I received a Graflex RF as a gift. Is there anybody out there with this camera who could give me some advice on how to use it to the best advantage.

-- Norman Ewan (norman@newan.freeserve.co.uk), November 24, 2001

Answers

Look up www.graflex.org -- it'll be your best start. Dean

-- Dean Lastoria (dvlastor@sfu.ca), November 24, 2001.

Norman:

It depends on what kind of picture you want to arrive at, and I assume this is your first LF camera.

There are many books on LF technique-Ansel Adams' "The Camera" and Kodak's Large Format Photography", as well as books by John Sexton (Places of Power)and Robert Mapplethorpe (Flowers) and Richard Avedon et al. One of the most useful is Ansel Adams' "The making of 40 Classic Images", where he shows a picture of his and explains why and how he shot it: what camera, what lens/filter and why etc.

Your camera will allow you to take world-class pictures, except the rear film plane can not be adjusted for perspective changes, or rear standard focus, which some claim is the right way to focus LF.

My new (to me) Graflex is great. I like the solid all-metal construction and the fact it is very comapct & easy to carry. With a flash I can even hand hold 4x5s!!!

Cheers Get a few boxes of outdated (i.e.cheap) 4x5 film and practise. In a few months you will start to see great results.

-- RICHARD ILOMAKI (richardjx@hotmail.com), November 24, 2001.