Cheers from North Carolina

[ewvoss]

Good Day. I am an avid fly-fisherman and outdoors man. One thing that is certain about fly fishing is that the majority of the special trout haunts...the ones you want to keep to yourself, end up being in pristine areas with outstanding environs.

I am looking to acquire a large format camera in order to capture some of the vistas and images I have witnessed. I am unfamiliar with LF in general, but in my opinion there is no substitute to the image quality and detail that LF offers.

I am hoping to gain some advice on whether there is a large format camera that will prove portable enough to pack into a backpack and take into the back country with me.

What opinion to you have with respect to the Pentax 6X7? What about the TOYO products?

Thank you in advance.

[Robert Ley]

Welcome aboard! Where in NC are you located? Have spent some time in NC mainly in the western part of the state. Love the Blue Ridge and the Smokies.

Although fly fishing and photography are not mutually exclusive, LF is pretty gear intensive if you want to do it right. It is not just the camera but all the equipment that goes along. You can get a decent camera that weighs about 5-6 lbs but you will have to have a lens or several lenses, film holders, focusing cloth, meter, and a tripod that will weigh as much or more than the camera. So unless you have a pact mule or a willing assistant to carry the gear, you are stuck with a lot of weight.

I would suggest that you learn as much about LF photography as possible before you get too much farther. A great source is our own LF home page that has some great articles that will give you a good start.

I used a Pentax 6x7 for many years and it is a great system with some wonderful lenses. I would have to ask as well what experience you have in analogue photography?

Read a bit and see how you feel about LF photography before proceeding further.

[John Bowen]

I use an Orvis fly reel case to hold my LF lenses. I use an additional Orvis fly reel case to hold my Hasselblad, 2 lenses, 3 backs, light meter and 15 rolls of film.

[Worker 11811]

What about a Graflex or a Speed Graphic?

They are a lot more portable plus, if you choose carefully, film, film holders and other equipment could be transferable if/when you decide to move up to a larger camera.