[JohnR]

I caved in and bought a 4x5 camera with a 6x12 rollfilm back and three lenses on EBay. Here are three shots from the first roll. I forgot to take a cable release, which didn't help but I was able to get some sample shots anyway.

58mm:



105mm (oops, that's my elbow at the top right...):



180mm:

[nathanm]

Cool!  Very cinematic looking, I like the ferns one especially.  Isn't it nice being able to compose on a big ground glass?  Did you get 4x5 film holders as well or just the roll back?

[jqp]

great shots - How do you develop these?

[SET Man]

Hey!

   Nice! John. I like the first one

Take care,
Buddy

[JohnR]

Hi, thanks

jqp, a local lab develops it and I scan it. Looks like slides will have to sent away though

nathanm, I have a couple of DD slides, but don't know how to use them... will get there. Still learning how to use the glass... the 58mm is actually kinda hard to see...

[Carlman]

Those are very nice.  I especially like the blue wide-angle shot.  Very cool...
I've never used a roll-back... What actual size is the image on the roll?  How many shots? Like 3 or 4?  Can you use 220?
-C

[nathanm]

Wide angles will be rather dim and have more vignetting.  (Of course you can get a $300 neutral density center filter!   Yikes!)  The biggest upgrade for my camera was getting a fresnel ground glass, that brightened up the image considerably.  The stock glass was only good in real bright outdoors lighting.

[ooheadsoo]

Good stuff, John.  I like the first one best, as well.  I would probably like the ferns even more if you posted a big version

[JohnR]

Heh, the fern shot was the best I could get at the time without bush-bashing - I think I want to try a few more with one of the wider lenses Carl - six shots on a 120 roll, the back won't take 220. There might be some that do. I think the neg is actually 56x112mm.

[JohnR]

Today I took four more photographs.

Last weekend was a grand total of nine.

Fun stuff this large format gig

[dB Cooper]

Very good start. Especially the ferns. That's your elbow in the second one???? 

Some photogs dislike Fresnels but I found them helpful, especially so with wides which can be tricky to focus accurately.

What kind of camera is it btw?

John, if you can scan negs that size you should be able to scan chromes too...
If you will be doing your own scans, suggest you look into a piece of software called VueScan, gives you much more control over the quality of your scans than OEM scanner software does. Available for Mac, Windows, or Linux. There's a free trial; if you try it, I think you'll buy it.

[JohnR]

Yeah... my elbow gets around

Scanning isn't the issue with chromes - I love scanning chromes! I mean I love looking at them. I've just started a roll today, can't wait to see those big transparencies. I meant the developing has to be sent away.

It's an Ebony RSW45, which is like the SW45 but the only movements are rise/fall and tilt. With hindsight I really want swing as well, but hey, it was on my local Ebay with the lenses and back and all.

[nathanm]

Ooh Ebony, very nice!    In my own shooting I can't say that I've ever really used swing that much.  It's not necessary for most landscapes or portraits.  For architecture or product shots it would be handy.

[Mr Content]

 Incredible  John. It has inspired me to look further into this field.

Mr C

[JohnR]

Ooh Ebony, very nice!    In my own shooting I can't say that I've ever really used swing that much.  It's not necessary for most landscapes or portraits.  For architecture or product shots it would be handy.

It is a nicely made camera. Well used - bought it from a professional landscape photographer and it's been a lot of places. But still nice

The second shot above is an example of where some swing would have been nice. BUT! I've realized that I can rotate the back and tilt the camera over sideways. Not very convenient, but worth a shot (hah).

Anyway, I pick up the next two rolls on Friday.

[nathanm]

Now you can join the rest of the LF nutjobs here and enjoy a whole new world of senseless bickering!
http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/index.php

[Robert57]

JohnR, very nice images.Years ago I also used to take 6x7 transparencies (120 film) through a roll film back on a view camera and loved the convenience and lower chance of dust or film warping compared with the big 4 x 5 sheets, not to mention the lower film and processing costs. I found I needed a separate bag bellows for the shorter lenses, but the shorter focal lengths allow much greater depth of field, which can be very helpful if you like full near- to -far focus. You're inspiring me to dust off the ole 4x5 and take some more now.

Just curious, what scanner are you using? These scans look remarkably good. I keep reading one needs an expensive drum scan (or Imacon) for best highlight and shadow detail, but I'd love to find a reasonably affordable (and not too massive) CCD film scanner that gets 90-95% of the drum quality for medium format film. Anyone tried the Nikon Coolscan 9000?

Rob