Saturday, September 25, 2004
Okay, so I've decided I'm going to get a view camera... I have narrowed it down to 8x10 or 4x5. Cost, portability and the fact I can make big prints goes to 4x5. Contact prints for their beautiful detail and tone goes to 8x10.
The negative (no pun intended) to 4x5 is I need a new enlarger to handle the bigger film. And the fact that I can't enlarge the 8x10 negatives (unless I get a monster enlarger) goes against the 8x10.
I have old prints that I will study that I shot with 4x5 film years ago to see how much detail is in the enlargement. Of couse 4x5 is a big jump in detail from medium format and that will be enough. It's bad enough getting a new camera, tripod, lens, filmholders, darkcloth, lightmeter and film--I just don't know if I want to add a new enlarger to the equation.
I suppose I could get an 8x10 and somewhere down the road get a 4x5 reducing back and enlarger so I can make big prints. Or I could get a dreaded 8x10 enlarger. I wonder if the ceiling is high enough in my apartment...
(side bar: have you ever seen Clyde Butcher's darkroom? I just love those pictures of Clyde Butcher standing waist deep in the swamp and of their swamp tours. "Hey who wants to go for a walk in Cotton Mouth and Alligator infested waters!" )
Well I'll keep muddling this over and over and over....
The negative (no pun intended) to 4x5 is I need a new enlarger to handle the bigger film. And the fact that I can't enlarge the 8x10 negatives (unless I get a monster enlarger) goes against the 8x10.
I have old prints that I will study that I shot with 4x5 film years ago to see how much detail is in the enlargement. Of couse 4x5 is a big jump in detail from medium format and that will be enough. It's bad enough getting a new camera, tripod, lens, filmholders, darkcloth, lightmeter and film--I just don't know if I want to add a new enlarger to the equation.
I suppose I could get an 8x10 and somewhere down the road get a 4x5 reducing back and enlarger so I can make big prints. Or I could get a dreaded 8x10 enlarger. I wonder if the ceiling is high enough in my apartment...
(side bar: have you ever seen Clyde Butcher's darkroom? I just love those pictures of Clyde Butcher standing waist deep in the swamp and of their swamp tours. "Hey who wants to go for a walk in Cotton Mouth and Alligator infested waters!" )
Well I'll keep muddling this over and over and over....
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