Originally posted by stevebrot Still laughing...
Large format is almost as big a money pit as bird/wildlife photography! It is possible to find an inexpensive Graflex or Tachihara for a couple hundred dollars, but that is only the beginning of woe. My descent into the pit went like this:
- Camera (Chamonix 045N-2 field camera, great value but not particularly cheap)
- Caltar II-N 150/5.6 (also great value and very practical in the field)
- 6 used film holders from the local camera shop
At this point, I am feeling pretty jazzed. I have a working kit with only moderate pain. However, there were a few other things:
- Bogen 3028 tripod head + extra center post to fit the Giottos (my ballhead was not quite up to task here and I was very lucky to find the Bogen...highly recommended for this task)*
- Very thick reading glasses (old eyes make it hard to see the focus screen and my regular readers were not strong enough)
- Caltar II-N 90/6.8 (one must have a wide angle and this lens looks very impressive on the camera)
Ready to go shoot, right? Well, not quite. There were a few other things:
- Lens boards (nope, the lenses don't come with them and swapping lenses to a single board is strongly discouraged)
- Cable releases (I only had one and it is best to simply buy new in the desired length and leave attached to the lens)
At this point, I was feeling fortunate that I already owned a couple of the essentials:
- Good-sized day pack (you can buy packs with inserts specific to your gear, but $$)
- Decent tripod (Yes, it must be sturdy)
- Decent light meter
- Plastic left-over containers as field lens cases
- Cheap plastic focus loupe
Finally set, I start looking for film. Ohhhhh, 4x5 sheets are expensive, particularly color. So I ordered the cheapest from Freestyle (Arista.EDU Ultra, not bad stuff) and started looking at 120 roll-film holders and ended up with:
- Calumet C2 6x7 120/220 film holder $ (slips under the ground glass like a regular film holder, but bulky)
- Calumet C2N 6x7 120/220 film holder $ (updated version of the above)
- Linhof Super Rollex 6x7 120 film holder $$ (not as practical as the C2s, but too elegant to not have)
- Fuji loupe $ (as long as we are spending money here)
- Several 120 rolls of Acros 100 and Ektar 100
Now we are getting somewhere, finally! The above is a good working kit and, with the later addition of a Nikkor-W 210/5.6, capable of managing most of what a person might want to use a 4x5 field camera for. So out to the field I went and shoot I did!
But wait, there is more! I am not keen on having someone else do my b&w film processing and there is the rub. Practical solutions for 4x5 sheet processing are difficult to find. I tried the "taco" method using a plastic roll-film tank with mixed results (got scratches). Jobo had quit making 4x5 reels for use in their processor tanks along with most of the rest of their line (now available again, but often in short supply). I thought I would have to do tray processing ala Edward Weston and Ansel Adams until I ran across a Unicolor drum and rotary motor unit at the local used camera shop. The Unicolor works great and is good for four sheets per batch with minimal chemical used.
Are we through yet? Well no. I wanted to digitize my work and ended up with an Epson V700 ($$). The V700 is a great tool for 120 and 4x5 and I can't recommend it strongly enough for that application.
Stuff I would like to add/modify/replace:
- A 60mm lens $$$$
- I would really like a dedicated pack $$
- Ditto for decent lens wraps to replace the leftover containers
- A real darkcloth. The jacket over the head routine gets old.
- Jobo processing reel and tank $$
- A Sherpa to carry all the stuff
For those who are keeping count, yes, I could have bought a competent FF dSLR for what I have invested in LF. Was it worth it? Ummm...I don't really use it that much, though the educational benefit has been immense! I also now have a now have a strong desire for a 6x7 kit. And the images...yes, the images...everything they say is true, though getting there is not easy.
Steve
*For those who may be wondering why the tripod angst, with a few notable exceptions large format photography is done on tripod.
Please, Steve, forgive me for actually suggesting someone do something as audacious as go take pictures on a photography forum.
Just because you are unable to control yourself doesn't mean we're all that way. My current 4x5 kit, minus the monorail camera that I'm thinking of selling and the tripod, fits in an over-the-shoulder DSLR bag. 4x5 color is expensive but a roll holder is...well I don't use mine at all anymore, because I think it's silly to set up all that to take a 6x9 shot. Ektar isn't that bad, neither is Fujichrome. 4x5 black and white sheet is near-as-makes-no-difference free to process, and the film isn't that much to buy.
My 4x5 experience has been positive. For those who have never shot 4x5, no amount of hand-wringing or useless faffing about on the internet will prepare you for what it's actually like to be under the cloth, looking at the ground glass.
4x5 need not be expensive, people. I bet my 4x5 kit, all told, is cheaper than a K-30 and some adequate zoom lenses. It consists of:
manfrotto tripod with Bogen head ($150 for the tripod, another $50 for the head, so $200 so far.)
Super Graphic 4x5 field/technical camera (Great camera, wonderful for landscapes and even works handheld), $300
Ape Case large SLR bag ($42)
Schneider 210mm f/6.1 in Copal 1 Shutter ($220 or so)
Schneider 150|265 f/5.6|f/12 convertible in Compur shutter ($150)
Wollensak Graphex 135mm f/4.7 (suprisingly good, cheap lens) ($120)
Wollensak Graphex 90mm f/6.8 ($100)
Rodenstock 75mm f/6.8 ($250)
100-year-old Soft-focus Meniscus 100mm f/5.5 in Copal Press (Fantastic little toy): $100
Fujinon 300mm f/5.6 (Also the primary lens on my 8x10, nice double-duty there): $300
Spotmeter: $100
Dark Cloth: $30
18 Film Holders (came free with cameras, estimate value at $15 each) $270
Filters (Cokin P system, bought at Ritz on clearance): $50
Graflex Grafmatic (these things kick ass) $95
Grand Total of a truly excellent 4x5 kit: $2327. That's a camera, SEVEN lenses and all the accessories you need to make it go. A K5-II and DA* 16-50 are $2086 at the best prices I could find, and that doesn't even include an SD card!
You also don't need to go this crazy to start with. A decent field or monorail camera and a basic 150 like my Schneider and a few holders, and you're off to the races.
Laugh if you feel like it, Steve, but if someone wants to shoot 4x5, the only way to know for sure if it's something they'll like is for them to actually do it, not talk about it on the forums.