Need help with making this decision about new LF

[clark_king1]

I currently have a horseman 450/le. It is heavy. I have recently

been on a trip and realized that this camera is too heavy to trek

across the landscape with. I also have an RB 67 and have used

instead when carrying the horseman is too much. This causes me some

distress because while the horseman is a great camera and is like a

special friend to me, I hate having to abandon the joy of it's use

because of its occasional prohibitivness (sp?). So I might be in the

market for a new LF camera a field camera. I have been toying with

the idea of a Toyo 45cf becuase it is light and relativley

inexpensive, or maybe a wooden camera. With this camera I would be

shooting only landscape but would like to have front rise/shift, tilt

and swing but feel like rear movements are a must. What cameras and

lenses can you offer as good options? I will start with one lens.

Price is a concern but I do have a feasible range at this time to

offer as reference. What camera/lens kits are available?

 

Thank you so much for your help!

 

Clark King

Cypress Tx

[terry_long]

Tachihara 4x5 (wood field) is only $599.00 at Midwest Photo Exchange. The only movements it does not have are shifts. For landscape/scenic photography the shifts could be handy but really aren't that necessary...I've never needed them. There are better 4x5 field cameras out there but for the price it can't be beat unless you get a better camera off of Ebay. I'm one for saving money also so, I don't own any of those great Nikons or Fujis. Instead, I opted for the lesser expensive Wollensaks and saved tons of money. The quality of the images (transparencies) I've gotten are superb. I've been lucky because I bought all three of my lenses off of Ebay and everything worked on the lenses as if they were fresh out of the factory. I own a 210mm, 135mm, and 90mm wide angle. My next step is to get a telephoto somewhere around 300mm to 450mm. Good luck on your choice of camera and lenses.

[steve_hamley]

Clark,

 

Ebony RW45, 3.7 lbs, Ebony SV45Ti, 4.6 lbs, and if you want asymmetric rear movements they'll make an Ebony SV45U in mahoghany, also about 4.6 lbs. If you like the monorail flavor, try the Toho. I believe it weighs in about 3 lbs.

 

Thanks!

 

Steve

[brian_ellis16]

You're certainly correct to think there's something wrong somewhere when a Mamiya RB is your light weight camera. : - )

[brian_kennedy]

The Shen-Hao HZX4x5-II looks good and I've seen several good user reports here on photo.net. It is inexpensive at around $625(?). The Badger Brand F1 Wood Field also looks interesting and costs around $600. It is not for sale yet, though -- on the Badger Graphic website, it says it will be out by the end of the month, but you never know.

[peter_galea]

Deardorff. Timeless, classic, after which everything is modeled.

[sonny_zin1]

Hi Clark,

I had gone through the same situation last year. After careful study on all the comment about 4x5 field camera in photo.net I decided to go for Shen-Hao HZX4x5-II. I'm very happy with it.

Kind regards/ Sonny.

[jason neymeyer]

Sonny, I think I read somewhere that you can't use a Polaroid back with the Shen-Hao? Is that correct?

 

Thanks,

[walt_donovan]

A field camera has to be wood? What about any of the Toyo fields? Linhofs? I'm in the same boat, switching to a Sinar P as my only LF camera. I'm definitely gonna need something I can take to places where I just can't get with a Sinar attached to my back. I'm thinking a light field in 4x5 and a 6x9 rollfilm back. This would eliminate the need for a bunch of filmholders way out in nowhere. It would, however let me shoot 4x5 which I'd prefer.

[bruce watson]

If you want flexibility, light weight, full movements front and rear, and low price, have a look at this:

 

http://www.badgergraphic.com/search_product2.asp?x=3839

 

This appears to be a rebranded Toho FC-54X. A excellent review of the Toho was published by Kerry Thalmann a few years ago:

 

http://www.thalmann.com/largeformat/toho.htm

 

As to light weight lenses, start your investigation here:

 

http://www.thalmann.com/largeformat/lightwei.htm

[brian_kennedy]

<I>This would eliminate the need for a bunch of filmholders way out in nowhere.</I>

<P>

I know I'm stating the obvious, but if you shoot one of the emulsions supported by Fuji Quickload or Kodak Readyload, you can eliminate the need to carry a bunch of holders into the field.

