Page 1 of 5 123 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 47

Thread: Shooting 4x5 panoramic images...looking for forum wisdom

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Dec 2019
    Posts
    254

    Shooting 4x5 panoramic images...looking for forum wisdom

    Hi all,

    I’ve been having fun shooting some high res digital pano which it a result for having 4x10 envy. So, I was thinking the poor mans solution in the film world would be to stitch together a few 4x5 shots and see what happens.

    Who out there can provide some suggestions, wisdom, advice, process, pitfalls?

    I’m thinking I would try shooting one in landscape and one in portrait. The landscape one would consist of 3 images with about 50% overlap. This should get me close to a 4x10 prospective. In portrait mode I think I might need 4 shots to make it work.

    What do you guys think?
    Anything in life worth having is worth sharing.

  2. #2
    Corran's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    North GA Mountains
    Posts
    8,924

    Re: Shooting 4x5 panoramic images...looking for forum wisdom

    Buy a Horseman 6x12 holder, or if you want the spherical look like you get from stitching, consider a Noblex 150.

    Some people like stitching, but I can't imagine hoping for it to work while shooting expensive sheets of film. Think about how much money you'll spend on film rather than just buying a more appropriate camera.

    BTW, from my Noblex negatives I have printed 10 x 24 inch prints and they look excellent. There is not an argument for higher resolution with the larger film unless you plan on doing massive murals (and you'll need the appropriate scanning ability to get that resolution).
    Bryan | Blog | YouTube | Instagram | Portfolio
    All comments and thoughtful critique welcome

  3. #3
    Lachlan 717
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Posts
    2,591

    Re: Shooting 4x5 panoramic images...looking for forum wisdom

    I mainly shoot panoramic.

    For B&W, I’ve got my 7x17”.

    I’ve sold off all my smaller format film stuff (eg. 6x17cm) and now only use digital for colour.

    The key ingredients are a decent res sensor (circa 36meg+) and shift lenses.

    I’ve got 2 Nikkors - the 19mm PC-E and the 45mm PC-E. I’ve got lens mounting tripod rings to overcome parallex issues that can come from shifting the lens rather than the sensor (see iShoot’s options).

    There seems absolutely NO reason for me to flagellate with colour film stitching when there is an option that I consider at least compatible. I can get the main movements of a tech camera with the PC-E lenses in very high resolution in an easy, manageable and expedited fashion.

    Mind, you, if I could get 7x17” colour film, I’d use that in a heartbeat!
    Lachlan.

    You miss 100% of the shots you never take. -- Wayne Gretzky

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Posts
    776

    Re: Shooting 4x5 panoramic images...looking for forum wisdom

    I was struggling with a similar question, which is what’s the best practical and cost effective way to shoot panoramas.

    If Malefic was selling I’d jump for a 6x17 but it’s going to be limited to one focal lens (I guess you can spend more and get different parts for different focal lengths). Price is (at least was) reasonable. The other propositions means spending north of $2k in a used 6x17 camera (Fuji, etc), which don’t offer movements, are bulky and heavy and limited to one focal length again (ok some tolerate multiple lenses but then double the investment), or a new 4x10 camera (Chamonix, etc) plus new film holders. Or a Noblex 150 but that’s typically north of $1k.

    I don’t think stitching is a good approach.

    so whats the alternative? Well, if you have a 4x5 you can get a or make a half dark slide and get 2 2x5 panoramas per shot. To compose just cut some cardboard to size to cover the GG that you’re not exposing. Easy peasy.

    You can do that with 8x10 too and get 2 4x10 shots in one sheet of film.

    The advantages: you get that format without spending more. You can shoot any film including color that is available in 4x5 or 8x10. You can bracket the same shot if you’re willing to spend 1 sheet of film per shot. You don’t need to cut film to size in a dark room. You get to use all the movements and lens that you have. You can still shoot in the original format. You don’t need more gear.

    The cons: you don’t fulfill your GAS instincts. You have to be careful to make sure you don’t ruin your shot (can’t tell you how many times I’ve removed the film holder with the 1/2 slide still on it, or forgotten which side I shot and which one is I exposed— you need to be methodical but you will get it quickly). You need to carry a half dark slide.

