This channel focuses on topics mostly related to large format photography. While there are several channels that discuss this type of photography, my channel is different in that I try to produce videos that are concise but in-depth, clear and educational that enable viewers to put this information into practice.
I have been an educator since 1999 at the college/university level and I enjoy spreading the excitement about large format photography. One of my goals is to inspire people to shoot transparency/slide film so that Fujifilm continues to produce Velvia. This is a film that has vibrant and saturated colors that delight the eyes when viewed on a light table.
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Tony
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Many thanks for this!
You are very welcome Leslie! Thanks for watching!😎
Don't know if you read these comments, but here goes. Age 76. Been photographing since or about 1960. I am very comfortable with film. Since that is all we had back then anyway. I still use film now. I was using a Nikon F6, and a Hasselblad 503cw and found a bellows and Hasselblad 135mm bellows lens on ebay. The results are spectacular. So after about 5 or 6 years I sold off all my H equipment and went to a Canham 4x5 field camera, which I have just gotten. The problem is the focus. I open the shutter to let the light in so I can focus on the rear screen. The problem is I am not getting a focus of landscape images at all, even when I use my loop. I can focus up close (3 feet or so), but further away no. I am quite used to using bellows and even applying front swing, but right now this camera is not operational because I cannot move the front or rear standard enough to bring X into focus. Using a Schnider 150mm lens. Even with the shutter open I tried bringing the F/stops down to f/8 thinking that it might sharpen the image. A little but not enough to take the photo. What the heck am I doing wrong?????
Mike, sounds like the ground glass may be misaligned with where the film holder sits. But without actually seeing the camera, I can't be certain. Another unlikely possibility is that the 150mm lens is defective. Do you have another lens available to rule this possibility out? Hopefully that will help troubleshoot your problems. Thanks for watching!
This is a really useful video! I'm in the finishing stages of building a monorail camera from Jon Grepstad's design, and sometimes I think about building a Graflok back for it so I could use certain accessories and the Lomo Instax Wide back. Thanks for putting in the time to build this and film it, it'll be a huge help whenever I get around to trying it myself!
Thanks Craig! Happy building! I appreciate your support.
Great video. Thank you.
@@kirkleadbetter1093 Thanks Kirk! I appreciate your support!😎
Brilliant video, thank you!
Thank you for the kind words! I appreciate your support.😎
Perfectly explained. Will be trying this technique out with my next 4x5 outing. Thanks Tony.
Thank you! I appreciate you taking the time to watch!😎
Is there still room to fit an ultralight sleeping back and tent? I do a lot of over night backpacking photo trips here in the ozark of Arkansas and would love to bring my 8x10. as long as I can Bring enough stuff for a one nighter. This bag looks perfect though. Thanks!
As long as you own compact gear, there’s definitely enough room for a 2-3 night excursion. Thanks for watching!
Love all the content!
Thanks Timothy! I appreciate you!
Good info, thanks! You voice is really confident but the room reverb is pretty distracting...
Thanks for watching! I appreciate your support. 😎
Thank you! Could I use 600 grit silicon carbide paper? Trying to keep the cost down.
Hi Mark. I’ve never tried it but theoretically you can use it. Thanks for watching!😎
Maybe we learn something here Time Line 4:00 + - ::: Who Says we Give UP : & Who Say's LIFE is Fair & Easy! PHOTOGRAPHY & SALES STATISTICS 48% OF SALES PEOPLE NEVER FOLLOW UP WITH A PROSPECT 25% OF SALES PEOPLE MAKE A SECOND CONTACT AND STOP 12% OF SALES PEOPLE ONLY MAKE THREE CONTACTS AND STOP ONLY 10% OF SALES PEOPLE MAKE MORE THAN THREE CONTACTS 2% OF SALES ARE MADE ON THE FIRST CONTACT 3% OF SALES ARE MADE ON THE SECOND CONTACT 5% OF SALES ARE MADE ON THE THIRD CONTACT 10% OF SALES ARE MADE ON THE FOURTH CONTACT 80% OF SALES ARE MADE ON THE FIFTH TO TWELFTH CONTACT /// RMK: It means takes a lot of tries to GET it right! Source: National Sales Executive Association /// McRoman ;)
Obviously for bag I mean backpack. By the way for me could be usefull to know how avoid to use too much lens movements that go beyond the cover circle of them.
