Large format photography 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. 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 The most common large format is 4 in × 5 in (10 cm × 13 cm), which was the size used by cameras like the Graflex Speed Graphic and Crown Graphic, among others. Less common formats include quarter-plate (3.25 in × 4.25 in (8.3 cm × 10.8 cm)), 5 in × 7 in (13 cm × 18 cm), and 8 in × 10 in (20 cm × 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 in × 14 in (28 cm × 36 cm), 16 in × 20 in (41 cm × 51 cm), 20 in × 24 in (51 cm × 61 cm), various panoramic or "banquet" formats (such as 4 × 10 and 8 × 20 inches (10 × 25 and 20 × 51 cm), and metric formats, including 9 cm × 12 cm (3.5 in × 4.7 in), 10 cm × 13 cm (3.9 in × 5.1 in), and 13 cm × 18 cm (5.1 in × 7.1 in) and assorted old and current aerial image formats of 9 in × 9 in (23 cm × 23 cm), 9 in × 18 in (23 cm × 46 cm) (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, 36 × 36, and 48 × 48 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. Many well-known photographers have used the 235 pounds (107 kg), wheeled-chassis Polaroid.
Control
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 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
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