New to large format - any tips / suggestions?

[polyglot]

The "do 5x7" brigade kind of have a point in that 4x5 isn't much on 6x7 let alone 6x12. Sadly, it's disproportionately impractical on terms of both film availability (colour? ha) and dev/printing gear.

Then again, films these days are so fine that the lens is your limiting factor even at 4x5 so going larger doesn't IMHO get you much at all unless you need contact prints. 6x17 would be great though...

 

[Old-N-Feeble]

For the formats I prefer it's true that 4x5in has nothing on 6x12cm but for those who like 4:5 ratio 4x5in is definitely a step up from 6x7cm... IMHO. Taking that a step further, for those who prefer wider ratios, 5x7in has nothing on 6x17cm and 8x10in has nothing on 6x24cm. I generally prefer ratios anywhere fro 2:3 to 1:3.

 

[graywolf]

Fuji still makes 4x5 film instant film and backs to hold it.

I believe they announced awhile back that they were discontinuing it. For the time being, they seem to be planing on continuing to produce the 3-1/4 x 4-1/4 instant film packs (apparently not well known was the fact that Fuji was producing the film for Polaroid anyway). My experience, a long while back, was that the 405 film pack holder for 4x5 cameras produced an off centered image. Not a problem with a view camera, they provided a template to put on the ground glass, but with my hand held press camera it was worthless.

 

[John Kasaian]

A 4x5 really requires (unless you go the hybred route) a 4x5 enlarger thereby adding another level of gear, complexity and expense. Awhile ago during the digital diaspora, 4x5 enlargers could be literally fished out of dumpsters or hauled away for free (or a token payment)
I don't know if that is still the case. Contact printing 5x7 and 8x10 is where its at for me. Minimal equipment. All good.