I had a similar experience with an Arca-Swiss 4x5, but I’m the one who knocked it over while on the tripod. It is (still have it) metal, so it didn’t make it inoperable. I did have to send the front and rear standards to get them repaired and the bubble levels replaced. It was a learning experience and I’ve never had another drop since. Good luck with the 4x5! It’s great fun and very rewarding.
Karin, I am so sorry to hear about the accident but so happy with both your learning process and results. When I shoot 4x5 I follow the acronym FAST. Focus. Aperture. Shutter. THINK! I know it seems silly, but following an orderly process really helps me to visualize the order and gives me confidence that I’ve done each step carefully. If I think I need to reframe or adjust camera movements, I know that I have to return to the first step and go through them again. I’d previously reframed or adjusted movements, then forgotten to address the aperture or that changing the aperture required me to also adjust the shutter speed. I love every single one of your videos. Andy
I enjoyed your video, Karin. You got some very nice results from your first couple of outings with the 4x5 camera. I particularly liked the image of the trees. Keep up the good work.
You were very lucky. I am surprised your view glass did not break when the camera fell. I am also glad that the cat did not take the blame for the damaged camera.
Good work! It's great to see that your camera didn't suffer serious damage, only cosmetic. On the bright side, now that it's scuffed you won't be worried about taking it out and using it! :) Your 90mm Super Angulon will cover 5x7 format so that will be fun if you decide later to go even larger, or if you just like playing with a lot of camera movements. Hope the shutter repair is something easy. There is a very long list of mistakes we all make, especially in large format. Experience, paying extra attention, and using a checklist will help reduce, but never eliminate the chance of making mistakes. There's always some way for some weird thing to happen. Thanks for posting and sharing your adventures! You're inspiring a lot of people you've never met. :)
That is totally true, now I at least won't pamper it as much and every new dent won't hurt as much either. Interesting, I did not know the 90mm is suitable for 5x7 as well, thanks for the hint. And thanks for your comment, I appreciate it a lot! :)
Karin at 6:28 one tip, to keep the door frame square, and the top straight, USE RISE on the front standard, Don't tilt the whole camera up!, it creates perspective distortions.( you can also raise the centre column of the tripod, but beware this can make the rig more rickety and prone to wind and vibrations).
This is my 1st time watching your channel. Got drawn in by the broken camera thing. Looks like you will weather that storm well enough and you even managed to create some good photos. Not bad for someone knew to large format. Good luck with the black and white. Look forward to seeing your results
I was taught to load my film holders with the notches on the bottom left, that way you can always feel in a dark bag what is loaded if you need to(It also puts the notches on the top/right when you store them which somehow to my obsessive mind looks neater). I also follow the most common pattern of white/silver side out with film loaded and black side out after taking the shot; as long as you're consistent it helps to avoid accidental double exposures. For holders that are only half loaded I leave the empty side with black out as if it was already shot. Have you got into the weeds with bellows extension for images closer than infinity yet? That's another whole fun thing to learn. Without knowing more about the 90mm I don't think I can try to diagnose the problem but the offer of a service is still there if you're willing to send it to London. It sounds as though the tensioning arm has jammed if I was to guess however, which wouldn't necessarily be hard to fix.
Pretty good for a first try. For those low to the ground subjects, you can actually lower the lens (front fall) as this will make it easier to frame the image without introducing distortion or dancing the limbo 😁. As for the lens, unless you are really mechanically inclined, I would really suggest sending it out for repair. There's most probably a worn hook inside. These Copal shutters are relatively simple, but it takes a few hours of studying the plans and plenty of head scratching in order to figure out what every part actually does (it's well designed and everything has a purpose).
Camera movements is something I will dive into sooner or later as well. For the first trip with my camera I wanted to keep it simple and not think about it too much. But I am excited to learn the more technical side about movements as well. Thanks for your comment! :)
My suggestion when working with large format: create a checklist (like pilots have) of all the required steps in the required order (!) and then always follow this checklist. You will then never again forget to focus!
Totally may be confused here, but my recollection is that a big benefit of 4x5 is that you keep your film plane and lens level (perpendicular to the ground) but shift the view by raising/lowering the lens. This would help a lot (Iʻm thinking) in the "uncomfortable" shooting positions caused by tilting the film plane. This is counter-intuitive to people used to cameras with locked lens+film carrier (ie 35mm) cameras. Also, it seems to me that it would be totally worthwhile to "waste" a couple sheets of film by practicing loading the film carrier outside the bag, so that you can see and check everything. Then once you have a good picture in your mind, itʻs easier to visualize whatʻs going on inside the changing bag in your mind. Another thing to do is practice shooting with empty film carrier. The idea is to go thru the entire setup, focus, load, shoot process many times so that it becomes more automatic, without the cost of wasting film, or the risk of messing up and wasting film.
