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So, question for all you large-formaters I really want to get back into the large format game and have a relative that's going to be in the US next month, so I can just buy on eBay and have it shipped locally. I want to know what camera to get. I already have a very nice Steinhel Munchen Culminar 135mm f4.5 lens in a Compur shutter and an 1920s ICA convertible on another shutter for lenses, one 6x7 120 back and some 4x5 backs (And I know where I can get more cheaply). Used to have a Toyo 45C, but ended up using it very little since carrying around a VERY LARGE, 9 pounds rail camera was just impractical, specially for someone that doesn't have a car (me!). The thing is: Budget. While I don't have it fixed, I'd like to keep things cheap, and probably get a camera with a rangefinder so I can use it as a medium format camera with the 6x7 back (and hopefully a 6x9 in the future) without having to focus on the ground glass everytime. Some moviment is a plus, but I don't need a lot of it. I can repair or make a new bellows if needed, already made a few (including one for the Toyo). Lens boards are not a problem, I can make them easily also. Size and weight aren't a huge matter, but I'd rather have something that doesn't need a huge bag and a heavy duty tripod to shoot like the Toyo or the Calumets. Just to keep things clear, I'm looking for a 4x5 camera, probably a press/field camera, considering my objectives and how I shoot. I'm thinking about a Graflex, but all the models are making me quite confused honestly, from what I understand I should be looking for a speed graphic or a busch pressman, right? Any other sugestions? Are the focus plane shutter on these usable after so many years? I'm quite the tinkerer and having the oportunity to adapt whatever crazy lenses I get across sounds nice. Thank you guys  New page, hope this counts as content. Primo Itch fucked around with this message at 02:48 on May 28, 2017 |
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May 27, 2017 22:49
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Primo Itch posted:
What about an Intrepid 4x5. It doesn't fit all your requirements. Like, it has GG only; no RF. And it won't matter if your relative is going to be in the US for a month, because there's a longer wait time to get one and it ships from the UK anyway. But I'm kind of curious about it. It's very light, and only $250. Just add tripod, film holder, cable release, and lens. It's a kickstarter project that came to life, very twee and made primarily of wood with only the barest necessary machined metal pieces. In theory, the type of treated wood it's made of should be good enough, but I wonder how precise the movements are, and how easy it is to get square when setting up. Edit: A photo. 
SMERSH Mouth fucked around with this message at 04:23 on May 28, 2017 |
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May 28, 2017 04:20
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Primo Itch posted:I'm thinking about a Graflex, but all the models are making me quite confused honestly, from what I understand I should be looking for a speed graphic or a busch pressman, right? Any other sugestions? Are the focus plane shutter on these usable after so many years? I'm quite the tinkerer and having the oportunity to adapt whatever crazy lenses I get across sounds nice. I've got a Speed Graphic with the focal plane shutter, which works really well and is quite accurate. I've adapted a bunch of barrel lenses just by making my own crappy lens mounts out of plywood, which is easy enough to do. It doesn't have the most movements by any stretch, but it's a versatile and compact camera, I'd recommend it.
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May 28, 2017 05:05
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My old Toyo 45AII had a coldshoe slot on top that you could slide in a viewfinder (i bought a cheap one on ebay that you could change between 90, 150 and 210mm field of view) I dunno how many cameras have that feature but you can find some good deals on 45A's on shitbay sometimes and I'm sure if you had a beater without a coldshoe slot you could rig up something similar very easily.
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May 28, 2017 06:40
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Yeah with your requirements, the Speed Graphic is probably your best option.
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May 28, 2017 08:28
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a probing question: if you're not using the ground glass and all of the benefits it provides (accurate movements, for one): why bother with 4x5?
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May 29, 2017 19:21
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Because giant negatives are awesome. 4x5s are also rather easy to build and tinker with yourself since you don't need to mess with winding mechanisms, shutters, etc.
