Large Format Photography: 4x5 Monorail Camera and Exposure Brandon, Spring 2008

MAKING AN EXPOSURE STEP-BY-STEP

1. Set the camera up in zero position.

2. Roughly frame and focus.

a. Rise and fall.
b. The closer you are to your subject, the further the lens plane and the film plane must be
from one another.
c. You must use a focusing cloth that covers the camera back and your head so that the image
becomes more visible b y keeping out ambient light.

3. Visualize and make more precise adjustments.

a. Set the shape first, by adjusting the back through tilt and swing.
b. Then locate the plane of focus by adjusting the front through tilt and swing.

4. Make final adjustments.

a. Use a loupe to check focus on the ground glass.
i. Check the depth of field by examining the focus with the lens stopped down.
ii. Check the corners for vignetting. If vignetting occurs, decrease the degree of the
camera movements to correct.
b. When the image appears on the ground glass the way you want it, tighten all controls.

5. Make an exposure.
a. Use the external light meter to determine exposure.
b. The light meter should be set on ambient and the ISO according to the ISO of Polaroid
and/or sheet film you are using.
c.

Bellows Extension Exposure Compensation

When photographing small objects the amount the bellows are extended, or the distance from the
lens to the film decreases the effective f-stop. In studio work exposure is often determined by trial
and error with instant image film. If budget or weight is a concern, you have to correct the reading
of a hand held exposure meter with a compensation value.

To get a correct exposure, the photographer has to increase either the exposure time or open the
aperture accordingly.

The amount of the exposure compensation can be calculated by measuring the lens to film
distance, and calculating the exposure compensation by using the following formula: