Large format photography is experiencing the first stages of a popular revival, but where do you get started with such a unique and obscure format?
I got into large format a few years back when Lomography and expired 35mm film were just getting popular again.
Since then, I’ve shot vintage large format cameras and taken my 4×5 field camera hiking in Yosemite!
I’m passionate about this partially lost photography style and I want to help new photographers get started with large format!
If you want to shoot large format film, this is your guide.
What is Large Format Photography?
Image Credit: Bravingbird
Large format is any style of photography with a film frame measuring at least 4 by 5 inches.
Medium format photography typically uses film sizes smaller than large format but larger than 35mm film.
There are, generally, two types of large format cameras: The rail or monorail camera and the field camera.
A monorail camera is large and heavy, but it offers the most precision control over focussing and can accommodate lenses of all sizes.
A field camera is foldable and perfect for photography on the go, but is less technically versatile than its bigger sister.
If you want to get really big, ultra large format covers everything above 8 x 10 inches. Ultra large format cameras are actually very common and include imagining devices like x-ray machines.
The largest of these cameras need their own dedicated buses for transport!
Why Shoot Large Format?
Image Credit: Jason Jeandron
There are just as many reasons to shoot large format as there are other styles of photography, but there are a few things that make this format really stand out.
Large format photography gets a greater graphic fidelity than even the most advanced digital cameras are capable of.
A 4×5 camera will produce a resolution that puts even the most cutting-edge 50 megapixel camera to shame. In short, digital photography just can’t touch a large format photograph.
Large format cameras are also part of our history. Even though flashy digital devices have defined the modern photographic era, historic styles like large format aren’t lost and form an important part of the art form today.
My favorite reason for shooting large format is just how fun it is. Everyone’s taking their Sony or Canon cameras out for a day of street photography, but you really stand out when you’re walking around town with your 4×5 field camera.
There’s also a technical reason to shoot large format. Modern cameras can handle all of the exposure calculations for us, but large format forces us to get back in touch with our roots.
Since I’ve started shooting 4×5, I’ve gotten so much better at intuitively understanding the correct exposure and focus for my shots, whether I’m shooting digital or film.
Large Format Photography for Beginners: Equipment Needed
So, you’re sold on how good large format could be, but you don’t know what gear you need to get started. I’ve got you covered.
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Here’s all the equipment you need to start shooting like Ansel Adams
1. Large Format Camera Body
This 4×5 field camera from Intrepid has been by my side on mountaintops and city streets.
The first thing you’re going to need is a large format camera body.
I’ve recently upgraded to the 4×5 model from Intrepid cameras which only cost me a few hundred dollars. However, you can find 4×5 camera bodies ranging from around $100 to several thousand.
Unlike digital cameras, most of these large format bodies are going to offer the exact same features. Those big swings in price have more to do with how sought after certain vintage cameras are than they do with one camera body being strictly better than another.
If you’re not buying new, make sure to check the used camera for common problems such as holes or rips in the bellows, rails that don’t move, and cracks and other damage to the frame itself.
2. Lens
Don’t even start me on how much I love vintage lenses!
If you’ve been a photographer for a while you’ve probably heard the old wisdom that your glass is more important than your camera body. Well, this is nowhere more true than in the world of large format photography.
A large format lens is made up of three distinct parts. You have the lens, the shutter, and the lens board which holds everything in place.
Unlike with today’s digital cameras, the shutter mechanism is actually part of the lens itself rather than being part of the camera body.
You’ll also notice that focal lengths are massive in the world of large format photography.
I shoot with a 135mm lens on my 4×5 which is roughly equivalent to a 40mm lens on a 35mm camera. If you want a portrait lens, you’ll be shopping for something more like a 300mm focal length.
All of these lenses are vintage and bought second hand. Make sure to look for fungus, haze, and any damage to the glass.
In my experience, people baby these large format lenses and they are in generally better condition than their smaller format counterparts.
3. Magazine, Film Holder, and Dark Slide
Big camera. Big film.
Loading film into your 4×5 camera feels like a bit of a mystery at first. You load individual photographic frames two at a time into your film magazine, also called a film holder.
When you’re ready to take your shot, you slide out the dark slide which is there to protect your film from accidental exposure while you’re handling the film magazine.
