4x5 Photography 101 - where to begin?

[MartinN]

My reason of logic : if I have to pay 0.5 Euro for a frame, it better be 4x5 than 35mm.

 

[KC_2020]

FP4+ is competitive in US it seems, so that can be a good film, not so much for me, because a lot more expensive than Fomapan.

In the 40 years I've been shooting and processing my own B&W film, in all formats, I've found you get what you pay for. The Fomapan 4X5 film has a thinner base, is much easier to scratch, really only has good detail and range when rated at 50 and the reciprocity is a huge limitation. As a film to learn with while you're figuring out bellows factor, movements and all the rest of the fun that comes with shooting a 4X5 cameras, it will cost less to waste. Yes, you can get fine images with it but there are better options. IMHO.

 

[MartinN]

In the 40 years I've been shooting and processing my own B&W film, in all formats, I've found you get what you pay for. The Fomapan 4X5 film has a thinner base, is much easier to scratch, really only has good detail and range when rated at 50 and the reciprocity is a huge limitation. As a film to learn with while you're figuring out bellows factor, movements and all the rest of the fun that comes with shooting a 4X5 cameras, it will cost less to waste. Yes, you can get fine images with it but there are better options. IMHO.

I can not restrain myself enough when I'm out photographing, and a lot of mistakes happen. Therefore I need a cheap film.

 

[MartinN]

The reason I don't shoot so much 4x5 now, is my scanning facilities. I can get 5300ppi scans from 120 film, but only effectively about 2000 ppi from 4x5 with Epson V700. No intentions to drumscan, and I even don't know a single facilty nearby with a drumscanner. I would happily pay for a higher resolution Epson V900 in my dreams.

 

[f6cvalkyrie]

For years, I have been looking around for a scanning back of the make "BetterLight" ... they seem rare as hen's teeth, never seen one show up on any platform or forum ... I have even never seen a picture said to be shot with one ...

Anybody any clues ?

Stay safe,
Rafael

 

[MartinN]

For years, I have been looking around for a scanning back of the make "BetterLight" ... they seem rare as hen's teeth, never seen one show up on any platform or forum ... I have even never seen a picture said to be shot with one ...

Anybody any clues ?

Stay safe,
Rafael

Yes, a scanning back would be nice, but of course a new and modern designed scanning back would be better. I have seen a few Phase One scanning backs with SCSI and desktop Mac:s for sale, but that's no 'field day' solution.

 

[MartinN]

Who wants to design a sliding Graflok plate with stepper motors and logic for a modern digital back ?

For that solution even a MFT or APSC digital CMOS back would be enough. Gigapan ?

The sad thing is that the LF market is minimal and sigleshot always wins customers over multishot.

 

[f6cvalkyrie]

Who wants to design a sliding Graflok plate with stepper motors and logic for a modern digital back ?

For that solution even a MFT or APSC digital CMOS back would be enough. Gigapan ?

The sad thing is that the LF market is minimal and sigleshot always wins customers over multishot.

That's more or less what I sometimes do manually

I bought a chinese plate to adapt a Nikon camera to my Sinar P2, something like this :



Then I added a second adapter Nikon to micro4/3 and so I can use my Olympus camera as a digital back for the Sinar ...

Then, I use the geared up/down and left/right knobs to walk my camera through the image ...

In the end, I throw the RAW files into Capture One for the stitching ...

Total spent : ca 400$

Stay safe,
Rafael

 

[MartinN]

Slipping a filmholder and fiddling with a few lens controls is a bit easier ….

 

[KC_2020]

I can not restrain myself enough when I'm out photographing, and a lot of mistakes happen. Therefore I need a cheap film.

I understand. Shoot away, no better way to learn than shooting a lot of film.

This thread on setting up a copy stand is a must read, if you haven't already.

I shot with a Betterscan back in the day. I'm not sure I'd ever want to do that again. Long, long scans and plenty of software errors.

 

[f6cvalkyrie]

Slipping a filmholder and fiddling with a few lens controls is a bit easier ….

Certainly, but then I remain with a film image ... I am not equipped anymore to develop film, nor to make prints from 4x5 film and develop them ... service for such jobs is also extremely rare here in Europe (not sure I can find something) and will be very expensive ... and then I still have to digitize the image ... another costly and rare adventure in Europe ...

Stay safe,
Rafael

 

[anyone]

Certainly, but then I remain with a film image ... I am not equipped anymore to develop film, nor to make prints from 4x5 film and develop them ... service for such jobs is also extremely rare here in Europe (not sure I can find something) and will be very expensive ... and then I still have to digitize the image ... another costly and rare adventure in Europe ...

Stay safe,
Rafael

The equipment to develop film of course fits into a shoebox: Jobo drum, a self-build device for rolling the drum, changing bag, chemicals. Scanning can be done with the camera. That's my approach, except for the last part where I use an Imacon Flextight or my drumscanner.

 

[MartinN]

The equipment to develop film of course fits into a shoebox: Jobo drum, a self-build device for rolling the drum, changing bag, chemicals. Scanning can be done with the camera. That's my approach, except for the last part where I use an Imacon Flextight or my drumscanner.

There is one big problem with DIY color dev at home. The shelf life of chemicals. I don’t have enough turnaround. And my second problem, besides that color sheets are so expensive, and that is scanning. I’m waiting and waiting for a descent flatbed scanner for sheet film, better than my Epson V700. Drumscanning or SCSI computers are a bit out of my dreams.

 

[anyone]

I assumed B&W. Colour indeed brings its own challenges. I moved away from colour sheet film while ago and won’t return. If colour, it needs to be a roll film that can be readily developed in a lab. It’s not expensive in Germany fortunately.

Edit: in terms of scanning, I once had the Epson v750 and was fairly happy after I got the betterscanning filmholders and adjusted / shimmed the height. It was a huge difference so if you haven’t done it I definitely recommend to look into it. The drum scanner is better, but the device is fairly big and maintenance is really an issue.

 

[MartinN]

I have a good scanner for rollfilm and an excellent lab nearby, so that is no problem. Sheet film ’could’ need a better scanner, though.

 

[anyone]

I have a good scanner for rollfilm and an excellent lab nearby, so that is no problem. Sheet film ’could’ need a better scanner, though.

Have you shimmed your film holders? It really makes a big difference. Your Epson scanner is quite nice.

 

[MartinN]

Yes, I measured the point of focus on Epson V700. I put a few 5 cent coins on top of each other and had a slanted 3M magical opaque tape from the glass to the top of coins. By watching the exact point of focus on the slanted tape, I could calculate the optimum focus distance. My film holders are stock, but could be set in the ballpark. However, I have not solved entirely the problem of putting 9cmx12cm films in the stock 4x5 holder. Adding some cardboard slices is an attempt.

 

[f6cvalkyrie]

has anybody ever seen or used this "contraption" ?

Verkaufe Adapter SINAR Fachkamera P, P2, P3 / SONY E-mount | eBay

Verkaufe Adapter SINAR Fachkamera P, P2, P3 / SONY E-mount | Foto & Camcorder, Analoge Fotografie, Sonstige | eBay!

www.benl.ebay.be

Stay safe,
Rafael

 

[MartinN]

Hmm, hmm, I can only guess from the pictures that a singleshot is ok, but stitching a composite could be hell.
At least knowing how the focus is distributed.

 

[Wall-H]

Fellow member here and my good friend, Gary (bensonga) sent me a nice video link on macro work with a LF camera. Of course, the guy in the video made it look easy!

In real life, many mistakes and creative profanity are common here. LOL

Is there any way i can get that video link ? I'm trying and searching something on similar lines.