Contrary to popular belief, large format cameras are alive and well and if you're truly serious about creating the highest quality images possible – particularly landscapes – you should be using one.
There are a lot of damn good reasons to get into large format photography but I’ll give you the best one: large format photography will force you to be an artist. A large format camera demands your attention, not only to the process, but to your vision. You have to take your time and really think about what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. The amount of time and trouble required to get a single image from your large format camera demands that you stop and consider the possible rewards from all that work. You can’t just go popping off shots right and left with a large format camera. You have to stop and think about what you’re going to photograph and how you’re going to photograph it.
The University of Oregon offers a large format course. I’ve never taken it. What little I know, I’ve learned from doing. Over the next several posts, I’ll share this meager knowledge with you. Let me begin with an overview of my equipment. The two primary pieces of my 100-megapixel system (that’s right, 100 megapixels) are a Crown Graphic press camera and an Epson V700 flatbed film scanner. The Crown Graphic cost me about $375 and the scanner was about $500. In addition, I have about $200 in accessories like a solid, German-made tripod, a focusing ocular, a quickloader, a good bag, etc. I’ll get to all that later. For now, let’s look at the camera. For everything Crown Graphic, visit the authorities at www.graflex.org. The Crown Graphic is a solid metal, large-format camera that was popular among journalists from the 20s until the mid 60s. Graflex.org has a lot of information so there’s no need for me to go into all of it here. But, let me say if you want to get started in large-format photography, the Crown Graphic is a great way to go. I bought mine off EBay but I got lucky. I got a real cherry. You might not. Beware. You really should have a look at the camera before you pay for it. Many of these cameras were well cared for (like mine). Many were not. Check at your local camera store for used stuff. You’d be surprised at what might be lurking behind the counter. Also, check online classifieds like Craig’s List. Often, people have these cameras lying around in their attic and don’t know what they’ve got. I bought mine, for example, from a guy who’d inhereted it from his grandfather. You can even find large format cameras at estate sales. Sometimes people know what they’ve got, sometimes they don’t. I’m not suggesting you take advantage of people, but I don’t see anything wrong with taking advantage of an opportunity.
Graflok back. It’s not something you absolutely need. It’s nice however, because it allows you more flexibility in accessories and film holders such as roll film holders for medium format film. My Crown Graphic was built in 1947. It has a spring back, not a graflok back. Because of this, I paid a lot less. I use a Fuji Quickload holder and the spring back works just fine for me. I don’t miss the graflok back. But, I don’t use roll film. Frankly, I don’t see the benefit of using roll film in a 4x5 camera. If I’m going to pack a 4x5 camera all the way to a location worth shooting with a large format camera, I’m going to use large format film. Otherwise, I’d use a medium format camera and save myself the headache of all that weight and bulk. But suit yourself. If you plan on using the camera for landscapes, as I do, the earlier model spring back is not a showstopper.
Lenses. Large format cameras have been around since the beginning of photography so lenses for them are widely available on the used market. The Crown Graphics often came from the factory with a standard lens of 90mm, 127mm or 135mm. My camera has a 135mm Optar lens made by Wollensak. It’s a perfectly good lens. The only other lens I’d like to have is a 90mm. You can pick these lenses up used for a couple of hundred bucks. Chances are, if you buy a Crown Graphic, it will come with a 90, 127 or 135mm lens. That lens will be just fine, trust me. For more information on large format lenses, read this:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/4x5.htm#lenses
Movements. The Graphics do not have the full range of movements you’ll find in true field (view) cameras. They were not designed to be used as view cameras. They were designed to be used hand-held. So, if you’re interests are in architecture photography, the Crown Graphic probably isn’t for you. You’ll need to go for a true field camera with full movements. Still, the Graphics are an easy and inexpensive way to get good results if you’re just getting started in large format.
Large format cameras do not have built-in light meters. There's nothing "auto" about them. They're completely manual in every respect. This means that you'll need to carry your own light meter. If you've never used a camera without a built-in meter, this can be a little intimidating. Not to worry. I looked around at several different spot meters and finally decided that for the money it would cost me to buy a a digital spot meter, I could buy a good digital camera. This is not to say that a digital camera is a total replacement for the spot meter, but it works pretty well for me. I went to my local big box electronics store and bought a Canon A570 point-and-shoot digital camera. I chose this particular model because it offers a manual exposure option. Perfect for use as a digital light meter. My Crown Graphic has a 135mm lens which is roughly equivalent to the "standard" focal length of the Canon so I simply set the Canon on fully manual mode, frame the shot as I have it framed with my Graphic, take a test with the Canon using the f-stop I plan on using with my Graphic (usually f16 or smaller) and note the shutter speed that the Canon tells me I need. I can then use the viewer on the back of the Canon to review the shot and calculate adjustments accordingly.
Of course, you can use a DSLR the same way if you want. Any digital camera will work so long as it gives you control options such as aperture priority or complete manual override. I like taking the Canon along as opposed to my D200 simply because of size and weight. If I had a little D40 or something similar, I'd probably use that. The point-and-shoot is about the same size as a hand-held light meter anyway so it fits in my pocket and unlike a spot meter, it makes photographs as well. You can't beat it. I made the photograph below using this technique.
In the next post, I'll talk about the Epson v700 scanner and post more examples.
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