Most dark slides have a white marker on one side and a black marker on the other. I generally keep the black side out to signify unexposed film and the white side out to signify exposed film so I don’t accidentally get double exposures when I don’t want them.
4. Tripod
A tripod is an absolute must if you plan on shooting large format photography.
The process of shooting large format photography involves a lot of setup. This means that you’ll be going back and forth adjusting your lens, using the rails to focus, and ultimately taking your shot.
It’s just not practical to do this without a camera that’s locked down on a tripod.
5. Dark Cloth
Intrepid has a fancy Focus Hood that lets you set up a shot without needing to haul around a dark cloth.
Like so many things in the world of large format photography, the dark cloth has a proper gothic name.
If you’ve ever seen retro photographs of old time photographers covered in a black cloth while they’re taking their shot, you’ve seen someone using a dark cloth on a large format camera.
The dark cloth is used to allow you to compose and focus your shot when looking through the ground glass on the back of the camera.
It blocks external light, preventing it from interfering with your view. Otherwise, it can be extremely difficult to achieve precise focus and good composition.
I know it can be really expensive to try and get into large format photography, so here’s a money saving tip. When I first got started, I used a large hoodie or sweater to function as a makeshift dark cloth.
I’ve also seen other photographers using blankets to get the job done – another makeshift solution to try before you can invest in a proper dark cloth.
6. Remote Release Cable
It’s a small accessory, but just as vital as the camera itself.
The remote release cable is about as straightforward as it gets.
I never recommend pulling the trigger on the shutter with your bare hands as this introduces a lot of unwanted shake into your image.
A remote release cable allows you to push the shutter button safely without shaking up your shot.
6. Loupe
A jeweler’s loupe or a photographer’s loupe is another must have. You use a loupe to get pinpoint examination on the ground glass when focusing your large format film camera.
The focusing plane is just so large on these cameras that it’s hard to get precision focus on the eyes or on elements of a landscape shot without a loupe.
I tried to get away without using a loupe when I first got started with large format photography and I often got frustrated with how out of focus my shots were.
7. Exposure Meter
I started using light meters for large format, and now I rely on them for everything.
Unless you’re a master of calculating exposure in your head, you’re going to need an exposure meter.
To be honest, the exposure meter was the single most expensive part of my startup cost. These exposure meters can be used to calculate the proper aperture and shutter speed for your shot and they are absolutely vital in the world of large format photography.
Large format cameras have no onboard ability to calculate the exposure for you. You’re either going to need to get extremely intuitive with your exposures or just pick up an exposure meter and get a little help from a piece of technology.
8. Large Format Film
Monster film for a monster-sized camera feels appropriate.
It might surprise you to know that plenty of companies are still out there making large format film.
It’s even more surprising that, at least for black and white, you won’t be paying too much more than you already do for 35 mm.
Large format film comes in boxes which contain a light-sealed bag to protect your film from unwanted light leaks.
When you want to load film, you’re going to need the next item in our list.
9. Film Changing Bag
If you’re into any style of film photography, a film changing bag will be your new best friend.
A film changing bag is the last absolute essential for large format photography.
You can think about these bags as a portable dark room that’s going to allow you to change your film even when you’re out in the field on a bright sunny day or shooting under harsh studio lights.
How to Set Up a Large Format Camera
Even the most professional mirrorless cameras really shoot like a point-and-click – just with more robust features. However, large format cameras are a different animal altogether.
Here’s how you set up a 4×5 camera and get ready for your first shot.
Step 1: Setup Your Camera Body
The first thing you’re going to want to do is set up your first large format camera.
Field cameras need to be unfolded and locked into the shooting position. This is usually a straightforward process, but the specifics of it will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.
You also want to make sure that you zero out your rails. You’ll see markings on the rails of your view camera and you want to make sure that everything is lined up so that each rail is at the zero position.
Zeroing out your 4×5 camera lets you lock in the focus and composition you want from a neutral starting point.
Step 2: Attach Your Lens
Large format lenses are actually four separate parts: the front glass piece, shutter, lens board, and rear glass.
The process of attaching a lens to a 4×5 camera is slightly different from what medium and 35mm photographers are used to.
Your first step is to attach the lens to the lens board. You’ll need to twist the front glass element – which usually contains the shutter mechanism – into the rear glass element with the lens board sandwiched in between.
