Moving from 35mm to MF - Composition & Focus with WLF

[Barry06GT]

Ugh! - just watching Annie Leibovitz standing on one of those eagle heads with 6 lbs of MF camera hanging around her neck while shooting a male model was enough to give me a serious case of vertigo.

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So which was the better photograph: the photograph Annie Leibovitz took, or the photograph Leibovitz's assistant took of her on the eagle head?
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[lxdude]

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With a prism finder, it is just like any other SLR.

Heck, my Bronica ETRS with a 80mm lens, is smaller than my D200 with the 18-200 VR lens.
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80mm?

 

[Barry06GT]

80mm?

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Oops, I was thinking of my Mamiya 645, the Bronica has the 75...
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[removed-user-1]

Learning to compose and focus with a WLF for the MF newbie.

When I first used medium format, it was the WLF on the Yashica 635, and even though it was dimmer than I was used to, I found composition much easier. You will get used to the left-right reversal fairly quickly if you use the camera often. Action will be a little difficult at first but it can be done.

Looking down into the 7x7cm ground glass screen of my RB67 is nothing like using the tiny viewfinder of a 35mm or DSLR camera. Working with a tripod at full height gets a little tricky, so bring a small stepladder (seriously) if you really expect to do high-angle work.

The RB has a Revolving Back, so you only turn the back, not the camera and both vertical and horizontal images are upright. I had an old-model prism for my RB but it was HUGE and added enough weight to the camera that I rarely used it (sort of defeats the purpose). I say go for the waist-level finder, it's really an eye opener.

 

[lilmsmaggie]

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So which was the better photograph: the photograph Annie Leibovitz took, or the photograph Leibovitz's assistant took of her on the eagle head?
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By that time,everyone in class including me were too busy squirming, and squealing to notice. I think I closed my eyes at that point.

 

[EricO]

The first time I used a borrowed RB67 I forgot to lift the magnifier on the WLF. I thought, "man it's so difficult to focus. Consequently, my photos came out soft (out of focus) but I was thrilled to have used a MF camera. It wasn't until I purchased my own (RZ67) that I realised that there's a magnifier. I hadn't had any problems composing or focusing since.

 

[Sirius Glass]

However, you may be in for some surprises when you look at your negs for the first few rolls! "Say...I thought that was on the left side of the picture...."

Been there; done that.

Steve