scott_atkinson

Martin: I carry up to five lenses in my Super-Trekker--they're all

pretty compact designs (only one #3 Copal). I don't normally

carry holders in the pack; I usually hand-carry a Gnass film

holder pouch, which holds three 8x10 holders/6sheets.

Occasionally, I slip the Gnass pouch inside the pack on top of

the camera (padded by the darkcloth); it works fine.

I've used both the telescoping ("classic") and folding ("compact")

rails for 4x5, and they both have their merits: the folding rail is

lighter; the telescoping rail is maybe less futzy to set up.

Strangely enough, they both seem equally solid.

When it comes to 8x10, I use the 16" (5x7) folding rail (which I

already had), plus the 25cm extension for longer lenses (to

600mm Fuji-C). I use the standard 8x10 bellows (Arca tends to

be conservative on their "maximum bellows length").

It's all a tradeoff. If you lay your camera face up or face down in a

backpack (I use a Lowe-Pro Super-Trekker), either standard

8x10 rail is going to poke up 10 inches (the 20" folding rail is

folded in half; with the telescoping rail, the trick is to slide out

one top section--with the camera attached, and store the bottom

section separately. Still, that one top section is 10 inches long, I

think.) My compact 16" rail, when folded, pokes up 8 inches,

which works with my pack.

Are you buying a new 8x10, or an 8x10 conversion kit for another

Arca camera? If you're starting from scratch, it will be very

expensive to buy different rails than those that come with either

standard version. What extension are you looking for? What's the

longest lens you're planning on? If the extension is more than 25

inches or so, you'll have to go with one of those longer rails--and

the longer bellows. But that rail's going to be harder to pack.

By the way, the 25cm extension will work with either version.

Ted: Have you actually tried the limits of the bellows on the short

and long ends? My experience is that all Arca bellows are much

more adaptable than they state. I'm currently using the 6x9

front/4x5 back setup, so my normal bellows is tapered, but it will

actually handle both a 47mm on the short end and a 450mm on

the long end! That's pushing it, and there's not much movement,

but it will work. My recollection is that the standard 4x5 bellows

had similar characteristics. If you need more movement, a

two-bellows setup is best: bag and long. You don't need the

normal here, as the bag and long bellows overlap.

I too have been using primarily E100VS (about 500 Readyload

sheets so far) for my shooting this spring--mostly deserts. After

testing it against Velvia last fall, I was not only impressed with its

speed and saturation, but especially its ability to separate colors

and show both improved detail and color in shadows. I found

myself, to my great surprise, carrying only yellow boxes on the

road for the first time in years.

<p>

However, I'm now reconsidering. Despite the above plusses,

I've been experiencing a nasty yellow bias in many scenes and a

questionable warm/amber cast overall. I'm also seeing some

truly electric reds that seem slightly bizarre. I just reconfimed

this on my latest trip by running E100VS, RDP III (Provia), and

Velvia side by side by side on all exposures. Does anyone else

have a take on this? Or an E100VS batch that seems more

balanced? Thanks...

I too have been using primarily E100VS (about 500 sheets so

far) for my shooting this spring--mostly deserts. After testing it

against Velvia last fall, I was not only impressed with its speed

and saturation, but especially its ability to separate colors and

show both improved detail and color in shadows. I found myself,

to my surprise, carrying only yellow Readyload boxes on the road

for the first time in years.

I believe the Arca "field" camera comes with the wide angle

bellows standard. From about 47mm up to 180 or 210mm, all is

well. If you want to use a lens longer than a 210mm or so, you'll

then have to add on a longer bellows (they make a 40cm and a

50cm, as I recall), AND you'll need more extension than that

furnished by the standard 30cm collapsible rail. Something to

consider when plotting any Arca system.

That IS crummy news, though I too am getting into Kodak 100VS

outdoors--the first Kodak chrome film I've actually liked in years.

