Thanks Mathias!
Your first LF was the Canham DLC or the Technica? Do you shoot the Canham as a 5x7 or with the reducing back?
Would love to seem some of your photographs.
Thanks Mathias!
Your first LF was the Canham DLC or the Technica? Do you shoot the Canham as a 5x7 or with the reducing back?
Would love to seem some of your photographs.
Glad to be of help. There is a 4x5 version of the Canham DLC (see here: http://www.canhamcameras.com/DLC2.html). I have version one of this camera. Very pleasing! I don't have my latest stuff scanned and ready at the moment, but everything that you can find here http://www.mathiasprinz.com under ›preperation for departure‹ is made with a canham dlc, a rodenstock apo sironar 150mm and a wierd reprofilm called Fuji CDU II - hence the blueish ›blade runner‹ vibe.
Originally Posted by v.kapoor
Why don't you just get the same camera & lens as Alec Soth or Stephen Shore? Then you can't make any excuses about your equipment as you produce your images.
Two reasons: I can't afford 8x10 and like I said, I'm inspired by them, I don't want to be them. I'm also a beginner, that's simply looking for suggestions that would suit someone just getting started in LF photography.
Hello,
Here in France I started with a symmetrical camera. It was a Sinar, it could have been an Arca Swiss. It is what I found the easiest way to discover Large Format. Especially with the F1 from Sinar. This camera isn't to heavy, it folds itself without any trouble (in this compartment, the Norma is clearly the winner), it isn't too heavy and it has a magic knob ! In fact, it helps you calculate the angle of tilting to get your plane of focus where you want it to be. It even gives you an optimal aperture for your lens - This is subject to controversies but I did get not in trouble with it for the moment.
When you want to make portraits in situation, you will need to tilt you front panel. Iterations might be long where you would prefer to go fast. Knowing what your need might spare you a lot of time. This is the "raison d'être" of this knob.
About lenses, you might like the 150 mm APO Sironar N for it is very small and tack sharp. With it's 72° of angle, it gives you some movement. Not a lot, but usually sufficient. An Apo Sironar S will be wider and sharper, but a lot more expensive.
I bought my Sinar F1, a 150 mm Sironar N, a bag bellow, 10 holders for 600 €.
How much for one Linhof ?
If you read French, you can get http://collegialuniversitaire.groupe...cherche=groulx We consider it to be a kind of bibble.
You may get as many advises as writers. But of course, mine is of the bests you will seek ! ;-)
Bonne Quête !
Jérôme
Just wanted to add my opinion, which differs in a small part with some above.
You certainly don`t need Soth`s camera to do the same work; choosing a camera is the easiest part. The difficult thing here are the ideas and how to successfully transfer them into a negative.
The DLC is a very nice camera, quite versatile, but slow to use. It is lightweight (not the lightest anymore), but as a lightweight field "monorail?", very slow to setup. They need to be opened, unfold the bellows, to put the standards in position, to pre-lock all the controls (8 at least), and then to "fine setup" -to set the standard for the given lens-, and very likely, to re-lock some controls. No stops, no presets, no auto-locking tabs. After all this, you can attach the lens and focus.
Technikas (like most flat bed/press type cameras) are way faster to setup, they just need to be opened, unfold the bellows up to the stop tab and attach the lens. Ready to focus and shoot. Quite a big difference. In trade, Canhams have a longer and larger bellows, great for longer and bigger lenses and shutters. One camera doesn`t replace the other, and both are capable of doing the task. Neither the Linhof or the Canham is overkill, just expensive.
You can probably do the very same thing on much cheaper or even more expensive cameras. But if you like this ones, either of them is a great choice.
+1^
I would only add that some lenses may not need to be removed from the Press-type cameras and may self-store as the bellows and front standard are collapsed into the body.
Everything has some trade-off with a benefit and a drawback. Speed of set-up may be important for some types of shooting while a particular lens, having some bulk, may be paramount for another shooting serssion.
There is no mone best way to do anything. The negative/transparency/print is what counts. However you get there is just a path you take.
Drew Bedo
www.quietlightphoto.com
http://www.artsyhome.com/author/drew-bedo
There are only three types of mounting flanges; too big, too small and wrong thread!
Thanks everyone for your help. Today I purchased a beautiful used Linhof Master Classic. It came with a 150 and 90, 16 film holders, the original manual and he even threw in a new pack of Provia and a Tamrac bag to hold it. All for $1750.
Very excited to take my first portraits and share with you all. Thanks again!
Good.
Havre Fun !
J
I was going to add that Some field cameras can fold with a lens inside, but Drew beat me to it.
Personally, I really enjoy having a 135mm lens folded up inside my Tachihara field camera. But I find I shoot a Medium format rangefinder more often these days because I can shoot handheld more comfortably. All the best with the adventure! I look forward to seeing what you see in the world.
He he well said:
Nice personal stories from Mathias and Peter.
(Mathias I am glad to see that CDU is working well for you!)
And in the end:
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks