Looking for a light weight LF camera

[lhdowek]

Pacemaker Crown Graphic + Schneider Xenar 135/4.7

Pacemaker Crown Graphic + Schneider Xenar 135/4.7

Hi,

I am considering buying the Pacemaker Crown Graphic with Schneider Xenar 135/4.7 and plan to shoot landscape and portraits. Is there a reversible back/adaptor that has been made for this camera or do you have to screw the camera on it side onto the tripod as there are two tripod sockets ? Also, is it essential to get a Harrison pop-up tent to load the film ?

Would appreciate any advice and suggestions.

Thanks

 

[katcons]

With a rather noticeable tripod in tow, I walked around my hometown today with a friend's 5x7 LF in my backpack, a couple of loaded holders, some dark cloth, scissors and masking tape. I walked from my house to a nearby church with some historical significance (around 15 minutes), proceeded to unpack, set up the tripod and camera, consulted the light meter, and took two shots in a span of 20-30 minutes. Back in the house in the next 15 minutes.

It's not as bad as I expected: I thought I'd be huffing and puffing by the end of the walk but I'm used to carrying that weight on my back anyway when I travel. It will just be an additional load (pack less clothes and books? Haha), and something quite manageable.

Long story short: I was on ebay moments later looking at "5x7 cameras." I know film may be hard to source, but I’ll be shooting sparsely with it. Life’s too short not to have this in your arsenal.

No good deals on ebay yet, though.

 

[venchka]

With a rather noticeable tripod in tow, I walked around my hometown today with a friend's 5x7 LF in my backpack, a couple of loaded holders, some dark cloth, scissors and masking tape. I walked from my house to a nearby church with some historical significance (around 15 minutes), proceeded to unpack, set up the tripod and camera, consulted the light meter, and took two shots in a span of 20-30 minutes. Back in the house in the next 15 minutes.

It's not as bad as I expected: I thought I'd be huffing and puffing by the end of the walk but I'm used to carrying that weight on my back anyway when I travel. It will just be an additional load (pack less clothes and books? Haha), and something quite manageable.

Long story short: I was on ebay moments later looking at "5x7 cameras." I know film may be hard to source, but I’ll be shooting sparsely with it. Life’s too short not to have this in your arsenal.

No good deals on ebay yet, though.

If you belong to the Large Format Photography Forum (it takes 30 days to see the for sale listings), I saw a Rittreck with 4x5 & 5x7 backs for sale. Nice folding metal field camera. 5x7 for B&W and 4x5 for any film not sold in 5x7. Many lenses out there that cover both formats.

 

[Dwig]

... when I use a 150 on 4x5 I have the sense that it is a bit wide, at least in comparison to a 50 on 35mm. Given the aspect ratio of 4x5, I should think it would be opposite. ...

You may be confusing "normal lens" with "standard lens" in you comparison. 50mm is a "standard lens" on 35mm as it often came standard with the body. The modern equivalent term is "kit lens". "Normal" has a completely different meaning. A "normal lens" is one who's FL equals the diagonal measure of the negative.

Normal for 35mm FF:
full uncropped image = 43mm
typical enlarger masked area = 40mm
full image cropped to 4x5 = 38mm
typical enlarger masked 4x5 area = 32-35mm

Normal for 4x5:
typical largest clean area without holder shadows = 125mm
the above cropped to 2:3 aspect ratio

150mm on 4x5 is then about 20% longer than normal. 50mm on 35mm cropped to the same aspect ration as 4x5 is slightly over 30% longer than normal at best and over 40% longer when you compare 4x5 to 35mm prints made by machine or with common negative carriers in an enlarger. A 150mm on 4x5, when used at infinity, should seem a bit wide when compared to a 50mm on 4x5 when you crop both to a 4:5 aspect ratio.

 

[ethics_gradient]

Couple of questions:

What are Fred Lustig's rates for a shutter overhaul on a Speed? I got one recently and the winding key is frozen (at such an angle that I can't get the panel off the winding mechanism without first removing the rangefinder), looking through the back the shutter itself seems pretty dessicated. I doubt it'll be economical to repair (it's also only in fair/okay condition physically, if it were nicer I'd be willing to spring for a costly repair), but just wanted to know for future reference.

Also, some of the interior lining of the bellows near the front is sagging, is there a way to re-secure it? If it's an easy fix, I'd like to do it for the next buyer. Already giving the camera a good cleaning up, wanted to get it as nice as possible, shutter issue notwithstanding.

Is it possible to have both a side and top rangefinder on a Speed? Would be nice to have a Kalart calibrated to my Aero Ektar, and another one for a different lens so that I don't have to readjust every time I switch lenses and want to use the rangefinder. I could have sworn I've seen cameras with both.

 

[GaryLH]

Now that you are settled on 5x7, are you still looking for a light weight one?

Just as an FYI --> cameraquest has a 5x7 Linhof for sale - not sure what your price range was --> 2500 --> weighs 12 pounds with lens.

http://www.cameraquest.com/LF_linhof_technika_5x7.htm

 

[degruyl]

Just as an FYI --> cameraquest has a 5x7 Linhof for sale - not sure what your price range was --> 2500 --> weighs 12 pounds with lens.

Gorgeous camera.

 

[GaryLH]

yep --> All their folders are just classic beauties. Plus they were built to last. 🙂

 

[katcons]

Now that you are settled on 5x7, are you still looking for a light weight one?

Just as an FYI --> cameraquest has a 5x7 Linhof for sale - not sure what your price range was --> 2500 --> weighs 12 pounds with lens.

http://www.cameraquest.com/LF_linhof_technika_5x7.htm

Thanks for this.🙂 It's a wee out of budget, but still a thing of beauty.

The weight wasn't so bad as I imagined, as I won't mind an additional 3-5 lbs from a 4x5 to a 5x7.

Next question will be: Do I really need to do alternative processes on my big negatives? I just want big negatives for posterity and for traditional printing. I do not want to venture into Van Dyke and all of those things.

 

[besk]

Next question will be: Do I really need to do alternative processes on my big negatives? I just want big negatives for posterity and for traditional printing. I do not want to venture into Van Dyke and all of those things.

No, in my opinion. A properly fixed, washed and stored B&W negative should last a couple hundred years. The same for a B&W print on fiber based paper.

 

[JCT]

I love making contacts from my 5x7's , haven't ventured into alt-process, YET. For the right shots I even contact print 4x5s.

For 5x7, it might be worth checking with Jim Andracki at Midwest Photo ( www.mpex.com ) -- I bought a beater B&J 5x7 for something like $125 a few years ago (actually in the midst of refinishing it this weekend for fun) and last year splurged on a 5x7 for hiking (an Anba Ikeda) also from Jim for $700, came with a 4x5 back. Don't just rely on the web site, I think Jim has tons of stuff that he doesn't list.

I treat myself to 1-2 hour outings like the one you describe as often as I can -- therapeutic! One of the best things about LF.

JT