Field Camera - Which Movements Would You Consider ESSENTIAL

[Bill_1856]

Front rise and fall, and tilt.

Actually, if you're printing digital none of them are necessary, except tilt for near/far depth of field control only if you can't stop down far enough.

[Doremus Scudder]

Rear: tilt and swing
Front tilt, swing, rise/fall
Shift on at least one of the standards. This last can be achieved by pointing off-center and then swinging the standards parallel, but it's a pain. I use shift enough that I wouldn't have a camera without it.

As for center, base or asymmetrical tilts... I can do what I want as fast or almost as fast with base tilts, so I don't really care about those; I just adjust to the camera I'm using.

Important for me, if I were designing a camera would be a universal bellows and the ability to use recessed boards. I've also thought that a purposely offset square lensboard that could be mounted in any orientation would help a lot to overcome limited movements by allowing the lens to be mounted higher, lower, or to either side of center. I have one camera that allows off-center Technika boards to be mounted upside-down, thus giving me more effective rise if I need it. If the board were square, I could get a bit more shift too...

Best of luck with your project,

Doremus

[Old-N-Feeble]

Rear: tilt and swing
Front tilt, swing, rise/fall
Shift on at least one of the standards. This last can be achieved by pointing off-center and then swinging the standards parallel, but it's a pain. I use shift enough that I wouldn't have a camera without it.

As for center, base or asymmetrical tilts... I can do what I want as fast or almost as fast with base tilts, so I don't really care about those; I just adjust to the camera I'm using.

Important for me, if I were designing a camera would be a universal bellows and the ability to use recessed boards. I've also thought that a purposely offset square lensboard that could be mounted in any orientation would help a lot to overcome limited movements by allowing the lens to be mounted higher, lower, or to either side of center. I have one camera that allows off-center Technika boards to be mounted upside-down, thus giving me more effective rise if I need it. If the board were square, I could get a bit more shift too...

Best of luck with your project,

Doremus

This is the minimum for me also... even for landscape imagery.

[Bill_1856]

Right you are, they are numerous in the Cascades, are very clever, wear tiny red hats, and have made off with many of my smallest photo accessories. They haven't tied me down yet like Gulliver and the Lilliputians, but I wouldn't put it past them!

You just don't date the right girls.