Wow, my LF advanture has commenced !

[Alexz]

Wow, guys and girls, after some first-time and, of cuorse, bitter experience loading my first 4 4x5 sheets upside down, I reloaded and re-shot the session.
Just picked the trannies - WOW, what a clarity ! Everything seems to be exposed just spot-on ! One of the reasons for my excetemnt is that by my first session I actually put in work several new-to-me things togather: a 4x5 setup (with two lenses) and Pentax Digital Spot meter (Zone VI modified).
Metered off highlights and put them into zone VII (or sometimes just for the case added some 1/3 stop, i.e. putting highlight+1/3 stop to zone VII) - just precise enough to hold highlights details while pulling the dynamic range out as expected.
So easy (metering wise), this pentax spot meters (or others with EV reading and Zone marking) are God-send indeed...

Now need to learn more into movements (combining them in particular) and install a new Sanisnow screen into my Shen-Hao....

 

[Amund]

Congratulations! Looking at your first good LF slides is something special!

 

[Pinholemaster]

Congratulations Alexz! Wonderful news.

You'll learn movements soon. The best way for me was to first master front and rear movements in parallel. After mastering swing, tilts, rises and falls in parallel, then you'll start to see how to break that rule to get interesting results.

Again, welcome to the world of LF!

 

[Danpv]

Don't let initial problems and errors ever discourage you; they are all part of the learning process. The payoff for your efforts is seeing the images you have created come to life when viewed on a lightbox. Congratulations and welcome to our wonderful LF world.

 

[roteague]

Congratulations Alexz!!! Now that you have your new toy, don't forget to try a bit of Velvia in it (I can recommend a good place to have it processed). The first time you see a 4x5 transparency, you will fall in love.

 

[Alexz]

Thank you all, I'm already in love ... The transparancies look like an open window...
Well, Robert, even though Velvia 50 used to be my main choice for landscape stuff for a long time already (in 35mm and MF), in fact I managed to purchase a large stock of Kodak E100s, E100G and some of E100V (about 160 sheets in total) for a very temping price, more then twice cheaper then our local prices, so I guess I'll set for a while with Kodak. However, if I'll come across a good deal for Velvia 50 or 100 (not 100F), I don't think I'll be able to hold myself calm...

 

[mark]

You screwed up my friend. From here on out is a slippery slope down into addiction. Soon you'll be prostituting yourself for a ten pack of Velvia, which you will blow on the first sunrise after the dirty little deed and have to do it again. You screwed up man, but your in good comapany.

Welcome to LF.

 

[Alexz]

Yeah, that may seem to be a road indeed , though perhaps I'll keep myself prostituting for not less then a 50 pack of Velvia...

 

[nworth]

The usual reaction. When I haul out the LF gear on trips with the local camera clubs, I try to let the others look at the ground glass. The reaction is a universal "Wow." The reaction to the transparencies is about the same. I think I've made a few converts.

 

[Alexz]

Unfortunately, I know very few LF shooters in my proximity (which is about half of our small country), most of the people saw LF on pictures, of any, however many around can count pixels in their digiwonders on blind. I'll be ready to take my LF for photo trips of our local photo club, perhaps some of the fellows with re-consider their prejudications...

 

[Ole]

... I managed to purchase a large stock of Kodak E100s, E100G and some of E100V ...

E100G is my absolute favorite, followed by E100SW.

Velvia just makes the vegetation too ridiculously green around here.

 

[roteague]

Velvia just makes the vegetation too ridiculously green around here.

Try a warm polarizer; it will improve your opinion of Velvia's greens.