Nigel Halliwell - Large Format Photography, Peak District

[sixstringsixshooter]

What camera is that?

[timparkinaccount]

@sixstringsixshooter It's an Ebony 45SU Large Format camera..

[paintingwithlight]

Nice Ebony Camera... My next camera will be an Ebony 8x10.

[cubuverde]

good for you since you can afford one, especially the lenses

[ZoneIII]

@cubuverde You do not need an expensive large format camera like an Ebony. I'm a professional large format photographer and I can tell you that you cannot tell the difference in photographs taken with the most basic large format equipment and those taken with very expensive equipment. The only thing that can make a difference is the lens and the photographer.

[timparkinaccount]

@ZoneIII Totally agree. More expensive equipement only makes it easier to take pictures, not to take better pictures.

However, it can also give you access to longer lenses or more rigid cameras (to cope with wind/vibration). Still, a camera like the Chamonix 45N at ~£500 will do almost anything you could want.. A bit cheaper than an Ebony..

[ZoneIII]

@timparkinaccount Yes, and as a matter of fact, I mentioned those advantages in my original post but I got an error message until I removed part of the post. The point I wanted to make was that someone should not be deterred from getting into LF because of the expense involved. The 45N that you mentioned is an outanding value for a beginner and will even serve an experienced photographer. We call them Calumet or Cambo cameras in the U.S. Best!

[ziryab92]

@ZoneIII Well, you might have issues with flange depth and back pressure on older large format camera. But if the distance from the lens mount to the film plane is absolutely correct and camera is internally optimized, there shouldn't be any noticeable quality difference. Otherwise it's up to the film and optical quality of the lens, of course.