Next, you’ll slide your lens board into the mounting bracket on your view camera. Again, the specifics are going to differ based on brand, but it’s all pretty similar.
Step 3: Load Your Film Magazine
You might guess what I’m about to say, but loading the film magazine is a completely different experience when you’re shooting large format.
You’ll be sliding an individual frame of sheet film into the film magazine inside your changing bag. Since you won’t be able to see what you’re doing, you’ll need to do this entirely with your sense of touch.
After you’ve loaded a film holder, you want to always make sure that you put your dark slide over the sheet film. This will prevent accidental exposures and light leaks.
When I first got started with large format, I wound up bending more than a few sheets of film while learning how to load a film holder.
I also loaded the film upside down plenty of times which resulted in some less than desirable exposures.
My biggest recommendation here is to shoot on the most affordable black-and-white film you can find while you’re learning how to load a film holder properly.
Not only will this save you money, but you’ll feel more relaxed when you’re not spending $10 per shot as you would with a high-end film.
How to Take a Photo with a Large Format Camera
Your camera is set up, your film holders are loaded, now it’s time for you to take your first shot.
Step 1: Compose Your Shot
This is the ground glass on the back of your large format camera. You’ll be looking through this glass to compose and focus your shots.
Composing a shot with a typical large format camera is pretty similar to composing a shot with any camera. The only trick here is now the image plane, lens plane, and plane of focus can move independently of each other!
Okay, I’ll spare you the geometry lesson and math, but the basic idea behind the Scheimpflug principle is that the image plane – that’s where the film or camera sensor is – the lens plane, and the plane of focus can all move independently, and that changes how you can frame a shot.
In a standard camera, those three planes are always parallel to each other unless you’re shooting with a tilt-shift lens.
In a view camera, they can be parallel when you want them to, but you can also tilt and swing your image and lens planes as you choose.
My recommendation is to start off shooting large format with all three planes parallel like you would with any old camera.
As you build up more experience, you can start to use swing and tilt for selective focus or to create that “miniature effect” you often see in architectural photography.
Here’s a tip: Large format view cameras are likely the first time you’ve ever had to worry about your lens’s image circle being large enough to cover your film. If you don’t want awkward black spots on your shots, check out my tips below.
Step 2: Focus
When you focus a standard camera, all you need to do is move the focus ring on the lens back and forth.
If I’m being honest, focusing a modern camera typically only means tapping the autofocus button. However, we’re going to need some old-school Ingenuity to focus our large formats.
You focus a large format camera by changing the distance between the lens and the image plane. This will either mean you have to move the lens closer or further from the back end of the camera that has the film in it.
Essentially, you’ll be shrinking and expanding your bellows like an accordion to get the focus that you’re after.
Adjusting the tilt and shift can also help with focus, but you can think about that as a more advanced technique that you can develop after you learn the basics.
Step 3: Exposure
Figuring out the exposure on a view camera is a little tricky, but I honestly think it’s really fun. This is the thing about large format that I really want to get across – it’s just fun.
The sunny 16 rule can get you far, but you’re really going to need an exposure meter if you want pinpoint accuracy. I use a Sekonic light meter to figure out all of my exposures.
I also aim to slightly overexpose my shots because I’ve found that with my particular combination of lens and camera, a little overexposure winds up getting the look I’m after.
Step 4: Load Your Film
You insert the film on the back of the camera between the camera body and the ground glass.
After you compose your shot, focus, and get your exposure, it’s time to load your film.
One of the oddities of large format is that you can not see through the ground glass after loading the film holder. Take all the time you need to set up your shot and be confident when it’s time to load your film and push the shutter button.
You also want to pull out the dark slide. This will allow the film to be exposed when you take your shot.
If you accidentally leave the dark slide in, all you need to do is reset the shutter and shoot again!
Step 5: Take the Shot
Your last step is to take the shot. Remember to use your remote release cable instead of pulling the trigger manually.
You can either develop your film at home, which is my personal preference, or you can send it off to a service like The Darkroom.
This might surprise you, but most commercial film processing labs still cover large format photography.
Large Format Photography Tips & Tricks
Your crash course and shooting on a large format camera is complete. However, I want to leave you with a few tips before I talk about gear and a few notable large format photographers you should check out.
