Hi All-

I've only been lurking here for a couple of days, so I hope I'm not violating an y standards of etiquette of this forum with this posting.

I'm going to make the move from 35mm to either roll film or 4x5 within the next year. I'm really attracted to the 4x5 negative size and like the idea of being a ble to make perspective adjustments as needed. My main concern revolves around w hether a press camera in this format is feasible for my subjects (portraits, oft en candid, and some casual landscapes)and shooting style (don't spend more than a couple of minutes agonizing over a shot, often don't carry a tripod). I have n o aspirations of becoming a pro or doing studio work.

I'm seriously considering the Master Technika and would like to hear some feedba ck from users, as well as other press camera fans out there. Is it really reason able to expect to pop open the camera, get a rangefinder focused image, and fire a shot, as Linhof seems to suggest? Do any of you do this on a regular basis? I 've already read Philip Greenspun's comments on this subject, looked through Qua ng-Tuan Long's site, and sifted through Graflex.org.

I know that some of the most serious obstacles to "point and shoot" with a 4x5 p ress are the ancillary equipment that goes with large format photography, depth of field considerations (and the corollary of slow shutter speeds) and bellows c ompensation calculations. I'm not worried about the added weight compared to MF, either.

I'm already familiar with the piece of advice that goes "get yourself a cheap gr aphic and see if large format is for you...." However, I'm really more interestd in people's experiences with large format in a press camera shooting style.

Thanks in advance for your input!