Hi Tony , your are a great teacher ! Make really simple things sometimes not tot so simple! One question about your video : may you show better what kind of bag do you use? Thank you. Romano from Italy.
Thank you for the kind words Romano! I appreciate your support. That’s a good idea for a video. Salud!😎
Hi Tony, I really enjoy your videos. Thanks for your return. I remember when I just started photography using my first medium format Lubitele camera. I wanted to take a long time to take a picture- like at night with exposure times of few minutes. So now I find that enjoyment by using my 8x10. Speaking of 8x10, I have a question for you. I have a 300mm copal 3 lens and lens board. The lens board is about 4 mm smaller than my Chamonix lens opening on the front standard. I do not want to go through changing the board. Is there any adaptor for this? I thought all boards with copal 3 are same size and will fit this camera. Any thoughts? Thanks again.
I'm not aware of a lens board adapter that would accommodate your situation. Honestly, the best thing to do is swap out the lens board that will fit your camera properly. There are different sized lens boards so you'll want to pay close attention to that when you are shopping. The Copal size only refers to the opening for the lens not the dimensions of the board. Thanks for your support! Tony
Thanks for the focus spead link.
Anytime! I appreciate your support.😎
I use a reflex viewer because my eyes are not as good as they once were and because at my age I find it difficult to get on my knees for low angles, getting up from my knees problem too.
Thank you for sharing Matt! I appreciate your support!😎
Most be an Roy's Rolls vintage camera, prices are stunning on filmholders: . A new ultra light 810 camera model is in its design and testing stage for these holders to be used without the holder frame. Each holder has a weight of 285g and a thickness of 4.8mm with its thickest part of 6.2mm. The holder frame has a weight of 161g and will attach the holder to itself via magnet. This set of five holders and its frame has its carbon fiber carry bag. The carry bag has a weight of 293g. The price of our Summit 810 set is $3,900 ... Anyways, great info video on the 810 Chamonix.... ;)
Thanks for sharing with all of us. I appreciate your support! 😎
Your system is so much simpler than most of the videos I have watched on this subject. Thank you for bypassing the tedium and "developing" an effective method that doesn't involve masking, film base color subtraction and twenty layers of adjustments. As a former professional color printer, I appreciate the more direct approach. I start out by using the simple keyboard shortcut (CTRL-I) to invert the image since I'm not concerned about non-destructive editing because I'm inverting a copy of the base layer. Using the Camera Raw Filter is a valuable tool that gives great flexibility. I make my final color adjustments with Color Balance rather than Hue/Saturation, because I'm used to repeatable techniques I learned on a color enlarger.
I appreciate you taking the time to share your experiences and process with all of us. Thank you for your support! 😎
I worked as a Scanner Operator in the 80s on Hell, Crossfield and Screen drum scanners. Absolutely loved the job. I also used to do the image retouching on a Mac. Wish I could go back to it today.
So cool Trevor! Thanks for sharing your story with us!😎
Nice video
Thank you Richard! I appreciate your support. 😃
THX a lot for sharing this ...
You are very welcome! Thanks for your support . 😎
Great job with the shot, Tony! Slow is the (only) way to go!
Thanks Jay! Slow and steady wins the race, right? 🤣
Nice video
Thanks Richard! I appreciate you taking the time to watch.
Nice video. Thank you
You are very welcome! Thanks for your support. 😎
I found myself to be much more deliberate with composition when using my 4x5 camera. Being forced to slow down is only part of it, and I would like to be faster (sometimes being able just "jump on the scene", take a shot and retreat fast can be beneficial, if the right position is on or very near a road … ;-)). And I found that I *need* to be alone when shooting LF (as everybody else gets bored real quick).
