Which Large format camera is Best for me?

Don't forget to budget for the fork lift! Remember, Edward Weston is reputed to have said, "Anything more than 500 yards from the car just isn't photogenic."

A field camera is the way to go. If you want huge prints get an 8x10. Anything smaller will be an interim step.

Here is a good 8x10 on sale [floor model]

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/used/63769/Toyo_View_180_226_810GII_8x10_View_Camera.html

 

I love the responses, I am getting more excited and my lady is getting more concerned about my 'budget' :-).

Hmm

 

8ft x 6 ft print @ 150 dpi ==> 14400x10800 pixel image (not sure if you're considering 150dpi tack sharp)

 

4x5 film scanned at 2880 dpi will yield something slightly less than 14400x11520 which will give you that 6ft x 8ft print

 

If you want better than 150dpi, I'd suggest either 8x10, or make sure you get _really_ high quality drum scans from 4x5.

Yup, you would have to scan at over 6000dpi to get a 4x5 inch up to 6x8 feet. I would say that is beyond the resolution of most films. An 8x10 however would put you back into ballpark with 3000+ dpi scans. That is if you don't want to do any interpolation. I have read of many photographers who regularly print large with 2 times interpolation and get excellent results. Keep in mind that file sizes will be in the 1 to 2 gigabyte range just for 8 bit files. If you want 16 bit you will be in the 3 to 5 gigabyte range. That for 300 to 360 dpi prints, at or near the native resolution of most inkjets. Lightjets go off at 200dpi so slightly smaller files for it. This all takes significant quantities of processing power. You will want to look at what your computer is capable of handling as well. Or work with a great print house. West Coast Imaging comes to mind. Not sure if they go this big. I thought they had something in the 60 inch catagory though.

 

Whatever you choose, good luck in your adventure. I have had great fun and have some very nice 24x30 prints that are just mind boggling. Some of them have even sold ... to people I don't even know no less. go figure.

Dpi and print size. I probably should wear glasses saying this" don`t be afraid of only 100 dpi for large

prints". Do a cropped test on your own inkjet, and view it from both ok distance and close- and you might have

problems detecting problems with 100 dpi.

 

About 8x10 inch. I am to lazy too use my Sinar P2 8x10 back. I use 4x5 and 5x7 more. It is possible to get 5x7

cameras reasonably compact and light (I would like to have the Walker Titan XL wide 5x7). A nice thing with 5x7

are that most 4x5 lenses covers 5x7(relatively light and inexpensive lenses). A 120mm superwide and a 210mm

plasmat would be a very versatile package. You could start with one lens only. Maybe a 180mm .

 

Going up from 4x5 to 5x7 introduses problems. Bigger enlarger, bigger scanner, less filmtypes available(can cut

8x10)(not my problem, I am happy with the Provia ). A 5x7 to 4x5 reduction back is nice.

Remember the Toho is one of the lightest cameras around. It can take an extremely wide range of lenses, from 58mm to

450mm (with extension tube), and has a full range of movements. What other camera can do all that??? (I don't work for them)

" It can take an extremely wide range of lenses, from 58mm to 450mm (with extension tube), and has a full range of

movements. What other camera can do all that??? (I don't work for them)"

 

Linhof Technika 2000 and Technika 3000. They take 28mm and up all with the same bellows. And, yes, we are the

distributor but that does not stop the camera from doing more then a Toho.

Bob

 

what's a 2000 or 3000 cost? They sure look much more solid than the little Toho (which is rather like something from an extreme lightweight backpackers kit).

 

I will say that focusing the Toho can be frustrating when applying tilts and swings, I've heard that the Technika's are easier (but have never handled one).