Nice video. I loved the self-portrait! For the 90mm lens, I have the same one and love it. It is a difficult lens to use as the largest aperture is f8. Regarding the problem with the shutter, you can remove the front and back lens elements and manually inspect the aperture blades to see if there is oil on them. You can also clean them but be gentle, there are a few RU-vid videos on this. If it turns out to be something mechanical inside the shutter then I would recommend getting professional help. Best of luck and hope you stick with 4x5, I have been doing it for 15 years and love it!
I've been shooting large format for 25 years or so; two weeks ago I pulled the film holder from under the ground glass after taking a photo and the sheet of film fell to the ground. User error when loading film; I didn't get the film into the film holder properly. Don't knock yourself out over mistakes: they happen. Re: six months (almost) e clusively shooting black and white. There's a US photographer who goes by "graincheck" on RU-vid who has just started a year of black and white photography. She just posted her first video of her project and her reaction to it is very interesting. My favorite part was a comment, "If you want to take a picture, use color. If you have something to say, use black and white." It will be interesting to see how your project effects you.
hi Karin, good luck for your 6 month black and white project, will look forward to seeing results both good and not so good. The failures are sometimes more interesting and over time might be your favourite shots. I have not tried LF but can see a unique style about the images you took. I liked the Misty landscape and haunting portrait towards the end, keep it up ! . Also a tip: before you leave the house, take your lenses and fire the shutter several times at all speeds . if you have stored the lenses for a while they might be a bit sticky and like us humans ,the exercise will do them good !
Thanks for your kind comment, I appreciate it! :) We did that in the studio before going out and the 90mm worked totally fine, so I still have no idea what could have happened there. But a little "stretching" for the lenses every now and then sounds like a good idea.
I got orthochromatic film for my first time loading 4x5 so I could practice under a safelight and see what I was doing without wasting sheets. It worked well and I’m starting to practice with my eyes closed to get ready for loading panchromatic and colour film in total darkness. But everyone seems to make mistakes the first time with large format, don’t worry! I got my metering totally wrong on half of my first shots and got almost totally black negatives.
one tip, to test the camera get a 120 roll film back, or the lomograflok back, these make testing the system a lot cheaper, I did this recently with my sinar F2 this assured me the camera was light tight, and all shutter speeds where correct; it also allows you to practice using an analogue hand held meter, so you get to trust it, with a film stock you know, from MF, so it eases some learning challenges, but one important tip, use a lens shade and go slow, don't rush anything with this system, setup, then hold the cable release, count to five, then shoot, it keeps vibrations down. it took me two rolls to trust the meter, and the camera, now I'm proud of what I shoot with it.
Nice video Karin :) Sorry your ‘new’ camera took a tumble before you could use it; when this has happened to me over the years (mostly with 35mm kit) I used think of it as now being ‘personalised’! Good luck with your LF venture and look forward to seeing your future works in this format. My favourites were ‘Portrait with Self Portrait’ and ‘Shopping Trolley’ :)
@@KarinMajoka From my own experience, when leaving out the color I can better focus on the important things of the scene....some of the distraction is gone.
I just got a Linhof Technika IV 4x5 camera for $500. I'm super anxious to get started with it and I am really looking forward to your 4x5 videos. Awesome start, super cool video. I think I'm going to get a box of the Fomapan to practice with too. Thanks for this.
Thanks for sharing this! Your work is incredible ❤ Sometimes accidents allow us to experiment in ways we never thought of. Good luck 🍀 and looking forward to your next post!
Eine sehr schöne Kamera! Ich hatte vor kurzem einen Typ in New York gesehen, der damit Strasssenportraits gemacht hat.... (auf RU-vid)🤗 Tolles Video und Danke für das teilen!👌
Bestimmt in der walkie talkie Serie von Paulie B., oder? Hab ich auch gesehen, richtig inspirierend. So weit bin ich noch lange nicht, aber street photography mit einer Großformatkamera wäre schon was Feines :)
A great start, Karin. As a fellow N2 owner, I was just as horrified as you at your initial misfortune, which I'm glad to see you recovered from nicely. Looking forward to watching you give the camera yet more use in 2023. Happy new year.
