What kind of camera is this?

Devinhullphoto · Sep 4, 2013

No necessarily the brand, just the type. I took this in college. A friend was using it as I just hung out with him and it was quite a weird setup. I know my photo is over exposed.

Derrel · Sep 4, 2013

It looks like a "flatbed 4x5" camera. It's not on a monorail, but on a flat "bed". The bellows compresses, and then the bed can be swung upwards and closed. It's a sexy-looking one too!

http://www.google.com/search?q=flat...LLeq0iwLG-IDQBg&ved=0CC4QsAQ&biw=1389&bih=934

It looks like it might be a Wista..."maybe"...but don't quote me on that...

Devinhullphoto · Sep 4, 2013

Derrel said:
It looks like a "flatbed 4x5" camera. It's not on a monorail, but on a flat "bed". The bellows compresses, and then the bed can be swung upwards and closed. It's a sexy-looking one too!

http://www.google.com/search?q=flatbed+4x5+camera+%2B+images+of&client=safari&rls=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=JaQnUrCLLeq0iwLG-IDQBg&ved=0CC4QsAQ&biw=1389&bih=934

It looks like it might be a Wista..."maybe"...but don't quote me on that...

I remember he has to compose them close it and use a one time cartridge thing. Plus when he composed it was upside down and that threw me off. Haha

Derrel · Sep 4, 2013

Yes...focus on a groundglass back where the image is upside down AND laterally reversed, usually using a focusing cloth over the head, and a magnifying loupe to ascertain sharp,correct focus placement; close shutter and then make sure it is cocked and ready to fire; insert 4x5 sheet film holder; remove dark slide from holder; fire shutter; re-insert dark slide: remove sheet film holder, and if a second shot is desired, "flip" the holder over, and re-insert, re-cock the shutter,remove dark slide, and fire, re-insert dark slide. Standard sheet film holders are two-sided.

It's really not all "that difficult" to shoot a view camera. I kind of miss it, actually...

Devinhullphoto · Sep 4, 2013

Derrel said:
Yes...focus on a groundglass back where the image is upside down AND laterally reversed, usually using a focusing cloth over the head, and a magnifying loupe to ascertain sharp,correct focus placement; close shutter and then make sure it is cocked and ready to fire; insert 4x5 sheet film holder; remove dark slide from holder; fire shutter; re-insert dark slide: remove sheet film holder, and if a second shot is desired, "flip" the holder over, and re-insert, re-cock the shutter,remove dark slide, and fire, re-insert dark slide. Standard sheet film holders are two-sided.

It's really not all "that difficult" to shoot a view camera. I kind of miss it, actually...

I'm sure if I actually tried it wouldn't be too bad. I just remember watching him and thinking that composing your scene backwards would be a mind trip.

Derrel · Sep 4, 2013

Devinhullphoto said:
I'm sure if I actually tried it wouldn't be too bad. I just remember watching him and thinking that composing your scene backwards would be a mind trip.

Well, you know Devin, composing reversed left-to-right is what waist-level SLR and waist-level TLR shooting is alllll about. Adding upside down to the laterally reversed image seen with a view camera is something a person gets used to. One thing that using a view camera DOES do though is it trains you to THINK about composing, and it forces you to sort of mentally map-out the things that you include within the area of your frame. Also, the view,even under the dark cloth, is somewhat DIM, and you sort of have to move your head side to side and up and down in order to read the entire scene...the view is actually dim, and not "of the whole,entire scene". So set-up, and placement, and ticking things off mentally, element by element, is the way composing is done. Yeah, it's all up[side down, and laterally reversed, so you have to use your training and brain to sort of "evaluate" the composition, and what is in the frame.

Some people are of the mind that viewing things upside down actually IMPROVES composition, by forcing the photographer to learn to perform what amounts to a sort of mental gymnastics routine when making each and every new picture. With the time, effort, and costs associated with each and every sheet of 4x5 film, and the rigorous technical demands of shooting larger format film, photography and composition are "different" than when firing off cheap, easy, fast shots of 35mm-style film or digital. It's slower, more-deliberate, and,well "different".

Devinhullphoto · Sep 4, 2013

Derrel said:
Well, you know Devin, composing reversed left-to-right is what waist-level SLR and waist-level TLR shooting is alllll about. Adding upside down to the laterally reversed image seen with a view camera is something a person gets used to. One thing that using a view camera DOES do though is it trains you to THINK about composing, and it forces you to sort of mentally map-out the things that you include within the area of your frame. Also, the view,even under the dark cloth, is somewhat DIM, and you sort of have to move your head side to side and up and down in order to read the entire scene...the view is actually dim, and not "of the whole,entire scene". So set-up, and placement, and ticking things off mentally, element by element, is the way composing is done. Yeah, it's all up[side down, and laterally reversed, so you have to use your training and brain to sort of "evaluate" the composition, and what is in the frame.

Some people are of the mind that viewing things upside down actually IMPROVES composition, by forcing the photographer to learn to perform what amounts to a sort of mental gymnastics routine when making each and every new picture. With the time, effort, and costs associated with each and every sheet of 4x5 film, and the rigorous technical demands of shooting larger format film, photography and composition are "different" than when firing off cheap, easy, fast shots of 35mm-style film or digital. It's slower, more-deliberate, and,well "different".

I know in my life drawing classes we would often draw the subject upside down to focus on what it looked like and not the fact that it was a person.

The friend who was using this is the one who got me Interested in photography again. It's a shame because he has since dropped out and now does construction and doesn't even tough his gear anymore. He was great and could have gone far.