Large Format Photography

What is Large Format?

This has been the contentious topic of many lengthy and futile arguments on some discussion boards. For the purpose of this article I will use the term Large Format to describe photography performed using a View Camera. View Cameras are a distinct breed with characteristics setting them apart from other camera types, such as reflex cameras (SLRs, TLRs) or rangefinder cameras.

View cameras usually have a simple construction – a front standard used to hold the lens, a rear standard used for viewing and to hold the film, a bellows connecting the two standards, and a focusing mechanism – either a monorail or a flatbed design, allowing back and forth movement of one or both standards.

Why Large Format?

Personal preferences aside, one can find advantages and disadvantages to any photographic format. View cameras offer little to no automation: the photographer performs every decision - from composition, through focusing to exposure. View Cameras require the use of a tripod and dictate a relatively slow setup and workflow process in practically every situation (some older models, like Graflex cameras, were actually designed to be used handheld by press photographers, but this mode of work will likely not work well in nature photography). View Cameras also require much longer lenses, compared to smaller formats, to cover a given angle of view. For example: a 600mm lens on a 4x5 camera will have similar coverage to a 200mm lens on a 35mm camera. These factors make the View Camera impractical for situations where the subject is very shy or likely to move at any moment (as in wildlife photography or candid images of people). The View Camera shines when the subject is static and the situation allows for a careful and calculated workflow. Here several of the format's advantages come into play:

    * Large film area: View Cameras can use a variety of film types and formats – both roll film (120, 220 using a dedicated back) and sheet film (some available sizes are 2"x3", 4"x5", 5"x7", 8"x10" and even larger). The most common format is 4"x5", offering approximately 13 times the film space compared to a 35mm frame. This allows the camera to capture a tremendous amount of detail and very fine gradation in tones. These are apparent in practically any print size and more so with large prints. Photographers who have become accustomed to seeing prints from Large Format film will likely be able to pick them out in almost any side-by-side comparison.
    * Control: View Cameras offer a level of control normally not found in other camera types. What sets these cameras apart is the ability to move the film plane and lens plane independently of each other, and set them at varying distances and angles relative to one another. This capability offers unparalleled control over focus and perspective. Using a View Camera you can have your plane of focus include very near and very far subjects (without having to stop down the lens), you can eliminate or intentionally create distortion resulting from tilting the lens relative to your subject etc. Consequently the View Camera can capture images that are simply not possible with other camera types that hold the lens parallel to the film at all times.
    * Aspect ratio: A 4x5 frame can be printed with little to no cropping in many common standard sizes (e.g. 8x10, 16x20), allowing for more accurate framing while working in the field.

The above points make the View Camera an extremely versatile tool for landscape and architectural photography where such precise control is required, where images are often printed at large sizes, and where the photographer can take the time to apply the more elaborate workflow.