bigeye
Well-known
Some observations. I'm with Andy and Frank on this one - given the limited awareness of what kind of images OP wants to take.
The practical advantage of LF today is movement.
It used to be image quality, but when portability in the field factors, you need to make a large commitment for a backpack 4x5 rig that doesn't leave you room for water and your other hiking gear. Medium format rigs took over the need for high-quality negs/transparencies for many. Field cameras don't have much movement, probably because they aren't used that often.
In spite of my fantasy of bursting from the bush into a Moran or Bierstadt painting after a 3 day hike, I'm willing to bet most landscapes are taken <300 yds of the car.
"Slow process" is rarely a driving force to do anything for long; improved moral fiber is a secondary benefit if you're getting the image results you want.
So, in most cases you can handle 90-100% of your needs with a very small commitment to a good monorail that is still semi-portable and has more capability.
As background, I take out my ancient Graphic View with a friend, who owns nothing but a magnificent Canham 5x7. It's a beautiful thing, but our images are largely indistinguishable and it takes about the same time to set up and haul around from the car, on our big, clunky tripods. "Portable" and "LF" are an uneasy mix of words.
If you've made a commitment to LF, go crazy. It's nice to own "the best" equipment.
- Charlie
The practical advantage of LF today is movement.
It used to be image quality, but when portability in the field factors, you need to make a large commitment for a backpack 4x5 rig that doesn't leave you room for water and your other hiking gear. Medium format rigs took over the need for high-quality negs/transparencies for many. Field cameras don't have much movement, probably because they aren't used that often.
In spite of my fantasy of bursting from the bush into a Moran or Bierstadt painting after a 3 day hike, I'm willing to bet most landscapes are taken <300 yds of the car.
"Slow process" is rarely a driving force to do anything for long; improved moral fiber is a secondary benefit if you're getting the image results you want.
So, in most cases you can handle 90-100% of your needs with a very small commitment to a good monorail that is still semi-portable and has more capability.
As background, I take out my ancient Graphic View with a friend, who owns nothing but a magnificent Canham 5x7. It's a beautiful thing, but our images are largely indistinguishable and it takes about the same time to set up and haul around from the car, on our big, clunky tripods. "Portable" and "LF" are an uneasy mix of words.
If you've made a commitment to LF, go crazy. It's nice to own "the best" equipment.
- Charlie