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Large format

December 15, 2023

"8x10" redirects here. For the Indian film, see 8 x 10 Tasveer.

Large format refers to any imaging format of 9 cm × 12 cm (3.5 in × 4.7 in) or larger. Large format is larger than "medium format", the 6 cm × 6 cm (2.4 in × 2.4 in) or 6 cm × 9 cm (2.4 in × 3.5 in) size of Hasselblad, Mamiya, Rollei, Kowa, and Pentax cameras (using 120- and 220-roll film), and much larger than the 24 mm × 36 mm (0.94 in × 1.42 in) frame of 35 mm format.

Old studio camera
Lens and mounting of a large format camera
Comparison of 35 mm, medium format, and large format

The main advantage of a large format, film or digital, is a higher resolution at the same pixel pitch, or the same resolution with larger pixels or grains which allows each pixel to capture more light enabling exceptional low-light capture. A 4×5 inch image (12.903 mm²) has about 15 times the area, and thus 15 times the total resolution, of a 35 mm frame (864 mm²).

Large format cameras were some of the earliest photographic devices, and before enlargers were common, it was normal to just make 1:1 contact prints from a 4×5, 5×7, or 8×10-inch negative.

Formats edit

The most common large format is 4×5 inches (10.2x12.7 cm), which was the size used by cameras like the Graflex Speed Graphic and Crown Graphic, among others. Less common formats include quarter-plate (3.25x4.25 inches (8.3x10.8 cm)), 5×7 inches (12.7x17.8 cm), and 8×10 inches (20×25 cm); the size of many old 1920s Kodak cameras (various versions of Kodak 1, 2, and 3 and Master View cameras, to much later Sinar monorail studio cameras) are 11×14 inches (28x36 cm), 16×20 inches (41x51 cm), 20×24 inches (51x61 cm), various panoramic or "banquet" formats (such as 4×10 and 8×20 inches (10x25 and 20x51 cm), and metric formats, including 9×12 cm, 10×13 cm, and 13×18 cm and assorted old and current aerial image formats of 9×9 inches, 9×18 inches (K17, K18, K19, K22 etc.), using roll film of 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, or 10 inches width or, view cameras (including pinhole cameras), reproduction/process cameras, and x-ray film.

Above 8×10 inches, the formats are often referred to as Ultra Large Format (ULF) and may be 11×14, 16×20, or 20×24 inches or as large as film, plates, or cameras are available. Many large formats (e.g., 24×24, 36x36, and 48x48 inches) are horizontal cameras designed to make big negatives for contact printing onto press-printing plates.

The Polaroid 20×24 camera is one of the largest format instant cameras in common usage and can be hired from Polaroid agents in various countries.[1] Many well-known photographers have used the 235 pounds (107 kg), wheeled-chassis Polaroid.

Control edit

 
Scheimpflug principle

Most, but not all, large format cameras are view cameras, with fronts and backs called "standards" that allow the photographer to better control rendering of perspective and increase apparent depth of field. Architectural and close-up photographers in particular benefit greatly from this ability. These allow the front and back of the camera to be shifted up/down and left/right (useful for architectural images where the scene is higher than the camera, and produces images where the scene is lower than the camera), and tilted out of parallel with each other left/right, up/down, or both; based on the Scheimpflug principle. The shift and tilt movements make it possible to solve otherwise impossible depth-of-field problems, and to change perspective rendering, and create special effects that would be impossible with a conventional fixed-plane fixed-lens camera.

Ansel Adams' photographs, and those of the other Group f/64 photographers, demonstrate how the use of front (lens plane) and back (film plane) adjustments can secure great apparent depth of field when using the movements available on large format view cameras.

Operation edit

A number of actions need to be taken to use a typical large format camera, resulting in a slower, often more contemplative, photographic style. For example, film loading using sheet film holders requires a dark space to load and unload the film, typically a changing bag or darkroom, although prepackaged film magazines and large format roll films have also been used in the past.

A tripod is typically used for view camera work, but some models are designed for hand-held use. These "technical cameras" have separate viewfinders and rangefinders for faster handling.

In general large format camera use, the scene is composed on the camera's ground glass, and then a film holder is fitted to the camera back prior to exposure. A separate Polaroid back using instant film is used by some photographers, allowing previewing of the composition, correctness of exposure and depth of field before committing the image to film to be developed later. Failure to "Polaroid" an exposure risks discovery later, at the time of film development, that there was an error in camera setup.

