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General discussion

Who digitally supports old school 4x5 photography?

May 3, 2006 11:43AM PDT

I'm continually impressed by the exponential developments in digital photography but while image quality continues to improve, I don't see anyone bringing in the age-old ability for perspective correction available on our old 4x5's.
Recently, true distortion-free wide angle lenses have come on the market but that still doesn't give the architectural photographer the range of adjustments available on his fifty-year-old camera.
Does anyone make something like Nikon's old shift lens (can this be used on the new Nikon SLR's?)or is anyone developing a camera with digital controls like a 4x5? I'm sure there is a market for this and it doesn't appear to me to be a great tecnological hurdle. In the meantime we have to haul a 10 MP digital and twenty pounds of gear to get the shot we need.

Discussion is locked

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Canon has shift and tilt lenses. There are also digital
May 3, 2006 12:04PM PDT

backs that work with 4x5s. Cheap they are not.

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Here are the Canon Tilt-Shift lenses
May 4, 2006 12:50AM PDT
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Thanks for the info
May 4, 2006 2:24PM PDT

pricey but worth a look. Of course I'd have to switch cameras and that makes it even more expensive.

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20 pound comment.
May 4, 2006 12:03AM PDT

Even I remember those cameras with bellows and you could crank the lens to just about any direction to do interesting perspectives.

I thought the gear in the car was closer to 50 pounds.

Bob

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can this be used on the new Nikon SLR's?
May 4, 2006 12:48AM PDT

I believe that the lens will still work on Nikon film cameras but will not use the various automatic features of the new camera. I understand that the lens does not work on Nikon digital cameras. I'm holding on to my trusty 30-year-old Nikon F (bought used at that).

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Large Format Digital Cameras
May 4, 2006 9:04AM PDT
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Those are medium format. I recently saw a back for
May 4, 2006 12:18PM PDT

a bellows type 4x5. It could be the same unit I guess, but I didn't stop long enough to find out. No matter what, it's too rich for me at this point.

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Maybe some old technology shouldn't be thrown away
May 4, 2006 2:50PM PDT

Thanks for the info on the Mamiya, I'm sure it is quite expensive, but also overflowing with features - most of which I am sure I won't use.
There is something about the simplicity of a 4x5, with manual adjustments, external metering and visual rather than electronic feedback that is hard to replicate in today's cameras. The world is moving very quickly these days but I don't have to so I think I'll just keep going the way I have until someone recognizes that complexity should be in the photographer' eye, not the equipment.
I can have the best lenses and cameras at a fraction of the cost of the digital vesions, I just need to go the extra step of printing and a high-res drum scan.
Of course, if I was a sports or journalist photographer...different story.

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Cost Effectiveness
May 7, 2006 4:40PM PDT

In my personal opinion, the digital camera doesn't do well in the large format and medium format camera sectors due to the cost effectiveness. Digital large and medium format cameras are currently too expensive. Instead, many professionals rather use with the film large-format camera and a expensive and good scanner. In other words, the best scanner, capacity around 20 megapixels quality, cost around $1,000 which is far less than over $ 20,000 ( minimum price of medium format digital camera ). In additions, the film still provides the better dynamic range for the cheaper costs. Many people may disagree.

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I don't know where you are getting your scanner prices, but
May 7, 2006 10:56PM PDT

it is way too low. It is quite true that many large and medium format shooters are using scanners, but the scanner that many use costs almost $20,000.