4x5's are getting cheaper

[Skinny McGee]

I love my 4x5's!! I use to only shoot speed graphics.. now I have not had the time to do my own paper work so...........

 

[Scarpia]

4 x 5? pipsqueak format! Now HERE is a REAL large format camera! Just think of the macro slides you could get with this one! 😀 😀 😀
Rob

I was going to go for it until I noticed that Wal-Mart and Dollar Tree didn't carry film for it and the one hour labs wouldn't handle it. Perhaps it is digital. 🙄 🙄
Kurt M.

 

[wlewisiii]

Heh. Imagine a sheet of Azo to contact print that neg... 😱 or maybe Platinum/Palladium printing anyone? 😀

William

 

[ZeissFan]

Last year, I bought my Sinar Alpina (discontinued model from the 1980s) for $230. I had to get a lens board ($25), and I already had a Caltar II-N (made by Rodenstock) and a dozen 4x5 holders. The camera itself was in excellent condition and included an extra 12-inch rail and the big carrying case.

I wrote to Sinar, and someone there was kind enough to locate an old manual, photocopy and mail it to me. They got a customer for life.

The Sinar is an excellent camera -- several notches above the old Calumet I have.

 

[x-ray]

I cut my teeth on 4x5. My first good camera was a 4x5 pacemaker crown graphic with a schneider 135mm Xenar. My dad gave it to me when I was in high school. I shot for the school paper and started shooting pix of rock bands to earn money for more equipment. I shot everything from portraits to sports and used press 25 flash bulbs when there wasn't enough light. In those days my film and developer of choice was kodak super pankropress type B and DK-50 developer. I still have the camera and dust it off sometimes just to travel back in time. Since then I moved up to a sinar norma 4x5 and 5x7 that I purchased new when in college. Later I added an 8x10 Deardorff, 11x14 B&J and Linhoff Master Technika. I've shot many thousands of sheets of 4x5 - 11x14 transparency film on assignments and still love the depth of tone and color in large format. There's tonality and depth that only comes from a large piece of film.

Enjoy the format and learn from it.

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=5045

www.x-rayarts.com

 

[Trius]

Imagine the platinum contact prints!

Trius

 

[rbiemer]

Well, fate intervened and kept me from buying THIS. I just went to look again and my will was weakening BUT someone else beat me to it.
I am sort of glad someone else got it...If I had bought the dern thing, I would've had to move so I could put a darkroom together(I live in a boarding house which is fine and I have room for the "darkroom" part but tying up the bathroom for film/paper washing wouldn't go over well), and I'd also need a 5x7 enlarger(yikes!). And I'm sure the camera is very heavy. And the pretty mahogany is probably ready to come unglued. And I might find one or two other ideas in my "sour grapes" file 🙄
Rob
Oh, in case any one is interested here are two others: CLICK1! and CLICK2!

 

[Gordon Coale]

Sergey usually lists several 13x18 cameras. And 18x24s. I keep looking at the 18x24s. And he has some 30x40s, too. They are glass plate cameras but can be modified. He also has 210mm and 300mm barrel lenses for these cameras. Large format FSU cameras.

 

[rbiemer]

Gordon,
I think one of the three I linked to is from Sergey's store. And yeah they are tempting. I have a book somewhere on my bookshelf about making glass plates(wet and dry IIRC). 🙄
One slightly odd thing, Gordon, the message that you posted is abit different than the one sent to my email address(the reply to post notification thing):
"Sergey (http://stores.ebay.com/stores-sibir-sergey_W0QQssPageNameZstrkQ3amefsQ3amesstQQtZkm) usually lists several 13x18 cameras. And 18x24s. I keep looking at the 18x24s. And he has some 30x40s, too. (All centimeters.) He also has 210mm and 300mm barrel lenses for these cameras. Large format FSU cameras. "
Odd.
Rob

 

[Dan Chang]

I have a 150mm/5.6 komura enlarger lens for 4x5, $50 drop me a line if you need it.

 

[Gordon Coale]

Rob,

The difference is that right after I posted I decided to edit it to make it clearer. It may now be clearer...or not.

Here is a site about the FKD cameras: Experiences with the Russian FK 18×24 cm Large Format Camera. The 13x18 is real close to 5x7. The 18x24 is around 7x9. The great French street photographer Atget use an 18x24 plate camera much like these 100 years ago to document Paris. I just finished reading a book about Atget with around 900 pictures. Great pictures with a simple camera. The urge to get one is great. Fortunately the empty pocket book is protecting me. And my 5x7 Burke & James (once I get the darkroom done) will probably take care of those urges, too. Smaller format but sharper lenses and finer grained film.

 

[varjag]

I am using FKD 13x18 currently to produce a few still lifes. The camera can do the job, although be aware that it has no shutter (use slow film & long exposures), and is not exactly of Swiss watch precision. The movements are limited to front shifts and small tlilt&swing of the back; probably adequate for landscape work but is really pushing the limits for close-ups.

You can place a piece of cardboard instead of glass plate and stick film sheets to it. The cassete have a spring in the center pushing it to the focal plane. There are also special cassetes and inserts for sheet film available, but those can be hard to find.

The 13x18 kit weights 11kg, and 18x14 is around 14, so my sympathies if you intend to do street-shooting with those 🙂

 

[RJBender]

Two months ago someone walked into a camera swap meet here in St. Louis with a clean Busch Pressman 4x5. He wanted $100 for the camera, 137mm Wollensak Raptar and film holders. No one bought it.

R.J.

 

[jdos2]

Imagine the platinum contact prints!

Trius

Gimme a good carbon print any day.
I must say, though, that 4x5 is a bit limiting for my own printing work. It's fun, but just not an 8x10. That's where I want to go- someday.

JD