Tip 1: Get to Know Your Gear
Everything moves a little bit slower in the world of large format photography. I really recommend slowing things down and taking the time to get to know your gear.
Not only are you shooting with vintage camera equipment, but you’re also going to be working with a photographic style that might be entirely new to you.
Just like going through all of the settings on a brand new mirrorless camera, you should spend some time really getting to know all of the features and quirks of your large format setup.
Tip 2: Learn Large Photography Camera Movements
Here’s a quick breakdown of the four essential types of movement that your view camera can do. Adjusting any one of these will change the focus and composition of your shot.
- Swing is the side-to-side movement of your camera’s lens and image plane
- Tilt lets these planes “look” up or down
- Rise and fall move each of these planes up and down
Tip 3: Try Out Landscape Photography
Landscape and architectural photography are natural best friends to the large format style.
I shot large format in the studio with models and as street photography, but I never feel quite as at home with this format as I do when shooting outdoors.
If you ever get the chance, grab a good field camera and capture some natural wonders in large format to really get a feel of what this unique style is capable of.
Tip 4: A Crash Course in “The Image Circle”
Remember how I mentioned the image circle earlier in this article, well, now it’s time to get into something that you probably have never had to think about in your career as a photographer.
Light passing through any camera lens is going to project a circular display onto the film or sensor in the back of your camera. This circle of light is known as the image circle.
The image circle almost always covers the film or sensor in standard and medium format photography.
The image circle might not be big enough to cover your film in large format photography, which is one of the things that makes this style more technically complex. If you swing or tilt the image or lens plane of your camera too far, the image circle will no longer cover the entirety of your film.
Your lens might also not bring in enough light to cover the entirety of your image plane. This is especially the case if you start working with telephoto lenses when shooting large format.
If you start seeing noticeable vignetting or blank spots on your developed large format film, that’s a sure sign that your image circle is no longer covering the entirety of your film.
Tip 5: Bracket and Take Test Shots
Large format can be a bit fickle when it comes to the correct exposure and focus. I shoot with vintage equipment that’s not quite as precise as it used to be.
Even though I get my lenses serviced once a year, I still like to bracket and take test shots.
If I ever line up a shot that I feel is a once-in-a-lifetime get, I’ll make sure to take the extra time to work with that scene using different exposures and compositions.
Tip 6: Develop at Home
My last tip for anybody looking to get into large-format photography is to develop your photos at home.
For me, a big part of large format photography is staying in touch with the history of our art form.
Developing photos might seem like an impossible task, but once you start working with large format, it’s really a natural progression.
5 of the Most Popular Large Format Cameras
Now, let’s get to the good stuff. I want to talk to you about the cameras and lenses that make large format photography really work.
Here are a few brands that you should look out for when it comes to shopping for camera bodies.
- Intrepid Camera: This UK-based company is manufacturing brand-new 4×5 and 8×10 cameras out of wood and 3D printed components. I own one and love it!
- Toyo: Another brand still making new cameras. These can be pricey, but the quality is great!
- Horseman: My large format studio camera is a Horseman 450 and I love it. The precision control of this camera just can’t be beat.
- Crown Graphic: I often see Crown Graphic cameras for a great price, but I hear that they were a “budget” brand back in their day.
- Graflex: Graflex is great for field and press cameras, but the price can sometimes be high as they are popular with collectors.
There are plenty of other brands out there like Sinar, Wista, Omega, and Calumet. Don’t be afraid to experiment with a brand that’s less common if the price is right!
What Lens to Use with a Large Format Camera
Large format uses its own style of lens. These lenses can be more than five times the price of even the most expensive 35mm lenses when you’re shopping new. However, you can often pick these up for a song on sites like eBay.
- Rodenstock: This brand still makes new large format lenses and even the vintage models command a decent price.
- Horseman: Ever the working photographer’s brand, they are still kicking, and the prices are reasonable as far as camera lenses go.
- Schneider: I shoot with a few second-hand Schneider lenses and I have no complaints – plus the cost isn’t bad!
- Fuji: Of course Fuji made large format lenses! They are great quality and seem to have held up well over the years.
- Nikor: Nikon also used to be in the large format game with plenty of options still available at second-hand shops.
