Frank Petronio said:
Skip the dorf and wait patiently for an older Arca to show up. They are light, expandable, have full movements, etc. and far less than $2000.
Use the savings to start saving up for a Phillips.
I also liked the Kodak MV I tired, great for the money.
You can find a used Phillips for under two grand if you watch carefully. Here is one that went for $1825 on eBay last December. "Very fine 8X10 PHILLIPS ADVANTAGE Camera Item number: 7570023255". A current model ($2800 new price last year) with minor bells and whistles went on eBay for $3938, just because it was available. "PHILLIPS 8X10 COMPACT II COMPLETE OUTFIT! MUST SEE! Item number: 7554554344"
I purchased an early 1990s Phillips Advantage serial #145 for about $2350 two years ago, but it had almost no use. Light, nice long bellows, lots of movement front and back. You can talk specs, quality, high tech details, but for me there are two indicators of how good and how desired the Phillips is.
Here is a camera you really have to search to learn anything about, the very opposite of mass marketing, yet look at eBay prices when they do show up. Look at the Phillips order book for a new short bellows 26" model, the Compact II. Last year Dick Phillips allowed orders January 1-10 and was sold out for the year. That is 40 cameras. This year he allowed orders January 1-3 and will take no further orders for 8x10s this year!
Think about that. This is a one man business, sold out for the year's production, in three days! By the way, don't call Dick today to try and talk him into a sale. He left last Friday for Antarctica to shoot penguins and things. This is a really nice guy who makes great cameras and I think has his priorities in order.
John Powers