About a month ago, I bought myself a new (old) camera. A 1950s Busch Pressman Model 4×5. For awhile now I have been using a Speed Graphic 4×5 that belongs to a friend, so I had time to think about what type of 4×5 I would want for myself. The Speed Graphic is really good, but has only minimal movements of the front standard. Ideally, I’d love to have a nice Ebony or Toyo field camera, but they are very expensive, quite large, and a bit complicated in use considering I have to get an assistant to do everything for me and I need to direct them verbally on exactly what to do and when to do it. The Busch Pressman turned out to be exactly what I wanted in a 4×5 camera. It’s a gorgeous camera, and really compact for a 4×5. It has a revolving back, forward and backwards tilt, shift, and rise as well as a bit of fall when you tilt the bed. The lens that came with it is a Caltar II-N 150/5.6 in a Copal 0 shutter. The Caltar II-N is apparently the same lens as the Rodenstock Apo-Sironar-N.

I hadn’t really got much chance to use the Pressman, but I spent all of last week in Portland and I brought the camera with me, and I managed to get out and shoot with it a bit.

Here’s me with the camera,

Here are some photos I made with it,

Mt. Tabor Park

Busch Pressman D 4×5

Caltar II-N 150/5.6

Expired Kodak Portra 160VC

Vacated Taco Time

Busch Pressman D 4×5

Caltar II-N 150/5.6

Expired Kodak Portra 160VC

Residential Building

Busch Pressman D 4×5

Caltar II-N 150/5.6

Expired Kodak Portra 160VC

Laurelhurst Theater

Busch Pressman D 4×5

Caltar II-N 150/5.6

Expired Kodak Portra 160VC