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May 29, 2017 20:42
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ansel autisms posted:a probing question: if you're not using the ground glass and all of the benefits it provides (accurate movements, for one): why bother with 4x5? Something I questioned myself, I thought about getting a 6x9 camera and be done with it. But I've used 4x5 in the past and want to get back, it's just my shooting style that doesn't tend to use movements (thought ground glass is great for when you have the time to use it) . I also made some black and white 6x6 slides in the past and want to do the same with 4x5, while having a camera that can do medium format in a pinch. It's not that I won't be using ground glass, but rather that I don't want to be restricted to it exclusively.
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May 30, 2017 02:00
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Sounds like you're better off just sticking to MF. The real benefits of LF is really the movements. I mean the bigger negative is a bonus but you sacrifice some mobility and flexibility.
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May 30, 2017 02:18
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alkanphel posted:Sounds like you're better off just sticking to MF. The real benefits of LF is really the movements. I mean the bigger negative is a bonus but you sacrifice some mobility and flexibility. Which would be a great excuse to finally get one Koni Omega as I've always dreamed about... I'll give this some more thought, thanks guys
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May 30, 2017 04:51
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Trying out a yellow 8 and then some camera movements on the lf.   The Koni-Omega is pretty capable but a set of lenses are rarer than hen's teeth. A 6x7 negative enlargement, especially a crop, stomps all over a 35mm. 
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May 30, 2017 06:25
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Primo Itch posted:Which would be a great excuse to finally get one Koni Omega as I've always dreamed about... I'll give this some more thought, thanks guys Koni Omegas own
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May 30, 2017 06:27
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May 31, 2017 00:03
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SMERSH Mouth posted:I may just get a Minolta Autocord instead. There are so many Rolleiflex models, but I'm really only interested in the 75mm Planars or Xenotars, and there aren't many I can find right now that really jump out at me. As a long-time Rolleiflex user, who has too many of those drat things, this jumped out to me. So, I guess, prepare for a knowledge-dump. First of all on a budget you can't go wrong with an Autocord, the focus lever is made from a brittle alloy called Zamak which often is broken. But that complaint aside, the Autocord is a really competent and well made camera. The lens is a competent tessar-copy and the focus screens on those are excellent. Other good TLR options are Kowa, Ricoh and then, with caveats, Yashica (lens good, body hmm). Now, onto Rolleiflex. First of all there is this persistent internet myth that the 75/3.5 versions with Xenotar or Planar are somehow better than their 80/2.8 brethren. In my personal experience, from the experience of other photographers, this is not borne out. In all historical catalogues the 75mm versions were sold cheaper and also use cheaper-to make lens designs. Rollei's own MTF charts bear this out, yes even for the fabled 6-lens version, which again was mainly devised so it would be cheaper to manufacture. Super nerdy horses-mouth MTF here. Regarding the Rolleiflex models from C-F, I personally like the C,D,E models best as they have no interlocks between shutter and aperture and usually come without the light meter, that usually at this point is just a burden and not a feature. They sometimes still have the old-time ground-glass screen in there, which allows for VERY accurate focus but of course vignettes severely. The thing with the F and later F "whiteface" models is that the shutter and aperture are linked together, which are then linked to the meter and DOF preview scale. This means two things: first, the mechanism is more complex and easier to gum up and become stiff, the second thing is that selecting combinations such as f/2.8 at 1/30 is difficult and requires first setting a higher aperture, selecting your shutter speed, then dialing the aperture back "down" -- annoying. They do however usually have the best screens of the bunch. Edit: Almost forgot: Lens wise the main difference between the Planar and the Xenotar versions is not one of "goodness", however you define that, but one of design philosophy. The planar offers even but not outstanding sharpness across the frame, the Xenotar by comparison offers outstanding center sharpness and average-to-good corner sharpness. A word about those super-fast screens that sellers love hock to users: I've found that the faster the screen, the greater the apparent depth of field and thus the harder it will be to focus without a focus aid such as a loupe, a split or a combination thereof. Yes I have two cameras with maxwell screen, no I'm not exactly a fan. Don't get me wrong, it looks pretty, it just doesn't use that well especially for moving or dim subjects. A great compromise between brightness and ease of focus is those Mamiya 67 screens, which are plentiful and can be cut to size. VomitOnLino fucked around with this message at 05:32 on May 31, 2017 |
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May 31, 2017 05:29
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Jun 2, 2017 15:42
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Ektar tones Creek by Trevor Zuliani, on Flickr Alley by Trevor Zuliani, on Flickr
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Jun 3, 2017 04:15
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Jun 3, 2017 04:42
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You should move to Hawaii. Two reasons, it's much farther from where I live and your pictures of there don't suck as much as your other ones
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Jun 3, 2017 05:53
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8th-snype posted:You should move to Hawaii. Two reasons, it's much farther from where I live and your pictures of there don't suck as much as your other ones They suck equally, possibly even more, don't kid yourself. I wouldn't be able to stalk you if I moved away either.