[lwg]

I use a new Polaroid 545 on my She Hao all the time so this rumor is false, at least for the new Shen Hoa and new polaroid holders. It is not however that light of a camera - I think it is about 6 pounds.

[cxc]

Another endorsement for Shen Hao.

[uncle git]

Great - I pay $1195 for my Toho and they bring out a rebranded camera at $850 a few months later.

 

Oh well.

 

I have been using the Toho for about 6 months now - and I have to say it's an impressive little beastie - it has it's quirks - but it's very lighweight, loads of movements and surprisingly stable once it's all locked down.

 

I've done most of the modifications of Kerry's site to my camera and am very happy in the way it operates.

 

If you are hiking with large format - the toho/badger, quick/readyloads and a CF tripod are the ultimate in lightweight functionality.

 

The Canham looks good as well but I've not had the chance to play with one yet.

[Troll]

ANBA/IKEDA/NAGAOKA are the brand names for identical hand-made field cameras which weigh only 2.5#. The come up on the auction site frequently, and go for about $4-500. Their tiny weight will allow you to use a very light tripod, which will help even more. The only downsides of these goodies (so far as I can tell) is that there is only a spring back (no Graflock), and while very short lenses can be easily used, the longest practical lens is about 10". You'll need to add another $175 for a Maxwell Screen. I just checked B&H site for your camera weight, and 9.9 pounds must be a killer in the field.

[roger_hicks1]

Dear Clark,

 

I've been using a Toho for years, first FC45A then FC45X. Superb cameras that weigh a kilo or so. Several of the pics in my 'Medium and Large Format Photography' (Amphoto in the US, David & Charles in the UK) were taken with this camera.

 

As for Deardorff, it certainly wasn't the only one on which all others were modeled -- I think I'd back Sanderson as the most influential 19th century camera, but no doubt there are other opinions. Gandolfis, of course, are still available: better looking than Deardorff, better made, more versatile, and more durable (am I biased? No...). Gandolfi will repair/rebuild/modify any camera they have made in the last 115 or so years. But the Gandolfi Precision is serious money.

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

[mark_blackman1]

Clark,

There's been lots of advice here, so let me add my twopenny worth -try before you buy! Preferably, compare cameras side by side. As a simple illustration, on a recent workshop run by f32.net someone had a Shen-Hao HZX4x5-II. It looked pretty good, and when set-up along side an Ebony, it was clear what inspired the design. So far so good, eh - why fork out £2000-3000 for an Ebony when you can get a Shen-hao for £500? Then someone flicked the front standard of the Shen-Hao, you could see the vibrations - the Ebony didn't move an inch (both were set up the same, with all adjustments locked down).

[brian_ellis16]

I think some of the responses have ignored your weight concerns. The Linhof Technika and Shen Hao cameras weigh around 6 lbs each. I'd probably suggest a Tachihara. It has more than adequate movements for most purposes (all movements except shift and rear rise and fall), is light weight (about 4 lbs), well built, simple to open, close, and operate, reasonably sturdy, has been around for at leat 20 years so it's not likely to be discontinued any time soon, and is economical (around $700). I used one for several years and liked it a lot. There's a review on my web site if you're intereted. wwww.ellisgalleries.com. I'm sure there are others that would also suit your needs but the Tachihara is the one I'm familiar with.

[c_p_goerz]

To add even further weight to the pile of considerations....

 

 

I tended to find that the lighweight cameras wiggled a little in the breeze and felt a bit more comfortable with a slightly sturdier/heavier camera. A few of my faves are the Deardorff Special, Zone 6(early versions-not the last ten years), and of course the Gandolfi/Sanderson option. Sandersons are very nicely thought out but the smaller cameras(half plate) can be adapted to a rollfilm back as the chassis may be too small for a full 4x5 frame. Sandersons can often be had for $300-450 depending on condition, don't get the Tropicals as you end up bidding against serious collectors but the hand and stand models are just as good but without the 'collector' sticker.

 

CP Goerz