Nice photos. Glad the camera was not damaged. I have yet to use a light meter. I am afraid to use mine. I use the TTL metering or gauge the lighting scene. Long live film. It's all i use.
Neat! I’m right eye dominant and I had been letting my left eye defocus when using screens and the eye doctor recommended reading glasses that just have the +1 lens an the left eye and not the right. Since starting using those, Im using my left eye more and more i can shoot with either eye on an Slr as a fun side effect! But right is dominant still for sure
great video, So Sorry for your accident, but one tip, for the first car shot, you Don't have to tilt the whole camera up, this is what the LF is for, use front rise/rear fall, and tilt to maintain parralelism between the standards ( a trick called indirect rise), thus gaining the height you need, PS: this is NOT like a T\S lens in 35 mm! you have plenty of SCOPE here, the lens 'coverage' is designed to have a good margin on the film diagonal (so you have 2-3" movements before any vignetting starts), and you can 'preview' this on the glass anyway, BEFORE you shoot. ALSO a tip, Don't just leave a tripod up, with a camera on it, unatended, this is a jinx for something to go wrong, and also another tip, ALWAYS put the focus rack over a tripod leg, so as you extend, the lens combination is supported.
Thanks for your tips! For my first trial with the camera I wanted to keep it simple and just do how I feel like. Studying the possibilities of movements will be the next step! :)
Very good video & I liked your photos. 4x5 photography is definitely a challenge when starting. Although I did have to work with 4x5 in a photography class years ago it really has not helped me starting up again. There are so many ways to make mistakes & practice is the only way to over come it. I also have been using Fomopan & I'm glad I tried it. The mistakes don't hurt as much with Fomopan but I also have been pleased with the results. I have many wasted sheets of film from light leaks, dark slide removal at the wrong time & leaving the lens open but I love the journey. Thanks for the video.
Thanks for your comment! Good to hear I am not the only one making mistakes. I think it's a normal part of the process any maybe even the most important part because it helps us grow and evolve.
Karin, at 9:50 this can (not always) be a technique issue, no offence!, but some of these shutter types have a quirk, you can use them in Three modes: NORMAL: timed with the ring, aka 1/125th, etc. {standard shutter cocking proceedure} ; T (time exposure): the shutter is CONVERTED into a toggle switch, like when you use the preview lever! {DON'T cock the spring!, you can damage the lens shutter with certain designs!}; B (bulb exposure): this CONVERTS the shutter to a PUSH to OPEN mode of operation, you open by pushing the lever/cable then the return spring closes the shutter, NO lock open\timing like the other modes {DON'T cock the spring!, you can damage the lens shutter with certain designs!}. the lever to switch modes some times have NO clear detents!, so is easy to shift into another mode, by accident! (I have experience of these designs, I own a Linhof 5x7" Technika and these shutters exibit this quirk of operation).
Camera is not broken, slightly damaged, not broken. Keep in mind any view camera is essentially a light-tight box that is flexi in the middle with one method to attach the lens on one end and a ground glass with film holder on the other. Unlike lens fixed to the box cameras, view cameras are inherently simple and quite durable-reliable due to this fact. Small dent or such on the corner will make zilch difference in how the camera operates or images produced long as it is light tight and in reasonable alingment between the front to rear standards. Lens with shutter is FAR more crucial to the operation and function of a view camera. The lens in black Copal shutter is newish (estimate 1990's vintage) and the shutter likely operating ok. The Schneider Super Angulon in the Compur shutter likely dates to the early 1970's and decades older. It is very possible this Compur shutter has never been serviced or maintained, this neglect will result in shutter malfunctions and more. It is imperative the shutter operates properly or the results will be much grief in every way. Design and build quality of the Compur is better than the Copal, as with all mechanical devices, they must be maintained and properly cared for if they are to function properly. Do have both shutters evaluated, tested by qualified and reputable camera technician and serviced as needed. Once both shutters are serviced, checked, tested as good this is one of the major items on the view camera workings that will no longer cause problems. And yes, the 90mm f8 super angulon covers 5x7 stopped down to f22. Most modern view camera lenses (Plasmat formula) with focal lengths longer than 180mm will easily cover 5x7 as does the Biogon style (super angulon is one of many) wide angle lenses of 90mm and longer focal length. The two prime advantages and features of a sheet film view cameras is: ~Camera movements. ~Lenses choice. Most new to this sheet film view camera stuff today comes from a roll film or digital camera history. They often and tend to carry their habits and ways from using a digital or roll film camera into their initial view camera journey and ideas of what view camera