Some entry questions.

[RaymondC]

Hi, I am using 35mm film and digital. I desire to step into larger formats. I

am sort of preferring large format since medium format is the happy middle guy

and it still uses roll film and some what similar to a mechanical 35mm camera

(perhaps without a meter).

 

First up, just some simple questions.

How does one choose a sharp lens, when LF some can be quite a number of years old.

 

How many film holders do you guys have, I presume film needs to be loaded into a

holder so when you are outside you can shoot more than (1) sheet of film. Can

the holders with film inside it be fridged or put in a freezer such as if you

went out and the light was not good, can you come back home and throw it in the

fridge or freezer? I assume they take one sheet of film per holder.

 

How does one source a lens board? I assume this depends on what lens you have

and what exact camera you have (not just what size camera it is).

 

I am looking at a Tachihara 4x5 field camera. Are their other options you

suggest? Also if I were to get a metal field camera is it much heavier? Its

been sometime since I read a book on LF, what are the parts you require? The

camera, film holder, board and lens, cable release, loupe, cloth. Anything else?

 

I do not print big, main thing for me is to learn a new system, for landscapes I

would like the ability to print big so the rare event I can frame it up, such as

size of 65x35 inches or 55x25 inches. 4x5 capable with this?

 

I am not sure if flash can be used with LF, is this possible and if it is how

does one do it.

 

 

Thanks in advance.

[randall ellis]

1) Just like any other lens. Read about the various models and find one that you can afford that has a good reputation. There are an amazing number of lenses out there are many of the iconic photographs were made with simple, and old, lenses. Don't take the stance that just because it is old it is not sharp.

 

2) The number of holders depends on the number of negatives you think you might make at any given time. I have 12 in 4x5 and 10 in 8x10 and for what I do, it is enough. You can always use quickloads if you want to carry a large amount of film at one time. Sheet film can be frozen, but care must be taken to keep moisture out or the sheets will stick together and be ruined. I only freeze unopened boxes of film, but I have spoken with people that freeze opened film by putting the box in a ziplock bag with some desicant (like cat litter) to absorb moisture.

 

3) Lens boards can be bought from people like S.K.Grimes, or made yourself from wood, or metal if your handy with that sort of thing. You can also buy them online from vendors or on ebay. I just make mine myself and they work fine.

 

4) Check here for a good amount of info

 

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/

 

and yes, 4x5 is fine for that size print, although I would be interested to know why you want something of that size.

 

5) For flash, you need to get a shutter that has flash capability. Flashes are connected with special cables but it's nothing overly technical. The concepts are the same as other formats other than the type of cable needed to connect the flash devices.

 

- Randy

[spodzone]

a) "How does one choose a sharp lens"

Research and recommendation. You also have to take movements into

consideration - ie how much coverage you're going to want for your

subject-matter (landscape doesn't normally require that much,

architecture might do).

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/lenses-primer/ is a

reasonable introductory start and

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/lenses/ has all the data you

could ever want on individual lenses.

Experiment with a lens to find its aperture for optimum sharpness.

Chances are this will not be at either extreme.

If you're really desperate, read the MTF graphs for a lens.

 

b) Tachihara: have a comparison with Shen Hao. (I'm just a very

happy user of the latter.)

 

c) parts required:

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/matos-begin.html Board, lens,

*shutter* (quite often acquired all together anyway).

 

z) you might be getting the impression that

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/ has all the answers ;)

 

d) Film-holders: I have 5 Fidelity Elite things; each stores two

sheets (one each side). I don't see any reason why you wouldn't

refrigerate them if you really wanted.

 

e) large prints: 65" at 150dpi requires an image 9750px across,

sharp around 1:1. This should be possible with a decent scanner.

 

f) Flash is entirely possible. Same as anything else: probably your

shutter will have a PC-lead socket. Either use a flash-meter or the

iso/distance/aperture grid on the back. Beware that you'll probably

be living at narrower apertures for reasons of DoF with predictable

considerations for flash usage.

