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Camera sugestions - small light 4x5 - no movements


rob_piontek

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<p>Hello - Looking for suggestions for a 4x5 camera. The emphasis is on small and light. I don't need movements, fixed lens with a normal to wide field of view would be fine, but the lens should be of good quality. Price is a concern. I'm aware of most of the options for wooden field cameras, but I'm looking for something even smaller, simpler and more portable. Any suggestions?</p>
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<p>What about a Cambo Wide? The current model is very expensive but the previous one is affordable (depending on your budget of course). The body itself is just a metal frame. The lenses are set in a helical focussing mount with a depth of field scale. Available lenses are: SA 47mm (only up to 6x9), SA 47mm XL, SA 58mm XL, SA 65mm, SA 90mm, apo symmar 100mm (only up to 6x12), Super Symmar 120mm HM and apo symmar 150mm. There may be other lenses available but these are the ones I know for sure.<br>

I have the 65mm and the SS 120mm HM. Superb quality in a light package. With regards to movements, the lenses up to 100mm offer rise and fall.</p>

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<p>If you're sure you don't want movements and only want a wide-angle or normal lens, you might consider a Fotoman:<br /><a href="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FOTOMAN-45PS-90mm-CONE-NEW-BOXED-ALU-CASE-/130491085375?pt=UK_Photography_Film_Cameras_ET&hash=item1e61dff23f">http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FOTOMAN-45PS-90mm-CONE-NEW-BOXED-ALU-CASE-/130491085375?pt=UK_Photography_Film_Cameras_ET&hash=item1e61dff23f</a><br />or a Gran View (of which I owned an example a while back). No rigid-body 4x5 can be particularly small (that's why they make folding cameras) but the Gran View was made of high-grade plastic and certainly wasn't heavy. As with every large-format camera. lens quality is up to you, since you buy the lens separately. Before you buy a camera, spend some time with a depth of field table for a 4x5 with a 90 mm lens and appreciate just how far you need to stop down to get deep focus with no movements - this is a factor which may mitigate against hand-holding, especially as the cheapest 90 mm lens choice, the old-style Schneider Angulon f6.8, needs to be stopped down to f16 for best sharpness right across a 4x5 image.<br>

PS - here's a Gran View:<br>

<a href="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Gran-View-4x5-Wide-Angle-Camera-Body-/280635448078?pt=Film_Cameras&hash=item41572d1b0e">http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Gran-View-4x5-Wide-Angle-Camera-Body-/280635448078?pt=Film_Cameras&hash=item41572d1b0e</a></p>

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<p>The "Sinar Handy" was the first such "Cambo Wide"- type camera. It is partly made up of Sinar view camera components, and so is easily assembled from eBay finds. I had frequent use of one, some years ago. Very simple, and light weight.<br /> <a href="http://www.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&biw=1024&bih=406&tbs=isch%3A1&sa=1&q=sinar+handy&btnG=Search&aq=f&aqi=g1&aql=&oq="><strong>Google Images search results.</strong></a></p>
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<p>>> Ellis Vener and Dave Sims - do you realise what "no movements" means?</p>

<p>Seems like you have both decided that this about your favourite American copy of a Linhof Technika. Did you read the question? Neither of those Technika copies could be descibed as "small and light."</p>

<p>"Movements" in camera design refers to tilt, shift and swing.</p>

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<p>A Polaroid 110b converted to 4x5 is the most compact camera I can think of, but they are not inexpensive. I use a Speed Graphic with the Kalart rangefinder removed. It folds up pretty compactly and can be found for a few hundred dollars. I use Fujinon lenses but the OEM lenses are pretty good and they fold up with the camera for a very portable, inexpensive solution.</p><div>00YLaO-337767584.jpg.b8f1dc6b3d5eb07707b98933520781f2.jpg</div>
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<p>I concur with the suggestion that a Crown Graphic fits the bill nicely. Just because "no movements" might be a requirement, the fact that the front standard has rise/fall/limited tilt/and limited shift does not mean they must be used (merely lock all in neutral) and go for it. Light weight(though a tripod usually seems to make sense to me), a 65mm with sunken board may be the widest and tele can be without limit. Your choice of lenses and quality of them are only limited by your budget. The camera bodies are quite reasonable and well made.</p>
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<p>If you want small, then maybe an old Pressman camera. I picked one up for $20 bucks with a lensboard. They are metal but smaller than the Crown or Speed Graphic. Finding a small view camera without any movements is probably near impossible. There have been some very low end wooden ones with limited movements--more like a balsa wood airplane--but I wonder if any still survive. </p>
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<blockquote>