Uses edit

 
Ansel Adams's large format photograph The Tetons and the Snake River (1942)
 
Photographer Gregory Crewdson with a large format camera in 2007

The 4×5 inch sheet film format was very convenient for press photography since it allowed for direct contact printing on the printing plate, hence it was widely used in press cameras. This was done well into the 1940s and 1950s, even with the advent of more convenient and compact medium format or 35 mm roll-film cameras which started to appear in the 1930s. The 35 mm and medium format SLR which appeared in the mid-1950s were soon adopted by press photographers.

Large format photography is not limited to film; large digital camera backs are available to fit large format cameras. These are either medium-format digital backs adapted to fit large format cameras (sometimes resulting in cropped images), step and repeat Multishot systems, or scanning backs (which scan the image area in the manner of a flat-bed scanner). Scanning backs can take seconds or even several minutes to capture an image. When using a Sinar Macroscan unit and 54H data files, over 1 gigabyte of data is produced.

Large format, both film-based and digital, is still used for many applications, such as landscape photography, advertising photos, fine-art photography, scientific applications and generally for images that will be enlarged to a high magnification while requiring a high level of detail. High quality fine art prints can be made at sizes in the range of 40x50″ from a 4×5″ original, and well beyond that for larger negatives.

In the printing industry, very large fixed cameras were also used to make large films for the preparation of lithographic plates before computer to film and computer to plate techniques were introduced. These are generally referred to as a "process camera" and consist of vertically mounted models for smaller work and horizontal units mounted on rails for very large works such as maps and plans.

National Park Service documentation programs edit

Large format film is also used to create a record of historic places and things for the National Park Service documentation programs. The Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), and the Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) require large format film-based photography. 4×5″, 5×7″, and 8×10″ large format film formats are the only acceptable formats for inclusion in these collections at the Library of Congress. 4x5 and 5x7 are generally used in the field (5×7″ is preferred for very significant buildings) and 8×10″ is generally utilized for photo-duplication of historic photographs, documents and blueprints. Through HABS/HAER/HALS, buildings and sites of historic significance are recorded with large format cameras and black and white film and using techniques that document the key features of the historic resource with special care not to distort the angles and views. This rectified photography can be accomplished with large format cameras by keeping the film, lens and subject perfectly parallel. Smaller format cameras need to be tilted to view high or low subjects, but the same subjects can be captured by shifting the lens element of a large format camera up or down to keep the film, lens, and subject planes parallel.

HABS, HAER, and HALS also requires the increased resolution of large format film. A sheet of 5×7″ film has almost twice the resolution of 4×5″ film, and 4×5″ is almost 16 times larger than a 35 mm film image (24×36 mm). This added negative size not only allows for more detail, but the large format polyester film is also far more durable than acetate 35 mm stock. HABS, HAER, and HALS require that all submissions to the Library of Congress include the original film (archivally washed) and it must also include contact prints on fiber-based paper; these contacts are the same size as the film being submitted, 4×5″, 5×7″, or 8×10″, and the large size allows people to readily see the prints, while 35 mm contacts would be too small and would require magnification.

Photographers noted for having used large format edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "20 x 24 Studio".

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Large format cameras.
  • HABS/HAER/HALS Standards & Guidelines, National Park Service website

