The "Yaw Free" capability

[Chuck_P]

Question for the experienced LFers. I'm wandering how important the "Yaw Free" capability is for a full movement view camera. Or, perhaps more importantly, in what situations will yaw become a factor.

I've been studying on view camera movements and can invision them quite well and what there intended corrections are to the image. However, I'm simply not able to wrap my brain around the "yaw" factor.

So, how often does it come into play with your photography? Is it worth the added bucks?

Thanks for the input.
Chuck

 

[George Papantoniou]

Mainly useful for still life work. When the rail of the camera is not horizontal, and the two elements (front and rear) tilted in order (usually) to remain vertical, then without the yaw-free capability you cannot execute swings or you'll ruin the alignment of the front and rear element.

When you're using the camera for simple work (portrait, landscape etc) you'll probably be fine without it.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

As George says, it's most useful for tabletop work to avoid potentially tail-chasing situations where you have the camera rail tilted and are using rear swing and then need to recompose to compensate for the swing, and then need to adjust the swing to compensate for the recomposition, and then you need to rotate the camera to adjust for the yaw, but then the swing and tilt are out of whack, lather, rinse, repeat...

Otherwise, if you generally keep the rail level and don't swing the back when the rail or base of the camera is tilted, you won't need this feature.

 

[Jim Noel]

Having owned quite a variety of LF and ULF cameras, both flat bed and monorail, I have never felt a need for a yaw free camera. Spend the extra money on film.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Having owned quite a variety of LF and ULF cameras, both flat bed and monorail, I have never felt a need for a yaw free camera. Spend the extra money on film.

Dear Jim,

Seconded!

I have both 'yaw free' and yawing cameras among the dozen or so LF cameras I own, to say nothing of the two dozen more I've owned in the past or borrowed (often for review), and if you're used to LF, yaw or its absence is not of any great consequence. My initial training was in advertising (with a lot of close-up pack and product shots) and I really don't give a toss about 'yaw free'. At best it's a convenience; at worst it's one of those meaningless 'features' used to sell cameras to people who buy on specifications and the 'fear factor' -- "If my camera isn't yaw free, is it any good?"

Cheers,

Roger (www.rogerandfrances.com)

 

[eclarke]

I agree with Roger, and I also have about 20 view cameras. Corner to corner sharpness is about 5% important and a wonderful subject is 95% important...Evan Clarke

 

[Matthew Gorringe]

As a relative newcomer to 6x9 view cameras it seems most important to understand the where the axis of tilt or swing is, yaw free or not.

One thing that I think does make a difference, especially for 6x9 with shorter lenses, is gearing on tilts and swings for fine adjustments.