to get and lens choices. Only to discover many of those habits and ways do not directly translate to getting the absolute most from what is possible with a view camera. It is difficult enough to make simple images at the beginning of the view camera journey. Many, many, many mistakes and mishaps and more will happen. From not setting the aperture before making the exposure, not reversing the film holder dark slide to note the sheet of film has been exposed, incorrect exposure (Do get a proper spot meter, then lean how to use it properly. An incident meter is limiting in too many ways), incorrectly loaded film (dark bags are s source of dust and dirt problems on the film. Best to load/unload film in a dark room), learning how to focus the ground glass image, learning how to visualize and see the upside down/backwards ground glass image.. and much more. This is just the beginning of learning how to view camera. Add to this the vast difficult of understanding then applying camera movements as needed. This is why the vast majority of new view camera image makers do not press their camera's abilities much at all, Most view camera images made at the beginning of the view camera journey are simple direct on with no significant camera movements. Yet, to get the absolute most from what a view camera can do, learning and mastery of view camera movements are absolutely essential. As for the topic of lenses, the two lenses in hand at this point will easily serve your needs long as the shutters are proper. At some point as your view camera skills and abilities develop placing more demands and needs on camera/lens and such, lens choice will become a question. The answer is found in defining what your image goals are (exposure aperture, lens personality such as in to out of focus rendition and more), then deciding what lens fits these goals best with the camera playing lens support to meet the image goals. Do seriously consider switching from the ball style tripod head to a traditional 3-way tripod head as this will make positioning the camera much easier in many ways. Tripod with no center column is best as the center column IS a source of instability and vibration. Noted there is a Berlebach wood tripod in this video. Wood is the best tripod material due to it's ability to control vibrations greatly increasing camera stability. That wood Berlebach tripod will perform better than carbon fiber or aluminum in every way. Only negative, wood is heavier.. Know stability comes from mass or heavier is a very real advantage over lower weight. In real world image making with any view camera, stability and vibration control makes a very real difference.
Sorry about the accident. I had to learn a similar lesson. That lesson is: DO NOT LEAVE STUFF SITTING ON A TRIPOD IN A LIVING AREA FREQUENTED BY ANIMALS/PERSONS. Always stow your equipment away when you do not use it. For me it was an expensive print (expensive as in the framing cost a fortune) that someone accidentally knocked over while it was resting on a tripod based easel.
I think the Chamonix looks so pretty when it's "build up" which is why I wanted to display it. It sits on the veeeery very sturdy and heavy Berlebach tripod. My cat would never be able to knock it over. It was just a very unfortunate combination because my neighbour was going backwards with some speed and forget the camera. But lesson learned, it will be stored away when I am not there. Sorry to hear about your incident - I hope you could get it fixed?
@@KarinMajoka The frame broke. On a 30 by 40 inch print. Cost ~USD800 to re-do. The insurance covered it, but there was a deductible, so I had to re-invest some money.
@@weisserth Oh wow, I had no idea you could invest that much into framing. But good to hear you at least got a little support from the insurance company!
at the begining you can try with paper negatives (darkroom paper). its cheap, easier to load (under the safe red light) and development. good luck! your first pictures looks very cool :)
It’s coming along nicely. Congrats for the successful transition to LF. Soon you will feel attached to this camera for all the adventures and misadventures you got with it 🙂
Looked like the bellows was hanging fairly low during the first shot (possibly covering a bit of the top of the lens on the inside), maybe this was the cause of the shadow on the bottom of the image?
The mistake to keep an eye out for is removing the darkslide when you have forgotten to close lens preview. It has happened to every large format photographer. It is a rite of passage and should be something to look forward to. '
I've heard about this "popular" mistake - which is why I tried extra carefully to not have it happen to me. Will happen sooner or later anyway, I am sure about that haha
Ment suggest using X-Ray film - its much less expensive and can be developed using a red safelight. You can also cut it to size with scissors (50 or 60 USD for 100 sheets of 8x10 - yelds 400 sheets of 4x5). Lots of information on line about shooting and developing x-ray film for general photography.
Looks to me that the bellows was sagging a lot on your first shot with the cars. That's what I believe caused the darkness on the exposure, not film misalignment. Did you have the lens and front standard centered and aligned with the back? I cannot believe your friend didn't notice the bellows interfering with light reaching the film.
