Erik DeBill
New member
When I posted elsewhere that I was going to be entering into the world of Large Format after being exclusively small format digital, Asher asked me to write about my experiences here. I'm going to be trying to do that, and I'll try and mark the threads with similar titles so everyone can ignore me when they realize I'm a boring writer 
First, my background: I started with a Kodak Instamatic that my parents got for me at a garage sale, and rapidly progressed to using my mom's Argus to take black and white pictures. I was maybe 8 or 10. I didn't stick with it for more than a year or two. I took photography in high school and got exposed to black and white darkroom work. Then I stopped taking pictures until I could get a 2MP digicam, because I hated the thought of accumulating piles and piles of prints and negatives, and 2MP would let me take desktop backgrounds for my 1600x1200 monitor. That was just after I graduated from college. When I convinced myself that I was actually going to stick with it, I bought a Digital Rebel. Eventually I bought a printer and started making prints, which got me past my phobia of physical artifacts.
I've been using a 20d for about the last two years. I love it, but I want to be able to print BIG, and I find that it's 8MP images start to show up a lack of detail once you get past about a 10x15 print. I want to be able to walk up to my pictures and keep seeing more and more, the closer I get.
--------------------------------------
So back at the end of October I decided to give large format (4x5) a shot. Even if it doesn't work out, it'll be fun.
The first step was to read up on largeformatphotography.info, photo.net, and Adam's The Camera, and anywhere else I could find. I had to figure out what I needed to buy, and what a revelation that was.
Where you can get a working setup for a DSLR with a body, lens, flash card, flash reader, battery, battery charger, computer and printer, you need one heck of a lot more for large format. Unless you're made of money, you're going to need film holders, film, some way to develop it and a scanner to scan it with. You don't just need a lens, you need a lens, lens board and cable release. You don't just look at the viewfinder on your camera, you need a dark cloth and loupe. The camera won't have a built in meter, so you either need your old DSLR, a separate meter or lots of hubris. I'm not betting on hand holding, so a tripod is not optional, it's mandatory.
With all that stuff to buy, no local stores that carry it, and the intent of saving money, I figured I'd try eBay for the first time. I rapidly found that it's easier to find view cameras than field cameras on eBay. The field cameras you DO find tend to be almost as expensive as a low end model purchased new. I liked Colin Jago's logic on used large format cameras - he worried that if he bought a used one he might not be able to tell if it had problems until he'd frustrated himself mightily. So I decided to buy as much else from eBay as I could and get the camera new.
I've learned a lot.
First, eBay is great, as long as you're not counting on getting something right away. I've won 5 auctions and used Buy It Now once. I've gotten 4 of the resulting packages. One of them is now over 4 weeks late (yesterday the seller messaged me saying it had been returned because the shipping label came off...). About half of them got here as quickly as I might have expected from a top flight commercial outfit. All of them had 100% or nearly 100% positive ratings, and at least 100 or so of those.
Second, when you venture into Large Format, you're venturing away from the large companies and high volumes of the DSLR world. I ordered a new Tachihara on Nov 1. The last I heard it hadn't shipped from the factory yet, much less left the retailer. The nice gentleman I talked to at Midwest Photo Exchange explained that Tachihara contracts out the metal parts and sometimes their suppliers don't produce them on time. Apparently this is a common problem with makers of field cameras. The retailers that carry a lot of the large format gear don't have the same advanced websites as Amazon and B&H. You won't know until after you order whether things are in stock. Sort of like ordering from Adorama (yes... that was a cheap shot).
Third, you have far more choices to make than you do with a DSLR. You never have to worry about the size of the image circle on a DSLR - if the lens has the right lens mount, you're golden. Likewise, you don't have to worry about whether your camera can focus with a specific lens because the focusing mechanism is part of the lens. With large format it's part of the camera, and you can buy lenses that are both too long and too short for your camera. On the other hand, there aren't a lot of 50 year old lenses that work on my 20d. I've got a Schneider Angulon 90mm f6.8 that was made in 1950, and it works fine on my new large format camera. It even has a PC terminal so I can use it with my 580EX
Fourth, spot meters are expensive. Pentax and Sekonic seem to make the most popular ones, but they cost around $500 new. Minolta makes one, but none of the camera shops seem to carry it. Amazon does, but it's not listed under spot meters. I can't remember what I was searching on, but they have the Minolta Spot Meter F for $350. I snagged one used off of eBay for half that. If I didn't want to try my hand at the zone system (I've been reading Adams' books...) I could have gone with some other metering method and saved the money.
Fifth, Kodak Rapid Fixer will get your package flagged as hazardous material. Mine arrived with a big rip right across the "corrosive" warning label. I was lucky the receptionist at my office didn't get upset about the ripped up box with warnings about sulfuric acid sitting on her desk.
Sixth, impatience is the enemy of frugality. I'd intended to start out by shooting some polaroids and black and white. I'd process the polaroids myself (duh) and take the b&w's to my local camera shop. While waiting for things to arrive, I got the bug and bought enough stuff to process it myself. Both trays and an HP Combi Plan T. At least I haven't bought a Jobo. Yet. I bought the aforementioned light meter instead of using my DSLR as a meter the way I'd planned. I also got tired of waiting for the camera, and bought a used Cambo SC off of eBay.
So, after 28 days, I got my camera today. I'm waiting for the first negatives to dry so I can scan them. They're from polaroids - I haven't broken out the TMAX yet. Even when I do, I've only got a single film holder, because the lot of 7 still hasn't arrived. I'm tempted to place an order with B&H for half a dozen, so I have some capacity to take out shooting this weekend. If I do it before I go to sleep and pay for 2 day air, it should arrive on Friday...
