bjrolland wrote:I cracked up laughing at the writer calling a 4x5 Speed Graphic a "point and shoot" camera.
I suppose the news photographers of the time who used Speed Graphics could be thought of that way. They really did "point" them and "shoot". But there was a lot of experience and thought involved in the settings of the camera before it was "pointed". You couldn't just ramdomly aim it and hit the shutter like a modern point and shoot with a computer inside.
I used a Speed Graphic in my younger days but always on a tripod. Taking one picture could involve several minutes of setup time.
And then there's the Leica. It was (but wasn't really) the first point and shoot because, again, you had to involve your knowledge to prepare the camera before touching the shutter release.
Meanwhile, I enjoyed the posted picture.
I wonder if a similar thing could be done with a digital camera if you could figure out how to keep it powered on for an hour and a half.
Yup. I, too, shot many photos with a Speed Graphic. Not even close to a point-and-shoot. Here's the drill:
-Hold the 6 1/2-pound camera (the separate flash adds another pound or so) with your left hand while operating the controls with your right.
-With significant experience or a hand-held light meter, set the f/stop and shutter speed.
-Cock the shutter
-Focus manually using either the ground glass or the attached rangefinder
-Insert the 4x5 sheet film holder
-Pull the holder's dark slide
-Aim and compose shot
-Fire shutter
-Insert the film holder's dark slide
-Remove film holder, find a place to put it, and prepare for next photo.
Quite frankly, I don't miss it a bit. My 6-oz. point and shoot does just fine.
Keep those great photos coming. A bright spot in every day.