Shooting 4x5 without a tripod (AKA are you nuts!)

Film photographers are a strange lot! Always wanting a challenge... looking for ways to push the envelope.  And if I'm honest, I am no different.  I shoot 4 different cameras, in small, medium and large formats, developing BW, C41 and E6 film at home.  Scanning and digitally editing, and finally printing on my small inkjet printer.

So, while planning for an upcoming family vacation, I came up with a wild idea.  Why not try faster film, and hand hold the 4x5, using faster shutter speeds and the built in range finder as a quick focus.

What would I need to do this?

To start with, I would need a fast ASA so that my shutter speeds would be high enough to hand hold the 4x5 in decent light.  My Graflex Optar lens has a maximum 1/400 sec shutter speed, so using the sunny sixteen rule, I could get these possibilities using some Arista EDU 400 film:

F16 @ 1/400 (full sun)
F16 @ 1/200 (bright clouds)
F16 @ 1/100 (clouds)

Fast enough to not cause blur, so if I could trust the range finder, this should work out... right?  I previously calibrated the rangefinder, so out I went, with several film holders in the pack.

And, sure enough it worked.  I managed to capture a few sheets, one at F22 @ 1/200 and one at F8 @ 1/100.  The focus?  Not too bad.  See images below.

100% crop detail!

Am I sold on using this technique on my next vacation?  Probably not... If I'm honest, the focus could be better... and wrangling the spot meter, dark slide, filters, etc would be difficult while staying agile and mobile, traveling about with the family.

But, if I am traveling by myself, I think this may be a process I could enjoy.

It has some historical significance in that it is the way these camera's were originally used by the press back in the 50's.  And that is the joy in owning and using this type of gear!

So I will probably stick to my Pentax 645 and C41 color for my next vacation.  It is simple and flexible, and will not be an intrusion to the family plans.  But I am glad I tried this approach.  #lifelonglearner