors onto transparency film. A slight bit of warmth, without going overboard.

But my experience with the other three(Schneider, Rodenstock and Nikkor's) have all been quite favorable as well.

-Dan

[Otto Seaman]

Learn how to use color negative film, it is more versatile and it will be manufactured longer than any chrome film. Transparencies are nice to look at but otherwise only offer disadvantages with no clear advantages other than dogma and tradition.