First Foray into the Field with My 4x5...some chuckles!

[bobwysiwyg]

Well, just finished processing my first two sheets of 4x5. Learned lots, to say the least. First and foremost, my 35mm's are going suffer. I'll try to exercise them from time to time, but boy, these bigger negs are great. Exposure-wise pretty good. That's something of a relief because I used my old Gossen Luna Pro after a batt conversion. I really like that meter. The outdoor scene was in the early AM, but not as early as I had hoped. I could have walked up to the small building and metered a couple of different spots, but was convinced I would just outsmart myself. Instead, I thrust the gray card into the sunlight at the camera location and took a reading off that.

Despite all the research and warnings here (and by the way, thanks for all the information I was able to absorb from the site before clicking the shutter for the first time) I still need to get some dust control procedures strengthened. Big change from the 35mm world. I was very careful about cleaning and loading the holders. My first shot was free of dust. The second (outdoor some distance from home) was pretty bad. Which leads me to believe I need to do more to vacuum the bellows. I suspect most of it dislodged while packing/unpacking the camera and setting it up.

I discovered the tripod I'm using is barely adequate, but not much choice at the moment. Hope to change that shortly. I think I'm hooked. And again, thank you all for your insights and experience... so far.

Best of all, I discovered I love it.

[Martin Aislabie]

I have been shooting 5x4 for just over 12months now and all I can say about the first outdoor shoot was it was an experience (!)

I thought I had everything I needed in my Bag & knew where to look for it

Well - I didn't !

On the first trip outdoors I made the mistake of putting my bag down next to the place I initially positioned my Tripod

Then I decided to move location with the Camera about 5 metres

I left the bag where it was but after about the 10th trip over to the bag to get something - the penny eventually dropped - move the bag to be next to the Camera again

Setting up the camera initially left odd - but has become more became intuitive

I still have to duck out from underneath the darkcloth from time to time to find the right knob on the front standard – and still need to remind myself to check all the knobs are tight before going for the shutter – but I am getting there.

The thing I still struggle with is restraining myself with how much I shoot of a particular scene.

I still seem to end up with several almost identical shots – with very small differences in light and cloud cover.

I guess its just experience – being able to judge if or when the cloud will break to drop sunshine onto here or a shadow over there – but its something I haven’t mastered yet

I also have to confess to now being an LF Junkie – and wonder will I ever find my way back to my previous camera kit – even if its just occasionally rattle off a roll of film.

At the moment I am just hooked on LF – and love it

Martin

[Frank Szabo]

Bob:

I don't care what Ian says - when working with large format, one never has 'everything' one needs at hand. It's a physical impossibility, not to mention there's probably a natural law against it - you can't carry that much stuff regardless of the size of whatever bag you find for said stuff.

Your best defense against mother nature being a witch is to develop improvisation to a fine art.