Just Getting Started With Large Format

UncleJam

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Ello one and all, I just bought my first Large Format Camera, a Burke and James Commercial 4x5 from my local camera shop with a Ilex Acme #3 7.5" F 4.5 lens with a few film holders. I'm hoping to do some nature and landscape photography. As far as lenses and lens boards go, I am open to suggestions for things to keep an eye out for as well as general tips and tricks as I delve further into my large format journey.
 

BrianShaw

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Welcome to the forum and congratulations on the LF camera. The best suggestion I can offer is to roll up your sleeves and get started. Enjoy the experience!
 

Alex Benjamin

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Alex Benjamin

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And welcome to Photrio.
 

Paul Howell

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What will need is a good dark cloth, a loup for focus, in terms of lens, likely a good wide, 90mm or maybe a 75. What tripod do you use?
 
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UncleJam

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Paul Howell said:
What will need is a good dark cloth, a loup for focus, in terms of lens, likely a good wide, 90mm or maybe a 75. What tripod do you use?
Click to expand...

It came with a dark cloth and a Bogen 3020, I did pick up a 8x loup while I was at the the camera store too. Even got a spot meter on the way to help with getting my exposures under control too.
 

blee1996

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Welcome to photrio and large format. I guess next step is get some film and try it out. Foma 100 4x5 film (also branded as Arista EDU 100) are inexpensive while providing good quality. I hope the local camera store or craigslist will get you some darkroom equipment for developing 4x5 film as well.

Also if you can find some local workshop or classes (e.g. community college), or just some photo buddy to show you the basic ropes. I learned large format in a college elective course. Otherwise watch a few hours of youtube tutorial and start enjoying large format photography!
 

Chuck_P

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Congratulations on your new journey! Sounds like you are well on your way.

A suggestion when you actually start to photograph would be to not jump right into trying to make tilting and swinging movements, start with simple rise/fall and shift movements in the beginning (ask me how I know). Become familiar with it's basic capability and what it shares with smaller formats in terms of focus, DoF, etc.....then begin to explore the more advanced capabilities of your new format. Focus like you would with smaller format, play with basic DoF like any other lens. Simply generate, in the beginning, sharp, well focused negatives using a plane of focus that is parallel to the film plane with a good bit of your beginning exposures. This, imo, helps to build confidence that you can produce a good negative and will fight back against the inevitable frustrations with missed focus that you will encounter when you start trying to manipulate a tilted or swung plane of sharp focus.......rest assured, those times are ahead of you when learning this format, just sayin. Those times are even still ahead of me! Sometimes it's difficult.

When doing your searches on Photrio, the fellow named @Doremus Scudder, provides the best informative information on the more advanced capabilities of LF. Maybe he'll chime in.
 
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xkaes

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Leslie Stroebel's book "View Camera Technique" -- for free at the library.
 

Tel

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+1 to all the replies above. I would reiterate Chuck P’s advice: I’ve found that the thing I like best about my LF cameras is bellows extension. I like to get in close and throw the background way out of focus; it slows me down and makes shooting more meditative and I like what I get from it photographically too.
 
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UncleJam

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Well, shot my first 6 shots did some developing, had a wee bit of a screw up with the taco method so out of six shots there was one good looking negative. Here's to better devs next time! Thanks for all the help so far!
 

RalphLambrecht

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UncleJam said:
Well, shot my first 6 shots did some developing, had a wee bit of a screw up with the taco method so out of six shots there was one good looking negative. Here's to better devs next time! Thanks for all the help so far!
Click to expand...

I got my best 4x5 development with the Jobo tanks. The rotational development uses the least amount of chemistry, which i otherwise huge.
 

John Wiegerink

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UncleJam said:
Well, shot my first 6 shots did some developing, had a wee bit of a screw up with the taco method so out of six shots there was one good looking negative. Here's to better devs next time! Thanks for all the help so far!
Click to expand...

You'll get the hang of it, but it doesn't usually come fast. It takes a while to learn bellows extension, each lens/shutter are a little different and developing technique has to fit your style. I have a physical handicap that doesn't let me do tray development. I tried the big FR twelve sheet tanks, Jobo tanks and processor and now the SP-445 tank. The Jobo CPP2 and tank was the best, but I sold it. The FR 12 sheet tank was ok, but the volume of developer used made me switch to replenishment developers. Then I bought a Stearman SP-445 tank and have stuck with that. The SP-445 is simple to use, uses very little chemistry and has given me very good, consistent results. You only do four sheets at a time, but that's just fine for my type of shooting. I very seldom shoot more than eight sheets on an outing and usually do some N or N- developing, so two short sessions works fine. I bought Leslie Stroebel's book "View Camera Technique" ,mentioned above, many years ago, and it really helps answer a lot of questions I had. Of course, that was before the age of computers and internet. Now you can post a question and have the answer in a matter of seconds. Now all you have to do is find out what works best for you and have fun doing it.
 

abruzzi

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blee1996 said:
I also opted for SP645 for the exact same reason. Almost same size, 600ml instead of 500ml chemical. Very compact and all manual.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I had the 445 first, but in the interest of lightening my kit I bought 3 Grafmatics las year. Their primary drawback is that it’s difficult to to remove shot frames without removing unshot frames, but weight and bulk wise they take less space and weigh less that three double sided sheet holder. I’ve paired them with my ultralight Toho.
 

John Wiegerink

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Yes, if the SP645 had been out when I decided to go for that style of developing tank I would have gone for it also, but it wasn't.
 

MurrayMinchin

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Focus on the near...tilt for the far...tweak a bit to finish.

Cut a 4x5 hole in an 8x10 card for scouting out photos...much easier than setting everything up and then deciding the composition isn't working.

Figure out your bellows extension factors, then mark them off on a ruler...simply put one end on the film plane and read off the factor which lines up with the middle of the lens.

If you find yourself saying the word 'must' while figuring out exposures, such as; "If I apply this reciprocity law failure factor I must reduce development by....." give your head a shake. There are no absolute rules! As an example; applying a RLF factor and not reducing development in the perpetually overcast old growth forests around here results in a snappier +1 ish development resulting in livelier mid-tones. (Reading The New Zone System Manual by White, Zakia, and Lorenz can help in shaking dogma out of the Zone System).

Get the best tripod that you can't quite afford.
 
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UncleJam

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Here's the results btw. I'll see about the sp645 tank as well. Thanks for all the help!
 

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Sirius Glass

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Welcome to Photrio!

I use the Jobo CPP2 processor with the Jobo 3010 Expert Drum to develop my 4"x5" film, up to ten sheets at a time.
 
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