The nice thing about 5X7 view cameras is that the negatives are large compared enough to contact print - no enlarger needed. 4X5 negatives seem too small to contact print. 8X10 cameras are great for contact printing but the cameras are a handful. Thank you for posting this.
Something I always miss when people discuss large format, they talk about the camera’s and lenses and sometimes about filmbacks but hardly ever about accessories you might need. Things like dark clothes , fresnel vs groundglass ,focus aides or something as simple as a spirit level. Things that might seem obvious to experienced large format photographers but not to people like me who like to get in to large format photography.
You need a camera like the wooden Wista 45DX field, (this features a fresnel, better than an ordinary ground glass) film holders, a tripod, dark cloth, a loupe is for critical focussing, the fresnel has a clear circle in the centre intended for critical focussing.
@@Foxglove963 It is exactly the kind of discussion we need more of. The Wista sounds nice is probably lighter then my Linhof which in great but heavy to lug around town.
In my younger days when tramping through the landscape with a 4x5 field camera I had a friend who used a 4x5 Arca Swiss monorail. It was an amazing thing: precisely made, everything fit together exactly. And assemble it you did: it broke down into four or five components that fit neatly into a space smaller than my wooden 4x5 field camera (Zone VI triple extension.) He could take it out of his backpack and assemble it ready to shoot in a leisurely few minutes: monorail, front and rear standards, bellows and a lens all on top of his tripod. I was and remain amazed at the precision and forethought that went into this. I'm also amazed at the price. Be sitting down if you look. 😉
I started into large format last Autumn with a hybrid somewhere between field and studio camera - a Mentor Studio 13x18 (about 5x7 inch), folds up and has a focal plane shutter like a Graflex, however only up to 1/30s, and has movements and adjustments (almost) as good as a studio camera. Having a focal plane shutter was very important to me since I wanted to be able to jump on barrel lens deals or LF lenses with defective shutters, and since Graflex cameras are expensive and rare here in Europe, I took what I could find first. The camera is quite heavy, about 8kg, but still fits into a backpack. What's far more annoying when I'm about is the tripod since I always have to use one arm to carry it.
I used an MPP monorail back in the 1980s. I now use an MPP Micropress 4x5 camera with a Schneider 135mm 4.7 lens.. I paid £200 for it. I also have a waist level single lens Thornton Pickard ruby reflex quarter plate camera with a five and three quarter inch Cooke 4.5 lens. The focal plane shutter still works fine. I use it with a 6x9 rollfilm back. The Cooke lens makes wonderful portraits. I am looking for an. MPP lens board for it so I can use it on my 4x5
the last type you said are also called 'tailboard' cameras, like a Linhof Technika, but the bed and front/rear standard are backwards; another type is called a 'plate' camera, it has a swinging door style of ground glass, this is to take wet plate holders, a picture frame with a darkslide in front of the glass, for shutters, these only have the lens cap!- like x-ray film the asa is soo low with colloiden/albumen emulsions that the time is two or three minutes to expose, so you take the cap off and use a stopwatch. also if you put these plate cameras on a lamp stand, they are collectively called a 'studio camera', in the 1700's that is!
There used to be large format slow film for making negs/pos, to correct contrast needed for alternative processes, kallitype, cyanotype, brown prints, etc. However, nowadays you can use special film on which you print your black & white photograph using printer and computer.
large format has nothing to do with sheet vs roll film. both words specifically reference size. it refers to image size and nothing else. 9x12 and 4x5 or larger. 2x3 sheet film is not large format any more than 6x9 on 120 roll film is.
Yeah but basically nobody is shooting 2x3. It’s a distinction without a difference because the 12 people who do order it on the ULF and speciality Ilford run already know about the difference between a field camera and a monorail dude.
The press camera category should really be a baseboard camera category? My Wista 45D is a baseboard camera but not a press camera. Linhof Technica's don't have focal plane shutters either. I'm sure there are others. Also so many big focal plane shutters are dead now that you need to use shuttered lenses. They are nice but main weakness is no front fall movement. You don't need that many movements for most field work but lack of front fall is a pain if you are standing on a hill.
Its more a folding with box style. Not sure what the official name is. But Linhof also had the handheld concept in them, some with rangefinders and all.
@@NicosPhotographyShow I think the Wistas were used as studio portrait cameras in Japan a lot. The Linhofs were technical cameras for industrial use. My father mentioned them being used for machinery photos in 1980s. Perhaps "technical" camera is the best term? I'm sure I've heard that used for this class before.
The folding field camera is opened and erected upon the internal side of the board, typically referred to as the bed, the outside only has the tripod bush.
@@NicosPhotographyShow sorry, I love your work but my edc is one of the smaller Swiss army knives and its not bigger than a roll of 120. and this little thing has two blades, a pair of scissors and quite a decent saw.
Im not saying they cant be small, but I own one with a ton of tools and it weight like 500 grs. That is what I meant, obviously in the right context Im wrong, but that wasnt the point of the analogy.
Thanks Nico. Nice to see you going over various large format cameras again. Always an interesting subject no matter how many times i listen.
The nice thing about 5X7 view cameras is that the negatives are large compared enough to contact print - no enlarger needed. 4X5 negatives seem too small to contact print. 8X10 cameras are great for contact printing but the cameras are a handful.
Thank you for posting this.
You are not wrong, I do prefer the boxier proportions of 45 or 810 but you cant have it all.
Thank you for this video on large format cameras! Very informative!
Something I always miss when people discuss large format, they talk about the camera’s and lenses and sometimes about filmbacks but hardly ever about accessories you might need. Things like dark clothes , fresnel vs groundglass ,focus aides or something as simple as a spirit level. Things that might seem obvious to experienced large format photographers but not to people like me who like to get in to large format photography.