December 15, 2023
large, format, this, article, multiple, issues, please, help, improve, discuss, these, issues, talk, page, learn, when, remove, these, template, messages, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, . This article has multiple issues Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page Learn how and when to remove these template messages This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Large format news newspapers books scholar JSTOR May 2014 Learn how and when to remove this template message This article relies largely or entirely on a single source Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources Find sources Large format news newspapers books scholar JSTOR March 2017 Learn how and when to remove this template message 8x10 redirects here For the Indian film see 8 x 10 Tasveer Large format refers to any imaging format of 9 cm 12 cm 3 5 in 4 7 in or larger Large format is larger than medium format the 6 cm 6 cm 2 4 in 2 4 in or 6 cm 9 cm 2 4 in 3 5 in size of Hasselblad Mamiya Rollei Kowa and Pentax cameras using 120 and 220 roll film and much larger than the 24 mm 36 mm 0 94 in 1 42 in frame of 35 mm format Old studio cameraLens and mounting of a large format cameraComparison of 35 mm medium format and large formatThe main advantage of a large format film or digital is a higher resolution at the same pixel pitch or the same resolution with larger pixels or grains which allows each pixel to capture more light enabling exceptional low light capture A 4 5 inch image 12 903 mm has about 15 times the area and thus 15 times the total resolution of a 35 mm frame 864 mm Large format cameras were some of the earliest photographic devices and before enlargers were common it was normal to just make 1 1 contact prints from a 4 5 5 7 or 8 10 inch negative Contents 1 Formats 2 Control 3 Operation 4 Uses 4 1 National Park Service documentation programs 5 Photographers noted for having used large format 6 See also 7 References 8 External linksFormats editThe most common large format is 4 5 inches 10 2x12 7 cm which was the size used by cameras like the Graflex Speed Graphic and Crown Graphic among others Less common formats include quarter plate 3 25x4 25 inches 8 3x10 8 cm 5 7 inches 12 7x17 8 cm and 8 10 inches 20 25 cm the size of many old 1920s Kodak cameras various versions of Kodak 1 2 and 3 and Master View cameras to much later Sinar monorail studio cameras are 11 14 inches 28x36 cm 16 20 inches 41x51 cm 20 24 inches 51x61 cm various panoramic or banquet formats such as 4 10 and 8 20 inches 10x25 and 20x51 cm and metric formats including 9 12 cm 10 13 cm and 13 18 cm and assorted old and current aerial image formats of 9 9 inches 9 18 inches K17 K18 K19 K22 etc using roll film of 4 5 6 7 9 or 10 inches width or view cameras including pinhole cameras reproduction process cameras and x ray film Above 8 10 inches the formats are often referred to as Ultra Large Format ULF and may be 11 14 16 20 or 20 24 inches or as large as film plates or cameras are available Many large formats e g 24 24 36x36 and 48x48 inches are horizontal cameras designed to make big negatives for contact printing onto press printing plates The Polaroid 20 24 camera is one of the largest format instant cameras in common usage and can be hired from Polaroid agents in various countries 1 Many well known photographers have used the 235 pounds 107 kg wheeled chassis Polaroid Control edit nbsp Scheimpflug principleMost but not all large format cameras are view cameras with fronts and backs called standards that allow the photographer to better control rendering of perspective and increase apparent depth of field Architectural and close up photographers in particular benefit greatly from this ability These allow the front and back of the camera to be shifted up down and left right useful for architectural images where the scene is higher than the camera and produces images where the scene is lower than the camera and tilted out of parallel with each other left right up down or both based on the Scheimpflug principle The shift and tilt movements make it possible to solve otherwise impossible depth of field problems and to change perspective rendering and create special effects that would be impossible with a conventional fixed plane fixed lens camera Ansel Adams photographs and those of the other Group f 64 photographers demonstrate how the use of front lens plane and back film plane adjustments can secure great apparent depth of field when using the movements available on large format view cameras Operation editA number of actions need to be taken to use a typical large format camera resulting in a slower often more contemplative photographic style For example film loading using sheet film holders requires a dark space to load and unload the film typically a changing bag or darkroom although prepackaged film magazines and large format roll films have also been used in the past A tripod is typically used for view camera work but some models are designed for hand held use These technical cameras have separate viewfinders and rangefinders for faster handling In general large format camera use the scene is composed on the camera s ground glass and then a film holder is fitted to the camera back prior to exposure A separate Polaroid back using instant film is used by some photographers allowing previewing of the composition correctness of exposure and depth of field before committing the image to film to be developed later Failure to Polaroid an exposure risks discovery later at the time of film development that there was an error in camera setup Uses edit nbsp Ansel Adams s large format photograph The Tetons and the Snake River 1942 nbsp Photographer Gregory Crewdson with a large format