Newbie looking for suggestions for a large format 4x5 camera for landscape/building photography

It has back movements, if any front it is hidden by the coke can, but don't think so, just rear.

Paul Howell said:

Found this on Ebay, might need some work, but the price is right.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/133623113902?hash=item1f1c8ee8ae:g:QUoAAOSwW0Bf7PLk

Click to expand...

Dear Gawd, no...
That is not what the OP needs.
That is a portrait camera, with no front movements.

Yes, indeed. There are a few Burke & James, Graphic View, and Calumet real view cameras on ebay now that would be far better. However, a few idiots or crooks are trying to sell Graphic View cameras without the tripod mount and a few flatbed B&G cameras without the extension bed. A new view camera buyer can ask us about specific offers to catch such problems.

After more than sixty years with large format, one of the most useful and versatile cameras I have found is the Wide Angle version of the Calumet 400 Series. No recessed lens board needed for a 90mm and plenty of movements, the camera is (despite being a monorail) relatively compact and definitely inexpensive! I still have one which is my "go to" camera for architectural work. An inexpensive lens with adequate coverage for 5x7 which I find very useful is the older Fujinon 135mm f5.6 W (usually in Seiko shutter). This is the version with nomenclature on the bezel ring rather than on the lens barrel. The same series Fujinon in 90mm also has plenty of coverage, performs well and is available generally for less than $200. True, the camera is of limited use with lenses greater than 150mm but for the usage indicated by the OP I would recommend the WA Calumet 400 Series without hesitation!
Joel

PonySoldier1887 said:

... one of the most useful and versatile cameras I have found is the Wide Angle version of the Calumet 400 Series.

Click to expand...

I agree !


The Calumet CC-402 was designed for wide-angle lenses. It is my personal favorite 4x5 large format camera for landscapes and buildings.

Calumet 4x5 by Narsuitus, on Flickr

If you want a cheap camera with a lens, it probably won't have sufficient movements. I can only think of old press cameras, that had a few movements, and came with a lens. If you are serious about architectural photography, then you would want a camera with plenty of movements. Since you also want it for landscapes, you'd want something that you can easily pack, such as a field camera. I use a Canham 8x10 field camera. When I want 4x5, I stick a reducing back on it. I used to use a Cambo 4x5 monorail camera. Excellent camera with tons of movements. Just a pain for landscape use, as I had to break it all down to pack it.

I started with one of those old steel calumet monorails and a poor 127mm lens. The lens limited me.

I switched to a good 210mm and this improved my images. Then I got my 90mm super angulon and found the old Calumet did not have much movement as the bellows and heavy steel standards limited swing and tilt.

So now I have the same 90mm and 210mm lenses and procured a Toyo 45CF.

I should not have started with the cheap lens and camera and gone good lens and a more modern monorail with light front standard.

BTW: If you want to back pack, stay away from the calumets, they weigh too much.

For landscape photography you don't need a lot of movements. For architectural photography you do. If you are shooting taller buildings outside you need a lot of front rise. Otherwise the building will look like it is leaning.

Monorails give you plenty of movement but are cumbersome to pack and some are heavy. Some of the entry level Cambo and Calumet cameras weigh as little as six pounds. They have friction movements instead of geared movements of a studio camera. I'd go with a Sinar F2 myself but you are talking almost 8 pounds. F2's are a bargain nowadays.

Wista metal cameras like the SP have a lot of front rise and are field cameras. The downside is they weigh about 6 pounds.

If you want light weight then compromise and go with a wooden field camera. Some of the sturdiest are the Chamonix's. They are pretty nice. I used to have a feather weight Tachihara but it was a bit finicky to me. Everything is a trade off in one way or another.

In terms of used, most anything (outside of press type cameras) will do, and only because press cameras will typically lack the movements needed for architecture.
Flatbed cameras fold nicer and are typically lighter. Monorail cameras are bulkier and heavier but more flexible. Modular monorail cameras are nice and versatile and you can pack only what you need and set up the camera system to be what you need/use (like how arca has field standards as an option) but you will pay for that flexibility.
Rent or borrow one if you can to start with to get a feel for using LF and what does and doesn't work for you.
Personally I'd look at the cheap Intrepid offerings (low cost, popular, not as many rear movements, flatbed camera) or a stenopeika hyper basic camera (flatbed camera, 360EUR, modern as well, can take bag bellows).
Both of those are cheaper than I got my fancy LF kit for heavily used and would have worked for what I did, so I can't really fault them.
I think for architecture people usually like wide lenses (?) which means bag bellows, while personally, for landscape work I've done I never cared too much about the lens for LF and just used what I had access to.
A book on LF technique that covers movements and styles (landscape, portrait, architecture, etc) will be fairly invaluable too as technique matters a lot when working with LF.
Getting some practice loading a filmholder is good too because the feeling of loading up a stack then taking them into the light only to find one sheet of slide film is on top of the darkslide feels expensive.


But yeah-rent or borrow some gear, get some LF specific book for technique, check out some photographers who use(d) LF for landscape and architecture and check out the composition and try to figure out how they set up the shot. Take note of what you do and don't like about gear, get a friend with an LF setup to take you out shooting.
There are some good LF photographers on youtube too who do go into details that are very informative too. I personally like Mat Marrash and Markus Hofstatter, Mat especially goes into a fair bit of detail about setups for shots, techniques in the darkroom, etc.

Warm Winter said:

A book on LF technique that covers movements and styles (landscape, portrait, architecture, etc) will be fairly invaluable too as technique matters a lot when working with LF.

Click to expand...

An often recommended book is Steve Simmons: "Using the view camera", which is a very good introduction. For those who really want to go deep into the technical details, a much more comprehensive, and also very good, book is Leslie Stroebel: "View Camera Technique".