From: Sandy King (sanking@clemson.edu)
Date: 12/17/02-09:38:17 AM Z
Mark Nelson wrote:
>Sam has a good point... it probably has a lot to do with what is practical
>and what will render the image in the manner you visualize it.
>
>I'll have to admit first though that I shoot that puny 35 mm film. You have
>to imagine going out to shoot with Sam and his 5 x 7 round camera, Sandy with
>his 20 x 24 view camera behemoth-and me in the middle with my puny 35 mm.
>Talk about film size envy.
The original question wondered why more people who work with large
format don't use telephoto lenses. After some wandering into the
realm of such issues as the juxtaposition of near and far objects,
Japanese perspective, how kudzu looks through wide-angle and
telephoto lenses, and so on, Mark brings us back to practical
considerations, which are at least as important, if not more so, than
any other.
For example, suppose you have an 8X10 view camera and propose to use
a long-focus lens on the camera for telephoto effect. Your normal
lens for 8X10 is about 12", right, so consider that to get the same
view on 8X10 that you would get on 35mm with an 100mm lens you will
need a 24" lens for your 8X10. A 200mm view with 35mm will require a
42'48" lens. Have you ever looked at a 42-48" lens in a shutter?
Big!!!!!! And heavy!!!!!! But your 8X10 probably does not have enough
bellows draw for the lens anyway, right?
My 12X20 camera has 48" of bellows draw and this allows me to use a
42" Artar and focus at infinity. However, since the so-called
standard lens of a 12X20 camera is about 24" the 42" Artar on this
camera comes short of even providing the equivalent of what I would
get on 35mm with a 100mm lens. And to say the least it is really much
harder to work with a 42" lens on 12X20 than with a 100mm on 35mm.
So, just out of curiosity, what would you need with your 8X10 to
equal Mark's view through the 35mm with a 400mm lens? Hummmmmmm, that
works out to a focal length of something on the order of 100", if my
crude calculations are correct.
Sandy King
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