Los Angelino diving in...

[LADP]

Hello,

My name is Anthony Hardwick. I'm about to make the leap into LF. In the realm of still photography I have quite a bit of 135mm experience, as well as MF. These days I shoot primarily 135mm BW and various color stocks with my Leica M6 and a couple of lenses. I may get an M8 digital body down the line at some point as well.

Really, most of my experience is in motion picture cinematography, which is what I do for a living. I have been shooting 16mm, Super 16mm, 35mm and even Super 8mm since 1986. In the past couple of years, I have shot a few projects on a variety of HD formats as well.

I graduated from NYU Tisch School of the Arts in 1988 with a B.F.A. in Film, and started working initially as an Assistant Cameraman. I made the switch to Director of Photography in 1995, and have been at it ever since. I have shot a television commercials, documentary films, feature films and episodic tv series over the years in the capacity of camera operator on some and D.P. on others. A film I shot is opening up next week called "Borat: Cultural Learnings from America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan." I know it's a mouthful, but check it out if you get a chance... it's pretty funny. It was shot in a documentary style for the most part.

Anyway, I have been interested in getting into LF for personal projects for years. I am about to take the plunge. I have been reading the excellent articles on this site as well as following various threads with interest. I purchased a book, "View Camera Technique" by Leslie Stroebel, and look forward to reading it. Really my hardest decision in a way is whether I will jump right into 8x10, or begin with 4x5. There are pros and cons to both from my perspective, so it will be a tough one to make a final decision on.

I look forward to learning from you all and getting to know some of you hopefully. Thanks for reading my intro.

[John Kasaian]

Welcome Anthony, 8x10 rocks!

[Ron Marshall]

Welcome to the forum Anthony. Don't overlook 5x7, the "Goldilocks" format. I began with 4x5 then purchased a 5x7. The 4x5 is a 3lb Toho which is a wonderful camera for hiking etc. I use the 5x7 near the car.

There are a few lighter 8x10s that may be backpacked, if that is one of your intended uses. Have a look at Kerry Thalmann's site, for a wealth of lightweight lens info. The home page of this site has reviews of many current LF cameras.

The Canham 4x5 is very versatile, it is actually a 5x7 with a 4x5 reducing back. A 4x10 back is also an available option.

[LADP]

Welcome to the forum Anthony. Don't overlook 5x7, the "Goldilocks" format. I began with 4x5 then purchased a 5x7. The 4x5 is a 3lb Toho which is a wonderful camera for hiking etc. I use the 5x7 near the car.

There are a few lighter 8x10s that may be backpacked, if that is one of your intended uses. Have a look at Kerry Thalmann's site, for a wealth of lightweight lens info. The home page of this site has reviews of many current LF cameras.

The Canham 4x5 is very versatile, it is actually a 5x7 with a 4x5 reducing back. A 4x10 back is also an available option.

John and Ron, thank you for the welcome. Ron, I have considered 5x7, but the fewer choices in film stocks available pre cut in that size has dissuaded me to some degree. Aside from that, it is a format that would appeal to me. I like the fact that it isn't much larger/heavier than a 4x5 outfit. What draws me to 8x10 is the contact printing possibilities, but hiking with it seems difficult. I will check out that site you mentioned, so thank you for the suggestion.

A good friend of mine whose brother shoots 8x10 laughed when I told him I was concerned about hiking with an 8x10 setup. He asked me what I thought Ansel Adams did - with likely heavier gear than is available today. He has a point.

[Ron Marshall]

Anthony, since you have some interest in 5x7, here is a link to an article on the home page of this site that considers the pros and cons of 5x7:

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/5x7.html

[Sheldon N]

Welcome Anthony. Your movie has been getting a lot of press lately - I hope it does well.

It's nice to see you here and showing an interest in LF. Be careful of some of these guys here, they'll have you wanting to shoot 11x14 or 12x20 in no time flat.

If you are still deciding between 4x5 and 8x10, I'd say start with 4x5 then add 8x10 later on if you decide to upgrade. Most of the folks who shoot 8x10 here have a 4x5 body as well.

[Eric Biggerstaff]

Welcome Anthony! I think you will find this forum a great place to pick up information.

Don't get to bogged down in deciding on a format, choose one that fits your personality, shooting style, and what you enjoy to photographing. As you already know, there are people on this forum who use just about every LF size available, so you will get plenty of good advice.

Have fun and good luck.

Eric

[Hugo Zhang]

Welcome Anthony!

If you like contact prints, jump into 8x10. I bought a 4x5 Arca-Swiss 6 years ago and used it for less than a year when I took a workshop in pt/pd and moved to 8x10. That beaufitul Arca-Swiss has been sitting in my closet since. It's easy to move up, hard to move down. Part of the fun of LF is all sorts of challenges you have to go through.

I have learned so much from this forum and made some nice friends too. Good luck!

Hugo

[steve simmons]

Welcome. The Stroebl book is a good longterm reference but not the best inro. I usually recommend

User's Guide tot he View Camera by Jim Stone
Using the View Camera that I wrote

or Large Format Nature Photography by Jack Dykinga

Check your local library.

There are also several good articles in the Free Articles section of the View Camera web site

www.viewcamera.com


steve simmons

[Ole Tjugen]

I'll have to agree with Steve Simmons here - his book is far more useful for a beginner than Leslie Stroebl's.

Welcome to LF, by the way