Which 4x5 is fastest, easiest to set up in field?

What is the fastest/ easiest 4x5 to set up & use in the field? Are the rangefinders on Linhofs or Wista etc. helpful in accelerating the process? Thanks!

I suggest you take a look at the Ebony non-folding series.

The lens can be mount on the camera while it is in the bag,

therefore setup in the field will in a minute time.

Check it out on Ebony website, www.ebonycamera.co.

Enjoy it.

Kit

Technikardan.

Ebony (try the SW45).

Arca Swiss F Line C - can be packaged with lens mounted, setup work is reduced to decollapsing the rail (if very short lenses are used, even this could be omitted).<br>

When it comes to using the camera, this is a full featured, very stable and versatile monorail with excellent ergonomics.<p>

On the downside is only the (compared to Ebony cameras) higher weight... this is the price for the IMHO higher rigidity of the Arca.

Agree with the above Arca answer. Discovery set up in the field is

simply taking out of bag, placing on tripod and focusing.

Now you can see why you want to look at cameras at a well

stoked dealer (there are many in the US) or at a show.

 

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All the answers will direct the responders feelings without your

knowing what the breadth of their experiences are with all of the

possible answers or how the cameras would feel and work for

you.

 

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Just them.

How much speed do you need? Aren't you splitting hairs when you are

talking about the difference between a 30-second and a 60-second

setup time? And shouldn't the time required to compose a shot with a

view camera be longer just by virtue of the process? Next to

focusing and compostition and metering, I find setup time to be

insignificant.

Pinholes are the real speed demons as far as setup is

concerned. Exposure is another matter.

Try a Speed Graphic.

Bob When people post questions asking for advice, they

probably realise that the opinions given will be somewhat

biased. But they get the experiences of the others and not just

salesperson talk

Crown Graphic.

"But they get the experiences of the others and not just

salesperson talk "

 

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And, unfortunately in many cases a bad decision for him if it is

without hands-on knowledge.

 

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You simply are not qualified to tell someone what feels best or

works best for him.

 

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You are probably larger or smaller, have different sized hands,

different requirements, shoot possibly different things, are left or

right handed.

 

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To fill a specific requirement, weight, speed, handling, must be

done hands on.

 

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YOUR OPINION IN THAT REGARD IS NO MORE OR LESS

BIASED THEN SOMEONE SELLING PRODUCT. YOU ARE

JUSTIFYING YOUR DECISION WHICH MAY BE TOTALLY

WRONG FOR HIM

 

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Sorry for the caps I hit the wrong key.

 

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But the emphasis doesen't hurt.

Polaroid fixed lens with a handle grip to hand hold. You don't even

have to stop the car, just point it out the window and take a picture!

Bob, The point I'm trying to make, is this, if someone posts a

request regarding peoples opinions on "which camera is best"

then he/she must expect to receive biased advice. BUT I DON'T

MAKE ANY MONEY FROM THIS ADVICE!! A dealer may well

advise on stock simply because he sels it!! (True??) Most of us

are not dealers so we simply give advice as is, and don't benefit

from it financially. I would prefer advice from users of a certain

camera rather than from someone who sels them!

I've owned two view/field cameras: a Calumet 45N monorail, and a Toyo

AII (which I currently use).

 

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Since I got the Toyo, the Calumet has been collecting dust - check for

it on eBay in the next few weeks :-)

 

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The AII (and the 'A', for that matter) are a snap to setup. Unlock

the case, lift up the back, slide the forward standard forward, adjust

the rise, lock it down, and you're ready for lenses.

 

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Simple, and fast. Bit heavy for a field camera, but lighter than my

Calumet.

 

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-klm.

I forgot to answer the second part of your question. I find the use

of a rangefinder speeds the setting-up process considerably for many

subjects, such as portraits and landscapes. I can often use the

built-in optical viewfinder, and not refer to the ground glass image

at all. But the item which usually consumes the bigest chunk of

setup time is the tripod. Once you get used to handling it, a

Graphic can be hand held for an amazingly large percentage of shots.

