jason m
(K=307) - Comment Date 1/20/2005
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Clay Turtle
(K=-42) - Comment Date 4/25/2006
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Disheartening isn't it? Marketing production seems to be trying to replace film with digital media? I was at another site & was reading a thread on metering for L.F. so I posted an answer of what I would like to see but it wasn't accepted (atleast, not made part of the general posting)?
Why not a small screen (like those on all-in- one scanners or the digital cameras)? Size & thickness of today's componenents would allow you to replace the ground glass with such so you could view the scene (right side up, meter the scene and digitally capture a small preview size file! Basically, we would acquire the best from both formats, film and digital and it would be of greater value than the polorids that were made as a preview so they know there is an open market for such an item?
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bean Bean
(K=0) - Comment Date 8/5/2006
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Not a cheap option.
Only cheap way I know of is to jury rig a second hand scanner to get a light tight joint to your large format in place of the film back. File sizes are apparently damn big and the scan time of a scanner make it only suitable for still life/ static shots. Even if you get someone to make a good light tight and secure seal to your back, it's only really a studio option.
I'd be interested if you find other cheapo options.
bean
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Phillip Cohen
(K=10561) - Comment Date 8/5/2006
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There aren't any real options that give you anything better then a medium format if want a non-scanning type digital back. IF you have lots of money you can get the Leaf Aptus back, which is a full sized MF back and then get an adaptor to use it on your 4x5. Most of the adaptors are set to work with monorail cameras like the Sinar, not on field cameras like the Wisner. They typically have a sliding device that shifts a ground glass out for the digital back so you can focus and compose. About the only advantage of using this setup is that you have your shifts, swings and tilts. Other then that it is like shooting with an MF camera.
Betterlight makes some of the best scanning digital backs out there. They are fast and have good resolution. They even make a panoramic adapter that holds the sensor in one position and then rotates the camera as it outputs data. Makes for pretty amazing panoramics.
Considering that a full frame MF back like the Aptus is around $40,000 for the good one, if it was even possible to do, a 4x5 sensor would probably be well over $100,000 which most people could not afford or justify.
Moral of the story, keep buying sheet film. As long as people buy it maybe the will keep making it.
Phil
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Giuliano Guarnieri
(K=36622) - Comment Date 9/13/2006
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Hello Alicia,
I always see Phase ONE as digital back for 4x5"
I don't know how easy to use and light it is. I suppose it works only linked to a pc (my dream is to have one to use as a chassis...I have also many others ideas but not any company will invest on this technology at the moment... )
Bye
Giuliano Guarnieri
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Bad Site
(K=979) - Comment Date 9/18/2006
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Clay Turtle
(K=-42) - Comment Date 9/19/2006
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Why what? Not really sure about the nature of the question but assuming the most common aspect => Noted an ad for digital camera. Claiming a 7,1 mega file producing a 16 x 20 copy.
The photo shown is from a 4x5 color negative using Kodak 400ASA film. If I had shot this with a 35mm, I might get a good 16 x 20 print but a 30 x 40 would require a much slower finer grain film.
What would you expect the surface area of a 4x5 flim is equivalent to a 12 exposure roll of 35mm film, it is also the smallest format of the LF camera.
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original print 30 x 40
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Clay Turtle
(K=-42) - Comment Date 9/23/2006
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Of course the nature of the question may be why why go to a larger format? Perhaps the easiest way to explain that aspect is to relate it to something else. Thinking of an old album cover showing a prism with light entering & leaving producing the color spectrum. If you were to think of the (film format) lights receptors as representing flat area on which the spectrum covers; the smaller area would be closer to the prism cover the area & the spectrum would tend to be seen as lines of color. A larger format would be further from the prism so the spectrum would give a graduated change in color.
One significant factor of this is shown by the photo, a flat 2 dimensional picture appears to have depth (the texture in the pedals) produced the subtle shading or changes in hue.
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http://www.usefilm.com/Image.asp?ID=1181346
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Michael Neumann
(K=119) - Comment Date 7/23/2008
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The Bottom line is 4x5 digital backs are still a long ways away, at last for those of us that cant mortgage our house for the money to buy the back. Do yourself a favor and keep shooting sheet film and just forget about going digital wth anything bigger than 6x6 or 6x7. I actually like the fact that 4x5 is still basically out of reach of the digital realm. It assures us that there will be sheet film being manufatured for a very long time to come. I didnt invest over 30,000 dollars in my 4x5 kit only to have it become obsolete to digital like we are seeing with 35mm and medium format. I love shooting film and the price of a 4x5 digital back again assures us that 4x5 film will continue to be produced for a very long time to come. That makes me a happy camper! 
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