Richard, I understand your dilemma. At one point I had 3 formats and 5 cameras: 3-4x5, 1-8x10, 1-5x7. But I have reduced my arsenal to a single Chamonix 45N-1. I would be shooting 8x10, but my darkroom can not accommodate an 8x10 enlarger. I also tend to do a good bit of hiking and 4x5 lets me carry an additional lens or two. It is also easier to go extreme with a 4x5 rig: macro, tele, and super-wide(47mm XL).
But in the end it's all about the print.
Will Wilson
www.willwilson.com
Five
Wilhelm (Sarasota)
Exactly one. One 5x4 camera, five lenses. That's it, nearly as simple as I can make it.
Bruce Watson
Two - 4x5 and 8x10. I use 4x5 most of the time and the 8x10 only when I can work out of the trunk, which is not often. Given that the aspect ratio of these two is the same, it's not at all confusing to move between the formats.
- Randy
4x5, 5x7 and 12x20.
I will eventually get an 8x10, that should be big enough to try wet plate.
Bill, what LF formats do you shoot?Originally Posted by Bill_1856
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Last edited by jnantz; 2-Aug-2022 at 10:33. Reason: ***
4 formats 4x5 (almost never anymore), 5x7 (rarely), 8x10 (mostly) and 7x17 (whenever a panoramic presents itself). I'm pretty sure I have 13 unique LF lenses from 90mm to 600mm to cover all those formats.
As I stated in another thread, all I'm looking to buy these days is some 8x20 Lodima...
Own - 4 4x5,5x7,8x10 and 7x11
Shoot - 3 5x7,8x10 and 7x11
Still think 11x14 would be nice - but darkroom space is somewhat limited so stay with the above.
Shoot a lot of 4x5 because I have more film for it.
5x7 is my favorite format and as soon as the next royalty check comes in, I'll be using it more.
I have shot about 200 sheets of 8x10 in my whole life, and I'm just now getting "confident" with it. Meaning I don't screw up totally more than 50% of the time now.
But I love the tactile feel of the contact sheet. I plan on using it more in the future.
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