richard_boulware Posted February 20, 2002 Author Share Posted February 20, 2002 With all due respect to Tim and Chad....in todays world (two days ago) it looks like this: Some clown with hip waders on, levis and a light parka, with his hard hat turned around backwards. The Technika V set on vertical, a small pack with film holders and grafmatics in it and a Spectra Combi-500 on his belt,...while wadeing out in a stream to get a shot of a ten ton shovel bucket picking up boulders. Oh, and Yes....I could use that Deardorff duct tape. My waders sprung a leak and I nearly froze my left leg. The Cat operator busted his butt to get the bucket positioned just where I wanted it. He is impressed with large 4X5 cameras, hand held, I think. Superb cooperation, frozen left leg, sitting in a hot tub with a cigar and a class of very cold Vouvray, looking at my contract and smiling. THANKS,..Linhof and Marflex....this clown is smiling and happy. Life is good. Screw New Orleans. Been there, done that. Nice place, but the $$$$ are in Colorado...I think. Be well. RB (:-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_goldfarb Posted February 20, 2002 Share Posted February 20, 2002 I hope I didn't come off as a "naysayer" up there. I certainly like the idea. <p> I think before I look at a press camera though, I would probably make some sort of handheld bracket for my 8x10" Gowland PocketView (to see what this looks like, go to http://www.petergowland.com/camera/. Mine is older and somewhat lighter than the current version). The standards attach to the rail clamps with ordinary 1/4"-20 screws. I could replace the whole rail arrangement with a fixed focus flat bar and attach a bracket crosswise to that with two handles, arial camera style. I could even dispense with the standards or maybe just the rear standard, since the front and rear frames also attach to the standards with ordinary 1/4" screws. Add a door peephole finder, and I could probably keep it under 6 lbs (about the weight of my Canon F-1N with motor drive and a 300mm or 400mm lens) with film holder and 120mm lens that way. Hmmm.... maybe this isn't such an unreasonable proposition after all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew_cole1 Posted February 21, 2002 Share Posted February 21, 2002 I've been doing this on and off with my Crown Graphic for the last couple years. Most interesting looks were from the tourists on the observation deck of the Empire State Bldg when I whipped it out of a bag and started snapping shots of the NY skyline . . . <p> I like the effect of handheld lf, but in terms of outright quality, I would think a well handled mf camera (handheld) would out-do the quality of the somewhat awkward Crown with the relatively soft 127mm Ektar. <p> As for film speed, outdoors in sunlight with T-Max 400 you can usually get a decent exposure. With slower film it was just too much trouble to get anything useful. <p> When I can afford it I'll probably look into a better rangefinder 4x5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j._mose Posted February 21, 2002 Share Posted February 21, 2002 Richard, <p> Dare I say you may have started a new trend! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_andrews Posted February 21, 2002 Share Posted February 21, 2002 You're all mad!<br>Hang on, I'll just strap a 20lb weight to my old yashicamat so's I can get the same feeling of doing something heroic to no real purpose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_goldfarb Posted February 21, 2002 Share Posted February 21, 2002 Hmmm.... that should keep down the shutter vibration. Go for it Pete! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce_wehman Posted February 21, 2002 Share Posted February 21, 2002 Y'know, I think I have to agree with Pete on this one. I used to have a permanent red mark on the back of my left hand, from the strap of a Speed Graphic. The mark has long since gone away and I have never felt the need to return to that insanity....Even from a quality standpoint, the best hand held work I have ever done, with the exception of various aerial cameras, has been with a Pentax 6x7. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julian_bell1 Posted February 21, 2002 Share Posted February 21, 2002 A couple of years ago I built my own 4 x 5 point & shoot camera. You can see it here: http://job.webstar.nl/newcampg.htmlI didn't work to any plans so it is no use asking me for them.It works well but I haven't used it much lately. I use film rated at 800 ISO and a gray day soon brings the shutter speed down to below 1/30th sec. with the lens wide open at f8. Handheld I prefer to use it at 1/125th sec. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julian_bell1 Posted February 21, 2002 Share Posted February 21, 2002 I forgot to mention. Although the camera is light enough, carrying the 10 film holders I have is more inconveniant than the camera itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew_cole1 Posted February 22, 2002 Share Posted February 22, 2002 Although I'm the first to admit that the sharpness, etc. of the image is probably comparable to a good mf image, the images from handheld lf are definately not the same as mf. It's about getting a certain look from the photos, not about being heroic by carrying an outdated hunk'o'wood. Not sure I can be more specific than that, it's just different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik_gould1 Posted February 22, 2002 Share Posted February 22, 2002 Very interesting topic. Thanks, Richard for getting it started. I just wonder where are the users of that other classic handheld LF camera, the Graflex SLR? In college in the 80's I had a D-series 4x5 and a bag-mag. I did portaits and some other stuff. Unfortunately I sold it when I needed cash and my work changed. But talk about an interesting and rather unique look, and a lot of fun to work with, your sitters really feel like they are in on something special when they see you using one of those! Someone must be using them (I hope, or is it just collectors?) the prices for Super-D's keep going up and up. Someday I'll get back to that, I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_goldfarb Posted February 22, 2002 Share Posted February 22, 2002 Adapting my 8x10" Gowland for handheld use turned out to be quite an easy project--an evening's work. I made a simple short flat rail out of cherry wood that replaces the whole monorail and focusing system. I have a spare tripod socket from a defunct Bronica S2 body I bought for parts, which is inset into the rail and held with four small wood screws. The front and rear standards attach with 1/4"-20 screws and wing nuts. I've got one hole, so it's permanently focused at infinity with the 120mm lens. I may add another hole for a second focus zone, since I've got a bit of spare rail space. The whole thing can sit comfortably on a relatively lightweight tripod like my Tiltall or can be easily supported with a pistol grip that has a cable release trigger, like the handheld Sinar wideangle camera. <p> Now I need to make a viewfinder and I should be set. <p> Thanks for the inspiration! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andre_noble4 Posted February 24, 2002 Share Posted February 24, 2002 Has the KKK turned into a large format photography club, or are they still doing the ol' white supremacy gig? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocky_larochelle1 Posted March 1, 2002 Share Posted March 1, 2002 I use my Hobo 8x10 with a 120mm Nikon lens hand held. If you'd like to see a recent pic, go to http://www.rocky.larochelle.com/room_for_improvement.htm The site isn't about photography but I like to put an image in there sometimes. --Rocky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg_lawhon1 Posted March 2, 2002 Share Posted March 2, 2002 Richard, you're hardly out of vogue! Based on the number of other people I've seen handholding LF the last few years, I'd say you're a trendsetter. <p> I'm an amateur and have used LF of various sizes off and on for fun for years. But the one aspect of LF I have stuck with is using a Crown Graphic handheld with rangefinder for "environmental portraits" of my kids (I had to use quotes because it seemed like a fancy term for taking their pictures as they ice skate, play golf, swing on the swingset, build their Legos, or do whatever they like to do at the moment). <p> Yes, I have several medium format cameras. I use them more often than anything else. But I love heading out with the Crown. It's pure fun. And it gives you a look you can't get out of a smaller format (but you knew that). <p> It doesn't bother me if the naysayers say nay. I won't have any less fun. I have a blast with handheld LF. In fact, I'm planning to pick up a Fuji Quickchange holder system (the modern Grafmatic) so that I can burn off 8 shots even more quickly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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