Calumet?
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From: Padu on 9 Feb 2007 16:08 Hi All, I'm a "casual" photographer... I invest more time than the average hobbyist photographer into learning photography but I'm not a professional photographer. Better yet, I'm a software engineer that once had dreams to be a professional photographer. I started photography in the late 80's with 35mm and my own B&W darkroom. Recently I've jumped into the digital bandwagon with a sonalta d-slr. All good until I came to an exhibition of a fellow photographer (Dana Neibert) and realized that film is still used a lot, especially for commercial stuff. He showed his crown graphic, and that got me thinking. Now I want to start shooting large format (4x5), but on a budget, since I'll still shoot digital. From what I've researched, the calumets are a very good starter camera (cheap), and then I've bought one on ebay (one of the old CC-403 I believe, it's the gray one) for about $100 bucks (body only). The price is ok, so if I need to re-sell it, I won't loose any money. My question is if this is a good camera to start (and start buying stuff for it) or should I spend a bit more (and I really mean a bit) and start with a calumet 45 model (the black one, with square rails). I will mostly do stuff in my studio, and I don't care for convenience if I need to take a few shots outdoors (that's why I don't care for the folding models such as the crown graphic)... Cheers! Padu
From: Gregory Blank on 9 Feb 2007 17:56 In article <c87c8$45cce2fd$4a01820a$18364(a)msgid.meganewsservers.com>, "Padu" <padu(a)merlotti.com> wrote: > My question is if this is a good camera to start (and start buying stuff for > it) or should I spend a bit more (and I really mean a bit) and start with a > calumet 45 model (the black one, with square rails). Better yet buy a used Omega View D or E in good shape! Built like tanks and were actually made by Mamiya. Used price maybe 300 dollars, and you'll have money for film, paper and chemicals. -- George W. Bush is the President Quayle we never had.
From: Fred Leif on 9 Feb 2007 20:25 Sure, hundreds of photographers learned how to use a view Camera with these old Calumets. Very durable equipment. If it's bellows are light tight and it locks down solidly, save your money for the lens board, lens (get something with some coverage so you can use the movements), dark cloth, holders, tripod, hand held meter, filters, and ... the darkroom that you're going to want to build to process it all yourself. Lots of better places to spend some money. You can always upgrade the camera itself if you wish, and as you said, you'll get your $100 back out of it when/if you choose to sell it. No one will be able to tell if your pictures were taken with the Calumet, Sinar, Bender or an old graphic ... .... ... I've never found a reason to upgrade from my old Calumet and it's still going strong after 20 years. "Padu" <padu(a)merlotti.com> wrote in message news:c87c8$45cce2fd$4a01820a$18364(a)msgid.meganewsservers.com... > Hi All, > > I'm a "casual" photographer... I invest more time than the average > hobbyist photographer into learning photography but I'm not a professional > photographer. Better yet, I'm a software engineer that once had dreams to > be a professional photographer. > > I started photography in the late 80's with 35mm and my own B&W darkroom. > Recently I've jumped into the digital bandwagon with a sonalta d-slr. All > good until I came to an exhibition of a fellow photographer (Dana Neibert) > and realized that film is still used a lot, especially for commercial > stuff. He showed his crown graphic, and that got me thinking. > > Now I want to start shooting large format (4x5), but on a budget, since > I'll still shoot digital. > > From what I've researched, the calumets are a very good starter camera > (cheap), and then I've bought one on ebay (one of the old CC-403 I > believe, it's the gray one) for about $100 bucks (body only). The price is > ok, so if I need to re-sell it, I won't loose any money. > > My question is if this is a good camera to start (and start buying stuff > for it) or should I spend a bit more (and I really mean a bit) and start > with a calumet 45 model (the black one, with square rails). > > I will mostly do stuff in my studio, and I don't care for convenience if I > need to take a few shots outdoors (that's why I don't care for the folding > models such as the crown graphic)... > > > Cheers! > > Padu >
From: Bandicoot on 9 Feb 2007 20:57 "Fred Leif" <fsleif(a)starband.net> wrote in message news:c825a$45cd1f33$94403028$25782(a)STARBAND.NET... >[SNIP] > > Lots of better places to spend some money. You can > always upgrade the camera itself if you wish, and as you > said, you'll get your $100 back out of it when/if you choose > to sell it. Good advice. Remember that in large format you are much less 'locked in' to a 'system' than with smaller formats. If you want to change cameras in future, a change of lens boards is all you need. Many accessories are interchangeable too, with only a few things like binocular viewers tending to be restricted to a single make. This means it's much easier to change your camera/brand choice when and if you ever want to 'upgrade', and carries a much lesser financial penalty, compared to doing so in smaller formats. The Calumet should be a good place to start: save the rest of your budget for tripod, film holders, a Polaroid back, film, and, of course, a lens or two. Peter
From: Nermal on 10 Feb 2007 09:10
The Omega View was the finest camera that I ever owned. It had the smoothest action of any view camera out there. I use a Crown Graphic now. It takes a lot longer to set up and lacks the extreme movements but that is not a problem. Gregory Blank wrote: > In article <c87c8$45cce2fd$4a01820a$18364(a)msgid.meganewsservers.com>, > "Padu" <padu(a)merlotti.com> wrote: > > >>My question is if this is a good camera to start (and start buying stuff for >>it) or should I spend a bit more (and I really mean a bit) and start with a >>calumet 45 model (the black one, with square rails). > > > Better yet buy a used Omega View D or E in good shape! Built like tanks > and were actually made by Mamiya. Used price maybe 300 dollars, and > you'll have money for film, paper and chemicals. |