- Graflex: Graflex used to be a big name in large format photography and you can find their equipment all over sites like eBay. I’ve got a few pieces of Graflex gear and they’re very reliable.
4 Large Format Examples from Famous Large Format Photographers
Let’s bring this article home by talking about a few large format photographers that you should be aware of.
You’ve probably already heard of Ansel Adams, Dorothea Lange, and Annie Leibovitz, so here are four large format artists that you might not know of, but should.
Bill Hao
Bill Hao is one of the most impressive large format photographers out there today, and I’m a huge fan of his work.
Hao has built a custom ultra ultra large format camera that he uses to capture wilderness locations in Canada with breathtaking clarity.
Natalie Oberg
Natalie Oberg captures haunting large format analog photography.
Her images have a masterful grasp of depth and shadow. Some of my favorite photos she’s taken capture layers of fog in mountain woodlands.
Jennifer Froula Weber
Jennifer Froula Weber is a large format photographer that blends landscape photography with images that capture everyday life.
Her photos have a way of capturing the living history of moments while retaining a modern sense of movement.
Kate Miller-Wilson
Kate Miller-Wilson states outright that her photography seeks to explore vulnerability, and that really comes across with each and every photograph.
Her photography also has a subtle, experimental quality to it that keeps drawing me back in.
FAQ
What is considered large format photography?
Large format photography is considered to be any photography done with film that is 4×5 in or larger. Once you get past the 8×10 format, you’ve entered into the ultra large photography format.
Are large format cameras still made?
There are still a few companies around that make large format cameras. You can find both affordable and high-end 4×5 or 8×10 cameras being produced today.
What are the advantages of large format photography?
There are plenty of advantages of large format photography. One of the biggest advantages is that large format photography boasts the highest resolution out of any other style of photography, beating out even the most impressive digital cameras.
What is large format used for?
Large format photography has historically been used for landscape photography. However, you can use large format photography for any style you like from street photography to something more experimental.
What size is large format photography?
Generally speaking, large format photography covers photographic styles that use cameras designed to accommodate film larger than medium sized format. Large format film can be as small as four by five inches and even several feet tall when it comes to ultra large photography.
What is a 4×5 camera?
A 4×5 camera is any large format camera designed to accommodate 4×5-in film. There are also adapters that can allow you to shoot smaller film sizes on 4×5 cameras. Likewise, there are adapters that can allow you to shoot 4×5 film on even larger cameras such as an 8×10.
How do photographers focus large format cameras?
Focussing a large format camera is completely different from any other type of camera. You focus a large format camera by expanding or contracting the bellows, adjusting the swing and tilt, and finally making changes to the rise and fall of the camera. This will take some getting used to, so make sure to shoot plenty of test shots!
Is large format photography expensive?
Large format photography can get very expensive with some lenses and cameras costing thousands of dollars. However, you can get a respectable large format setup by spending around half as much as a new mirrorless camera and lens.
Why are there no large format digital cameras?
There are a few major reasons why companies aren’t making large format digital cameras. Digital camera sensors are expensive and the only company even trying to make large format digital work charges $26,000 for an early release sensor. A large format digital camera would also consume lots of power making batteries either very heavy or too short-lived to be very useful.
What are the disadvantages of a large format camera?
Large format cameras are expensive, harder to find, and harder to learn than 35mm or medium format film photography. You’ll also have a tougher time hauling all of your large format gear around than you will with smaller cameras.
What is the difference between medium and large format photography?
Medium format photography shoots pictures that are 6 cm x 6 cm or 6 cm x 9 cm depending on the camera. Large format photography shoots pictures that are 4 x 5 inches and can go up to 8 x 10 and beyond.
What are the best large format photography forums?
There are active online forums for large format photography enthusiasts on Reddit, largeformatphotography.info, and plenty of other sites. You can also find large format communities on Instagram and other social media apps.
Large Format Photography: Final Thoughts
This crash course in large format photography has walked you through everything from buying and setting up your first 4×5 camera to catching up with some of the best contemporary artists working with this photographic format.
I hope I’ve inspired you to get in touch with this interesting and historic format.
Let me know down in the comments if you have any questions about large format photography and I’ll answer your pressing questions in an upcoming article.
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