Originally Posted by
Bernice Loui
Once Upon a Time...
Two image makers went view camera shopping one day...
Image maker number two..
Been using a Large variety of view cameras for decades creating images from Portraits (indoor, outdoor and more), landscapes, in studio still-life to Ads, Fashion and more, technical macro images, architectural indoor/outdoor with uber power strobe to natural lighting and much more. Burned countless thousand sheets of film from color to B&W and more.. Has very specific expectations from the camera and how that camera Must have every ability to Fully support the optics/lenses required to achieve specific image goals be they prints or mass publications...
Image maker number one...
Completely new to this view camera stuff. Previous experience was strict digital, then roll film starting with 35mm then moved to 120 roll film then got caught up in the curiosity of sheet film. Image maker number one is also from the web-internet centric generation where what is found on the web is considered truth, fact and good solid information, recommendations and "reviews"... No idea what view camera movements are or can achieve due to the long history of using lens fixed to the box camera or at most using tilt/shift lens or lens adapters. Add to this, lenses are brand centric, for a specific camera brand there is a strong interest to keeping with that camera brand's lens offerings or aftermarket lens offerings or in the case of mirrorless, adapted lenses of mixed brands.. Specific image making habits, style and more have been grown out of these previous image making experiences.
Decides to go new view camera shopping.. Do a web search, comes up with "FAB" reviews on a specific camera.. Gee, this must be the camera to have given there are SO many "FAB" reviews given to said view camera.. Part of the "fly in the ointment" difficult with this making choices based on web-internet reviews, these folks posting to the web-internet could have manufacture supported bias promo to create these "FAB" reviews or the reviews simply do not have the depth of experience and real-world experience of being run in the out of the previous era of sheet film image making.. which often shapes the expectations, demands and more of the image maker.. Image maker number one goes for the much web-internet TooTed view camera.. Spanky new, no idea of what a Good view camera should be, yet it is a view camera. Makes images, lightweight, folds up easy and has all these contraptions that allow the front and back of this light tight box that is flexi in the center to be moved and bent around.. Not sure what or how these bendiee motions are for. but... it makes "FAB" images on film _WOW_...
Image maker number two encounters this web-internet TooTed view camera with a Great "ICK"... in short time image maker number two has short tolerance for the lack of precision/accuracy, flimsy lightweight construction, camera/bellows extension limitations and no easy option for a bag bellows, no scales or centering marks, wonky camera focusing mechanism located at the bottom center of the rear standard, semi light transparent lens board causing film fogging and more.. Yet, image maker number two easily produces FAB images from this camera within it's limitations.. Never again, unless this is the only image making tool available.. ick..
So there ya have it..
Bernice
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