The mention of such long lenses for shooting real estate seems abit odd. Here I have used an old ancient 12cm Angulon on a 4x5 and found that it worked; but a longer lens would not; unless one has a Cat D9 to bulldoze the neighbors house!; or ones buildings a short. Thus I am in sync with Bob's statement of <i>If you do real estate you will need a camera capable of wide angle</i> ; if means teh lens too! :) <BR><BR>There are many buildings that cannot be shot with a 150, 180 or 210mm lens with a 4x5; no matter what the camera body or the coverage of the lens; one often is boxed in to where one can place the camera; thus the distance often is not far away. A real estate shot of a taller building or one thats got trees to capture in the image often requires a shorter lens.

Scanning a 4x5 at 6000dpi picks up alot of useless fluff; try scans at more prcatical 2000 and 3000 levels for a drumscan. One rapidly is growing the file size with really little increase in info beyond say the 2000 to 3000 level in most cases.

Figure out what the cost and type (focal length too) of wideangle LF lens you need for YOUR type of real estate photography BEFORE one falls in love with XYZ LF camera. If the lens happens to be an Acme 80mm with a 170mm circle and Dufftor shutter; make sure you target cameras lensboard; bellows; shifts; rises work with this lens. Chooseing the camera before the lens adds risk.

Chris,

 

They are expensive, the 2000 is discontinued and is replaced by the 3000. Selling prices depend on the dealer that you buy

it from. We are the distributor in the USA but we are not a retailer.

Bob, I don't think you should have bought into this argument with the Linhof! You have just confirmed that the Toho has

a greater lens range then the Linhof - which costs many times more! The Toho can focus a Schneider 47mm lens, but

this is not recommended. (The Toho specs are a minimum of 46mm.) This 47mm lens as far a I know is the widest lens

available that covers large format, 4X5. Can you name the 28mm lens that covers 4x5? Remember the question is about

large format - not anything smaller. Is the Linhof also using a recessed lensboard to get to 28mm which any camera can

do as well.

The Linhof 3000 has a maximum lens range of 360mm - from their website. Whereas the Toho has a bellows extension

of 390mm. The Toho will definitely beat the Linhof on movements on both standards, and is a darn side lighter. I am splitting hairs

here, but for a camera that is $1425, as against $7000, its not bad!

Anthony,

 

There are 28mm, 35mm, 45mm as well as longer lenses that are for large format. None use a recessed board on a 2000

or a 3000.

 

As for the longest lens the camera will take is a 450mm with the Wista Extented Lensboard. By adding extra extensions

or the Wista Extension Bed and Bellows for the Technika even longer lenses are possible.

 

However, as I mentioned much earlier, and as others have also pointed out, real estate photography does not usually

need long lenses. They need short lenses.

 

For maximum versatility the Linhof TK45S would take the greatest range of lenses for a folding 45 field camera even

though it is a folding monorail rather then a folding baseboard camera.

 

Lastly you probably have not seen the Linhof 001015 Comfort recessed lensboard for Technika 45 cameras. It has all

controls on the front surface of the board. The aperture selector, the aperture scale and the press focus as well as the

press focus indicator are all on the flat front of the recessed board - no more reaching into a recessed board to set the

controls. And the Gepe type Wide Angle Extension has been added to the Linhof Cable Release Quick Connector so

there are no more wire connectors between the cable release and the shutter on this board. it was introduced two years

ago at the last Photokina.

 

I have not confirmed that a Linhof is limited compared to whatever you suggested.

 

And you better take a good look at camera specs. There are actually only a very few view cameras that can focus a

28mm at infinity with any type of lens board.

Folks, the discussion went odd IMHO.

<br>The original poster wants do do huge prints and asked for opinions about LF cameras up to 2000$ and he also stated clearly that he does NOT want to do real estate photography.

<p>Matthew, I think 4x5 will do the job, but of course you'll get still more detail out of an 8x10 chrome/negative. But, listen to those who mentioned the scanning/printing process. A stellar image will be of not much help when you don't have the money or equipment to blow it up to the desired size.

 

<p> For outdoors/landscapes I suggest a folding camera and up to 3 lenses to get started.

