Equipment New Toy

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Bom chica wow wow

Sinar F1 4x5" monorail view camera... no photos to show yet because I only just got the lens

The lens is a symmar 150mm f/5.6, which is about the normal focal length for this camera (equivalent to a 50mm on 35mm, or about a 35mm on a digital SLR). There are no electronics in the camera at all. The shutter is clockwork, and has to be cocked by pulling a small lever between exposures. Metering has to be done using a hand meter or another camera (I use my Nikon D70). It takes one sheet of film at a time, which is placed under the 'ground glass' used for focusing at the back. When the film is in the camera, you can't see through the lens.
Focusing is done by looking at a sheet of frosted glass at the back of the camera, which displays the image projected by the lens. There are no mirrors, so the image is back to front and upside down.
It all seems like a lot of hassle until you see what a camera like this can do! The lens and the film can move independently, so lots of effects are possible, such as photographing tall buildings without the 'falling over' look you usually get from SLRs. You can also change what is in focus by tilting the lens or film, which would let you have a much wider depth of field at the same aperture, compared to a fixed lens.
That, and when scanned, it turns into a 300 megapixel camera!

 

Pretty nifty that. Must need some time on your hands to get a shot perfect, but like you say - very rewarding when you do.
How much did that set you back then?

 

I hate you.

I miss the days of sitting in a dark alley in the "bad" area of Lubbock, Texas, freezing my rear end off while stooping under the blanket, getting the composition and focus just right, my eye pressed against a loupe on the back of the camera. If it was cold enough, I'd go sit in the car while the minutes would tick away during the long exposures.

Enjoy the sharpness and tonal range inherent in the format. As much as I enjoy the whole digital age, I really miss the dark room.

Oh, and as for tilting/shifting the lens and/or film plane to alter the plane of focus, the term you're looking for is the Scheimpflug Principle.

-monkey

 

4x5 is still used for really big images, like billboards. We just scan the negatives in using a drum scanner at insane resolutions. Good buy, it can be a lot of fun once you get over the weight and handling.

 

Second hand the whole setup cost me about the same as an entry level DSLR. Not too bad really!

 

****, yes. :drool:

 

I got worried for a second, that you had bought a speed camera. Then I realised that no one on these here forums would be that evil.

 

Haha! Now I really want to set it up by a road to see people slam on the brakes!

 

Well played quoting a massive image Nexxo.

Very nice indeed Dave, can't wait to see some images from the beast.

 

lol i have about 3 cameras like that and a couple Kodaks portables a little younger lool can't find ...whats it called slides ? for them and my studio its a little disassembled lool