First, my background: I started with a Kodak Instamatic that my parents got for me at a garage sale, and rapidly progressed to using my mom's Argus to take black and white pictures. I was maybe 8 or 10. I didn't stick with it for more than a year or two. I took photography in high school and got exposed to black and white darkroom work. Then I stopped taking pictures until I could get a 2MP digicam, because I hated the thought of accumulating piles and piles of prints and negatives, and 2MP would let me take desktop backgrounds for my 1600x1200 monitor. That was just after I graduated from college. When I convinced myself that I was actually going to stick with it, I bought a Digital Rebel. Eventually I bought a printer and started making prints, which got me past my phobia of physical artifacts.
I've been using a 20d for about the last two years. I love it, but I want to be able to print BIG, and I find that it's 8MP images start to show up a lack of detail once you get past about a 10x15 print. I want to be able to walk up to my pictures and keep seeing more and more, the closer I get.
--------------------------------------
So back at the end of October I decided to give large format (4x5) a shot. Even if it doesn't work out, it'll be fun.
The first step was to read up on largeformatphotography.info, photo.net, and Adam's The Camera, and anywhere else I could find. I had to figure out what I needed to buy, and what a revelation that was.
Where you can get a working setup for a DSLR with a body, lens, flash card, flash reader, battery, battery charger, computer and printer, you need one heck of a lot more for large format. Unless you're made of money, you're going to need film holders, film, some way to develop it and a scanner to scan it with. You don't just need a lens, you need a lens, lens board and cable release. You don't just look at the viewfinder on your camera, you need a dark cloth and loupe. The camera won't have a built in meter, so you either need your old DSLR, a separate meter or lots of hubris. I'm not betting on hand holding, so a tripod is not optional, it's mandatory.
With all that stuff to buy, no local stores that carry it, and the intent of saving money, I figured I'd try eBay for the first time. I rapidly found that it's easier to find view cameras than field cameras on eBay. The field cameras you DO find tend to be almost as expensive as a low end model purchased new. I liked Colin Jago's logic on used large format cameras - he worried that if he bought a used one he might not be able to tell if it had problems until he'd frustrated himself mightily. So I decided to buy as much else from eBay as I could and get the camera new.
I've learned a lot.
First, eBay is great, as long as you're not counting on getting something right away. I've won 5 auctions and used Buy It Now once. I've gotten 4 of the resulting packages. One of them is now over 4 weeks late (yesterday the seller messaged me saying it had been returned because the shipping label came off...). About half of them got here as quickly as I might have expected from a top flight commercial outfit. All of them had 100% or nearly 100% positive ratings, and at least 100 or so of those.
Second, when you venture into Large Format, you're venturing away from the large companies and high volumes of the DSLR world. I ordered a new Tachihara on Nov 1. The last I heard it hadn't shipped from the factory yet, much less left the retailer. The nice gentleman I talked to at Midwest Photo Exchange explained that Tachihara contracts out the metal parts and sometimes their suppliers don't produce them on time. Apparently this is a common problem with makers of field cameras. The retailers that carry a lot of the large format gear don't have the same advanced websites as Amazon and B&H. You won't know until after you order whether things are in stock. Sort of like ordering from Adorama (yes... that was a cheap shot).
Third, you have far more choices to make than you do with a DSLR. You never have to worry about the size of the image circle on a DSLR - if the lens has the right lens mount, you're golden. Likewise, you don't have to worry about whether your camera can focus with a specific lens because the focusing mechanism is part of the lens. With large format it's part of the camera, and you can buy lenses that are both too long and too short for your camera. On the other hand, there aren't a lot of 50 year old lenses that work on my 20d. I've got a Schneider Angulon 90mm f6.8 that was made in 1950, and it works fine on my new large format camera. It even has a PC terminal so I can use it with my 580EX
Fourth, spot meters are expensive. Pentax and Sekonic seem to make the most popular ones, but they cost around $500 new. Minolta makes one, but none of the camera shops seem to carry it. Amazon does, but it's not listed under spot meters. I can't remember what I was searching on, but they have the Minolta Spot Meter F for $350. I snagged one used off of eBay for half that. If I didn't want to try my hand at the zone system (I've been reading Adams' books...) I could have gone with some other metering method and saved the money.
Fifth, Kodak Rapid Fixer will get your package flagged as hazardous material. Mine arrived with a big rip right across the "corrosive" warning label. I was lucky the receptionist at my office didn't get upset about the ripped up box with warnings about sulfuric acid sitting on her desk.
Sixth, impatience is the enemy of frugality. I'd intended to start out by shooting some polaroids and black and white. I'd process the polaroids myself (duh) and take the b&w's to my local camera shop. While waiting for things to arrive, I got the bug and bought enough stuff to process it myself. Both trays and an HP Combi Plan T. At least I haven't bought a Jobo. Yet. I bought the aforementioned light meter instead of using my DSLR as a meter the way I'd planned. I also got tired of waiting for the camera, and bought a used Cambo SC off of eBay.
So, after 28 days, I got my camera today. I'm waiting for the first negatives to dry so I can scan them. They're from polaroids - I haven't broken out the TMAX yet. Even when I do, I've only got a single film holder, because the lot of 7 still hasn't arrived. I'm tempted to place an order with B&H for half a dozen, so I have some capacity to take out shooting this weekend. If I do it before I go to sleep and pay for 2 day air, it should arrive on Friday...