  5. #5
    Moderator
    Join Date
    Jan 2001
    Posts
    8,640

    Re: Shooting 4x5 panoramic images...looking for forum wisdom

    Here's another way to think about it:

    https://jkschreiber.wordpress.com/po...iew-segmented/

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Maryland
    Posts
    1,490

    Re: Shooting 4x5 panoramic images...looking for forum wisdom

    Use a 6x12 rollfilm back on 4x5, or upgrade to a 6x17 rollfilm back on a 5x7 camera. Shooting multiple 4x5 shots and stitching will have mixed results perspective-wise, while shooting 120 rollfilm offers many emulsion options and can be scanned at high resolution.

  7. #7

    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    North Dakota
    Posts
    1,327

    Re: Shooting 4x5 panoramic images...looking for forum wisdom

    Some years back I saw a solution made from Calumet 400 series 4x5 cameras. Two cameras were used. The backs were machined and joined to make a 4x10 back. The cameras metal used to make the rear standard into one wider piece to take the back. The bellows was cut on the top and bottom in the center some inches back and the piece needed to fill the wider space taken from the other bellows. Then taped to the cut bellows. It was light tight.

    All the normal Calumet camera movement was available. Twenty plus inches of bellows available. Lightweight. Used 4x10 sheet film holders which were available from a few suppliers with Canham Camera being the one used by the owner of the camera I saw. Lenses from a Schneider Super Angulon 90 to a 300mm Nikkor were used on it with good results.

    The guy who had it said the two camera bodies cost him just under $200 on the used market. He had access to the tools and machine necessary for the cutting and the skills for the job.

    His images looked very good. It was lightweight and worked well.

    Might be an option for you.
    ” Never attribute to inspiration that which can be adequately explained by delusion”.

  8. #8

    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Wassenaar, NL
    Posts
    439

    Re: Shooting 4x5 panoramic images...looking for forum wisdom

    4 stitched portraits gives more resolution than 3 stitched landscapes, no? I don’t read btw whether you want to stitch the scanned images, which would’nt be a problem. Or did you have a special way of analogue stitching in mind?

  9. #9
    jppaula's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2021
    Location
    Lisbon
    Posts
    3

    Re: Shooting 4x5 panoramic images...looking for forum wisdom

    It depends on many variables, personal artistic views and gear options. There are numerous different options to end up with a panoramic format. From digital stitching (such as a combo of a digital camera with a Tilt-Shift lens - although tilt is of no use here), a panoramic view camera (eg 4x10), a panoramic back (eg 6x12 on 4x5 cameras), or a dedicated 6x12 or 6x17 camera, cropped if and as required. If you wish to stitch you will have to work digitally or with scanned film, and if your artistic choice is perfect stitching you must of course use nodal point view, if going for wider than the shift/rise capability of the camera. For digital I use a Sony A7R3 with a Canon 24mm TS-E II, levelled and rise/fall as required, and for film I just ordered a Silvestri SG612 with Horseman back with Schneider SA 58mm (same league as the Horseman SW612). The use of backs on view cameras will give you more control, but much less flexibility and action speed - again depends on your type of photography. Many other options though.

  10. #10

    Join Date
    Dec 2019
    Posts
    254

    Re: Shooting 4x5 panoramic images...looking for forum wisdom

    Quote Originally Posted by otto.f View Post
    4 stitched portraits gives more resolution than 3 stitched landscapes, no? I don’t read btw whether you want to stitch the scanned images, which would’nt be a problem. Or did you have a special way of analogue stitching in mind?
    I never thought about analogy stitching. That sounds crazy. No, I was always thinking about simply stitching them in Lightroom or Affinity Photo.

    So what a lot of you are saying is, get a dedicated pano camera or a medium format film back for my 4x5.
    Anything in life worth having is worth sharing.

Similar Threads

  1. Cutting a 4x5 film holder slide cover for two panoramic images on one sheet of film?
    By l2oBiN in forum Darkroom: Film, Processing & Printing
    Replies: 18
    Last Post: 29-May-2021, 04:50
  2. simple forum skin is missing some images
    By csant in forum Feedback
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 11-Apr-2009, 14:39
  3. Shooting color film for Black and White images
    By Jeff_3801 in forum Darkroom: Film, Processing & Printing
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 1-Apr-2004, 18:14
  4. New forum: Images of Photography
    By Alan Gibson in forum Announcements
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 21-Jan-2000, 11:55

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •