Hello from Los Angeles California...Questions from a want to be newbie...

[Will Frostmill]

Hi!
I doubt I'll say anything new, but here's my two cents:
4x5 is easier and cheaper than 8x10 or 5x7.
The cheapest 4x5 monorail cameras are usually the Calumet/Orbit 400 series, probably followed by the occasional Cambo, if it has all the parts. Calumets do not have detachable standards, bellows, backs, etc, so you don't have any ambiguity about whether you have the right thing.
The cheapest 4x5 folding camera with movements is likely to be a 5x7 B&J (gray paint) with a 4x5 reducing back. (I've never used one.)
That is all about cheap - later on once you have a good feel for 4x5, you can easily see what you really need, and you can decide how much you really want to pay to get it. You can get slightly easier, slightly lighter, better looking, and/or slightly more specialized.

Remember to budget money for film holders.

Picking lenses:
Think about the angle of view you like. I choose by the width - the long side. Try this link: http://lensn2shutter.com/angleofviewchart.html
I'll cheat, and go off the top of my head:
90mm -> 24mm or 28mm-e ... common, cheap at f/8. Almost always really good.
127mm-135mm -> 35mm-e or 40mm-e ... very common 1940's press lenses, cheap, no room for movements. I've seen them for as little as $75
150-162mm -> 50mm-e ... everyone has one, no one wants to sell them, so prices vary a lot
210mm -> 60mm-e ... nobody wants them since they are normal on 5x7 but not really anything on 4x5. Cheap, lots of room for movements!
250-60ish -> 80mm-e ... people like these, so not very cheap.
300mm -> 100mm-e ... normal on 8x10, so you are competing with wealthy people. Still, you can occasionally find some for right around $300.
More than 300mm ... highly sought after by people doing ulf, wet-plate, portrait focal lengths for 8x10. Expensive.

Lenses are an education in and of themselves. Look for ones mounted on boards, or at least with retaining rings/flanges.

Good Light, and Good Luck!

[Will Frostmill]

Also, for what to tell your wife:

...


I have no idea. For me, I can be honest: it makes me happy, this is something I want to try, I want to demystify this and find out for myself what it is really like. I chose older cameras that looked cool, and I was upfront about the fact that how they looked mattered to me.

I did not talk about smooth tonality, megapixel equivalents, art vs craft, printing large, contact prints, acutance, portraiture, movements, or anything like that. I may have spent some time on bokeh, but that's a known obsession with me.

Unlike other forms of photography, LF does okay on resale. Take care of your equipment, shop wisely, and you'll be out shipping costs and ebay fees. Unlike digital. Unlike some 35mm and MF equipment.

Even shopping - without buying - for LF gear can be a rewarding hobby. This rabbit hole does go down quite far indeed. If I may, I suggest this:
just buy something in your budget, a pair of inexpensive lenses, a filmholder, and a box of cheap b&w film, make a few exposures, and see what you think. People make it hard. It's not. Or it's not hard if it's fun. And of it's not fun, don't do it. Sell your stuff and move on. There's lots of shiny objects in photography to go around, so there's lots of hope.


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[B.S.Kumar]

just buy something in your budget, a pair of inexpensive lenses, a filmholder, and a box of cheap b&w film

All good, except that I'd say one inexpensive lens, at least five film holders and a box of a standard b&w film like Delta. Learn your chops with one lens. And coming from 35mm and MF, you'll wonder what to do after the first couple of images

Kumar

[cinetango]

Happy New Year to all!!!

Thanks for all the advice! I will continue learning and window shopping for a while...although I feel very often the temptation of clicking the "Buy Now" button! Until now a monorail camera I think will do for experimenting at an affordable price tag.

In regards to tripods what would you guys recommend? Also, for scanners I have been looking at the Epson v700 & v800, what do you think? I currently have Canon 9000f...

Thanks again!!

cheers,

Raul

[cinetango]

One more question...

What is your take on the Toyo View 45G?

[B.S.Kumar]

The Toyo G and its predecessor D are fine cameras. They are also inexpensive, tough and modular.

[David Karp]

I agree with Kumar. The Toyos are nice. They are heavy too. An advantage of Toyos is that not only are they modular, there are a ton of used accessories available for them. Other brands for which there are similarly large amounts of accessories available are Cambo and Sinar.

[John Kasaian]

For a low cost used tripod, a full size Tilt-all by Marchioni (sp?) or Leitz can be found for around $90+/- used. These have an attached head and are suitable for Calumet 400 & Graphic Views. Many prefer more modern tripods with added features. Having a secure, super stable tripod is vital for success. Manufacturers like Manfrotto will catalog how heavy a camera their different models will support.

[dpn]

Your budget is quite feasible. I started with a nice Calumet View Camera for $80, a Tiltall tripod for $50, a Fujinon-NW 210mm f/5.6 lens for ~$150. My loupe was from Harbor Freight, and was maybe $1? For a darkcloth, I use a black XXL t-shirt glued inside a white XXL t-shirt. It works really well and was like $10 total. Add in film and some holders, and you're set.

[Two23]

The main difference between epson v700 & v800 seems to be LED light on the v800. It will provide more color consistency over time. Not a factor for me--I use v700. As for tripod, a Bogen/Manfrotto 3021 if you buy a monorail. You need something solid. These are plentiful on ebay, and under $100. Avoid the "pistol grip" head like a disease.


Kent in SD