I feel that a recent FF dSLR is easily the equal of 645 film for color work. I agree that B&W film still has that quality that's extremely difficult to quantify. Unfortunately, few customers seem to care.
Since B&W film does not suffer from color filtration at either the pixel or the film grain level, it responds very differently to deep color filters on the lens (or compared to digital filtration). I think that's part of the attraction, at least it is for me.
I think you could purchase a MF film rangefinder fairly inexpensively and, since they are already so depreciated, sell it later for little loss if it didn't work out.
For fine art stuff a 4" x 5" still has a clear advantage over digital in most ways and I do have a Calumet monorail view camera and some nice lenses that I keep threatening to put to use.
Thanks, how are you finding the monorail? Its been a long time since I shot LF, I was thinking about getting a cadet for landscapes and portraits but its been so long and I have pretty much forgotten anything I knew.
...
I shot a Calumet CC-400 monorail continuously from 1974 through 1995. After that the company purchased a Kodak DCS 460 dSLR which largely replaced the view camera for individual products. The Calumet was still used for large displays. (We did hire an outside contractor with an 8" x 10" for 48' displays and larger.)
By 2005 I convinced the company to purchase a Sony F828 digicam, which worked much better for the individual products and I showed how I could manually stitch display shots to produce enough quality for the large display spreads. I was given the Calumet view and a couple of lenses since we didn't use it anymore. (A second Calumet was donated to the local HS.) I've been collecting lenses since and I now have:
Caltar II-N, 210mm MC, f5.6, Copal 1
(Rodenstock Apo-Sironar N, 210mm, f5.6, Copal#1)
(will cover to 5x7 format)
Rodenstock APO-Sironar N 150mm MC, f/5.6, Copal 0
(will cover to 4x5 format)
Comments
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
Since B&W film does not suffer from color filtration at either the pixel or the film grain level, it responds very differently to deep color filters on the lens (or compared to digital filtration). I think that's part of the attraction, at least it is for me.
I think you could purchase a MF film rangefinder fairly inexpensively and, since they are already so depreciated, sell it later for little loss if it didn't work out.
For fine art stuff a 4" x 5" still has a clear advantage over digital in most ways and I do have a Calumet monorail view camera and some nice lenses that I keep threatening to put to use.
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
I shot a Calumet CC-400 monorail continuously from 1974 through 1995. After that the company purchased a Kodak DCS 460 dSLR which largely replaced the view camera for individual products. The Calumet was still used for large displays. (We did hire an outside contractor with an 8" x 10" for 48' displays and larger.)
By 2005 I convinced the company to purchase a Sony F828 digicam, which worked much better for the individual products and I showed how I could manually stitch display shots to produce enough quality for the large display spreads. I was given the Calumet view and a couple of lenses since we didn't use it anymore. (A second Calumet was donated to the local HS.) I've been collecting lenses since and I now have:
Caltar II-N, 210mm MC, f5.6, Copal 1
(Rodenstock Apo-Sironar N, 210mm, f5.6, Copal#1)
(will cover to 5x7 format)
Rodenstock APO-Sironar N 150mm MC, f/5.6, Copal 0
(will cover to 4x5 format)
Schneider - Kreuznach Angulon 90mm, f6.8, Copal 0
Caltar II-N, 75mm MC, f6.8, Copal 0
(Rodenstock Grandagon N 75mm f/6.8)
(The Caltar lenses are mfd by Rodenstock so I listed the Rode equivalent under the Caltar name.)
I have film in the deep-freeze but I haven't actually used the view camera in quite a while.
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums