4x5

4x5 is the size of the film used in a 4x5 view camera. I was required to buy one when I attended Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California. I had never used a camera like this before. This is the old fashioned type camera where the photographer standing beneath a dark cloth to look through the ground glass. It is a very disconcerting because the image is upside down and that took some getting used to. The good things about the camera is that it produces a very large negative from which a very sharp print can be printed. Another thing is that the camera allows for correction of distortion when photographing buildings. The film is held in film holders which hold 2 sheets of film, one on each side. It is also very heavy and requires a sturdy tripod. Also to focus it is best to use a loupe for magnification. Also a shutter release cable is needed. Back then I also used a manual light meter. You have to remember this was back in 1981 when things were still done manually. I also had to learn to develop the film. I could develop my own black and white film while the color film was sent to the photo lab for processing. I developed a lot of film during my time at Brooks. I used a black and white film called Tri-X most of the time but I also shot color negative and color transparency. Sometime the assignment called for both black and white and color and color transparency. I haven't used the camera in a long time now but I still have and there are times when I think about bringing it out and taking a few photos. Maybe I will.