Total Newbie to LF

[mtk]

Hi all....I have been considering getting into LFormat at sometime in

the future. I have very little or no knowledge of the format as it

relates to equipment and film sizes. Without the usual "what is best"

question, can you all enlighten me as to what the most popular film

size(s) are in terms of availability/developing etc? I would have no

problem whatsoever starting out with a vintage/older/used setup, but

I get confused as to what are good lenses, film holders, etc. I will

be getting a small Speed Graphic soon, and I am sure that it is no

where near what I probably will need, but I thought I would throw

that out for conversation. I have my own traditional darkroom that I

currently print 35 and 120 negs (BW only). Pardon my ignorance, and

thanks ahead of time for the comments! Mark

[jbq]

You probably want to start with 4x5 and a 127, 135 or 150mm lens.

[capocheny]

Hi Mark,

 

I'll assume your Speed Graphic is a 4x5, which is a good way to start. A good lens might

be either a 150 f5.6 or 210 f5.6 (Rodenstock, Fujinon, or Schneider... and others.) These

are "standard" lenses that equate to about a 50 in 35mm.

 

You can find them on that auction site at fairly reasonable prices these days. Just make

sure there's no separation or haze or fungus in the glass. Also, make sure the shutters are

in good condition.

 

As to your comment, "I am sure that it is no where what I probably will need..." I would

suggest that you get your feet wet with the Speed Graphic. Once you determine whether

you want to stick to LF or not, at that point, you can decide on the "proper" camera to buy.

Large Format photography isn't for everyone... so, this is a great way to experiment and

have some fun at a minimal cost.

 

BTW... if you buy any of the lenses mentioned above and you decide to expand further into

4x5 you'll be able to use these lenses on other cameras.

 

Lastly, 4x5 is a good place to start because:

 

1. there are a lot of used cameras available at very reasonable prices (along with holders

etc);

 

2. film is available at a more reasonable cost than 5x7, 8x10, or larger;

 

3. film processing is a lot less expensive than the larger film sizes (of course, if you're

doing it yourself... it's even less expensive yet! :))

 

4. the cameras are a little bit more reasonable in terms of weight and size (assuming a

4x5 field camera and some monorail versions) especially if you're going to be doing any

hiking at all.

 

5. You can use Polaroid films with a 4x5. This is a useful tool to use especially in the early

learning stages. When you've set things up... you can use a Polaroid to see whether you've

got thing just right or not. If not... you can go back and make the adjustments.

 

The key thing here? Go out and have fun with whatever you end up with! Decide if it's a

format you "want" to continue with. That will dictate the future direction in terms of

whether it's what you need, or not. :)

 

Good luck... once the bug bites it'll be difficult to get the anti-venom! :)

 

Cheers

[jeff bishop]

> "...a small Speed Graphic..."

 

I assume you are referring to a Miniature (2x3) speed graphic. I have one with a Kodak Ektar 101mm lens on it. I bought it as junk and it has some issues that I will deal with in time, but it does work. Once I get the focal plane shutter straightened out it will be perfect. Though I'm limited to the leaf shutter, it does take beautiful photographs.

 

My larger speed graphic (4x5) has a 163mm Ilex lens in a Acme Syncro (Ilex) shutter. While I don't think that this is the preferred lens, it still performs real well (IMO).

 

When your speed arrives, burn some film. Since you have a darkroom, I would assume that you will know a good negative when you see one. Since you are familiar with 120 film, you probably notice how mediocre lenses for the 120 compare to high end 35mm? With the larger formats, you can expect more of the same; though with more profound differences.

 

Bottom line? You are going to like the large formats a lot!

[jim_rhoades]

What H.C. and Jeff did not say is that your "small speed" might be a 31/4x41/4 known as a 3x4. Hard to find film for. Everything you need to know can be found at Graflex.org. Please learn to use the drop bed and lens tilts. Do not chop up your camera with a hacksaw because somebody knows a shortcut to forward tilt. Those articles telling you how to reverse the front stage for easy tilt are by hack writers that never learned what a Speed or Crown Graphic can really do.

[tim_atherton9]

Also, you can probably find the answers to 90% of your questions at

 

www.largeformatphotography.info - especially the main site, but also going through the archives of the forum