Changing orientation...

[DrPablo]

I have a wonderful wood Agfa 8x10, which is fixed in landscape orientation. The only way I'd be able to take portrait orientation shots would be to rotate the camera 90 degrees via the tripod head. Would I be asking for an accident by doing that?

 

[Ole]

Yes, you would. But that's normal in LF photography anyway, isn't it?

I've been thinking of a fixed portrait orientation 8x10" camera for a while now, and will probably go ahead with it if i get the payrise I'm hoping for instead of the paycut I'm preparing for (freezer full of film, fridge full of paper, enough chemicals for the next five years)...

 

[DrPablo]

Ole, I'm surprised you don't have one yet! I received my View Camera issue today, and there is a certain paragraph about you in there -- "Today, Ole has a bewildering number of lenses, and at least one camera for every film size from 6.5x9cm to 30x40cm."

 

[Ole]

Ah - but the only fixed-orientation camera is the Speed Graphic. Even the old 6.5x9cm and 9x12cm plate cameras have two tripod sockets, and all the others have reversible backs.

BTW - since that paragraph was written, a 4.5x6cm plate camera just followed me home...

 

[DrPablo]

If only my collection were so bewildering!

By the way, I paid a visit to Tromso and the Lofotens a few years ago, before I became interested in large format. I can imagine few better places on earth for LF than the Lofoten Islands, I mean they were just astonishing. You should set up an APUG get-together there at some point!

 

[glbeas]

Ah - but the only fixed-orientation camera is the Speed Graphic. Even the old 6.5x9cm and 9x12cm plate cameras have two tripod sockets, and all the others have reversible backs.

BTW - since that paragraph was written, a 4.5x6cm plate camera just followed me home...

Doesn't the Speed Graphic have another tripod hole under the carry strap?

 

[bdial]

Doesn't the Speed Graphic have another tripod hole under the carry strap?

Mine do, although under the strap is not so convenient.

 

[John Kasaian]

I have a wonderful wood Agfa 8x10, which is fixed in landscape orientation. The only way I'd be able to take portrait orientation shots would be to rotate the camera 90 degrees via the tripod head. Would I be asking for an accident by doing that?

I've never seen an Agfa with a back that didn't reverse or rotate.

If you can't reverse the back, can you reverse the lensboard?