A journey from 4x5 to 5x7 to 8x10

[Robin Campbell]

Hello

With a lot of help and advice from people on this site, i have been on a journey recently in deciding which was the best platform for my movement into LF from MF. I want to shoot landscape and buildings etc with full movements with foreground and background all in focus. I am interested in textures of rock, wood, etc. I had decided on the 5x7 format - i like the look of it through ground glass - even given all of the difficulties with available colour film and film holders and developing.

However, it has been suggested to me in one of the threads that for versatility i should consider an 8 x 10 and can use a 5 x 7 back or 4 x10 etc or whatever. No problems with film, holders and processing. Additionally I think that i would like to try contact printing 8x10 in B and W. I had not really considered that before. I was going to scan my 5 x 7 using a Epson Prov750 and print it out on a Epson 4880.n Another benefit cited was to invest in a modular system which will adapt to your needs over the years.

I have looked at the Ebony 45sue, 57sue and the Arca swiss 5x7 and 8x10 compact metrics with orbits etc. What is important of course is the weight but the Swiss does not seem much heavier than the 5 x 7. and Ebony does 8 x 10 cameras of course. Well that is were i am, is 8 x 10 overkill for waht i want, is it too heavy to carry 'up hill and down dale' is the weight worth the additional functionality over a 5 x 7 camera? I realise that camera equipment is all about compromise and no one system will do all and that all with have strengths and weaknesses. But for what i want to do, is this suggestion 'a line of best fit'?

From the responses to this thread i will rent out if possible the formats for use. I have hand held them and i like them all.
Thank You.

[John Bowen]

I would suggest you check out Richard Ritter's Carbon Fiber 8x10 field camera. See this thread http://www.largeformatphotography.in...ad.php?t=32607 and this thread http://www.largeformatphotography.in...ad.php?t=29532

Richard is currently making me an 8x10 that I intend to use 5x7 and 4x5 backs with. I know others are having cameras made along with 7x11, 5x8 and 4x10 backs. I have used an 8x10 for the last 3-4 years and really enjoy the large ground glass and contact prints. Richard's 8x10 weighs about 7 lbs!!! I have one of Richard's 7x17 cameras so you could call me a happy customer.

Best of luck with your decision and welcome to Large Format.

[Eric James]

Will you shoot your landscapes from the car or the trail?

I shoot 4x5 in large part because of Quick Loads. I much prefer the 5x7 aspect ratio - whole plate's even better - and I would like to have larger transparencies, but weight is a huge factor for me.

Not to complicate matters but Chamonix and Ebony are making whole plate cameras. It sure would be nice if someone would develop a whole plate quick-load device designed to employ 8X10 sheets.

[Ole Tjugen]

I happen to have 5x7" and 8x10" cameras of the exact same make and type - both Gandolfi Traditional - and I really think 5x7" is far more portable.

In addition I feel the 5x7" is "just right" - the ground glass is large enough to look at with both eyes at the same time, yet not so large that I have to move my head to see the whole image. Many common lenses cover 5x7", even if they are mostly intended for 4x5". 8x10" is more in the "special lens range".

I use 4x5" when I know I'll need lots and lots of movements, and 8x10" when I know I'm going to contact print. The rest of the time I prefer 5x7".


And yes - I have 4x5", 5x7" and whole plate backs for the 8x10" camera, too. I don't use them.

[Chuck Pere]

I would go for the biggest system you can carry. A lot depends on your physical condition. Big strong in shape people can carry 8x10's with no problems. For the rest of us carts are available and can be used sometimes. And some depends on how you plan to photograph. Do you plan ahead the location and time of day so that you just need to bring your equipment to that spot. Or are you planning to just wander around looking for something to catch your eye. The wandering gets hard carrying heavy equipment.

[Robin Campbell]

Thank you for your comments already. I am going to use this on planned hikes.

[Walter Calahan]

Robin

Don't forget you don't have to carry any of this stuff on your hikes.

Get a 3-wheeled baby jogging stroller (the type with the bicycle spoked wheels and suspension), and you can push the camera gear anywhere you want. I use one for my 8x10 Canham, lenses and film holders. Haven't met a hill it doesn't like.

Far better then carrying a system on your back.

[Ron Bose]

Robin,

IMHO An Ebony above 4x5 is way too expensive. I would seriously consider a Canham.

Having recently picked up a 5x7 Canham wood camera, I can attest to it's great design and build quality. This particular model is designed as a 5x7 that can be used as a 4x5 with a different back.

I like to look at prints in my hands rather than hanging on the wall and that's why I like 5x7. My girlfriend likes 4x5 because she can enlarge with it (we have a Durst L1200 enlarger).

I also have an 8x10 Phillips along with a custom 5x7 reducing back.

For the stuff I like to photograph (in B&W), people, things and old buildings, 5x7 is what I like.

[Ed Richards]

> I want to shoot landscape and buildings etc with full movements with foreground and background all in focus.

Let's look at this a little harder. Backgrounds all in focus - with DOF issues, you will be getting into diminishing returns as you move up from 4x5. For buildings, at least, the value of larger formats is in seeing on the GG, but not really in the negative size. Movements are harder with bigger formats, lenses that can handle the movements for normal and wide angle views become monsters, all in all it is a very different game from shooting landscapes at infinity.

Walter - the baby jogger depends on the terrain. I get a lot of high grass and serious mud.

[Nick_3536]

I've got 5x7 and 4x10 backs for my Shen FCL-810. The Shen is fairly light and I think most heavy 5x7s will be heavier then the Shen. It's clearly heavier then a light weight 5x7 [for example the Shen FCL-57] but it's weight isn't something that would bother most people. IIRC it's about 4kg. Some 4x5 cameras are heavier then that.

Don't assume bigger cameras are heavier. They are bigger but a light weight 8x10 can be lighter then a heavy smaller format.