Landscapes - How much movements do you use?

[Peter von Gaza]

I'm curious, for those of you that are primarily "landscape photographers", how often and how much camera movements do you use? I have a few 4x5 cameras, but the one I take out on all my long trips (back packing and ski tours) is my Toho 4x5 mini - that has NO movements. There have been a few times that I have missed not being able to tilt my lens forward to increase focus and few times that I wished I had a little bit of rise, but not too often. I am, however, looking at simple ways to add a little tilt to my front lens and a little rise/fall to both front and back.

My thing is photographing BIG landscapes and most often I go to great lengths to avoid "foreground clutter". But sometimes, but not to often, I find myself with near foreground or scrambling around in a big forest, where some movements would be beneficial.

I realize that the beauty of large format cameras for many are the movements, but that aside, how much movement and how complex of movements do you really use for you landscape photographs? It seems to me that other than rise and fall and some lens tilt, that all the other potential movements would hardly ever be needed. Or am I wrong?? It just seems to me that we should be able to have a sub 2 lb camera that has all the movements necessary to meet the needs of most landscape photographers. I love my Toho mini because it is ROCK solid, even with my Fujinon 450mm lens and extender. It is super easy and fast to set up, super compact and light! What I really want is a sort of big Mamiya 7 with minimal movements at about 1.5 lbs.

I find myself quite often photographing in very cold conditions where just getting the camera focused is an accomplishment, let a long tinkering with camera movements.

So think of your best landscape photographs and report on what camera movements, if any, you used.

Curious,
Peter

[timbo10ca]

I find I have to use at least a bit of movement on all shots for DOF. I shoot 5x7, and I believe as you go up in size you need movements more and more. Probably back tilt (and/or front tilt) and front rise more than anything. If you don't have rise, you can use the angled camera/standards tilted approach. I can't imagine shooting LF without some ability to do front rise, and I do mainly landscapes.

Tim

[Walter Calahan]

Only what's needed.

[Bruce Watson]

I'm using the big brother to your Toho -- a Toho FC45-X. I've modified it some, replacing the mount point with an Arca-Swiss quick release plate, adding some levels, replaced the ground glass with a Maxwell screen, etc. and it comes in right at 1.25 Kg. Not bad for a stiff little camera with full movements on both standards! I've been using it for nearly seven years now and it's never given me reason to look for another camera.

To answer your question, I use movements on just about every shot, but as little as possible -- what's necessary and no more. Mostly simple stuff like a little front tilt and some rise. But I'm also a stickler for wanting the trees to look like trees so I want my back level and plumb in most shots, so I find some back tilt convenient. In fact, there have been shots where I had to tilt the bed 30 degrees or so, and use back tilt to regain plumb on the rear and front tilt to pull in focus and even more front rise (all this is part of the joy of the huge image circle on a 110mm SS-XL). Sometimes you need stuff like this when the trees are really tall.

On the other hand, just this spring I captured a nice shot of a curtain of trumpet creepers. It took about 30 degrees of front swing, and most of those blossoms from about 45 cm all the way out to about 250 cm are in nice clear focus. A freaky but cool (I know, I know, only to me) near-far composition.

I don't think I could live without at least full movements on the front standard and I'd really like back tilt and back fall also.

[Gene McCluney]

I use movements (shift-tilt) in almost every shot outside. I wouldn't do it if it didn't result in an improvement to the final image. I like my photos to be sharp over the whole subject area.

[Ole Tjugen]

"What's necessary and no more" can be quite a lot in some cases.

As here in Norway, where the landscape can be almost vertical, and taking a step back can be dangerous...

[Daniel_Buck]

I usually only use front rise (or front fall if I'm up high) and a bit of either front tilt or rear tilt. If I'm in canyons or shooting closer up, I'll use a bit of swing, but usually not much.

[Michael Gordon]

It's helpful to define what type of 'landscape photographs' you're referring to.

All-around sharp focus 'straight' landscape photographs often require little to no movements. I often employ selective focus and shallow DOF. Here the movements may be considerable. It just depends upon the effect I'm going for and the story I am trying to tell.

[Graham Patterson]

If I wasn't going to use movements, I'd take my medium format camera. But movements are generally small, and rarely more than one axis.

[Gene McCluney]

If I wasn't going to use movements, I'd take my medium format camera. But movements are generally small, and rarely more than one axis.

You got it. Why have the capability, and not use it, when it would "improve" the image.
The larger you go in format, the more you need movements to manage the narrow depth-of-field. I find myself using whatever movements I have available to me on any particular camera I am using. If I am using one of my press cameras, then I only use front movements, because that is all they have.