You need a camera like the wooden Wista 45DX field, (this features a fresnel, better than an ordinary ground glass) film holders, a tripod, dark cloth, a loupe is for critical focussing, the fresnel has a clear circle in the centre intended for critical focussing.
@@Foxglove963 It is exactly the kind of discussion we need more of. The Wista sounds nice is probably lighter then my Linhof which in great but heavy to lug around town.
Can you please do one on the tachihara 4x5 its movements etc. There is hardly anything on youtube about it
In my younger days when tramping through the landscape with a 4x5 field camera I had a friend who used a 4x5 Arca Swiss monorail. It was an amazing thing: precisely made, everything fit together exactly. And assemble it you did: it broke down into four or five components that fit neatly into a space smaller than my wooden 4x5 field camera (Zone VI triple extension.) He could take it out of his backpack and assemble it ready to shoot in a leisurely few minutes: monorail, front and rear standards, bellows and a lens all on top of his tripod. I was and remain amazed at the precision and forethought that went into this. I'm also amazed at the price. Be sitting down if you look. 😉
I know the price well, its my dream.
Enjoyed the video and look forward to more. I have a Wista SP which is considered a field camera, but at 6 lbs, I don't consider it light.
I started into large format last Autumn with a hybrid somewhere between field and studio camera - a Mentor Studio 13x18 (about 5x7 inch), folds up and has a focal plane shutter like a Graflex, however only up to 1/30s, and has movements and adjustments (almost) as good as a studio camera.
Having a focal plane shutter was very important to me since I wanted to be able to jump on barrel lens deals or LF lenses with defective shutters, and since Graflex cameras are expensive and rare here in Europe, I took what I could find first.
The camera is quite heavy, about 8kg, but still fits into a backpack. What's far more annoying when I'm about is the tripod since I always have to use one arm to carry it.
I have a Polaroid 600SE that shoots 4x5 film using an adapter made by Lo-Fi. It shoots 6 shots using a grafmatic 4x5 film holder.
I used an MPP monorail back in the 1980s.
I now use an MPP Micropress 4x5 camera with a Schneider 135mm 4.7 lens.. I paid £200 for it.
I also have a waist level single lens Thornton Pickard ruby reflex quarter plate camera with a five and three quarter inch Cooke 4.5 lens.
The focal plane shutter still works fine. I use it with a 6x9 rollfilm back.
The Cooke lens makes wonderful portraits. I am looking for an. MPP lens board for it so I can use it on my 4x5
the last type you said are also called 'tailboard' cameras, like a Linhof Technika, but the bed and front/rear standard are backwards; another type is called a 'plate' camera, it has a swinging door style of ground glass, this is to take wet plate holders, a picture frame with a darkslide in front of the glass, for shutters, these only have the lens cap!- like x-ray film the asa is soo low with colloiden/albumen emulsions that the time is two or three minutes to expose, so you take the cap off and use a stopwatch. also if you put these plate cameras on a lamp stand, they are collectively called a 'studio camera', in the 1700's that is!
Would love to get into 8x10 for Cyanotype. $$$
There used to be large format slow film for making negs/pos, to correct contrast needed for alternative processes, kallitype, cyanotype, brown prints, etc. However, nowadays you can use special film on which you print your black & white photograph using printer and computer.
and Linhof not to forget👍
I will get to Linhof cameras soon. But I did forget to mention them.
@@NicosPhotographyShow 🤝👍
large format has nothing to do with sheet vs roll film. both words specifically reference size. it refers to image size and nothing else. 9x12 and 4x5 or larger. 2x3 sheet film is not large format any more than 6x9 on 120 roll film is.
Yeah but basically nobody is shooting 2x3. It’s a distinction without a difference because the 12 people who do order it on the ULF and speciality Ilford run already know about the difference between a field camera and a monorail dude.
@@jacksonspencer2707 i have no idea what point you're trying to make or why you're replying to me with this random bs.
11:19 a big piece of sh... film XD
The press camera category should really be a baseboard camera category? My Wista 45D is a baseboard camera but not a press camera. Linhof Technica's don't have focal plane shutters either. I'm sure there are others. Also so many big focal plane shutters are dead now that you need to use shuttered lenses. They are nice but main weakness is no front fall movement. You don't need that many movements for most field work but lack of front fall is a pain if you are standing on a hill.
Its more a folding with box style. Not sure what the official name is. But Linhof also had the handheld concept in them, some with rangefinders and all.
@@NicosPhotographyShow I think the Wistas were used as studio portrait cameras in Japan a lot. The Linhofs were technical cameras for industrial use. My father mentioned them being used for machinery photos in 1980s. Perhaps "technical" camera is the best term? I'm sure I've heard that used for this class before.
Could be
@@RogerHyam You confuse the wooden Wista Field 45DX with the metal Wista 45 cameras. Both are excellent.
The folding field camera is opened and erected upon the internal side of the board, typically referred to as the bed, the outside only has the tripod bush.
you are wrong about swiss army knives
check out the work of felix immler!
Im wrong many tines, wouldnt be the first time. I was picturing a 50 tools swiss knive.
@@NicosPhotographyShow sorry, I love your work but my edc is one of the smaller Swiss army knives and its not bigger than a roll of 120. and this little thing has two blades, a pair of scissors and quite a decent saw.
Im not saying they cant be small, but I own one with a ton of tools and it weight like 500 grs. That is what I meant, obviously in the right context Im wrong, but that wasnt the point of the analogy.
@@NicosPhotographyShow understood! you're grand!
Pinhole cameras!
True, but I sorta would label it more as an option for all cameras, in a way one can.
@@NicosPhotographyShow True that!
Myself I'm going to start with that and then move on see if I like the hassle of large format.