I am almost 100% sure it was not the bellows. The bellows on the camera are the universal bellows by Chamonix and not the standard bellows, which simply look that "saggy". The universal bellows have a part in the front that does not have any creases, imitating bag bellows. The good thing about large format is that you can see everything on the ground glass - and there was no shadows I saw through the glass, so I doubt it has anything to do with the bellows. But good thought, thank you! :)
Aww. I’m sorry to hear it broke. And was repairable…cathartic. Definitely scary. 😢 I have a Linhof…metal…tough…and hurts when you try to catch it while falling up a hill.
Thanks for your comment! Yes, it definitely left a mark. The Chamonix is not super fragile actually but I think it was just an unfortunate, rather hard fall
Hi Karin, just watched you for the first time as I'm seeking out Chamonix camera vids. Nice work! A fun video and I think you've got a very nice eye. Glad the camera survived! Good to know it can handle a fall. lol. (sorry :-) Watching the video of your family pictures I am impressed by your evaluation of the images after the shoot, very professional, just don't let the intuitive shot get lost within strong graphics. Sometimes the loosey goosey ends up being better through time than the 'accurately' composed shot. So, the thing I am actually writing is this: The first shot with the trucks on top of the beam, that black line on the bottom is NOT from the film being loaded improperly, I'm 99% convinced, it's from something blocking the lens either inside or outside of the camera. Did you hold your slide over the lens while shooting? That could be it. The reason I think this is because the black line on the bottom is fairly thick with a very soft edge. The poor loading of the film is minimal and would have simply showed the opposite of what you see on the top of the frame with a sharp edge. It’s slightly possible that the film was so far out of the holder that it went soft, but through experience with this myself, I don’t think so. The film would have popped out of the holder when you put the slide back in. So fairly certain something else created that mishap. Not poor film loading. Cheers and keep up the great work, d🙂
Hi, thanks so much for your comment! I hope you are a step further in evaluation if a Chamonix camera might be the right tool for you? :) They are truly great cameras and overall I am super happy with it, besides a few quirks and room for improvement. And thank you so much for the evaluation what could have caused the issue with my first image of the beam. I am still learning and this video was from one of my very first trials with the 4x5, so I was just guessing what the issue could have been. And now I am pretty sure you are right and the wrong loading was not what caused this. Now, in hindsight I think that maybe the bellow was what got in the way. The camera was in a rather steep upward angle and maybe the bellow moved after I set everything up and covered parts of the lens. And yes, I tend to be a bit in my head sometimes and love to analyse things. Luckily, I usually do this after I have the finished image to see what I can do to improve the next time - but during the shot itself I love to stay in the moment and try to not think too much ☺️ Good luck with finding the right large format camera for you ✌🏻
For the start of the video did you position the camera & yourself so your head lined up perfectly with the neon lightbulb on the wall behind you on purpose?
Large format photography is a long journey. It takes a great deal of time (years) and lots of error to master the medium. There are so many potentials for disaster! Loading sheet film will ALWAYS present issues - no matter how many hundreds of times you have loaded and unloaded film holders in the past you will always find one time the film just does not want to lie flat or sit properly in the guides. Then there is the procedure of making the image - again so many variables to check on and double check before tripping the shutter. The fun does not stop there - you need to go through the minefield of unloading, loading into a developing tank and ensuring your processing results in even development across the frame. Is it worth it? HECK YEAH!!
Mastering a medium is boring anyways - exploring and trying to learn a medium is the more interesting part to me anyways. Therefore I am looking forward to all the mistakes I will encounter along the way! Couldn't agree more with your last words ✌🏻
I am glad the first time I loaded was in a darkroom closet and not a bag. ha ha. But it gets really easy fast. :) Also, Copal shutters aren't super hard to do minor maintenance on. A little alcohol and oil should get it going again. Lots of good Copal shutter teardowns on RU-vid, and you don't have to go as far as most of those do. I usually just go past removing the speed cam plate and then take care of things from there. Works almost every time. :) Anyway, you did well! And that was another great video.
My bag is also really tight, so the closet would have been the wiser option haha. Thanks for all the great knowledge about Copal shutters! I feel like it's rather hard to get information about large format lenses online, so every bit of information is really useful to me - thanks a lot Jamie! I will see what I can do.
Could your Super Angulon be on T mode (to see on the GG), preventing it to cock the shutter? Some lenses operate sometimes differently in regards to that T “opening the shutter” mode.
