[LargeFormat] Advice on Purchase

[Joe Tait]

Hello.

New to the group and sorry to start in with neophyte inquiries, but I am
trying to think through my first large format system & could really use some
guidance. 

-Body-

My initial impulse was to get a used contemporary body, either a Cambo 4x5
nx or Toyo 4x5 cx, with the understanding that these bodies are modular and
compatible with current accessories in their respective lines.

This would really be a little more than I want to put into the body (I have
about a $1300 dollar budget to get a body, lens, tripod, loupe, backs, etc.;
going to evaporate quickly I know).

Upgradeability seems to me to be a really solid sell. I know that I'll be
aching for bellows extensions to do macro work, and a reflex view seems
nice. I just don't know what else an accessory is going to offer me and to
have that as an option seems prudent.

If I were to get an older model, say a Toyo View 4x5d, would I be able to
"accessorize"? The going rate for that model used is more in-line with my
budget.

-Lens-

My intention is to just get a 150mm standard at first. I will be doing 75%
studio controlled lighting in B&W; with a mixture of scenes (maybe 20%
requiring wide-angle lenses) and close-up macro work for textures. All of
the work would be artistic, nothing for reproduction and I'm not going for
realism. I lean more on the contrasty, chocolatey, vintage look a decent
amount of the time; although not exclusively.

The rest of my shots would be outdoor stuff and maybe 5% color work overall.

Given these intentions, do I need modern, multi-coated (often times
expensive) lenses? If not, what older lenses would get good results?
I imagine long exposures, and if that were the case, can I get away with
slower lenses?

For macro work, would a standard 150mm give good results with long bellows?
What makes a good macro lens for artistic work (beings that I don't require
accurate reproduction)?

Thanks for enduring the email.

-Joe