The problem is, I gathered that future 100VS 8x10 is only going

to be sold in 50-sheet boxes, and it seems to be less available

and markedly more expensive than Velvia/Provia. Facts on these

subjects are, however, elusive! Does anyone know the Kodak

story?

Ellis: I've recently switched to an Arca, too, but my experience

with the Fuji holder was mostly with a Linhof MT 2000 and,

before that, with a Toyo 45AII. I'll have to dig out my Fuji holder

and check its fit...the Arca back does seem tighter. Still, I didn't

like the way the film--either Fuji or Kodak--locks and releases

inside my Fuji holder. Again, though, no leaks. Maybe I just got

used to the clunkier feel of the Kodak system...

Guess I could have done a better job of reading the question!

Although I've had no actual problems with Kodak single-sheet in

the Fuji holder, it doesn't FEEL as positive as any of the other

combinations. However, I've never been a big fan of the Fuji

holder; the film just doesn't seem to click-lock or release with the

same positive action as the Kodak, and the streamlined,

rounded design seems to jiggle around in the camera back.

To my surprise, I've had no recent problems with Fuji film in

either the old or the new Kodak holder, and no problems with the

new Kodak VS single-sheet in either the Fuji or Kodak holder

(old or new). I just came back from a trip where I exposed about

100 sheets of mixed Velvia and 100VS in the new Kodak

holder--and didn't have a single flare or light leak. There was a

little bit of a learning curve with the new Kodak holder--you really

have to hold that release button down tight, at least on mine,

when removing the film. It wasn't that critical on my old Kodak

holders, the film slid out after just a slight push on the button. It's

nice to have the Kodak option again--I could never get the

double-sheet stuff to work.

Does anyone out there have knowledge/experience of specific

long lenses for 8x10? By LONG, I mean BEYOND the Fuji 600C.

Any first-hand evaluations on the Nikkor-T 800? Schneider

Tele-Xenar 800? Classic lenses like the 30" Red Dot Artar?

Anything remotely compact? Anything else I'm not aware of?

Thanks!

Bill: I used a Toyo 45AII with the 4" extension for a number of

years. Great camera, I still think. The extension is kind of a mixed

bag: it's a heavy, bulky piece of rigid metal--it doesn't collapse

down--so be prepared to schlepp its weight and bulk around. I

found it a bit of a hassle to attach in the field. You remove the

back, hook on the extension, then reattach the back to the

extension. No big deal, but more stuff to drop in the mud or

fumble with while the light's fading. Once in place, the extension

balances fairly well, though there's definitely some vibration and

bounce with longer teles like the Nikkor 500mm and Fuji 600

that I was using with it. Back movements are kind of weird with

the extension in place. Actually, this issue became the main

reason I switched cameras, but the extension design might work

for someone else.

<p>

Incidentally, you don't need the extension back for telephoto

designs like the 360mm Nikkor or 400mm Fujinon, both of which

focus at about 250mm or so. Unless you want to go longer (and I

did), maybe that's the solution...?

David: I originally bought the Arca 4x5 F-compact, which comes

with a 30cm collapsible rail, but then switched out the compact

rail for the standard 3-piece, 30cm telescoping monorail. This

makes the camera slightly heavier, but has a couple

advantages: 1) I think it's a bit more solid, and 2) the telescoping

rail extends out to 40cm or so. (F-compacts used to come with

40cm rails, but these aren't that compact--so they've been

replaced with 30cm/12-inch versions, which I don't think is long

enough!)

<p>

This telescoping assemblage, which I think is now called the

"F-classic," is almost as portable as the F-compact. To pack it,

you can simply run both camera standards onto one of two

6-inch rail sections, then remove the section from the lower,

longer "extension bracket." The camera then fits in the same

exact space as the F-compact; the longer extension bracket

stores flat nearby. (Does this make sense? It's late at night.) I

also don't think there's any appreciable difference in setup or

breakdown time between the two models.

<p>

As to gear vs. no gears: Arca movements are very smooth. I don't

feel at all deprived without geared movements--but then, I haven't

tried them! Isn't the Metric version even taller and chunkier?