I think it's not in T mode, but I will do some more research. I will live reliable information on these lenses is hard to find. Thanks for the hint though! :)
GF ist schon eine eigene Sache, besonders wenn man die Verstellmöglichkeiten auch noch nutzt. Viel mach ich leider auch nicht mit meiner 4x5 - aber kommt bestimmt wieder dran dieses Jahr - konzentriert vorgehen, mal kurz durchspielen bevor man die richtige Belichtung macht, schadet jedenfalls nicht. S/W geht ja noch - bei Dia-Material wird es schon kostspieliger - die Ergebnisse sind aber auch etwas besonderes. Für ein 90mm kann ich dir leider im Moment keine Werkstatt empfehlen, aber geben tut es die Leute schon noch, die die Verschlüsse reparieren können. Die Linsensätze kannst du auch abschrauben dazu. An die Fotografie mit MF oder auch GF machte ich mich einfach so ran ohne dass mir das jemand gezeigt hätte - war für mich auch niemand greifbar. Also viel Glück beim 90mm und viel Spaß auch mal weiterhin 4x5 zu fotografieren.
Alles mit seiner Zeit, man kann nichts erzwingen, die Muse nach Großformat kommt sicherlich irgendwann wieder! :) Danke, ich hab schon ein paar gute Hinweise bezüglich Werkstätten bekommen. Viele Grüße und ebenfalls viel Freude beim Fotografieren :)
waste a piece of film, or use a dud negative, and practice loading the holder in the light. Then close your eyes, then do it in the bag with the practice sheet. Then do everything the same way every time in the bag until it becomes second nature. Having a darkroom to load in is a real luxury.
With loading the film, maybe you should have ruined a couple of sheets by practicing in the light so that when you came to do it using a dark bag you would be more familiar with how the film feels in your hands & better visualise the loading process? Using photographic paper instead of sheet film might be a more cost effective way of learning how to use your camera?
I have shot a couple of sheets before (I actually made a video about it as well in case you are interested in that), so I did practise before. But I just seem to still need more practise haha. 50 sheets of Fomapan 100 cost 35,00€, so 70 cents per shot, which is acceptable to learn. So I don't have any issue with shooting film and not paper. Also, I want to have proper negatives I can contact print when needed, so paper is not that interesting to me. :)
Wenn du deine Filmhalter öfter im Wechselsack bestücken möchtest, so schau dir mal den Calumet Wechselsack an. Der hat die Form eines Würfels. Es liegt dir nicht ständig etwas auf den Händen und kühler ist er auch. Ich denke, dass der Verschluss durch die Kälte verharzt ist. Du kannst die vordere und hintere Linse abschrauben und den Verschluss im Backrohr langsam auf 35 - 45 Grad erhitzen. Sollte er dann wieder halbwegs funktionieren, so ist er nur verharzt. Ich reinige dann mit Zippo Benzin und schmiere mit einem Hauch Maschinenöl. Anleitungen dazu gibt es massenhaft auf RU-vid.
Danke, ich schaue mir den Wechselsack mal an! :) ich hatte das Objektiv bereits auf die Heizung gelegt, was leider nicht gebracht hatte. Evtl. versuche ich es dennoch mal mit dem Backhof, vielleicht war die Heizung nicht warm genug. Danke für die Tipps :)
Karin..happy new year and congratulations for taking on LF..have a look at Todd Korol on youtube, he has a playlist of videos to help and advise how to load film in a methodical fashion and many other vids to help and inspire..good luck
4x5 cameras are cool and I wouldn't mind just trying one, one day. But to me 4x5 enters the realm of the law of diminishing returns. For all the work it is, all that can go wrong and the price of 4x5 film, the output is not different enough from 6x7 to justify using it.
Karin, one piece of advise, go to Mat Marash channel (large format Friday) it is an excelent resource for beginners to the LF world, start from season 1 ( he is on 4/5 at the present time); don't fret, it takes time to learn "the dance", as Mat calls it, you will know what I mean if you watch the first season.
I follow Matt Marash and watch his videos regularly. Thanks for the advice! However, I want to go on my own journey and while watching other people is always fun and educational I want to leave room for mistakes and for going though my own process.
at 6:53 also be ware, YOU forgot to add reciprocity failure to the shutter speed, if ~1sec. in time, you need to account for this, Most films, some it is as late as 60 sec. just have the films' instruction sheet with you.