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Jun 3, 2017 12:09
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Choicecut posted:They suck equally, possibly even more, don't kid yourself. I wouldn't be able to stalk you if I moved away either. You don't live near me, it's just that Hawaii is farther away. Yes I keep a google map of noted bad posters and their relative locations to my posting throne, what of it?
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Jun 3, 2017 13:04
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8th-snype posted:You don't live near me, it's just that Hawaii is farther away. Yes I keep a google map of noted bad posters and their relative locations to my posting throne, what of it? That list must be huge.
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Jun 3, 2017 14:55
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VomitOnLino posted:As a long-time Rolleiflex user, who has too many of those drat things, this jumped out to me. All very useful & helpful, and interesting. My only personal reason for wanting to go with a 75 rather than an 80 is the focal length. Slightly wider is my preference for normal. Sounds like a Zeiss 75 would be the way to go for me. If they're more even across the frame at the expense of center sharpness (relative to the Schneiders), that could make them slightly more suitable for environmental/landscape stuff, which it's my interest. Not that an 80/2.8 Xenotar wouldn't make my day it feel into my lap. They're fuckin' sharp, man. Still haven't moved any closer to actually getting a TLR though. On the lookout for deals and came across a good-looking early postwar Rolleiflex with Zeiss Oberkochen Tessar for a great price. Luckily did some research before I likely wasted the money on that thing. Seems like they had pretty bad lens construction issues during that time. As for ground glass and focusing screens, I did scoop up a Hasselblad 500C and chrome-barrel 50/4 Distagon (possibly to keep), which has similar dark viewfinder and locking EV exposure control like the Rolleis. The locking aperture and shutter speed are a minor annoyance, but I imagine it gets pretty fiddly trying to do the same thing with the little controls on a Rollei's lens. The dark glass is pain in lower light, but is very accurate as you mentioned. Actually, it's much more accurate and easy to focus than I thought it would be. Getting rid of any kind of focusing aid in the center helps me focus more on composition.
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Jun 3, 2017 18:35
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Father O'Blivion posted:Trying out a yellow 8 and then some camera movements on the lf. These are all really grey. Are they scans or prints?
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Jun 3, 2017 19:31
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Father O'Blivion posted:The Koni-Omega is pretty capable but a set of lenses are rarer than hen's teeth. A 6x7 negative enlargement, especially a crop, stomps all over a 35mm. I got a Koni Omega as my first MF camera on a recommendation here. Mine came with the 90mm, and I later bought a 58mm. The 180mm seemed pretty common. More common and cheaper than the 58mm/60mm. The only one that seemed to be near impossible to get was the 135mm. It is a fun camera to use once you get over how goofy looking it is.
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Jun 4, 2017 06:54
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I had an ebay alert setup for the 135 when I had one, no luck.
