Great site with tons of information about large-format gear and techniques.
dpreview.com
Digital Camera Reviews! Terrific site!
mohunkimages.com
Site with photographs of the Mohonks by G. Steve Jordan. One of my favorite hiking spots!
rockaloid.com
I saw this stuff at the RIT store. What do you think? I may try it sometime soon. Some of the stuff people do with it is real kitch, but it may have possibilities...
Several friends of mine have asked about recommending photographic equipment. So here I go!
| Digital | 35mm Film | 4x5 | Holga |
| Lighting Equipment | Wish List |
Digital
I've been using a Canon 10d a lot lately. It's a great camera, but a few things annoy me with the, like the inaccurate autofocus in low light and the awful preflash blitzes. You can get better focus in low light with a flash like the 420ex or 550ex that has a focus assist beam, though. The days of large format have got me used to nice sharp images, and the 10d simply can't deliver much sharpness unless you use the more expensive L series lenses, or primes. Two non-L lenses that seem to work well are the 50mm f/1.8 and the 85mm f/1.8. I recommend getting the extra battery grip with the 10d. Makes a big difference in weight, but it's worth carrying around the extra battery power when you have built-in flash. Also it makes the thing a lot easier to hold, and as for the extra weight -- well, it strengthens your arm.
I'm giving my Minolta 7000i kit to my dad and someday switching to a Elan 7 so that I can go over completely to Canon.
35mm Format
I never realized how much I'd miss 35mm when I went over to digital. I would love to go back to shooting 35mm for fun, especally black and white.
I'm not going to really ecommend anything here in terms of 35mm. There are so many good models to choose from it would be arbitrary for me to single one out. However, I can tell you how I started out. I used a 1960s vintage Miranda camera with a bunch of prime (non-zoom) lenses. The camera was completely manual. No meter, no autofocus, no film winder...I really suggest that if you're serious about photography, you try shooting like this. It will give you a feel for exposure that you just can't get otherwise.
Also don't be scared away by cameras that are really inexpensive. Sometimes people are too impressed by slick new technology, and forget that you really don't need that much to do some wonderful work. A lens, a shutter, an aperture, some way of winding film...all that can be had for very little money, especially now that there's such a "digital craze" going on.
Large Format (4x5)
My decision to go with the Toyo 45AII was made after many many hours of contemplation and meditation. The 45AII turned out to be a fabulous camera -- a little short on movements, but enough for almost all situations in the field, and most in the studio. The cons of the 45AII are that it is a little heavy, it only has a 324mm bellows extention (unless you buy the ridiculous $500 back adaptor that gives you an extra 10cm). The lack of huge movements has not proven to be a problem. When folded up, the camera is quite compact, and rugged as a tank. I wish it would have spirit levels too, but this is an easy enough problem to remedy with an inexpensive slide-in bubble level that goes on the flash shoe.
I would be a little cautious about going for the new Toyo CF -- it looks and feels like a plastic substitute. On the other hand, a lot of people report that it's great! Well, let's just say I would not want to drop the CF and see what happens. Other than that, if you like it, it's a decent buy for the money.
By far, the least expensive way to get into large format is to buy an old press camera like the Crown Graphic. These are the things that press photographers used to use, and believe it or not, they actually take 4x5 film. They often have a little rangefinder on the top so you can kind of judge your composition. They also fold up really nicely. They are pretty inexpensive now since they haven't been made in some time!
Robert's Wisner 4x5 Technical Field camera blew me over when I first saw it. It's about the same weight as the Toyo, but with vastly more movements. However there are a few things I'm not terribly fond of. First, it doesn't always seem to lock down too securely (this may just be a "feature" of Robert's specific camera though). Also it's slightly more bulky than the Toyo. It's a tough call between the Wisner and the Toyo -- if you need the movements, definently go with the Wisner, but the Toyo is a damn good piece of workmanship too. The price is about the same. The Toyo looks sleek and professional while the Wisner looks like a great old bottle of sherry.
