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Studio Potraiture with Tech Cam

Jwoo

New member
Hello,
I am considering the viablity of shooting portraits with a Cambo and 90 lens.
The subjects will be posing while sitting down, so there is not much movement forward or backward.
Is that possible at all, or am I carzy?
Using P30+ at the moment but with intention to upgrade to IQ140.
Has anyone done that, what are the limitations if any?

Thanks to all.
 

justinpoulsen

New member
Hi J Woo,

There will be some people who will tell you that this is possible..and it is. It isn't anywhere near as convenient as shooting a system with autofocus or a mirror box. limitations for me are composing a precise focus . My focus for interiors can be rough in most cases, but portraits require a precise focus. A wide angle lens helps to increase the depth of field. When moving to a 90mm lens your depth of field will be much more shallow. if you have time to tether and check on a computer your should be fine. I've seen it done before.

My only "portrait" with a tech camera. 47mm xl with i believe 3 degrees of forward tilt (i was running out of depth of field)


best,

Justin
 

Jwoo

New member
Hello Justin,
Thanks for th insights. Yes, the shallow dof can be a concern. But I intend to shoot a little loose at f8 so I think it would be fine.
I intend to use a Cambo RC400 and 90mm lens with helical focusing mount. Also will use a digital rangefinder to check distance.
My main concern would be waking the DB to take shots and also cocking the shutter.
 

Jwoo

New member
Do you to press the cable each and everytime you need to take a shot? Or can the DB be on for a couple of minutes in between?
 

justinpoulsen

New member
With the one shot cable you cock the shutter and you press the plunger once to take a photo. it automatically wakes the back up so you don't have two cables (one to wake up and one to take the photo)

one drawback for me is that the cable is too large to fit in my WRS so without making a modification it isn't the easiest thing in the world to hand hold.
 

Jwoo

New member
Thanks Justin. That is what I was afraid of. Coordinating the motion of cocking the shutter, press the cable to wake the back and shooting. Wish there was a easier way.
Of course I could just continue to use the Phaseone camera!
 

jlm

Workshop Member
if you shoot in zero latency mode, you have one cable, one pressing to shoot. uses batteries faster is the down side. it is what may use in the field however.
 

Jwoo

New member
I will be shootingbin the studio tethered to a computer. So battery power is not an issue. What one shot cable do you use? Can you please post a photo of your setup?
Thanks so much for all the advice.
 

Uaiomex

Member
20 years ago while doing some glamour shots with a Hasselblad, I used a wooden Tachihara 4X5 with a Schneider 210 Apo Symmar and 4X5 Velvia sheet-film. The female sitters were still and sitting on the floor. I used an inexpensive Novatron system with boxes.
It was a breeze, really. Perfectly doable since the dawn of the craft. If you wonder about the digital workflow, I don't know much about it. I use dslr's nowadays. Life is so simple now.
Eduardo
 
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dougpeterson

Workshop Member
I will be shootingbin the studio tethered to a computer. So battery power is not an issue. What one shot cable do you use? Can you please post a photo of your setup?
Thanks so much for all the advice.
One shot cable is not needed if you're shooting in the studio using firewire to power the back. Just set the back to zero latency, use a standard cable between the back and lens, and use a standard cable release on the lens.

I shot a football game with a tech camera once. So it is possible. But I'd be the first to tell you it's not the "right" tool for the job if high hit rate and fast working pace is a requirement.

OSU vs OU | Doug Peterson

 

JonMo

New member
I like shooting the Cambo in studio. Once you get a rhythm, cocking the shutter is simple.
I do plan out the shoot. It's more like you would set up for a movie shoot. I have preset marks on the floor and a preset recipe for that spot.
Just hit mark with camera set at focus distance and aperture.
Cock and shoot. Remote flash unit set on top with different light mixes on different channels.
Shoot feathered for feedback and minor adjustments. A lot more work than using the DF but pulling it off is rewarding. :)
 

Jwoo

New member
I like what Doug said: It' definitely not the 'right' tool for the job and I do need a high hit rate and fast workflow.
On the other hand, the other comment was: It's rewarding if you can pull it off!
Oh! the quest to be different!
 
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