Those are very good points Christian. I appreciate you sharing with all of us. Cheers! 😎
Hi Tony I enjoy your channel a lot it nourish the film soul. I don’t shoot large format but bought Fujifilm 6x8 format which only have 9 frames. Therefore it certainly makes me consider a lot before pressing the shutter. I grew up shooting film before digital was invented. Although I have a few Leicas medium format digital and 35mm in film, digital but I get more involved with the Fujifilm camera. Every thing is planned out in advance to the point I have find other things to shoot to finish off the roll of film. Cheers! 🥃
Thank you my friend! I appreciate the kind words and you sharing your film story with us! 😀
I love this video. Ridiculously Great Work!
Thanks Ryan! I appreciate you watching. 😎
The Man, The Myth, The Legend is back!!!
Thank for the kind words! 😃
Ah...the "joy" of LF! Even when you're methodical and going slow, you (I) can still make mistakes. I vividly remember making a few trips across a very cold brook with all my 8x10 gear to photograph a waterfall. The best place to stand, of course, was on the other side of the brook and on a very slippery rock slope. I got everything into place, composed and made the shot...or, so I thought. When I processed the film, it was blank! At that point, it occurred to me that I always listen for that subtle click of the shutter to tell me I've got my shot. Of course, I couldn't hear that over the roar of the waterfall so I never actually exposed my film! Lesson learned...
Unfortunately, I've made that mistake as well! Thank you for sharing that insightful story with all of us. I appreciate your support! 😎
yes, Tony, know that feeling, have just started with LF, a sinar F2, with a cine bag to take it all in, yes, tripod, 65 and 90 lenses, and a vario 120 back (I decided to shoot 6x12 to test my camera, back, and lenses) these where shot on Kodak gold 200 and I did like you said, some vertical and horizontal; as the format offers a nice tall shot, with extra rise, and a great panoramic perspective, I chose my local botanic Gardens , as it has some big tall trees and some glass houses , nice and wide, to fill up a panoramic shot, like you, to fill up a wall with a scene, and to prove to the people at home, I CAN!!
Love it Andy! That's awesome! I appreciate you taking the time watch and share. 😀
I've took an hour to setup my camera just to came to the conclusion that it's not worth wasting film. Those have been the photos I've learned a lot from. I get better photos when I'm slowed down and think more carefully. You can never snap enough of bad photos to make it count. I'll rather take 1 keeper than 100 average shots.
It's relieving to hear that other LF shooters have similar experiences to mine! Thank you for taking the time to watch.😀
I found my harmony with 1900's cameras/lenses, 5x7 inches and glass dry plates.
That's so awesome Chris! Thanks for sharing with all of us. 😎
thank you! I learn a lot with you
You are very welcome! I appreciate your support. 😎
Love these videos ! Really helpful as I have never taken a LF class
I’m really happy that you are enjoying and learning from my videos Diego! I appreciate your support. 😎
Happy hiking. Ok .. Bit those things have aerodynamics of a box kite. The slightest breeze causes camera shake.
Fortunately, that’s not been my experience with the camera. It’s been rock solid for me. I appreciate you taking the time to watch. Cheers! 😎
4x5 is better for me because my darkroom is able to handle 4x5 easier than 8x10.
Awesome! Thanks for taking the time to watch! I appreciate your support.😎
WOWE that was informative :) ty sir
Thank you Will! I’m glad you found it informative. I appreciate your support.
Nice explanation, I've never really thought about the last part before. But it makes sense when you think about it.
Thank you my friend! I appreciate your support. 😎
Ja używam 4 X5 dlatego że jakość cyfrowego aparatu nawet nawet ułamek nie ma jakości tego co na wielki format
It was a very entertaining video, but to be honest it was way less informative that what Thomas Cristopher Moore uploaded 16 years ago ( Scheimpflug / Plane of focus on KZread). Still it was fun to watch!
Tamas, I am always happy to entertain. I appreciate you taking the time to watch. Cheers!😃
Tony, good job! I love your humorous presentation style. You are able to simplify complex tech. problems for "ordinary Joe's" understanding. Have you ever considere commercializing your skill set through a recorded online masterclass in large format photography?
