Ever Seen one of these? (full frame)

So, I was out at Shoshone falls.. (post to come up shortly in Landscapes) and this very nice gentlemen with this incredible looking camera was set up right next to me... Who's used one of these full frames? Watching the process that he went through to get his shots was incredibly fascinating, I found myself more interested in what he was doing than getting my own shots... His wife (who helped him carry all of his stuff around) was very chatty and did say that she loses him to his darkroom pretty regularly.. anyway, I was impressed and the camera itself looks like a piece of furniture, but very pretty... so, who's experienced one of these things? they live in Boise and I could have shot myself when I realized I didn't ask for his name...

sari

Sari, we must report that to Ronald quickly. Do you realise it doesn't meet his criteria as a Pro bit of kit

Very nice shots of a very nice bit of furniture. Be great to see some shots from it. Shame you forgot to get his details. A darkroom visit would be fun, but remember to tell your many strapping Uncles where you are going

I'm itching to get a LF camera...but I'll probably buy a monorail instead of a view...just need to get a darkroom setup first.

Anyway...yeah, they're cool.

condyk wrote:
Sari, we must report that to Ronald quickly. Do you realise it doesn't meet his criteria as a Pro bit of kit

Very nice shots of a very nice bit of furniture. Be great to see some shots from it. Shame you forgot to get his details. A darkroom visit would be fun, but remember to tell your many strapping Uncles where you are going

strapping uncles.. that's funny. More like bored retired guys with active imaginations... Who have a lot of fun giving me there two cents.... too bad I like them soo much or I would have starting ignoring them long ago...

sari

Sara - As you are fending off the DOM's.......I used a Sinar 6x8 plane camera for several years as an industrial shooter. Large (Bus sized) machines and architecture shots. They use what is known as 'sheet' film (for obvious reasons). Sold by the box and not cheap.
The beauty of these type of cameras is that you do all your perspective and angular changes by moving the front and back planes until you get what you are looking for (NPI). The front portion has a holder for the lens board which of course accommodates different lenses. The rear board has a sheet of glass inscribed with one or more rectangles and acts somewhat like a viewfinder. In order to aid in focusing and framing - a black cloth (generally velvet on one side) is attached to the top and sides (good old Velcro). The photographer ducks under the cloth and looks through the lens+framing screen to make final adjustments. The real challenge is that your scene appears upside down (optics you know). You can get quite good at it with some practice. Once the shot is 'set', a loaded film carrier is slid into the holder on the back. by the Way - the film carrier has 2 light tight slides that sandwich the film sheet. When you are ready to shoot, remove the
the slide that is CLOSEST to the front of the camera and take your exposure. Replace the slide, remove the carrier and return it to the light tight carrier. All in a days work if you keep your mind on what you are doing.

I've seen prints from these Ansal Adams type cameras. They are so amazing. The few who uses these cameras sure do take Photography to their roots. This looks like a more recent version of a Old School Camera. My great great grandfather had something similar to these things. The prints are very impessive.

However, personally with the MegaPixel their time has past. When it was 35mm dayes and these were much bigger then that, they were incredible. Now, they are about (still better) the same as a 20D with a 10-22mm lens on it. Both really impressive but the large format takes much more effort.

Wow the LCD screen on the back of that thing is huge. I don't see the slot for the CF card though?

I disagree with the first part of that statement. Sure the LF is a pain to use but quality wise its leagues ahead of the 20D. Out current APS size 6 and 8 mpxl cameras are only as good as average 35mm film. It'd take a lot for them to equal medium format (the 1Ds Mk2 probably does that though) and even more to equal large format.

I'n not saying that their days aren't numbered, just that there is still a lot of quality lead left in the larger formats.

Beautiful large format. I ran across a guy using one--of all places--about 3 hours' hike up the narrows at Zion National Park. Now THAT'S dedication. :O

So, there I am watching the way he was working, marveling at his equipment and he's asking me advice on choosing lenses for his new DSLR turns out he had just bought himself a 20D.... So, atleast this particular gentlemen has some great tastes.... I really am very disappointed that I didn't get any info from him.

sari

It looks like a copy of a Deardorff. History of Deardorff
Deardorff cameras

The end of the slides usually are silver on one side (unexposed) & black on the other (exposed). Don't get them mixed up!

Frank - its not like she is going out a buy one, I generalized to show the basic steps.

Don't pick on the old guys - we do the best we can.

I'm going out behind the garage and shoot peach pits.

I saw a young guy using one of these in the park the other day. Wanted to talk to him about it but was in a rush. I like th getting back to the roots of photography idea (and I'm sure the images are amazing too of course!), but you'd really need a darkroom of course, and that's something I don't have at the moment.

If you want to make very large prints, you benefit from a larger image plane. My 1D...N makes nice-looking prints up to about 12x18. Long ago I used a 6x9 (larger medium format, bordering on large format) and made some beautiful wall-sized prints.

are you serious right now?? Not only is the 20D only capable of probably 11x14 prints, it doesn't have the movents of a LF camera. Have you ever seen a 8x10 slide let alone a 4x5 slide? nothing short of amazing. show me a 20D that can produce a 8x10 neg in which you can contact print and with all the movements, only then will i be satisfied.

i hope you're joking.