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Jun 4, 2017 11:24
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Jun 5, 2017 02:52
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11x14 ambrotype
Sludge Tank fucked around with this message at 06:55 on Jun 5, 2017 |
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Jun 5, 2017 06:46
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8x10 black glass ambrotype 4 seconds exposure  
Sludge Tank fucked around with this message at 01:22 on Jun 10, 2017 |
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Jun 9, 2017 15:11
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I took a few frames of Ektachrome on a recent trip, but I grabbed the wrong lens while packing and wound up with slightly less than full coverage. Really I'm a little bit surprised at how well a purpose-built macro lens can perform at infinity. e: Hosting broken! Cassius Belli fucked around with this message at 08:41 on Jan 4, 2020 |
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Jun 9, 2017 17:05
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crap nerd fucked around with this message at 19:13 on Jun 9, 2017 |
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Jun 9, 2017 19:09
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Sludge Tank posted:8x10 black glass ambrotype putting NSFW in spoiler tags still loads it and gets people in trouble
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Jun 10, 2017 08:59
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sorry Here's another one, this one on ruby (red) glass https://flic.kr/p/UnhsEy
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Jun 10, 2017 14:29
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Large format goons wonder if you can help me with something, I'm selling a Graflex Pacemaker speed graphic. My father claims he paid $400 for it but I think he got robbed, what do most of these things go for in working condition? Link to the post with photos https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3759085&pagenumber=23#post473262396 ryangs posted:A Pentax 6x7 seems more in keeping with my current all-manual tradition. I would want a 55mm lens to feel equivalent to 28mm in 35, right? if your still looking for a 55mm for a 6x7 I just put one in the buy/sell thread.
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Jun 11, 2017 03:46
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Two rather unremarkable landscapes using my Graphic View II 4x5. First one I forgot to stop down after focusing so it;s completely out of focus. They both looked moodier in person and I was hoping that would make up for the lack of decent subject and composition but I was wrong. I think I was just getting anxious to shoot something which is not a good idea most of the time. 
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Jun 12, 2017 06:42
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First one is still ok, ignoring the out of focus. Second one is just plain boring.
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Jun 12, 2017 12:01
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This summer, is the summer of medium format for me! i've managed to acquire some rather decent cameras in the last few months and will be rolling a whole bunch of FP4 through them They're not in perfect order, the Fujifilm 645 has some focus problems, but seems to work fine otherwise, and the G690 has a sticky shutter in the 110mm lens i have for it, the 150 that's on it now seems to work just fine however! (heavy as poo poo though) The Mamiya m645 is the newest addition, it's in perfect shape and it'll probably be my go to camera simply because it's, compared to the others, easy to carry around and it's got a light meter in the prism finder.
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Jun 13, 2017 10:35
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11x14 clear glass ambrotype 4min 25sec exposure  and another with 30 seconds exposure. Harsh sunlight is a prick with emulsion this old.  Sludge Tank fucked around with this message at 11:24 on Jun 13, 2017 |
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Jun 13, 2017 11:16
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Frobbe posted:
Obviously if you're shooting in weird light or are using positive film that's not as forgiving, then a lightmeter can be nice to have.
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Jun 13, 2017 11:45
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BANME.sh posted:Two rather unremarkable landscapes using my Graphic View II 4x5. First one I forgot to stop down after focusing so it;s completely out of focus. They both looked moodier in person and I was hoping that would make up for the lack of decent subject and composition but I was wrong. I think I was just getting anxious to shoot something which is not a good idea most of the time. That first one could be cool if you recomposed the creek in a more interesting leading-line fashion and maybe in black and white (where it goes into that snaky s-bend for example) the bright reflective water is a cool contrast to the dark grass around it. The colours dont really do it for me but I have blinding autism so ymmv Sludge Tank fucked around with this message at 13:46 on Jun 13, 2017 |
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Jun 13, 2017 13:32
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I might be a money-haver again soon and I'm really interested in a decent M/LF panoramic camera to complement my 35mm Horizon. I know about the GH617 and it looks pretty good for my needs but then I found the Shen-Hao which looks as rad as hell. I like the idea of using 120 rollfilm rather than sheet film as it better suits my current capabilities wrt to filling cartridges, developing and scanning. The fact that it's a view camera with a LF camera lens would also be a nice way to get a head start on 'proper' LF in the future. Has anyone used this camera? What sort of lens would I be looking at sticking on it? Is it a dumb waste of money and should I be looking at something else instead to fill that niche?
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Jun 13, 2017 14:05
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