[Leica] Film flatness and other mumblings

["Henning J. Wulff" <henningw@archiphoto.com>]

>Is it disposable?
>
>Dan C.
>
>At 02:50 PM 19-03-00 -0800, Jerald Rosenfeld wrote:
>>I just checked it is Sinar that has a film holder for 4x5 camera ONLY
>>$765 FOR ONE HOLDER. They do assume that the film will be flat. THAT
>>BEING 2 SHEETS OF FILM.

When you want to do the disposing, send it to me.

This one I haven't used, but I thoguht it only holds one sheet of film.
Could be wrong; I only saw it once at Photokina.

Sinar also sells adhesive film holders for 5x7 and 8x10 for $350US approx.
I used to do it with $25 Lisco's and some low tack adhesives.

BTW, the Vario back I had is now up to version II, at a price of $2893US
from B&H. Considering that I paid (only) $2000Cdn for the version I that I
had when it first came out about 15 years ago, that doesn't seem so bad,
since the one I had never worked properly. :-( Film stayed flat, but
spacing was 'something new every day'. Sometimes I only got one shot per
film, if I just kept winding. In comparison, my 6x12 Horseman back does a
good job as long as you don't wait a couple of hours between shots, 'cause
then the film ain't flat.

With respect to: what format?, use what works. More specifically, use the
most suitable thing that's available to you. If I don't have my Sinars with
me, I don't tend to take good pictures with them, and even lousy ones are
scarce. If I have my Noblex with me, I often take panoramic pictures. If my
Mamiya 6 is at my side, I take MF pictures. I see differently, and I take
different pictures. Not better; not worse. Different.

I find it quite difficult to take good photos with different formats on the
same job, or even different film types. One format or one film type usually
dominates my view. If I'm seeing properly in B&W on 4x5, the color shots
tend to be just colorized B&W shots, not good color shots. Similarly, if I
have to take 35mm slides on the same job, the shots tend to be just too
small, colorized 4x5 B&W shots. Some days I can do a decent jobs on a
couple of different setups, but many days it doesn't come off properly. I
think this is an extrapolation of the 'one film, one camera, one lens'
concept.

On this same note, if I use a Leica M to do the 35mm stuff, it tends to be
more 'true to 35mm color slides' than if I use an SLR. Might be because the
rangefinder M is _SO_ different than 4x5, whereas the SLR is closer to 4x5
viewing and I tend to use the same mindset more easily. Any of you other
multi-format/multi-film shooters have similar experiences?

   *            Henning J. Wulff
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