Large Format Cameras

Large format cameras are sometimes referred to as view cameras or technical cameras. Large format cameras are designed normally for professional-studio photography. Traditionally, large format cameras are designed to take 4x5 inch film which is inserted in darkslide holders individually. These cameras are more old fashion because there is no viewfinder and the picture is focused up on a ground glass screen which is normally located at the rear of the camera using a dark cloth to keep out the bright surrounding light.

The draw backs of large format cameras is they require tripods because they are heavier than most cameras and need to be kept still while photographing. Another drawback is the ground glass viewing which makes the image seem dim and upside down; this can be frustrating when a photographer is use to looking through a viewfinder and seeing exactly what the picture will look like. Another drawback is everything is manual which can be a good thing or a bad thing. It can be good because the photographer can control how the picture will come out and bad because there is more room for errors than with automatic cameras. Some other drawbacks are large format cameras are they tend to be more expensive than other cameras and they need longer focal lengths to get the same angle of view as smaller format cameras and using a large format camera takes patience and time to get the shot because it takes a while to set everything up since there are some many bulky parts that have to be assembled.

The advantages of using large format cameras are they can use interchangeable lenses just as easily as 35 mm cameras can and the camera can change shape. Large format cameras have a back piece that can change the whole shape of the camera so that the back and front are not longer directly in line. The movements allow the camera to adjust sharpness, perspective, and the shape of the subject as seen on the film. Another advantage of the large format camera is the flexible bellows which connect the front of the camera to the back. The bellows help to adjust the range of focal lengths (since there are no zoom lenses in large format cameras), focusing distances, and lateral and angular adjustments between where the film is located and the where the lens is located. Some other advantages of large format cameras, are they take larger image sizes and produce results that are sharper, have a better tonality and are grain-free to make the image look smoother.