Size Matters

The 8”x10” Legacy

A once living famous landscape photographer was asked about the size of camera he would take out into the field. His answer made perfect sense, “the largest I can carry”. That photographer was Ansel Adams. Back in his day there was little other then a mule to carry large cameras into the field. Often Ansel would pack hundreds of pounds of gear into his station wagon. Complete with a shooting platform on the roof, his setup was perfect for the time. Take that same gear on the trail minus a pack mule and life would get difficult very fast. Times have changed little since his day.

When camera format comes into question I often choose the aspect ration first. But I digress. When thinking of a large format camera most often the 8”x10” comes to mind. A perfect sized negative that gives a sharp as a tack contact print. The term contact print was derived from the process used to produce the final print. Prior to the days of enlargers, a negative was placed in direct contact with the printing paper. Thus the name contact print. The name stuck. The resulting image from a contact print produced a 1:1 ratio of negative to final print. No enlargement to degrade the final image quality. Most of the processes of the time were Ultra-Violet in nature and used the sun. More on those processes later.

The term large format refers to cameras that expose images onto individual sheets of film. Sometimes the term plate is used. Back in the day plates were most likely glass. The light sensitive emulsion was poured or coated onto the plate. In modern times the use of sheet film has taken over the use of plates. There are still processes that use both wet and dry plates. These are for the most hard-core individuals. The large format photographer has for the most part 3 traditional sizes of sheet film to choose from. First up is the 4”x5” size. Once the standard for advertising and studio work, the 4”x5” is by far the most popular size of sheet film. Dozens of varying emulsions over the years have been created. A select few were propelled into the cult like world with dedicated followers. Next up was the European 5”x7”size made popular by obscurity. The 5”x7” was a perfect size that could easily be enlarged yet still produce a zippy contact print. For those who desired even larger, the 8”x10” became the wholly grail of large format. Once considered the bread and butter of portrait photographers, the 8”x10” gained extreme status as “the” camera to possess. This due in large part to the likes of Edward Weston and Ansel Adams. Using the camera for portrait work, landscapes and fine art became all very much a standard practice. The 8”x10” negative was the ideal contact print. While Adams chose to enlarge most of his negatives, Weston was dedicated to the contact print process. There is no print that can compare or rival the contact print.

Working with negatives of this size does carry the realization that the larger the negative, the larger the camera….and heavier. The single most limiting factor when choosing format is weight followed by cost. The average 8”x10” comes in at around 12 pounds. Pack in a tripod, a lens or two and some film holders….the scales will start to tip around 30 pounds. Take that 30 pounds and place into a backpack, hike a few choice miles and you get the picture. One could wonder why not utilize the latest and greatest digital technology as a substitute for the large format camera. That is yet another topic of discussion for later. Much like the Midwestern field, the topic of digital vs. film is plowed on a daily basis. For now I shall state for the record that digital is not capable of giving the same results as a sheet of film. And even if digital could be comparable, the price is prohibitive. The technology used to produce an image on a sheet of film has changed very little over the years. Pure simplicity still in practice to this day. Working with a large wooden camera is a unique experience that is unlike any other image creation process. The images in the ground glass are upside down and backwards. This is due to the lack of mirrors on large format cameras. There are also no large format zoom lenses. Pick your spot carefully when staking claim to tripod real estate. Moving an 8”x10” camera on a tripod with a pricy lens becomes difficult even on friendly terrain. Try moving that same setup on uneven terrain and gravity just may win out.

With all the elements of difficulty using a large format camera can be very daunting to all but the most dedicated photographer. Simply viewing the negative is but a hint as to the end reward. Take that same negative and produce a contact print. Then there will be no question as to why such a large camera was used for there is no other print like a contact print. And no contact print in the large format world is better then the 8”x10”.....or maybe there is.