<br>A still better advice would be to get started with only one "normal" lens (150mm for 4x5 or 300mm for 8x10, for example). After using one lens for a while, you (and only you) will find out what focal lengths work for you. With a moderate wide angle, a normal and a moderate long lens you'll be able to cover almost every photographic situation.

<br>Many LF photographers (including me) change their cameras and lenses over the years until they establish a system, which works best for their personal needs. LF photography is a very personal thing, so be patient!

<p>For landscapes, you'll probably want to do some hiking, so weight and size are issues. Most monorails (but not all, as has been mentioned) are bulky and not the best choice for hiking/backpacking. Take into consideration that you'll also need a couple of film holders or (more convenient, but more expensive) a Readyload/Quickload holder (available only for 4x5), lightmeter, cable release, loupe for fine focusing (even if you think you have eagles eyes, use a loupe in every case!), dark cloth... Some people even need some water and food to carry along :-)

<br>Oh, and don't forget a sturdy tripod/head combination. Lack of sharpness has much more to do with vibrations than with anything else.

My brother, Kirk Gittings, the LF pro has 2 4x5s.

His show camera is a cherrywood Zone VI field model while his everyday one is a Calumet modded to use the same lens boards as his good one. Both his art and his architecture are done with the 4x5. He has both a Hassy and a 5D system now also but all of his treking into the wilds of the Southwest were done carrying a 4x5 field camera. You can check his website at www.gittingsphoto.com. I know he is off now not teaching his summer class at the Art Institute of Chicago as he had knee replacement surgery earlier this year, so you can contact him if you need any pointers.

Kent Gittings

My best advice would be to rent/buy a 4x5 and forget about 6x8 ft prints for now. That is something to aspire to, not something to start with. If you find the format to your liking, you'll have dipped your toes into the water and know what is expected outside of lugging a larger package with more weight and a hefty tripod. Also consider the fact that good sharp 6x8 ft prints don't come cheap and computer systems to handle files in that size ( if you do it yourself) are not cheap. And how many prints are you going to put on your walls or sell to put on others walls? Naw, you got diamonds in the eyes when your beer budget is 2 grand. Work in 4x5 consistently for 6 months to a year, and if at that time you've taken to the format and have cultivated either clients with deep pockets or a much bigger house then consider such larger prints.

Wayne's advice is pretty good, though I understand the drive to produce giant images once you start thinking about the capabilities of LF.

 

I've been shooting LF (Canham DLC45) for about six years, and until this spring my largest print was 16x20. Then I was asked to shoot a series of nine B&W images that would each be enlarged to eight feet in height. I used a Schneider 135mm APO-Symmar and Ilford Delta 100 film, which I processed myself. My "client" had the negs drum scanned at 4,000 dpi and printed them at a shop in Phoenix. The results are good -- if you stand at least six feet away from the images. If you really want what I would call "tack sharp" at that size, however, I'd go for 8x10.

 

BTW, I'm an amateur -- though with a lot of experience.

Seems like you've gotten a lot of advice, but I have to mention that I have a wooden Shen-Hao and love it. It is a

lightweight, wooden field camera with almost full movements. I primarily photograph people, but I often use rise and fall

and occasionally swing. This is a great camera for the price- it is nice enough that it does everything I want it to, and it is

also cheap enough that I don't have to treat it like it is irreplaceable and therefore take it with me everywhere. I have used

an old Schneider 150mm lens for years, and last year bought a new Nikon 120mm lens. I still use only those two, and I

love them both. The 120mm is great for portrait work, and I imagine it would cover landscape beautifully without being too

wide. If you're looking for something to try out large format, you can't go wrong with the Shen-Hao or Tachihara (a similar

brand). They're affordable and lightweight, while also giving you tons of movements.

Go with a Shen Hao model TZ45-11b. Weighs 4 1/2 lbs. Price is 695.00. You can also get it in kit form With a schnieder 135m lens and shutter for 1445.00. Check it out at www.badgergraphic.com