I gotta admit that it does take a lot of the fun out of it, though.

My experience is with a Wisner 4x5 Trad. and a Crown Graphic. My

normal setup to photo time for the Wisner is probably several

minutes, but I'm not rushing it (includes contemplation of

lens/filter, movements if necessary, pulling out the darkcloth and

trying to focus my f8 lenses, etc.).

 

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With the Crown, assuming its limitations work within your needs,

simply open the front, pull out the lens, focus on the glass (or

rangefinder) (faster than with my Wisner because of faster lens and

built in focus hood), film in and shoot.

 

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I've used the Crown as a point and shoot wandering around New York

before, works great, not too slow to use, but does draw too much

attention if there are people around.

 

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Now, as for comparison of the images, I only use the Crown for

handheld shots because its images are simply not as good (from a

technical standpoint) as the images I get from the lenses I use on my

Wisner. I am only using the 127mm lens that came with my Crown.

Back when I was a kid, you used 4X5 to achieve resolutation. With

some of today's modern films, you may never take a picture where you

will be able to tell the difference in an enlargement between 4X5 and

645. My wife has a Contax 645 with Zeiss lenses that is esentially

point and shoot if you want it to be.

If you are going to use movements to tilt the focal plane, and take

enough meter readings to use principals of zoneing, you are a better

man then I, if initial set up time is more than 10% of total set up

time.

The one you get used to! I have a Cambo SCX in the studio and a Linhof

Tech III for location and pleasure shooting. Both can be set up in

about 15-20 seconds from the cases. I have a rangefinder on my Linhof

but I rarely use it... just for quick composition... just my way of

shooting.

Cheers

Paul, I agree with Bob, the Technikardan is one of the fastest if not

THE, and I don't see any harm in Bob recommending it, specially with

his wealth of knowledge and experience. Don't come down on him just

because he works for HP Marketing, he has been a good contribuitor of

this forum and has demonstrated he has the experience necessary to

recommend this choice.

There is a 4x5 wide angle camera out of britain that looks dead

easy to shoot with. There are also the Sinar Handy, Cambo

Cambowide, and Horseman wideangle cameras.<P>Outside of

that I think a great deal of set up speed wil have to do with how

you trnsport the camera. A Sinar P2 or Arca-Swiss Monolith or

any other of the big monorail cameras will be extremely fast to

set up and shoot with if you carry it in a big enough case.

Everyting in life is a compromise. This question may have been

triggered by Wisner's full featured camera. I do not own one but have

read critizisms about how hard it is to fold. However, that is

probably because he goes to a lot of trouble to be sure that the

image doesn't shift when using tilt and swing to focus. This is a

compromise I will gladly make if I ever have the price of a small car

to blow.

 

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If we are considering used cameras, how about the Super Speed

Graphic, it has greater front movements than a speed or crown, is

thinner (will accept wider lenses) and has a revolving back and is

all aluminum. Compaired to used Linhofs, it also has the advantage

of having light tight bellows.

 

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If in terms of convenience we group 4X5 cameras in order from: Press,

Technical, View, Field, I would place it somewhere between a Press

and a Technical.

 

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Aside: With a Speed Graphic and standard plate holders, the UP

photographer was able to take three stills of the Hendenburg between

the time it exploded and when it hit the ground.

"A dealer may well advise on stock simply because he sels it!!

(True??)"

 

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Paul.

 

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You are totally missing the point.

I did NOT say to ask a dealer.

 

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I said go in a handle them yourself. Take your advice by looking.

Not asking blind questions.

 

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And remember. The question was the quickest and all I said

was TK.

 

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I could also make a point for Kardan M (very fast), Master

Technika, Technika 2000, Wista Cherry, Rosewood or Ebony or

RF, VX or SP.

 

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But then that would be biased as, except for the Kardan M, the

TK is the fastest. Once you are familiar with its' operation.

My Wista SP metal field camera is incredibly fast to set up. Pop it

open and go. A big plus is that it�s more stable than ANY wood field

camera I've ever seen, and costs less than a Linhof. The Wista metal

fields are much under appreciated.