camera in 2007The 4 5 inch sheet film format was very convenient for press photography since it allowed for direct contact printing on the printing plate hence it was widely used in press cameras This was done well into the 1940s and 1950s even with the advent of more convenient and compact medium format or 35 mm roll film cameras which started to appear in the 1930s The 35 mm and medium format SLR which appeared in the mid 1950s were soon adopted by press photographers Large format photography is not limited to film large digital camera backs are available to fit large format cameras These are either medium format digital backs adapted to fit large format cameras sometimes resulting in cropped images step and repeat Multishot systems or scanning backs which scan the image area in the manner of a flat bed scanner Scanning backs can take seconds or even several minutes to capture an image When using a Sinar Macroscan unit and 54H data files over 1 gigabyte of data is produced Large format both film based and digital is still used for many applications such as landscape photography advertising photos fine art photography scientific applications and generally for images that will be enlarged to a high magnification while requiring a high level of detail High quality fine art prints can be made at sizes in the range of 40x50 from a 4 5 original and well beyond that for larger negatives In the printing industry very large fixed cameras were also used to make large films for the preparation of lithographic plates before computer to film and computer to plate techniques were introduced These are generally referred to as a process camera and consist of vertically mounted models for smaller work and horizontal units mounted on rails for very large works such as maps and plans National Park Service documentation programs edit Large format film is also used to create a record of historic places and things for the National Park Service documentation programs The Historic American Buildings Survey HABS the Historic American Engineering Record HAER and the Historic American Landscapes Survey HALS require large format film based photography 4 5 5 7 and 8 10 large format film formats are the only acceptable formats for inclusion in these collections at the Library of Congress 4x5 and 5x7 are generally used in the field 5 7 is preferred for very significant buildings and 8 10 is generally utilized for photo duplication of historic photographs documents and blueprints Through HABS HAER HALS buildings and sites of historic significance are recorded with large format cameras and black and white film and using techniques that document the key features of the historic resource with special care not to distort the angles and views This rectified photography can be accomplished with large format cameras by keeping the film lens and subject perfectly parallel Smaller format cameras need to be tilted to view high or low subjects but the same subjects can be captured by shifting the lens element of a large format camera up or down to keep the film lens and subject planes parallel HABS HAER and HALS also requires the increased resolution of large format film A sheet of 5 7 film has almost twice the resolution of 4 5 film and 4 5 is almost 16 times larger than a 35 mm film image 24 36 mm This added negative size not only allows for more detail but the large format polyester film is also far more durable than acetate 35 mm stock HABS HAER and HALS require that all submissions to the Library of Congress include the original film archivally washed and it must also include contact prints on fiber based paper these contacts are the same size as the film being submitted 4 5 5 7 or 8 10 and the large size allows people to readily see the prints while 35 mm contacts would be too small and would require magnification Photographers noted for having used large format editAnsel Adams Robert Adams Takashi Amano 8 20 and 11 14 Eugene Atget Richard Avedon Tina Barney Gabriele Basilico Bernd and Hilla Becher Margaret Bourke White Marilyn Bridges Richard Bryant Christopher Burkett David Burnett Edward Burtynsky Clyde Butcher Julia Margaret Cameron Keith Carter Paul Caponigro Chuck Close 20 24 40 80 Anne Collier Linda Connor Thomas Joshua Cooper Gregory Crewdson Rineke Dijkstra Elsa Dorfman 20 24 William Eggleston Mitch Epstein Walker Evans Andreas Feininger Yishay Garbasz Miguel Gomez Emmet Gowin Peter Gowland Timothy Greenfield Sanders Olivier Grunewald Guido Guidi 8 10 Andreas Gursky 5 7 Milton Halberstadt Charles Teenie Harris Evelyn Hofer 4 5 Yousuf Karsh 8 10 Seydou Keita Mark Klett Nick Knight 8 10 An My Le 8 10 Herman Leonard Sze Tsung Leong O Winston Link Rodney Lough Jr Janelle Lynch 8x10 Sally Mann George Masa Louis Mendes Joel Meyerowitz 8 10 Richard Misrach Andrea Modica 8x10 David Muench Nicholas Nixon 8 10 Eliot Porter Mark Power Judith Joy Ross Paolo Roversi Thomas Ruff John Sexton Stephen Shore Toshio Shibata Julius Shulman Michael A Smith 8 10 8 20 and 18 22 Alec Soth David Stephenson photographer Joel Sternfeld Ezra Stoller Paul Strand Thomas Struth Hiroshi Sugimoto George Tice Arthur Tress Brian Ulrich Jeff Wall Peter Watson Weegee 4 5 William Wegman Brett Weston Edward WestonSee also editAPUG Large format lens Reisekamera tailboard view camera Wide format printer In digital printing the term large format is also used as a synonym for wide format References edit 20 x 24 Studio External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Large format cameras HABS HAER HALS Standards amp Guidelines National Park Service website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Large format amp oldid 1182859742, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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