'4x5 Large Format Camera'

[Panther]

Today,
I was humbled & pleasured with a unique opportunity of watching a woman work wonders with her 4x5 Large Format camera & Polaroid film.....:smile:

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[MMRadman]

Chillin cool piece of kit.

 

[AEDigman]

Some day, I would love to shoot 4X5.....

 

[exitnine]

althought now most people use digital camera, price of a 4x5 still not drop down alot, i still waiting for the price drop...

 

[little big man]

althought now most people use digital camera, price of a 4x5 still not drop down alot, i still waiting for the price drop...

In photo circles the prices have stayed up - if you go to estate sales, university auctions, etc. you tend to run into situations where they don't even know what a view camera looks like and you can get a nice deal. I read that someone managed to snag a Sinar for under $500.

Sean

 

[exitnine]

If Sinar under 500, I sure I jump into with no doubt

 

[ReallyBigCameras]

I've been shooting 4x5 for over 20 years. You can see some of my work at:

http://thalmann.com/

You may have to adjust your monitor to get the images to look good. I originally balanced the scans for a CRT monitor (I REALLY need to update my web site), and they tend to look washed out on today's a flat panel LCD monitors. So, try playing with your monitors contrast and brightness controls until the colors jump off the screen. If you've never seen 4x5 Velvia transparency on a light box, you don't know what you're missing.

The price of used 4x5 cameras, and lenses (especially) have come down from their peak prices during the late 1990s and early 2000s. There are more choices in affordable new 4x5 cameras available now that there were 10 years ago, but new lenses tend to be expensive due to the weak dollar. You can, however, get excellent, modern, multicoated used lenses for bargain basement prices.

Film prices haven't changed much, but it's getting harder and harder to find a lab that will process large format sheet film - especially E-6 color transparency film.

The camera above is a Wisner (no longer available new, but fairly plentiful on the used market). I had one just like it as my main camera during the mid-1990s. It looks nice, in a Victorian furniture kind of way, and is perfectly usable, but there are other brands/models I prefer (the Wisner is a bit of a pain to use with wide angle lenses, and is heavy and bulky for a 4x5 field camera).

In any case, if anyone is interested in giving 4x5 a try, go for it. You can start with something as basic as a Speed Graphic and a 50 year old Kodak lens. It's not really as hard as it looks. If you understand basic exposure, that's the toughest part. I'm completely self taught. This is one place where you can really learn a lot just by taking the camera out and making images (most 4x5 cameras don't even come with an instruction manual). It will definitely slow you down - but that can be a good thing.

Kerry Thalmann

 

[Messiah Khan]

That's a nice looking camera. I've recently starting working with a Wista 45SP;

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Only shot 3 shots with it, but it certainly is a different way of working. Slows you right down, and makes you truly understand how exposure, focusing etc works. :smile:

 

[J.Alan]

Kerry, those are some

I've been shooting 4x5 for over 20 years. You can see some of my work at:

http://thalmann.com/

Kerry Thalmann

awesome images you have of the National Parks. Makes me want to give large format film a try.