LF Here I Come!

[Alpha]

I just picked up an old Calumet 4x5 for $57. Hell yeah! I think i just peed my pants a little.

[PNA]

Show it.....no, not you pants!

[Alpha]

It's one of these:

http://ebay.pair.com/16/DSC_0075.jpg

I think i'm gonna disassemble it and spray paint it some extremely cool color with metal enamel. I put a thread up on APUG asking if that was a bad idea lol. But it looks easy enough.

[shorty6049]

congrats, where'd you get that? ebay?

[Alpha]

yup :mrgreen:

[PNA]

Very nice....I'm not familiar with LFs so a stupid question.....where is the lens? and what kind/type?

Why paint it? Looks great from here.

[Alpha]

That black board at the front of the camera holds the lens. You basically mount the lens at the shutter, and you have an element in front of and behind the shutter.

Lens mounted looks something like this (not my photo, so I had to just post the link):
http://gregrob.ca/4x5/view_camera.jpg

I haven't bought a lens yet. I wanted to hand-pick one instead of just shooting with whatever came with the camera. And since I only spent $57 on the camera, that gives me quite a bit of change to work with :)

[PNA]

Right...so the lens is mounted on a board that slides into the frame on the front?????

And you can change lenses on the board?

[PNA]

I haven't bought a lens yet. I wanted to hand-pick one instead of just shooting with whatever came with the camera. And since I only spent $57 on the camera, that gives me quite a bit of change to work with :)

Sound like a great deal......are the lenses expensive since they come with a shutter?

[Alpha]

Well, the lens board is dependent on the shutter type. Or is the other way around? lol. In any event, lens boards come with different size openings in them, for different sized shutters (which I believe depend on the size of the lens). So you'll have shutters of different sizes #1, #2, #3, #4, etc. So you can buy, say, some Rodenstock lens in a Copal #2 shutter, then you just mount it in a #2 lens board (which has the hole of the appropriate size). You carry the lenses pre-mounted on the boards, and then just switch out lens/board when you wanna change focal lengths.

A lens in a board looks like this :
http://i12.ebayimg.com/06/i/000/98/43/bcd9_1.JPG

[shorty6049]

i've always wanted to try this type of photography, but never really had the resources for developing, or the money for supplies or anything. you'll have to post some pictures from it once you get it "up and running"

[Alpha]

I don't develop negatives myself, only prints. I don't know how much 4x5 developing is at my local pro lab, but I guess I'll soon find out. Then again, everything of theirs is super cheap. They develop a roll of 120 for $2

[Alpha]

I'm so excited because I've always wanted to get into 4x5. Whenever I look at LF prints, I can't help but be amazed at how detailed they are. It just blows me away. Now i get to be all pimp like that, too. :)

[shorty6049]

nice, how do you take pictures with one of these? is it the type where you put one frame of film in at a time?

[shorty6049]

by the way, i saw a gallery at the mall of america , this guy who's a landscape photographer, (dont remember his name now) uses 4X5 and 8X10 and his shots are absolutely stunning.

[PNA]

Thanks for the lesson Max, it's appreciated.

I'm assuming that these types of cameras are used primarily in studios because of their bulkiness to carry around. And in the old movies with a hand held exploding flash. Almost back during my time......:lmao:

Good shooting with it....! :thumbup:

[Alpha]

Depends on what kind of film you shoot with. You can use either standard film holders, which each hold one sheet of film, or you can use Fuji Quickloads or Kodak Readyloads, which are more expensive but hold multiple sheets and come pre-loaded for you. Otherwise, you buy a box of film and load the holders yourself in the dark. The whole shutter assembly, like I said earlier, is at the front, integrated into the lens....so your cable release/flash cable attaches there.

[Alpha]

PNA:

This type is a monorail, and it's used primarily for studio work, which is mostly what i'll be using it for. Compared to other 4x5's it's a bit heavy, but at 8 lbs or so, it's not so bad that I can't take it out into the field. I'm still a young guy.

[PNA]

Monorail as apposed to.....????

[shorty6049]

two rails

[PNA]

Any benifits either way?

[shorty6049]

maxbloom? any benefits?

[Alpha]

as opposed to a view camera, which is more compact and lightweight.

Monorail:
http://www.hscamera.com/upload/mall/Toyo-View-45C_90.jpg

View Camera:
http://www.photographica.nu/sold/unb1.jpg

[Alpha]

Monorails are sturdier, and tend to have more "movements," i.e. tilt/swing and the like. View cameras are lighter weight and more portable, but lack a lot of movements.

[PNA]

Verrrrry interesting......whating for some shots.

Nite guys!

[shorty6049]

i would have thought a view camera woudl be sturdier because of two rails, but i guess i was wrong... lol,




[/pointlesscomment]

[Alpha]

lol. Monorail cameras, like I said, are usually heavier, so they're sturdier.

@PNA: I'm still "whating for some" camera. I just bought it half an hour ago.

[shorty6049]

lol. is there a track or something in the monorail to prevent the front from rotating on the shaft?

[Alpha]

Yeah there's a groove in the rail, idiot (this is me being celebratorily drunk and joking with you). That keeps the camera from spinning around the rail like Inside-Out Boy.

[shorty6049]

lol

[PNA]

@PNA: I'm still "whating for some" camera. I just bought it half an hour ago.

And so.....what's the problem???? excuses, excuses.....:lmao:

Actually, since you bought it on ebay have you taken delivery yet?

[JamesD]

Just a note: both are view cameras. There are monorail view cameras, and then there are field view cameras. The field cameras are, like Max said, lighter but not as flexible. Field cameras usually fold up into a smaller package; the bottom piece with the two rails folds up to protect the camera. When closed, it looks like a wooden box.

[PNA]

Just a note: both are view cameras. There are monorail view cameras, and then there are field view cameras. The field cameras are, like Max said, lighter but not as flexible. Field cameras usually fold up into a smaller package; the bottom piece with the two rails folds up to protect the camera. When closed, it looks like a wooden box.

Good explanation......thanks.