8x10 options

[fred_braakman1]

I recently read Kerry Thalman's article on 4x10 cameras in View

Camera magazine. I presently shoot 4x5, and have been doing so for

about a year. Still learning the ropes. But my question concerns

possibly moving up to 8x10. I end up cropping a lot of my shots that

I take with my Ebony 45S into a panaramic configuration. In Kerry's

article, one option to shoot the panaramic type of shot is to use an

8x10 camera, and use a "slider board", permitting one to make 2 4x10

exposures on one sheet of 8x10 film.

What would be a good lens to start with that would suit both the 8x10

format, as well as the 4x10, having sufficient coverage to expose the

8x10 film? I shoot mostly with a 90 mm and a 150 mm Rodenstock. Also,

which camera woudl be a good choice? I think that the Ebony 8x10

would be fairly expensive, but I really like my 4x5 Ebony, nonfolding

camera.

Is 8x10 color film readily available? I shoot a lot of color, but am

also considering going back to B+W as well. I don't think that 8x10

film is available locally here in Alberta, Canada, in the great soon

to be white north.

Thanks for any input.

 

Fred

[michael_briggs2]

There are a lot of 8x10 cameras out there, even a lot of currently made 8x10 field cameras. If you browse the forum archives, you will learn about the models. The last time I looked, the Ebony 8x10 models were very expensive. It seems like Ebony makes a bigber price jump between 4x5 and 8x10 then their competetion.

 

The equivalents of your favorite 4x5 lenses (90 and 150) for 8x10 would be twice the focal lengths, 180 and 300. Rather strangely, considering the popularity of 90 mm for 4x5, there really isn't an equivalent lens for 8x10. (Probably someone will point out a decades old antique, but there is no such thing as a 180 mm Super-Angulon, Grandagon, or Nikkor-SW). So for the equivalent of the 90 mm you either have to go wider or longer. For wider, in modern lenses, there are the 155 mm Grandagon, 165 mm Super-Angulon, 150 mm Nikkor-SW, amd 150 mm Super-Symmar-XL. You will also find alot of discussions of wide-angle lens choices in the forum archives.

 

For 300 mm, there are many choices. There are the f5.6 plasmats provided by all of the the LF lens makers. Some photographers prefer lighter lenses of smaller maximum aperture, such as a f9 G-Claron. All of these have plenty of coverage for 8x10.

[eric_leppanen]

Ebony recently introduced a "budget" (by Ebony standards!) 8x10 called the RW810 that sells new for a bit over $4K U.S. However, there are so many good cameras that sell for much less than that (Deardorff, Canham, Tachihara, Shen Hao, etc.), that you should at least give them some consideration.

 

8x10 lenses are a whole 'nother discussion. If you need only moderate coverage than a 300mm lens (equivalent to your 150 on 4x5) is easy to obtain (Fuji C and Nikon M come to mind, among modern multi-coated lenses), but wide angle lenses for 8x10, especially multi-coated lenses for color work, tend to be huge and expensive. The main 8x10 wide angle focal lengths are 150mm (Super Symmar XL is expensive, Nikon SW is huge), 210mm (everything is huge, aside from the hard-to-find Computars, IIRC) and 240mm (more options available, but coverage or availability is frequently limited). I suggest you search the archives for these topics and you'll get a better idea what your options are.

 

Color film in 8x10 is still reasonably available, albeit expensive. Fuji supports 8x10 on most of their emulsions, and Kodak provides several chrome and negative film types. B&H, Calumet and the LF speciality stores (Midwest Photo Exchange, Badger Graphic, etc.) are good film sources in the U.S.

[capocheny]

Fred,

 

It seems that most stores, whether they're pro- or amateur-oriented, will order in the

larger format films over 4x5. Here in Vancouver, we very seldom see 5x7 or 8x10 in the

stores.

 

In Calgary, try The Camera Store. Or, Vistek. Is Calgary Photo still in operation? They use

to have a great inventory of goods (but that was many, many moons ago. :)

 

Cheers

[daniel_smith6]

One good option is to get an 8x10 camera & shoot 8x10. Then get a second back (used if possible) and have Gary Hurst, master machinist & LF photographer in Roy, Utah convert it to a 4x10 back. That way you don't waste the extra film area and carry one camera for both formats. He has done one for me and it works very well.

You can reach Gary at g-hurst@msn.com

 

He modifies LF cameras & photographs with formats to 8x10.

[steve_hamley]

AFAIK, no modern cameras have the slider boards. Deardorffs were the most common camera that used them, and they also had a "vertical" board that did two 5x8s on a sheet of 8x10. The easiers and cheapest solution is to cut a regular 8x10 dark slide into a 4x10 mask. Then you don't need additional holders or backs, but you will have to recompose for duplicate exposures on the same piece of film. Bender used to sell the cut 8x10 darkslides and maybe still does, but making your own isn't all that difficult.

 

If you have a Deardorff with a back that will accomodate the boards (not all did) but no boards, Ken Hough will make them fairly reasoably.

 

Steve

[emil_ems1]

Fred,

I am one of those who read Thalman's article and acted upon it. I ordered a special darkslide from Bender (one half cut out). With that special slide I can take two pictures 4x10 on 8x10 film on my Toyo 8x10. I always take the pictures on the upper half, turning the camera back 180 degrees between the pictures.

 

As for lenses, I highly recommend either the Graphic Kowa lense or the Fuji A lenses (both can be bought on ebay). I have the Fuji A 360 (highly recommended since small and in Copal 1 shutter), the Graphic Kowa 300 (larger and in Copal 3S shutter) and the Graphic Kowa 150 (bought as barrel lens and put into Copal 1 shutter). The last mentioned is of special interest since it covers 4x10, whilst being of convenient size (in contrast to modern monster lenses like Super Angulon and Grandagon). You may wish to google old threads on the Graphic Kowa lenses on this forum or on the other Large Format Photography Forum. If you would like more extended coverage I would recommend the older Angulons (150 I believe and the 210).

 

I hope this helps.