Whoops, I forgot. I think Schneider also has a new 400mm

"compact" tele that's supposed to be a bit smaller than the

others mentioned. I haven't seen one, but I'd imagine that it too

focuses at less than 12". (Otherwise, what's the point?) It should

be listed on the Schneider website.

The two standard telephotos for the typical 12"/300mm field

camera are the Nikkor 360 and the Fujinon 400. Both focus at

infinity somewhere around the 10-1/2" range, allowing a little

play on your camera. (I don't have the exact specs here.) I've

used the Nikkor extensively on both a Wista VX and a Toyo 45AII.

The Nikkor becomes a 500mm--or even a 720mm--by screwing

on different rear components. However, neither one of these will

focus on your short bellows. (The 500mm needs about 14-1/2

inches, I think, the 720mm about 19 inches.) Both the Nikkor and

Fujinon are heavy, expensive lenses.

<p>

Another option, as already noted, is an extension board for a

standard, non-telephoto 360mm. I use a Wista extension board

to mount a Fujinon 450mm on my present Linhof Master

Technika (it has 16"+ extension.) The Wista design is quite

nice; it's a set of threaded rings that can be screwed together to

provide up to 4" extra extension--though all that extension can be

a little unstable, depending on your camera. The Wista board

may not fit your camera, either. (I have seen some that fit Toyos.)

<p>

Another, even simpler option? A non-telephoto 300mm lens, like

a Nikkor-M or Fujinon-C. Because some of these actually focus

at a little under 300mm, they might work on your camera, though

you won't have much close-focusing ability. There have been

numerous good posts on both these lenses--as well as other

300mms--on this forum. Good luck!

Good info! Many thanks for all the responses. I have one more

related question: anybody know how much one should expect to

pay for a beater Deardorff--a "fixer-upper" that 's cheap but can

be restored to look decent and operate at 100 percent?

Does anyone know how involved it is to restore/refinish the

typical well-used Deardorff 8x10? I'm pretty familiar with

woodworking/refinishing basics, but I'm not sure what

mechanical problems I might run across. Any first-hand

experiences? Any shopping tips? Any websites that cover the ins

and outs? Thanks!

I regularly use the 150mm Sironar-S with my Arca FC 4x5--both

outdoors and under studio lights--and have had no flare trouble

at all. Great lens!

Since my last post I've had a chance to work about 20 single

sheets of Kodak 100S into the flow of two assignment days,

working in bright, sunny gardens. Not a single light leak. I run a

lot of Polaroid on these days, so the film goes in the Polaroid

holder that's already in the camera. Shooting select-focus at f8

with my Nikkor 210mm and Arca, I got a pretty good opportunity

to see how sharp the Readyload/Polaroid combo is. Answer?

After checking the chromes with both 4x Schneider and 8x Toyo

loupes, the focus points seem perfectly sharp. It's great to have

Kodak back in the mix.

I've used Fuji Quickload exclusively for several years now, both in

the studio and in intense desert sun/heat, and I've had virtually

zero problems. Before that, I had nothing but light leaks with

Kodak's double-sheet Readyload (so far, so good with the new

single sheets). Like Ellis, I take reasonable care to keep the

Quickloads out of direct sun, but I don't really worry about it. In

the field I also use a Rubbermaid container, but I've had no

problems there either; I limit myself to 20 Quickload sheets and

the holder so that it doesn't get all jammed together inside the

container. The holder goes inside a little stuff sack and sits on

top of the film. By the way, I use the Kodak, not the Fuji holder,

with Fuji film--it's lighter and seems less futzy to me. Does

anyone ever use all 20 "Exposed" stickers before they blow

away in the wind?

Can anyone share a reliable source or two for fresh 8x10

transparency film? Is 8x10 generally available, or do you need to

load up when you can find it? How easy is it to get Fuji Velvia or

RDPIII vs. Kodak 100VS? Thanks!