Camera for a LF beginner?

dcelfving · Mar 7, 2006

I'd appreciate any recommendations for a newbie on a budget.

And, in case any of you LF pros have some equipment to spare, I thought I'd provide a link to a (there was a url link here which no longer exists) I just placed on the "wanted" page.

colrehogan · Mar 7, 2006

Well, there are several questions to be asked. What sort of pictures do you take or are you planning to take with the LF outfit? What is your budget? How important is weight to you? Do you have a tripod that can support a heavier camera?

dcelfving · Mar 7, 2006

A little more info . . .

Good questions indeed.

I'm relatively new to photography, but feel most attracted to street photography and handheld shots. I realize this can be difficult with LF cameras, but I'm thinking the Crown Graphic might work (though I can't be very inconspicuous with it).

I don't have a solid tripod, but generally shoot situations that don't require one.

I think what I'm ultimately looking for is a way to take images generally suited for 35mm (street and candid photos) but want the ability to print at larger sizes and/or crop without much loss of resolution. That, and the idea of a 4x5 negative is quite cool to me - I want to give it a try!

raucousimages · Mar 7, 2006

You might have beter luck with a MF SLR or TLR. A Mamiya C330 with pistol grip would work. A good 6x6 neg will easly give you a sharp 20x30 print. With that said good luck with a graphic, just look at the great news photos of the 30's and 40's. It can be done, just takes more work. But concider that the MF film we have now is finer grained than the LF of years ago and I like grainy look in street photos.

vet173 · Mar 7, 2006

dcelfving said:
I don't have a solid tripod, but generally shoot situations that don't require one.

That will definitely change.

Dave Parker · Mar 7, 2006

I like my crowns for street work, they are pretty easy cameras to use, once you learn proper handling technique and belive it or not you can be pretty stealthy with them as were many of the old reporters of the past, if you want 4x5 there are a few worth considering, Linhof, Bush, Graflex to name a couple. I find it a great way to shoot hand held.

Dave

Dave Parker · Mar 7, 2006

vet173 said:
That will definitely change.

Not always, there are a lot of people around shooting press cameras in 4x5 without a tripod..

Dave

vet173 · Mar 7, 2006

Give what raucousimages says some HEAVY weight in your decision.

canyoupicturethat · Mar 7, 2006

Just got in myself

I've just entered into LF myself, and can speak only from my experience and the bit of research I did. I was on a budget, and though I would have really liked a Tachihara or the like, I couldn't afford them, and ended up going with a protable Busch Pressman for under 300 in perfect condition, with a "normal: 127mm lens, much like the Crown Graphic. I've found that it is actually easy to get down the loading, shooting, sequence, and my speed has increased, even hand held a few times so far. I'd recommend the Pressman, though I haven't used the Graphics, and they're about all the same. One thing I did do was get a lot of holders to avoid field loading if possible.

On the MF side, I got into all larger formats by getting a Yashica Mat 124g TLR and would recommend it on a budget and for entry, agreeing with all the former posts about MF being indrecible for large prints. and the 6x6 square plays with your perceptions of your work quite a lot.

Enjoy!

David A. Goldfarb · Mar 7, 2006

Check out graflex.org for lots of info on press cameras, and lfphoto.info for some good articles and forum threads about getting started in LF, and there are a few good threads in the forum on handheld shooting.

Here are some handheld shots with my Linhof Tech V 4x5"--

http://www.echonyc.com/~goldfarb/halloween

Click the image to cycle through about a half dozen shots.

MattCarey · Mar 7, 2006

Hello,

One camera to consider is the Burke and James press. I got one with a 152mm Ektar and a polaroid back for about $170. The lens sells for about $150, the polaroid back sells for $25-50...

The B&J was not and is not a popular camera. So, you can pick up a reasonable bargain.

Keep a couple of things in mind--
1) it isn't that hard to adjust the rangefinder. You will probably want it close. Mine was so far off as to be laughable.

2) Learn to zone focus. Because of this, it is good to get a camera that has the original lens. That way the focus scale will be set for the lens.

Matt

athanasius80 · Mar 7, 2006

Well Matt let the secret out now! I second the Burke & James press Its a nice solid camera with more front movement than a Crown Graphic and generally cheaper than Graflex products. Also, the lensboards are just a square piece of wood (unlike Busch Pressmans.) I took my B&J across Ireland and it was never too heavy in my backpack. Good luck.

mgb74 · Mar 7, 2006

As far as a 4x5 for street photography: http://museum.icp.org/museum/collections/special/weegee/

However, I'm told the cigar is required for proper exposure.

But if your requirement is a large negative and street/handheld shots, I suppose you could always buy the type of camera that as specifically designed for that: the 6x7 press cameras. I'd suggest a Mamiya press (Super 23 or Universal) over a Koni/Rapid Omega or a Graflex XL; but they all have their following.

A TLR is harder to use, but has a bit of an advantage when used with a waist level finder. The combination of the camera at your waist and the head pointing down tends, in my opinion, to make subjects less concious of the fact you're taking a photo of them.

The bulk of a 4x5 or even a 6x7 press camera is hard to miss.

Dave Parker · Mar 7, 2006

mgb74 said:
The bulk of a 4x5 or even a 6x7 press camera is hard to miss.

I don't know about that, the worse I have ever been asked, was...

"Is that a Video Camera?"

The whole history of snap and shoot was done with the Pressmans and the Graphics...

Dave

Donald Miller · Mar 8, 2006

I used a Crown at one time. I think that it would be a hoot for street photography.

I used everything from a 210 to a 90 on the one that I used. A 90 would let you get really up close and personal. Come to think about it...that may be a way to eat your camera...

Camera for a LF beginner?

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