I decided to take the Large format plunge a few days ago. I don't of course know very much at all at this stage but the used equipment my local dealer had seemed to fit the bill nicely and so I thought that finally here was my chance.
I have three weeks to evaluate the gear and decide if I want to keep it or return it.
It is a cambo (sx?) 4x5 monorail with a revolving back and either a 210 f 5.6 caltar HR or the same lens in the 6.8 version.
I have found through the two frames I have shot that I have a new found respect for LF. Man, this is tougher than I thought!
I have found that I can not see the edges at all even under a loupe. Could it be that experimenting with about 30 degrees of tilt can make the edges vignet with the 210 f 5.6? I have found that the glass that comes with the cambo is not very good for transmiting light and was wondering if a better ground glass would make a small ... or a large difference?
Lastly I would like to ask those here who have more experience with this if I should keep the 210 caltar 6.8 or pay $150 extra for the 5.6 version. I thought it was a case that the 5.6 was a bit better for brightness (it is but seems minor) and more importantly that it casts a larger imaging circle.
Does the 5.6 lens cast enough of a image circle to be able to be used later on the 5x7 format? How about 8x10?
I know that at some point I want to investigate the idea of contact printing and alternative process. In that sense the 4x6 seems like a good way to slowly learn but if I buy any other lenses I would like them to cover a larger format later ... if that is a possible and practical approach to take.
Lastly ... does anyone know how long a lens the cambo with its normal rail will take?
My interests are portraiture on the one hand, and the 210 feels with first use to be a bit short but I would like to try my hand at landscapes, but likely not sweeping vistas, rather details ... so some kind of moderate wide would be nice (I think), one that can get close.
Any advice here would be greatly appreciated. I think the cambo is a good enough deal, not great but not bad, where it would be a good learning tool, but I hope not to get into too many dead end decisions - so feel free to suggest other approaches.
Thanks!
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