<p> do you realise what "no movements" means?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>The OP states He doesn't <em>need</em> movements, not that he doesn't <em>want</em> movements as if its some sort of deal breaker. Considering his budget limitations a Speed or Crown Graphic is a good suggestion.</p>

 

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<p>How about an old "bicycle camera". I have a Rochester Optical Pony Premo No. 4. Has a Rapid Rectillinear lens in a Victor pneumatic shutter. Scale or ground glass focusing, rotatable spring back. Weighs just under 2 pounds, 2.5" x 6" x 6" folded. There are many other models, and other vendors made them as well. Some even have interchangeable lens boards. Most of the ones you see are 4x5, but there are 5x7 and full-plate models (much rarer).<br>

The Rapid Rectillinear lens is very nice. But the Victor pneumatic shutter is hit-or-miss, I had to combine parts from two to get one working one. It won't take a cable release, you have to use an air release.<br>

They do have front rise and (some) fall, and you can drop or rise the bed.<br>

The outside is homely leather, but the inside is gorgeous polished cherry wood.<br>

You'll need to shim the ground glass to adjust the register to use modern plastic film holders. Or you can use the original very light wooden plate holders with film sheaths -- but they can be prone to light leaks at the dark slide slot. Also, it will take about 6 months of eBay shopping to find enough 4x5 film sheaths.<br>

If you want to do a lens upgrade, a high-grade 3A Autographic Pocket Kodak (or the Special model) with Ilex Universal or Kodamatic shutter will have a fine lens (like an f/7.7 or f/6.3 Kodak Anastigmat), and those shutters will thread right into the flange on the lens standard. A used 3A should be cheap, they made a lot of them, they are film orphans, and you don't care if the bellows is blown on this "lens donor." (The ones with Kodak Ball Bearing shutter will have lesser lenses, not really interesting.) You would need to make a new focusing scale.<br>

Of course, you can mount any modest-sized lens if you get a new flange made by S. K. Grimes. Needs to be reasonably small (say a No. 1 shutter) if you want to be able to close the bed.</p>

 

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<p>Get a Crown and gut it - remove the rangefinder and anything else you don't need. Install the rail stops to whatever hyperfocal distance you want/need for whatever lens you chose and fire away. It is the cheapest LF P&S camera I can think of.<br>

The other option is indeed a Fotoman, but it would be more expensive.</p>

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<p>@Kevin P-- Graphics have very limited movements-- nothing like a Technika or a view camera. In the default position with everything screwed tight, you can just forget about the movements and shoot straight on. They're not bad cameras, and would fit the bill here.</p>

<p>Crowns and Speeds have covered wooden frames and are fairly light. A 4 x 5 Crown Graphic weighs 5.4lb (2.4kg), which is about the same as an RZ67. I know three people on photo.net who use medium format Century Graphics as backpacking cameras, because of their light weight.</p>

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<p>If expense is a concern and you don't need to accommodate more than near-normal focal lengths, any surviving press cameras from the 40's or 50's should fit the bill nicely. Simple, relatively light, and rugged. The Graflex Speeds and Crowns are the most common, but by no means the only ones. I have a Graflex Super Graphic (a little lighter, but with more moves--yet what I really like about it is the revolving back). Super quick to deploy and rugged. Needing more moves, I also have 2 Meridians from the 40's that were among the first cameras to have synthetic bellows. They are both still light tight.<br>

Most other cameras of the era (Busch and Linhof come to mind) used leather bellows that likely will have either been replaced or need replaced due to light leaks). </p>

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