Antsl wrote: I would not have liked the challenge of processing a bulk roll though.
Me either.
It's one thing to process a half dozen rolls of 135/36, and quite another to do 30 meters. I would imagine this has to be in some sort of a continuous process setup, rather than a dip'n'dunk scenario.
The down side is that these cameras require a lot more consideration than most other cameras ....
Is that, really, a downside? Making one think about the images that they're going to make?
I have used 4 x 5 in my time as a student but these days I prefer to work in medium format if I am getting serious about an image... more chance of changing composition in a hurry if required. I can think of several photos that I would have missed had I been trying to set up the image in 5x4.
I don't see the two formats (any LF vs MF) as being comparable in their usage. To me, MF is as usable as 35mm film, or current digital mediums. It's well able to be used for setups, as well as for spontaneous shooting.
I do not see LF as being able to be used for any sort of spontaneous shooting at all; it's far too deliberate a medium for that sort of thing.
While I can readily accept that there may be images that one may miss getting had you needed to set up a LF beforehand, I would argue that this is probably not the forte of LF gear, and I would not be expecting to get a grab shot (or whatever) because that would not be my expected usage for it.
That said, a Speedgraphic loaded with a DDS and using the sports finder can be a usable combo: indeed, before Nikon became the camera de jour of press photographers, that was the usual setup: the Pulitzer Prize winning image of Robert Kennedy lying shot on the floor of the kitchen of an LA hotel was shot with a Speedgraphic. Surely a testament to the viability of this sort of photography.
its a beautiful medium but it is not spontaneous. I do hope you get to see one in action with the "Film Day Out" guys though ... they are definitely worth seeing in action (any big gun is isn't it!).
![Celebrate :cheers:](./images/smilies/celebrate.gif)
I know. I've owned one in the past (was sold to Clive Robbo) and I was that close to buying a Toyo 4x5 monorail in HKG last year.
Leigh argued that I would probably never use it. He's probably correct in that assessment, but since when does that matter?
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