8x10 camera

Are there such things as 8x10 cameras? What is the purpose of them?

Yes there are large format cameras. The advantage is the detail obtainable when using such large film, another is proportion, or perspective correction by using the rack and rails to twist and turn the focal plane in reference to the lens to correct anomalies in the lens. Wiki of the keyword View Camera would help too!

When I took my only photography class in college back in 19??, we had to do our work with 8x10 cameras. Hate to lug one of those on a hike.

Baydream wrote: When I took my only photography class in college back in 19??, we had to do our work with 8x10 cameras. Hate to lug one of those on a hike.

Take comfort in the fact that I had to do it too!!Took a shot from across the road thru a window upstairs
and there was a newspaper that you could read,those were supersharp images.
Clyde Butcher uses one...awesome photographer....
clydebutcher.com/

8x10 is the format: the size of the film it uses. Many camera designs came in that format. Obviously view cameras, but also SLRs and even TLRs . Film 4x5 and larger is called large format. It's mostly used in sheets (1 photo per), but there have been applications where large format roll film has been used. Common formats (in inches) are 4x5, 5x7, 8x10, and 11x14, but a lot of large format cameras are specialized or custom, so there are also many odd formats. Larger than 11x14 they've been calling ultra large format. The most famous ULF cameras are probably the big Polaroids, but there still are some crazy folk hauling those giant cameras around.

Why so big? In the beginning enlarging was not as common, and many photographers made contact prints. Early film and lenses weren't as sharp as we are used to today, and a large neg was required to get excellent print quality. When film and lenses got better bigger film tended to mean better print quality. Photographers went with the biggest format that was suitable for their subject matter, and they were willing to haul around. Ansel Adams used an 8x10 view camera for his photos of the west. He knew where his subject was, and that it wasn't going to move. The 8x10 negs would retain excellent image quality even printed very large to help convey the grandeur of the scene. Henri Cartier-Bresson chose a 35mm rangefinder camera for his photos of the streets of Paris and the world. He needed something quick and impulsive, fast and discreet. His photos were more about emotion and place. Immaculate print perfection or the resolution of fine details was not as important to him.

As the technology improved the differences in the benefits from going to larger and larger formats declined. These days 4x5 is a lot more popular than 8x10, because the slight difference in enlargement quality is often off set by the additional technical difficulties of operating a much larger camera. For instance on a windy day an 8x10 camera acts like a kite. But there are some folks who have the discipline to realize that extra technical quality.

I would like to see a large format digital. THey could just take the snesor chip straight off the press and mount it. Though I would hate to see the cost and the amount of data it would have.

There are large format scanning backs that have incredible resolution, but their operation requires long exposures (sometimes several) so their use tends to be limited to subjects that stay absolutely still. I have a buddy who used one with a typical 4x5 monorail view camera working in an art museum documenting all the art work.

Baydream wrote: When I took my only photography class in college back in 19??, we had to do our work with 8x10 cameras. Hate to lug one of those on a hike.

That had to be a pain in the back. I bet you are glad you are using digital now.

Joves wrote: I would like to see a large format digital. THey could just take the snesor chip straight off the press and mount it. Though I would hate to see the cost and the amount of data it would have.

With my luck, I'd forget to remove the lens cap.

Clicky wrote:

Baydream wrote: When I took my only photography class in college back in 19??, we had to do our work with 8x10 cameras. Hate to lug one of those on a hike.

That had to be a pain in the back. I bet you are glad you are using digital now.

Actually, it was a great way to learn the basics, the instructor got ill two weeks into the class and asked me to teach the class while he was out. That included all the darkroom sessions. Me, having never been in a darkroom before, had to think fast and learn fast. He returned for the final two classes. Therefore, I'm not sure if I'm self taught or what.

I do love digital.

Good to hear some of you have experience with large format cameras. These are the makers of large format scanning backs (for 4x5):

www.betterlight.com/

I use film in my 8x10, to do older style (aka alternative) printing processes:

www.bostick-sullivan.com/

Matthew

FYI the standard print sizes today -- 5x7, 8x10, 11x14 & etc. come from the old film sizes.