Right now I'm working with a 150mm Rodenstock Sironar S, a 210mm Sironar S, and the 90mm Nikon f/8 lens. All three of these lenses are amazing!!! I use a recessed lensboard with the 90mm but I'm not entirely sure I need it. It is certainly a pain with Toyo's angled cable release adaptor. My advise is that if you can find an angled cable release, don't buy the Toyo angled cable release adaptor. Also, you'll really need a lens tightening wrench if you're using a recessed lensboard.
4x5 Accessories
Light Meter
I use the Minolta Spot Meter F. It's relatively small, fairly solidly built, and has a nice digital readout and makes all sort of useful calculations for you. Its one drawback, as I can see, is that it in the extreme cold (below 0 degrees Celcius) it takes a long time to get a reading. This is probably because of the batteries not outputting enough electricity though. I've seen the Pentax V Spotmeter and it's a terrific instrument too. It takes a little more calculation to work with it and it's slightly larger than the Minolta. The Pentax also seems to be a bit more rugged than the Minolta. At any rate, you won't go terribly wrong with either, as far as I can tell, but I prefer the Minolta.
The Minolta has a nice flash sync plug too, so it can be used in the studio as a flash meter!
Tripod
I use a set of aluminum Bogen legs with a center column goes horizontal as well as vertical; the head is the Bogen 410. The head is really nice because it's geared. Perfect for my 4x5, where I will never have to pan. The problem is that it's heavy. With a case, it's not so much of a problem.
Someday I would like to get a Gitzo carbon fiber tripod with a ball head. These are lighter and much more compact but they are ridiculously expensive - $450 for the legs and $150 for the head!
Bag
I use a Tamrac 787 pack. It's a huge bag, but has lots of good features. Robert's LowePro bag is very good too, and I would recommend it highly. The Tamrac bag is built very well and has a lot of options in the way of nifty side pack attachments. The internal movable pockets in the Tamrac pack are not at all designed for 4x5, so if you want to use it you'll need to get different foam inserts. This can be a real pain for an already expensive bag. One thing about the Tamrac that I really like is that the tripod attaches on the back, making for good balance and alignment.
The Tamrac 787 is also very comfortable to carry. You could probably go down to the 777 and fit most all you'd need though.
Filters
I've invested in the Lee filter system. It's a really nice filter system that's a little pricy but is definently worth the expense. I bought the Professional System, which includes two filter holders and a tandam thingy to link them together. Both filter holders rotate independently. Interestingly, the "stack" of tabs that holds the square filters in can be customized. My Professional System came with two different sized tabs; the smaller ones hold 1mm polyester filters while the larger ones hold the slightly thicker resin filters.
It is possible to order some of these filters from the UK; the prices are better, and if you can wait 3-4 weeks, you'll save money. The Lee system can be pretty confusing because their web site doesn't always explain everything.
You won't need the tandem adaptor if you buy the round 105mm polarizer and the attachment ring. If you mount the round 105mm polarizer adaptor ring on the top of your "stack", you'll be able to rotate the entire filter holder and the polarizer independently. But, if you get the less expensive square polarizer, you will need the tandem adaptor if you want to rotate grads and the polarizer independently.
The less expensive 105mm Lee linear polarizer seems to be only available in the U.K. Try Dale Photographic. It doesn't seem to be sold in the U.S. or Canada. It's much less expensive than the 105mm Lee circular polarizer, and since I'm doing large format I really don't need a circular polarizer anyway.
Polaroid Back
Polarids are really fun and useful. I have the 545 Pro back, which has a built-in thermometer, timer and automatically tells you the exposure adjustment. Aside from the arcane system of three buttons you use to change things such as film type, the holder is terrific. I don't think the timer is necessary though. My experience is that this Polaroid holder works well with Kodak readyloads. You just have to be careful that you know how to pull the Kodak film pack out properly. If you want to use the Kodak readyloads, be prepared to sacrifice one or two of these right at the onset to get the feel.
