Do you think I am crazy?

I

Isabel

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It's been a few months now since I started to look into different large formats (4x5, 5x7, 8x10 and ULF) and various cameras to find the set-up that works best for me. I have done that by experimenting with the gear I have (had...but we get to that in a second ;)), carrying my 4x5 set-up around in a big backpack, reading books and scanning the internet, writing lists and "weighted comparisons" :cool: about the features that are most important to me and finally deciding and going for it...all in :eek:...well mostly all ;)

My final list said that for my style of photography I needed the following:
- the camera should be reasonably light
- it should definitely be possible to carry it for longer walks in my Kelty backpack
- it needed to have the possibility to use lenses >305mm (my Kodak portrait lens) and enough bellows (or exchangeable bellows) and extension to allow close-ups with "normal lenses"
- it needed as much tilt and swing as possible and being able to make minimal adjustments easily
and if possible should have some flexibility with regards to using different formats and maybe my digital back.

When I looked at that list I thought it would be impossible to find the camera but I think I did.
The only downside was the price...so I had to sell a large part of my camera/lens collection (even some Hasselblad equipment :eek: but don't worry there is still enough left). I was a bit shocked how much gear I've had collected over the last few years which I hardly ever used or had only used once ;-)

And then I ordered an ARCA Swiss F-metric 4x5 with orbix tilt...a dream which I hope will be delivered mid/end of February.

So seriously...do you think I am crazy and all hope is lost? :confused:

Oh, and I could even upgrade the 4x5 to a 5x7 or 8x10 without getting a completely new camera...though financially that might have to wait a while...a long while...a very long while :D:p
 
If you really were crazy, you wouldn't ask.
Nice pictures, crazy or not.
 
I like your approach, identifying the features you need in a camera, then finding the model that has most, or all of them. Selling gear you rarely use is also a good idea. None of it sounds crazy, and it has given me some inspiration to consider what I need, and get rid of the rest. I'm looking forward to hearing how you get on with the new camera!
Alex.
 
One thing about Arca Swiss - if you look after it, it will out last you. All being well, you have found the sweet spot where the tool is an extension of your mind.

Crazy? No. Scary? Any big change is scary. As long as it is adrenaline-fueled, scary can be good :cool:
 
alexmuir said:
I like your approach, identifying the features you need in a camera, then finding the model that has most, or all of them. Selling gear you rarely use is also a good idea. None of it sounds crazy, and it has given me some inspiration to consider what I need, and get rid of the rest. I'm looking forward to hearing how you get on with the new camera!
Alex.
Click to expand...
Thanks Alex ;-) It actually felt quite good to get rid off all those things (4 BIG boxes :eek:) and it feels even better looking into all my nicely organised cabinets now with the cameras and lenses I really use and the free space for the Arca ;) Wish that it will work for you as well - looking forward to hearing what you will decide on :). Have a nice weekend!
 
Graham Patterson said:
One thing about Arca Swiss - if you look after it, it will out last you. All being well, you have found the sweet spot where the tool is an extension of your mind.

Crazy? No. Scary? Any big change is scary. As long as it is adrenaline-fueled, scary can be good :cool:
Click to expand...
Yes, I actually forgot to mention, but "longevity" was another factor on my list.
I cannot wait to take it out shooting...just the delivery time...the loooong delivery time :rolleyes:
 
I ordered my Walker Titan on Christmas eve (Mike Walker was there to reply on the day!) but it wasn't ready until the following June (Mike had a few weeks out due to illness, and it was built to order). I suspect that this was longer than your waiting time. I hope that when it arrives, you'll find (as I did with the Titan) that it was well worth the wait.
 
Isabel,

I have an Arca F-line 5x4 and it is, by far, the smoothest functioning most solid LF camera I've ever used! The guy in the video above made a comment in one of his videos that an Arca really isn't a camera...it's really just a bunch of parts that one can configure however needed! I love that!! And, whatever the initial investment it will outlast you.

I wish you good light as you begin your journey with this camera.
 
Stephen Batey said:
I ordered my Walker Titan on Christmas eve (Mike Walker was there to reply on the day!) but it wasn't ready until the following June (Mike had a few weeks out due to illness, and it was built to order). I suspect that this was longer than your waiting time. I hope that when it arrives, you'll find (as I did with the Titan) that it was well worth the wait.
Click to expand...
I hope not :eek: - 4 weeks gone now and no sign yet.... The Walker is also a really beautiful camera - it was one of the "contenders" ;)
 
Alan9940 said:
Isabel,

I have an Arca F-line 5x4 and it is, by far, the smoothest functioning most solid LF camera I've ever used! The guy in the video above made a comment in one of his videos that an Arca really isn't a camera...it's really just a bunch of parts that one can configure however needed! I love that!! And, whatever the initial investment it will outlast you.

I wish you good light as you begin your journey with this camera.
Click to expand...
Nice! So we are going to be camera-buddies soon;). The completely reconfigurable set-up was one of the deciding factors as I e.g. wanted longer bellows and maybe one day also use 8x10. I am so excited! :D
 
Isabel said:
Yes, it basically is - I just treated myself to the metric version including metric tilt :D
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'metric' tilt?
Isabel i was not 'aware that there was such 'thing' as
a 'metric tilt' ... I thought 'degrees of tilt' were 'universal'
 
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I believe that it's the company's description for geared movements. They offer a remarkable number of possibilities and I've always looked at them with very green eyes.
 
David M said:
I believe that it's the company's description for geared movements. They offer a remarkable number of possibilities and I've always looked at them with very green eyes.
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if they 'are' geared via a 'knob' it will be much nicer than 'just 'pushing/ pulling the lensboard or the 'back' standard

Ken
 
See this website and crack open the piggy bank.
https://www.arca-shop.de/en/metric/f-metric-4x5

Ken S:
Angles are measured in degrees, minutes and seconds, but it's quite common to see (e.g:) 3.5 degrees for three-and-a-half degrees instead of 3° 30' 0". We find it easier to easier to calculate in base-10 rather than base-60. We commonly use fractional angles, as when we say "a quarter turn" and we might even measure in base-12 when we use a clock face to communicate angles. Radians are for mathematicians, not for humble snappers like us.
The metric system includes degrees for angular measurement and rather confusingly, degrees for temperature, as well as other standardised units. It's not just metres.
 
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At least there is nothing (to my knowledge) in general use that measures in radians. Quite a few military items are graduated in mils (milliradians, 1/6400 of an angular degree). Fortunately few photographers have to work to that degree of precision. I'm lucky if I can repeatably set my camera to 1/3 of a stop!
 
Graham Patterson said:
At least there is nothing (to my knowledge) in general use that measures in radians. Quite a few military items are graduated in mils (milliradians, 1/6400 of an angular degree). Fortunately few photographers have to work to that degree of precision. I'm lucky if I can repeatably set my camera to 1/3 of a stop!
Click to expand...
 
Graham,
There are probably too many 'people' out there who DO consider those of us who huddle under a dark-cloth and 'gaze at a little cross-eyed at a scene downside-up, on a frosted glass rather than holding the camera out in front of our face at arm's length to see what might be or NOT be 'in focus' before pushing the little button on on the rear standard. then have the guts to ask us of the WHY? and want to see what size of batteries.. and want to know where you insert the batteries or the memory card... and .. then the "what size of 'file' or.... do you get a .jpg?... or a .tif file when you are 'finished'?


Ken.
 
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