 

HTH

[spodzone]

Just thought: one extra requirement: tripod. Something fairly

sturdy - I have a Slik D3 which is more than adequate; manfrotto are

worthy of consideration.

[daniel_borzynski1]

Don't worry. We all start with some permutation of these questions.

 

For lenses, one nice thing about large format is that there really isn't the equivalent of the cheap consumer lenses you see in 35 mm (think Phoenix, Promaster, a few of the dogs in the Canon/Nikon lines). As a general rule of thumb, anything by Nikon, Schneider, Fuji or Rodenstock from the last 35 years is a good lens. Look for a multicoated lens. The only modern lens I specifically know of that doesn't have a great reputation is the Fuji telephotos. And before the Schneider XL fanatics chime in, yes some lenses are better than others, but overall, the quality is pretty high throughout.

 

Lensboards tend to be generic, with only a couple of different sizes. The same board will often fit a number of different cameras and manufacturers. You'll need to know the camera you own and the size of the shutter, generally Copal 0, 1 or 3, and you are in business.

 

For filmholders, I use Fuji Quickloads, so I have one filmholder. The difference from the usual film holders is that the film comes in individual packets. They are sort of like having a roll of film with one shot on it. Load, move the covering off of the sheet film, shoot, re-cover the film, and unload. That makes it sound more complicated than it really is.

 

For cameras, if is going to be your first LF body, I'd look at the Shen Hao as well. It is a nice little camera and I think a step up over the Tachihara, for the same price. You'll probably get a few recommendations for a Speed Graphic, or something like that. There is nothing wrong them as a camera, but I think they are a bit limiting in terms of movements (which is one big reason for going to LF in the first place) and lens options. I'd rather spend 300 more for the Shen Hao or the Tachihara for their capabilities.

[dan_v]

Ray,

 

Much depends on the type of photography you wish to do. If you plan to do field photography and considerable hiking/backpacking then weight will surely be an issue.

 

If you know any local photographers or live in a larger metro area where LF equipment is sold, you might start there to get a hands-on feel for different camera types such as wood versus metal, etc.

 

Steve Simmon's book "Using The View Camera" is well worth reading. And if you like nature photography, check out Jack Dykinga's book "Large Format Nature Photography".

 

I started in large format with a Tachihara because the price was right, but that camera is not the most sturdy. In that price range, the Shen-Hao is viewed by some as being more sturdy. However, metal cameras can be lighter and much more sturdy than wooden cameras. For example, one brand that has a good reputation is Canham which you might want to investigate: http://www.canhamcameras.com.

 

Regarding lenses, the four major brands Nikkor, Fujinon, Rodenstock and Schneider are said to all contain excellent lenses in their line-ups but you'll have to do some research to decide what is best for you. Check out one of Terry Thalmann's excellent articles at http://www.thalmann.com/largeformat/future.htm for a review of lenses from 90mm to 450mm.

 

If you don't want to load your own film holders, there are ReadyLoads from Kodak and QuickLoads from Fuji that I find are easier to use, although they are more expensive and the film selection is more limited.

 

At Tim mentioned, a good tripod is essential. Carbon fiber tripods are favored by many because they are very sturdy and weigh less than metal ones, but will take less abuse - and are more expensive than metal.

 

There's a bit of a learning curve to large format, but don't let that dissuade you. Once you see your first transparency on the light box, if you're like most of us, you'll be thrilled - and hooked.

[troyammons]

> Hi, I am using 35mm film and digital. I desire to step into larger formats. I am sort of preferring large format since medium format is the happy middle guy and it still uses roll film and some what similar to a mechanical 35mm camera (perhaps without a meter).

First up, just some simple questions. How does one choose a sharp lens, when LF some can be quite a number of years old.

