Protect lens/filter holder for long exposure

[rpagliari]

I do a lot of long exposure with a digital camera and will start soon with LF (4x5).

I usually wrap a scarf around the filter holder with my digital camera. With a LF camera it is a bit trickier because of the cable release. Do you use any particular techniques for covering filter holder and lens?

Also, do I need to worry about protecting the back (I usually do between 4 to 8 minute exposure)?

Thank you,

[Jac@stafford.net]

No filer. No nothing. Relax, enjoy.

[Audii-Dudii]

Also, do I need to worry about protecting the back (I usually do between 4 to 8 minute exposure)?

The answer to your questions is to test whatever setup you end up with and see for yourself what steps you'll need to take to keep the darkness inside the camera.

Also, if you have no prior experience doing long-exposure photography with film, do some research about "reciprocity failure," because your "4 to 8 minute exposure" with a digital camera will need to be multiples longer when exposing film to compensate for the differences in how the two technologies respond to light.

I am primarily a nighttime photographer and wouldn't dream of taking the photos I do with a film camera because compensating for its reciprocity failure will take all the fun out of my outings.

[Jac@stafford.net]

The answer to your questions is to test whatever setup you end up with and see for yourself what steps you'll need to take to keep the darkness inside the camera.

Also, if you have no prior experience doing long-exposure photography with film, do some research about "reciprocity failure," because your "4 to 8 minute exposure" with a digital camera will need to be multiples longer when exposing film to compensate for the differences in how the two technologies respond to light.

I am primarily a nighttime photographer and wouldn't dream of taking the photos I do with a film camera because compensating for its reciprocity failure will take all the fun out of my outings.

So in summary you can offer nothing to the constituency of this group of large format film photographers. Why post?

[Audii-Dudii]

So in summary you can offer nothing to the constituency of this group of large format film photographers. Why post?

Huh?

I thought I was offering general but constructive comments to somebody who appears to be coming to film photography directly from digital photography and is jumping in at the deep end because of the type of photography he intends to do.

Without knowing more about the specific equipment he plans to use (because judging from his other posts, he's still at the shopping around stage), how would it be possible to answer him any more knowledgeably or specifically than I did? <scratches head>

As for my bona fides, while it's true that I'm primarily photographing with a digital camera these days, it's also a view camera, with which I have a couple of decades of experience.

To that end, I still own a half-dozen film cameras, including a Toyo 8x10, which I used to photograph color transparencies back in the day, even though I'm not presently using any of them.

You might not like my answers, but they're neither wrong nor non-helpful. <shrugs>

[Jim Noel]

Huh?

I thought I was offering general but constructive comments to somebody who appears to be coming to film photography directly from digital photography and is jumping in at the deep end because of the type of photography he intends to do.

Without knowing more about the specific equipment he plans to use (because judging from his other posts, he's still at the shopping around stage), how would it be possible to answer him any more knowledgeably or specifically than I did? <scratches head>

As for my bona fides, while it's true that I'm primarily photographing with a digital camera these days, it's also a view camera, with which I have a couple of decades of experience.

To that end, I still own a half-dozen film cameras, including a Toyo 8x10, which I used to photograph color transparencies back in the day, even though I'm not presently using any of them.

You might not like my answers, but they're neither wrong nor non-helpful. <shrugs>

I thought your comments did more to drive the newcomer away from film than anything else.

[Audii-Dudii]

I thought your comments did more to drive the newcomer away from film than anything else.

If so, that certainly wasn't my intention!

That said, I don't believe he fully understands what he's biting off here and I was gently, politely trying to clue him in about that.

[LabRat]

You should find a screw in ND filter instead of a filter holder, as some LF lenses are critical that the filter is perfectly aligned in front, because if tilted just a little bit, they can set up severe internal reflections with some types of lenses...

Lenses with a flat element inside seem to double highlights or blob flare under certain conditions when heavy filters are out of alignment...

Steve K

[rpagliari]

hi Audii, thanks for the useful information. As far as digital goes, I have great experience with long exposure.

I've done a lot of research on film (and I've been using 35mm and 6x6 for a year now, mostly street photography) and I think I'm ready for 4x5.
But I did notice, for example, that the lever for cocking the shutter might be a potential source of light leak, and generally speaking lenses are not made for long exposure.

There could also be light leaks coming from the lens board and who knows what else could be an issue. I'm just trying to make sure I won't fail miserably.

It's a good point about the camera that might make a difference. I just ordered a 4x5 viewfinder camera by Stenopeika.

[rpagliari]

You should find a screw in ND filter instead of a filter holder, as some LF lenses are critical that the filter is perfectly aligned in front, because if tilted just a little bit, they can set up severe internal reflections with some types of lenses...

Lenses with a flat element inside seem to double highlights or blob flare under certain conditions when heavy filters are out of alignment...

Steve K

Thanks a lot for the info. Unfortunately, I'm heavily invested into the 100mm Lee system already; so, at least initially, I will give it a try, and use screw in filters later if I get into troubles.