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Re: [OM] Olympus shift lens

Subject: Re: [OM] Olympus shift lens
From: "John A. Lind" <jlind@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 01 Dec 2001 23:31:10 +0000
At 00:16 12/2/01, Andrew Fildes wrote:
No argument John. I was talking occasional user rather than gallery artist,
as the original query specified. Closest I can get with the Press lenses is
Super 23 with the tilt back (no shift) or building my own 6x9 view camera.
Hmmmm....
AndrewF

None intended  :-)
You're right; the original question went to documentary photos (presumed to be small and not intended for long-term archival measured in decades).

The other route some might think of would be a less expensive WA and cropping. Because I am having greater numbers of large prints made now, there is a very strong motive to get it right when making the photograph and not extracting a picture from within a picture. OK for a small print, but cropping for a large one can quickly run into trouble.

The practical limit for the full 35mm small format frame is an 11x16 getting that requires extremely fine grain film (unless you're after the grain structure artistically), very careful focusing, and eliminating any/all camera shake (tripod recommended). Do much cropping of it beyond chopping the ends of an 11x16 to 11x14 and the limit drops quickly to an 8x12 print. Getting it right on the film also saves $$$ by avoiding custom cropping when having prints made.

A friend at work warned me when I bought the MF SLR that the addiction to image resolution would soon lead to an 8x10 (inch) view camera, complete with huge cloak and all the technical movements for the lens board and back. Thus far I've resisted the temptation. A long-time friend from high school uses a 4x5 view camera. No MF for him; if he needs more horsepower than a 35mm SLR has, it's time for the 4x5! I've seen what it can do with ultra fine grain E-6 sheet film; prints large enough to fill an entire wall (40x50 inches). At that size a highly resolved image becomes immersive at a close viewing distance. He also has his own studio and a darkroom that can do everything except K-14.

Anyone remember Kodak's enormous backlit display transparencies at Grand Central Station in NYC? I believe Kodak updated it monthly. It got torn down with the renovation a few years ago. Nearly all of those were made using a custom 16x20 view camera built by Kodak specifically for making those images.

If you're thinking about "rolling your own," why think small with a 6x9? Think big: contact prints from a 16x20! [Don't know where you'd get film for it; Kodak also made custom film sheets for their 16x20.]

I think I'll clean the 645 lenses now [sigh].

-- John


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