 

There are a handfull of superb and sharp lenses. i like the Nikon 90mm F8 or the latest MC schneider for WA. I also like the G-claron lenses a lot but they are slow so you need a reflex viewer to make them easier to focus. The G-Claron 150-210-240-305 lenses are sharp small and light, but there are probably sharper 150mm lenses out there like the super symmar.

 

>How many film holders do you guys have,

 

25, 50 sheets

 

>I presume film needs to be loaded into a holder so when you are outside you can shoot more than (1) sheet of film.

 

2 per holder

 

Can the holders with film inside it be fridged or put in a freezer such as if you went out and the light was not good, can you come back home and throw it in the fridge or freezer? I assume they take one sheet of film per holder.

 

It would be okay unless you had wooden holders. I do it occasionally. If B+W it probably does not need refridgeration anyway.

 

>How does one source a lens board?

 

www.mpex.com

 

>I assume this depends on what lens you have and what exact camera you have (not just what size camera it is).

 

Each lens board fits a specific camera and each shutter fits a certain size hole. Shutters are arranged copal 0 through 3 with a few older oddballs. Copal 0 is the smallest 3 is large.

 

>I am looking at a Tachihara 4x5 field camera. Are their other options you suggest? Also if I were to get a metal field camera is it much heavier?

 

Super graphic unless you can afford a Linhof tech 5. I bought mine with all sorts of stuff for $385. Stripped it down a bit and with a G-Claron 150mm lens and a reflex viewer it weighs 5.25#.

 

>Its been sometime since I read a book on LF, what are the parts you require? The camera, film holder, board and lens, cable release, loupe, cloth. Anything else?

 

Add a meter, film changing tent, quickload holder, good tripod, reflex viewer that I consider invaluable. Maybe a few other odds and ends.

 

>I do not print big, main thing for me is to learn a new system, for landscapes I would like the ability to print big so the rare event I can frame it up, such as size of 65x35 inches or 55x25 inches. 4x5 capable with this?

 

40x50 is a 10x enlargement. Doable witha good scan. Epson is good for a decent 6x

 

>I am not sure if flash can be used with LF, is this possible and if it is how does one do it.

 

Flash sync on the lens with the X setting. I never use flash with 4x5 though.<div></div>

[RaymondC]

Thanks for all the help.

 

Regarding the film holders for quickload or without, I think I can get away with 2 or 3 holders. I do not shoot much. If I did I would use medium format but that is probably after my entry into large format.

 

I plan to print such a size, because I live in NZ so the housing is a lot larger than apartments that is common in the world's larger cities. We have some paintings that we have bought that is of that size. So I thought if I took a photograph of a landscape with the Great Wall as the part of the backdrop, parents would admire that at lot. Or likewise a view over the city line of HKG.

 

Yes, it was worth asking but for what I plan to do with LF I don't think I would get into flash.

 

Regards.

[troyammons]

2-3 is not enough. They are cheap on ebay. Buy about 5-10.

 

As far as a readyload holder you could just go that route and skip the normal holders, tent and film loading hassles. Its more expensive but the film is cleaner, IE no dust. If you are low volume it might be better. I keep a few in the freezer to grab quick when I dont have tome to load film.

[fourfa]

as of right now (B&H prices), single sheets are around $2, and quickloads are $3. figure the cost of film holders and how many shots you expect to take yearly, should be an easy choice one way or the other.

[philg]

You may not need an especially sharp lens for most of your photos. If you're making an 8x10" print, that's is only a linear enlargement of 2X. It is the 35mm and digital guys who need a sharp lens.

 

As for enlargements, I wasn't especially careful with my equipment or technique and yet managed to make enlargements up to 4x5' (from 4x5") that looked pretty good. The cost to mount and frame was about USD$1000 per image, so I didn't try too many!

 

It should be easy to find a photographer who is getting too old to lug his 4x5 case around anymore and who will sell you everything you need and teach you what you need to learn (maybe for USD$500 total).