Hi all, just found this great resource as I have spent the last week daydreaming about shooting film again. I can't give myself too much credit with film, mostly my experience is limited to a high school photography course (limited to B&W 35mm, we developed our negatives and made enlargements). But looking back at some of the shots I took for that class and reminiscing about the serene sense of fulfillment I felt in the darkroom, I really would like to take it on as a hobby. A desire to be better at documenting married life (and maybe a soon-to-be third family member) plays into this as well.
I've always had a sense that digital simultaneously cheapens photography for me, as well as makes it overwhelming if I am trying to do more than casual snapshots; both of these feelings are a result of the sheer number of shots that can be taken to try and best capture a moment... Then trying to choose the best frame to edit and publish/print out of dozens of candidates leaves me a little demotivated. Hence a desire to get back to a format where each shot feels more valuable (because it costs more, at the very least). The idea of medium or large format has always intrigued me, and as I've done some research I think it will offer what I'm looking for - infrequent but important and hopefully beautiful shots that can be cherished, lack of practicality compared to 35mm understood and accepted.

I have found a couple of 4x5 cameras for sale locally - an older Arca-Swiss and a Wista 45SP. Any advice for a first large-format camera would be welcome!