Merry Christmas ! An Ebony Camera review for you

[james phillips]

<p>Merry Christmas and a Safe New Year to all my LF friends !</p>

<p>I quickly decided last night to assemble a review on my early Christmas

present (an Ebony SV45U) so that anybody that is interested might learn about

these cameras. By way of an explanation I wish to let you all know that I am not

a wealthy man nor even "well to do" but my wife generously offered to

buy me an early Christmas gift at the end of this August. She did this so that

when I had a few weeks holidays in September and was able to get into the

mountains hiking I would have a new camera to use. (and for all you funny guys

out there...<u><b>yes, I'm worth it </b></u>! ) </p>

<p>Luckily for me I've now had a few months to explore the functionality of the

SV45 and have put together a quick review. I ask that you all forgive any

mistakes such as spelling and the like because I quickly worked into the wee

hours of the morning to have this ready for Christmas Eve. Felt a bit like

Santa...ha..ha..ha or should I say Ho ! Ho! Ho! </p>

<p>I hope that you enjoy looking at the camera review and as always if you have

any questions feel free to email me.</p>

<p>Here's the link. <a href="http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/~qtluong/photography/lf/cameras/ebony/ebony-sv45u-II.html">Ebony

SV45U review</a></p>

<p>Wishing you all the best and safest of the season. Remember that it is</p>

<p> <b><font size="4">8 hours between the bottle and the throttle ! </font></b></p>

<p><b><font size="4">Merry Christmas Everybody !</font></b></p>

<p> </p>

[doug_paramore]

GreyWolf: Good job on the review. Thanks for taking the time to do

it. The photographs are excellent also.

 

<p>

 

Regards,

[neal_shields]

Great work! Execellent review. You may have me rethinking my Wisner

dream.

 

<p>

 

Neal

[wilhelm]

'Tis a wonderful job of reviewing. Would be that such detail were

available for all the different brands. Noting that he was referred

to it as the "Rolls-Royce," I wonder if there is anyone who can

comment on the ultimate quality of Ebony as compared to the English

Gandolfi?

[nathan_congdon]

Grey Wolf:

 

<p>

 

I may well not be following the review properly, but you seem to

suggest that the asymmetric tilts are on the front standard on your

SV45U. On my SV810U, they are on the rear (film) standard, and I

believe that's the only place it makes sense for asymmetric tilts to

be in a field camera, in that you would have no way to apply

asymmetric front tilts directly in focusing (wouldn't know where the

axis was vis a vis your subject). I know Sinars allow you to

transfer the tilt or swing from the rear to the front once you have

determined what it needs to be, but I don't know of any facility to

do this, or even to measure exactly in degrees what the tilt/swing

is, on an Ebony. You can see an account of my understanding of these

movements in my review of the SV810U on Tuan's site. My apologies in

advance if I have misunderstood you on this, but you may want to

clarify this point in your review if you will be making it available

on the site.

 

<p>

 

Additionally, the socket on the top of the front standard isn't

really a "hot shoe" (it has no facility to synch a flash as there is

no electrical connection of course), or even a place to mount a

flash. I believe it is to mount the odd wooden board and dark cloth

arrangement which they sell (and which I used improperly by propping

it on top of the camera for months!) A sort of articulated metal arm

arrangement with a clip slots into that socket, and the shade can be

clipped into it. The dark cloth then slots into the shade, thus

giving you both a lens shade and a dark cloth in one.

 

<p>

 

I agree with you, the SVU series are lovely cameras: I have had a

couple of years of constant use out of mine, including a number of

trips to Asia and Latin America where it has taken all the abuse that

luggage receives in the third world and looks as new as the day I

bought it!

 

<p>

 

Nathan

[jonathan brewer]

I have great fun view this, very impressive. You should be the

guy they hire whenever they want to write a manual. As a fellow

woodworker I am in awe of the master craftsmanship.

 

<p>

 

The lapjoints combined with 'L'/corner brackets mean there isn't

going to be any 'rackover'. Your close-ups show the finished ebony

and bevels/chamfers, work reflective of a true Artisan.

 

<p>

 

Thanks for a great tour.

[david_payumo3]

Grey Wolf,

 

<p>

 

You owe your wife big time. I don't mean a material gift. You have

to do even more chores around the house and take her out every week.

That should pay for an Ebony...oops I forget how much those things

cost. LOL ;^}

 

<p>

 

I can only get an Arca Swiss!

[thilo_schmid]

GreyWolf,

 

<p>

 

thank you very much for this review. It was a pleasure to read.

 

<p>

 

May I ask three more questions to the Ebony Experts?

- how long does it take to set up a folding Ebony?

- what is the difference between the SV45U and the current SV45U2?

- Is there a degree scale to transfer rear tilt and swing to the

front standard?

 

<p>

 

Thanks again

[james phillips]

Hi Thilo,

 

<p>

 

The camera takes me about 30-40 seconds to unfold and place in a

neutral position without a lensboard in the front standard.

 

<p>

 

The SV45U2 has rear shift and that is the only difference I know of.

 

<p>

 

There is not a scale present.

 

<p>

 

To Nathan,

 

<p>

 

Thanks for your views. You are correct that the "hot shoe" is not

actually "hot" but I use it with a small flash in the socket and a

PC cord. I find this handy when I'm conducting "mini testing" in my

house in the winter. Besides...it's just plain fun. :>))

 

<p>

 

Pointing out that it was intended for a lens shade was an eye opener

for me. I'll need to investigate that idea. Thanks

 

<p>

 

Perhaps we can get somebody else to post their understanding

of "asymmetric tilts " and I can even learn some more about this

wonderful camera.

 

<p>

 

Kind Regards,

[thilo_schmid]

Thanks again for answering.

 

<p>

 

The benefit of asymetric tilt and swing is that both axis go exactly

through the film plane. Thus a subject in the center of the ground

glass will not loose focus when applying tilt and swing (in any

combination). Studio monorail view cameras equipped with such

features usually allow you to take the degree readings from a scale

and transfer them to the front standard (in opposite direction, of

course), since rear tilt or swing will change perspective. This is

exactly why I asked for degree scales on the ebony.

 

<p>

 

BTW: The Arca Swiss Orbix Option will allow kind of asymetric tilt

and swing with the front standard. The swing axis will in this case

not move while tilting - it always goes through the center of the

lens.