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My Large Format
Camera Equipment
Although I purchased
my large format equipment specifically for commercial work, and I use it almost
exclusively for commercial work, I have to say that I was surprised that it
quickly became my favorite equipment for play with on landscape and
architechural photos too! If you are a serious amatuer photographer, you should
consider adding large format equipment to your list of toys!
I have a modest collection
of Large Format equipment. Although my Nikon F100's F8008 & F801 cameras
are my stock day-to-day equipment. I must say I enjoy my Large Format equipment
the best.
Yes the 35mm
auto everything (with manual overrides used frequently) is very convenient and
easy to carry, and yes you can shoot faster with 35mm. And point and shoot
"carry them in your breast pocket" cameras are great on vacation. But Large format
is beautiful and artistic and flexible beyond belief. So why do I still
shoot 99% 35mm?
1. For snap shots,
there is no point, 35mm is perfect.
2. For fast,
multiple shots, large format doesn't yet have a chance. Each shot requires a few
minutes to set up, load the film etc.., You have to focus BEFORE you load the
film. Not something to be done when that once in a lifetime shot happens before
your eyes. Doing natural style photography - like I do with families and
pets, it would make a really funny video seeing me try to do it with a large
format camera - get everything read - adjust for 15 minutes
- give up finally! No, for people, 35mm is almost always the best
choice.
3. It is unwieldy to
move a lot. You are not going to use a camera like this to take dozens of shots
at a wedding. You can be reasonably unobtrusive with a 35mm camera, but moving a
50 lb, 5' tripod and camera around just isn't going to work! A Large Format
camera is NOT a camera for taking candid or natural shots!
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My camera of
choice is an Omega View 45e (4x5) camera. That means the film is many
times larger than my 35mm equipment. - 4"x5". I was amazed the first
time I saw a 4"x5" "slide."
Beautiful.
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I have an excellent Schneider 210
lens (For 35mm buffs, that roughly equivalent to a 120mm lens.) This lens is my
most common used lens.
It is crystal sharp, right to the edges, has lots of coverage for
the special shots that can only be done with large format equipment. The light does not
fall off until the very last 1/4" of it's coverage, and even that's not bad
(And with large format, you don't necessarily use that last 1/4" unless you are really
pushing the limits of the equipment).
I have a good Raptor
90mm lens (Wide angle lens) It is quite sharp to the edges. Has acceptable
coverage for shots like tall buildings. (With wide format equipment you can
shoot a tall building from the ground and it looks like you shot it straight on
- not falling over like 35mm and medium format equipment typically
does.)
My heavy duty
Manfrotto 161 tripod is fantastic. I admit, it's 30lbs can be a problem at
times, but it is rock solid and holds the heavy equipment easily. It is paired
with a Manfrotto 029 head with 3 separate controls in the 3 axis. Much better
than trying to level off with even a great ball head.
Of course I have a
variety of misc. options, an 8x loupe, a black sweater used as a hood, remote
releases, polaroid back, but my most indispensable option is my Minolta IVF
meter. This is a spot/ambient/flash meter. It lets me read the light at a spot
(typically I reflect off my 18% grey card for this,) or place the meter at the
subject to read the light falling on the subject, or, with a flash, read the
reflected light from the flash.
Finally, I have
color cards and gray scale cards for taking pictures of paintings and other
reproductions where it is critical to reproduce as close to the exact colors as
possible all the way from film, prints, computer images, magazine
covers.
Personally, I think
every serious amatuer and most professions should have a large format camera in
their equipment list - just don't get rid of your normal day to day
cameras.
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