Film format economy

Another vote for 5x7".

The cameras and holders cost about the same as 4x5", film is twice the price but also twice the area: Contact prints can look great.

Enlargers are often cheaper than a comparable 4x5" one due to size - I got my Durst 138S for the price of shipping. Getting it to my (upstairs) darkroom was a bit difficult - that beast is heavy!

Many common lenses for 4x5" can also be used on 5x7", plus 13x18cm was long considered "minimum" for "serious work" in Germany (true! See H. Schmidt, "Photographische Hilfsbuch für ernste Arbeit", Berlin 1910) and there are lots of very very good and very cheap lenses to be found there.

Since I've mentioned 13x18cm, those holders are cheaper than 5x7" on the second-hand market. Germany again...
Depreciation? Whazzat? My 12x10" Lancaster Patent lens cost me the same this year as it cost when it was new: £24. Of course £24 was a lot of money in 1912...

I think that 35mm for travel and situations like a visit to the Zoo is most economical, 36 frames under $4.00 US is not bad. For overall economy with other situations like portraitures, landscapes, tabletop 4X5: A good MF system will still cost more than a 4X5 (Cambo, Graphic View, or Speed and Crown Graphics) with 2 or 3 lens, the cost of a 4X5 enlarger is not much more than a 6X7 or 6X9, the footprint is not much bigger. To shoot a roll or 2 of MF is about the same as 4 or 6 sheets of JC Pro 100. When I shoot 4X5 I have much less wast than when I shoot 35 or MF.

When it comes to cameras and economy...long term..I Leica CONTAX.

Anthony & Scovill. Don't trust any of those new companies.

Soeren said:

When Talking relatively traditional cameras e.g. not pinhole, what is in your opinion the most economical format.
1 Entry price and operation
1½ price/ succesfull prints
2 upgrading price
2½ depreciation

Regards Søren

Click to expand...

I've been giving this some thought. Clearly LF is the screamin steal, with 35mm a very close second. Anyone who says Hassy's are going for a song these days has a much richer song than I.

The bodies are not what gets you in MF. IT is the glass. Modern glass for LF is way out of your question as well, but since LF cameras can take such a huge amount of lenses there is something out there that will fit anyone's budget. So:

1-Any of the contact printable sizes of LF that do not get into the ULF category (unless you are Jim Galli that is). That means anything from 6x9-say 8x10 is a steal camera body wise these days. If you contact you are not worrying about an enlarger.

1.5-The only thing bad about a contact print is caused by the photog not the equipment so this is way cheap and LF gives you biggest bang for the buck. Even if you include film in the equation.

2-Upgrading price is simple. LF all the way. If I was to up grade my MF stuff I would have to replace everything. As it is, I bought a Sinar and the lense I had for the Busch pressman fit and work just fine.

2.5-I am not sure about this. With the onset of digital everything analogue has depreciated, but I have seen a trend toward higher prices in the used market for all but 35mm cameras emerging (Ebay is my source for price trends, so this is totally unscientific)

Just my opinion though, on all of this. Ten years ago I could not afford to go into LF now LF equipment is just about all I can afford. Go figure.