Holga
I got my first Holga in January 2005 for $16.95. With a few modifications, it takes pretty decent pictures on 120 film! It's an absolutely fantastic camera to try stuff out on, but there are a number of things that have to be done to it in order for it to work properly. Fortunately, there are a number of great web sites out there that tell you exactly what to do. I highly recommend the holga, actually. It is very reassuring to know that if you lose it, you won't be replacing an expensive piece of equipment. The only problem is that there is only one shutter speed and one f-stop -- however, some people have found some ways around that by modifying the shutter!
For my Holga, I modified it in the following way. First, I changed the little plastic thing in the frame-counter window. Apparently this is incorrect and I learned this the hard way. Even though the arrow points to "12" photos (which would THEORETICALLY expose 60 x 60mm ) this actually means "16" -- the 60x45mm format I did not want. The "incorrect" 12 exposure setting ensures that 60 x 60mm of negative is exposed with each shot. It's this square format that I really wanted to do with my Holga. Fortunately, as long as you know that the exposure counter on the back is backwards, you can deal. I found that switching the position of the window on the back was not easy and I needed a flathead screwdriver to move the position of the damn counter. Go gently though. You don't want to break that plastic!
Next, I removed the square plastic film "tension" thing on the inside. This made it possible for the camera to actually take 60x60mm format, now that I had changed the exposure counter on the back. Some people modified their internal plastic thingy by cutting the sides off with an exacto knife. I figured this would take too long and I ran the risk of cutting myself too.
Because of light leaks inside the camera, you have to duct tape the two internal side guards to insure that no light spills over to adjacent frames when you expose the frame you're on. Also I taped up a lot of the inside up at the top of the camera -- where the pentaprism would be on a 35mm camera.
Because the two vertical "guards" on the inside (which I had just taped up) have some sharp points on them (from the plastic mold), the sharp edges had to be filed down in order that they did not scratch off film emulsion. This I did with a very simple fingernail file.
I also duct-taped the front of the camera wherever there was a joint or seam. Each time I load film, I also tape around the back of the camera with duct tape. This ensures that the back won't fall off, too -- which it could easily do because it is held together so badly with the clips. Also I put a little piece of removable duct tape over the red exposure counter window so that light didn't seep through that. I lift up that piece of tape to advance the film and replace it when I'm done. Seems to work fine!
When you buy the Holga, it comes with a little spool on the right side that you're supposed to use to wind up your first roll of film. DO NOT USE IT -- throw it away immediately. The spool is too long, and the 120 film will wind up about a millimeter too short. This may not seem like much, but that little half-millimeter gap at each end could easily fog the edges of your film. So, the best thing to do is just to pick up a REAL empty 120 spool and just use that instead.
Another very important thing: you must add extra tension on the film, or halfway through the roll you won't be able to advance it anymore. There is really no tension on the film that the camera exerts, and that is a huge problem. So I just cut up half of a box of 120 film, folded the cardboard in half, and stuck that in behind my unexposed roll of 120 film. There is no need to add tension to the wind-up spool, just the unexposed spool. Now there is enough tension on the film that it doesn't get stuck at all.
There are a lot of great ideas that other people have for modifying their Holgas. I think some of the best ones have to do with modifying the shutter, because it really would be great to be able to have a choice of two f-stops. (The f-stops on the unmodified Holga are actually the SAME, even though there is a selector for "cloudy" and "sunny"!) Also a lot of people have modified the shutter so it will work on Bulb -- but this probably wouldn't be useful unless you also carried around a bunch of ND filters (and, of course, modified the camera so it would mount on a tripod AND that it would take whatever filters you have...)
Another good idea I have seen is coating the inside of the camera with a flat paint, so that internal reflections are really reduced to the absolute minimum. This would be a really terrific thing to do except I don't have the time and I also don't mind a few reflections. Actually my negatives seem to be pretty much clean with just a liberal dosage of duct tape on the camera, so hopefully I won't need to coat the inside of my Holga soon.