Thanks John! I appreciate your support! 😃
This was very interesting, and I think i have an idea why my photos are not focused all the way through. I will have to watch this video over and over again in increments. To back up and begin at a very elementary level, when you begin focusing, is your lens wide open? To attain deep focus, much like Ansel Adams, do you suggest (once focused) stopping down to f64? Or a larger aperture. Btw, I have an Intrepid 4x5. Thank you so much.
Hi Michael. I'm glad you are here. I always begin focusing wide open, then I stop down the lens as I'm viewing the ground glass to make sure all the areas I want to be acceptably sharp are good. Have you watched my other video on optimizing aperture. Hope this help. Thanks for watching!
4 x 5 and 5 x 7 here. 8 x 10 is just too big and heavy for a lot of uses.
I can appreciate that. Thanks for watching!
tony, at 21:26, this issue was somewhat fixed by Linhof, using a vacuum back, a bulb and hose was connected to the holder, which sucked the film to the septum, presumably to fix this issue. in mf Mamiya rb67's had this 'curling' due to the nature of roll film, staying in the one place for a period of time, and even their own manual suggests shooting quick, and winding the film off within an hour or two, to stop this becoming a problem, even though, my recent roll in a 6x4.5 hasselblad H1 had no show of this missed focus, and I shot the 17 frames over 3 weeks.
Thanks Andy. I appreciate you taking the time to share with all of us!😃
Tony, Very good! I think Fred Newman's method of iterated focusing to the farthest object and tilting the lens to bring the nearest objects in sharp focus foollwed by stopping the lens to bring the entire scene in sharp focus is simpler and nore interactive than Alex's mathematical method. I want to get your take on the latter method
Hi John. Thanks for watching this video. Have you watched my other video on optimizing aperture? That's where I discuss Alex Burke's method. I appreciate your support.😃
Excellent explanations.
Thanks Wilbert! I appreciate your support.
Tony you are a nice guy and this shines through without truly knowing you. I think what you will find is trying to make any real money on KZread or any social platform focused on large format photography is a very long shot, and at best, it will take a long time, and the ROI is ridiculously low. You will be working for pennies based on the amount of time and effort you put in. My old guy's sage advice is to find other ways to make money to take care of your financial needs, and continue to enjoy your photography and share with us on KZread as you have free time because you enjoy it. Trying to monetize it and make real money is something that I believe you will realize was not a good use of your time. Your photography should be about you and your goals, and your enjoyment, not what other people want to see from you. I wish you the best and do whatever you think is best for you.
This is very sage advice! Over the years, I have been reminded several times that its important to do YT because I enjoy it and not try to make a career from it. Thank you for your support! I appreciate you helping me keep "focused". 😃
Just too many to pick one favorite! Great job.
Thanks Monty!
nice review, I shoot 4x5", and on a sinar F2 monorail, one benefit of my kit, that Chamonix could add to this one, is to have a way of adding a compendium lens shade, on my sinar it is achieved by a hex rod clamped in a socket on the bottom corner of the front standard, also adding filter holders, etc. are done with this, I noticed the chamonix only has a stud atop the standard (for the bellows clip); which could easily be modified, by a threaded sleeve on the stud, allowing a bellows hood to be attached, like those on cambo SC 's, Linhof Cardan, and others. also with the bellows sag issue, one solution could be to use the standard in the rearmost hole, and ,with an intermediate standard, and aux bellows adding the lens on the extension board, with little sag, as the intermediate std would support it from the center. ( one modular solution that chamonix could build into the design of these cameras, NO matter the size!, even adding to the H1 and F2/N2 model lines, increasing their usability, and adding an accessory line-up to their business model).
Thanks Andy. Ia appreciate you taking the time to share some insights with us.😃
When does diffraction set in with this lens, what's your experience?
Vladimir, in general, LF lenses will begin softening beyond f/22. Thanks for watching!😃