I took my Holga to Europe in summer 2005 and got some absolutely fantastic photos. I highly recommend it. I felt a lot better not having to worry about an expensive camera. I can't say it enough -- the Holga is absolutely fantastic!!
Lighting
Sometime in 2001 I invested in the Lowel DPT Tungsten Light Kit, whic consists of 2 DP 1000W Lights, 1 Tota-light 750W, 3 Stands and a "Multi Case". Keep in mind that this is the maximum wattage - I actually have 750 watt bulbs in the DPs and a 500 watt bulb in the Tota. The Lowel systems are a little confusing because there are so many of them. Also it's very difficult to visualize what these lamps are like before you've actually seen them.
I have mostly negative feelings about this set. I knew nothing at all about lighting when I purchased the kit so my first few shoots with it were unbelievably horrible. I didn't understand the difference between hard and soft light so my first photos of people had these unbelievably bad shadows. Also you have to be careful because the lamps get VERY hot and sometimes irritate subjects. The tungsten bulbs are really only workable when shooting black & white - the filter you'd need to convert 3200K to daylight will cost you about 2 or 3 stops. Also, Lowel lamps have a tendency to spill some light, even when using barndoors carefully. I should have bought the higher-wattage bulbs, and/or some reflectors, because with any diffusion over my lamps the light loss is so great that I'm stuck with long shutter speeds and wide-open apertures. The solution for me was always to pack TMAX 400 - but in 35mm format the grain is pretty bad. In 4x5 format though, 400 is definently an option. But, then the cost is so high for a shoot...
On the other hand, I learned a LOT from my Lowel set. It's a great way to experiment as long as you have models who have NO expectations and are willing to sit for you just for the hell of it. Also, once you get familiar with some techniques, the lamps are pretty useful. If you have a reflector or two you can cut down some of the hard light and not have to take really slow exposures.
I also have a Metz 45CL-4 flash unit, but I only use it in manual mode on the 10d. I'm too lazy to by the nuggets at $35 each (I'd need two).
I've worked with White Lightining strobes in the studio at the Genesee Center. They are REALLY well built and durable. They offer direct sales from their web site (no B&H) and for under $2000 you can get a terrific setup. I think this is really the way to go.
My other option eventually is to get a few 420ex and 550ex units from Canon, and string them together for a system.
Wish List!
This is awfully pretentious! But it's buried in one of the dusty corners of my site...anyway, here goes, from approximately least expensive to most:
- Quite Inexpensive (under $50)
- Lee Extension Slides for Hitech Filters - Attach to Both Sides of Hitech Filter and Increase Thickness to 2mm
- Metz Bounce Screen (Reflex Screen) for 45 and 60 Series (model no. 60-33)
- Black and White photographic paper for printing (Ilford RC or Fiber paper, matte or satin finish, any size up to 16 x 20 inches)
- Relatively Inexpensive ($51 - $100)
- Polaroid film (types 54, 79, 59)
- HiTech 4x4" Blue #47 Resin Filter
- Lee 4x6" Graduated Blue 2 Resin Filter - Soft Edge
- Pretty Expensive ($101 - $500)
- Linhof Profi-II Ballhead with Independent Panning Lock (63mm Base/42mm Top)
- Harrison Changing Tent for changing film (Standard - 36 x 27 x 14 inches)
- Polaroid Daylab 35 Plus Slide Printer with 4x5 Base
- Ludicriously Expensive ($501 and up)
- Toyo Roll Film Holder - 6x7cm, 120 Film, 10 Exposures - for ALL 4x5 Cameras with a Graflok Back
- Schneider 58mm f/5.6 Super-Angulon XL Lens OR Rodenstock Grandagon 65mm f/4.5
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All material on this page is Copyright ©2002 - 2008 Paul Miller unless otherwise noted. You must obtain my permission before using stuff here. |
Site launched 5 July 2002 Last modified on 20 January 2006 |