Advice on 8x10 Camera Purchase Requested

[Jim Moore]

Well, a little over a month ago I sold off my 4x5 system and lenses. Another one of those "I wish I hadn't of done that" deals.

Anyway, I am wanting to replace it now because I miss it so much :rolleyes: and all of the threads on contact printing with AZO has me thinking about getting an 8x10 setup instead.

I would like to purchase Used equipment and was hoping that the fine members of APUG could give me some suggestions on what to look for.

I would like to stay under $2,000 if possible.

Thanks!!

Jim

 

[Deniz]

Hi Jim,

You have many fine 8x10 cameras to choose from.
I myself use a 1890 ROC Carlton Camera that i found at a swap meet and it was too nice to pass up. I restored it and use it with joy. It folds up to be very similar to deardorff and other field cameras.

Speaking of deardorffs they are nice cameras too if weren't abused. There are many on Ebay any time. Prices go around $1200 for nice condition ones and 800 900 for beat up ones.

If campactness is not necessery, look for Kodak No2D camera in 8x10. They are very nice and functional.

If you decide to buy new you have many options like wisner, tachihara, Shen hao, wista, canham, lotus gandolfi, ebony.
I beleive tachihara and shen hao are reasonably priced and you can buy lenses film or film holders with the rest of your money.
Dont go cheap on the tripod either.. you need a sturdy one.
I personally use a surveyors tripod and am extremely happy with it. i got it for $90Cad.

8x10 is great fun. you will love it

 

[livemoa]

Jim
My advice would be, for what its worth, get a goodish camera (good bellows, reasonably stable/tight standards) and invest in glass. If you had favorite 5x4 lenses, then get the equivants for 10x8, eg if you had a 150 and 240 get a 300 and a 480, or there abouts. Don't forget process or barrel lenses (no shutter) use the old hat trick and a ND filter.

When I went to 10x8 I bought a Burke & James for $300 US, have since moved to a Kodak MasterView which I got for about $800 US (sold the B&J for about $280 so can't complain.) Still have my 5x4 gear plus I use reducing backs (5x7, 5x4,) if you want a bizarre look (have done this only once, whole series of circumstances) try 10x8 with a 5x4 reducing back and a 120 roll back!

Other option is monorails (cheap, not so portable)

Anyway, my 2 cents worth...

 

[noseoil]

Used 8x10

If you plan on doing any hiking at all, get a field camera. An old Deardorf is nice and relatively portable. Deniz is correct when she quotes prices. They work well and hold their value.

I have an old Burke & James with the battleship gray paint and the red bellows. It is sturdy (robust might actually be a better word) and will last longer than I will, but it is not a joy to carry around. I've already made one trip to the chiropractor, so I have a helper or I don't take it out of the car for a walk. No problem shooting next to the car, but I don't drag it around in its little trunk with all the stuff inside by myself anymore. It does have a reducing back, so I can shoot 4x5 as well as 8x10. I've never tried 120 roll film, but come to think of it......

 

[Alex Hawley]

Hi Jim,
I got into 8x10 with a Deardorf, a Commercial Ektar lens, 8 holders, and a 4x5 reducing back for about $1200. Add in the Azo and amidol and it was still less than $2000.

Its a real toss-up between the Masterview and a Deardorf. I consider them as equals in quality and design and about equal in price. There's a lot more 'Dorfs out there though, so they are easier to come by.

 

[Deniz]

Tim- its "He" !!

I have a 100+ years old B&L 360 or so mm lens on my camera that covers nice and suprisingly shutter works good too!

Just the other day i decided to try my 210mm 6.3 commercial Komura on the 8x10 to see it covers and looks like it does! I got this lens for dirt cheap and its mounted in a copal 1 and its multicoated.
they come on ebay everyonce in a while the look out for good deals.

 

[livemoa]

If you plan on doing any hiking at all, get a field camera.

I have an old Burke & James with the battleship gray paint and the red bellows. It is sturdy (robust might actually be a better word) and will last longer than I will, but it is not a joy to carry around. It does have a reducing back, so I can shoot 4x5 as well as 8x10. I've never tried 120 roll film, but come to think of it......

As the old saying goes "if its more than 50 feet from the car, it's not photogenic.."

The roll film back one was kind of funny, wish I had a photo of us doing it.. Anyway, old grey B&J, 5x4 reducing back, one of those slip under the ground glass 6x12 holders and my 24 inch lens. You see, the photographer whos 6x12 back it was needed a long (read 24 inch) lens and, 1) he didn't have enough bellows draw, 2) try sticking a bloody great 24 inch artar on the front of a Horseman camera.... Worked well, he was happy, his client was more than happy, he got paid, we all had a laugh and I got a nice lunch.

 

[bmac]

Jim,

first of all, make sure you are buying it for the right reasons. Just so you know, the print you sent me for the prin exchange gets a lot of really good comments from people who swing by my cel.. er cubicle at work. You are doing great work with your medium format right now. ok ran over...

In the past week I have dont close to what you are looking at doing.

I found a Deardorff on eBay, got it for $610. Went to KEH.com and bought a used 305 G Claron for a tad over $600. Went to my local store to buy fixer, came out with a used Berlebach tripod and Ries head $179. Got some film holders from the APUG classifieds, and a local source $25-30 each. Moral of the story, if you are patient (and maybe lucky) there are great deals to be had. Oh yeah, Thanks YHOO

If you do decide to get something other than a regular dorff, B&J, Masterview, make sure the back is actually an 8x10 back, my first one was about 5/8" oversized, so standard holders didnt fit right. And make sure you have enough bellows draw for the length of lenses you are most likely to use, otherwise you'll be up the same creek I was...

Good luck!

 

[George Losse]

There have been some good advice in these responses. The best of which is make sure our going to 8x10 for the right reasons. Take some time and figure out what you want to do with your photography. What type of work your doing, what type of work you want to do, do you travel a lot, do you go back packing? All these things make a difference.

Shooting 8x10 is a wonderful experience, but it is not for everyone. Its a lot of work and its not cheap. It will cause you to re-learn and refine some working habits. But seeing the negatives hanging after processing or seeing the finished contact prints usually makes me forget how much work the camera is to shoot.

I will warn you that 8x10 will seem big at first and then you'll see a ULF negative or contact print and think the 8x10 is a little small. I know your working with a budget but a camera that is part of a system can save you money in the long run. My first 8x10 was a tachahara, I spent most of my starting budget on the glass. I worked with that camera for five years before I replaced it. I was able to figure out that I really enjoyed working with the 8x10 and making contact prints before spending more money on a better camera.

 

[Ole]

I just received mine yesterday

Not really 8x10, but the European 18x24cm size. A German plate camera, with two double plate holders. Along with a 165mm Angulon (not Super), and about 100 sheets of "AGFA Gevarex Contone" 24x30cm film he sent along so I could try it.

looking forward to having fun, and then hunting down a lens in the 400-600mm range.

 

[colrehogan]

I bought an 8x10 Agfa/Ansco from Midwest Photo Exchange for $495. The bellows had been replaced, but they work just fine. I got it so I could get into contact printing. As for lenses, I bought a 300 mm f8.5 Fujinon from MPE new, and recently picked up a 159 mm f9.5 Wollensak on ebay.

I agree with a lot of what has been said here too.

 

[Jim Moore]

Thanks everyone for you input. As always lots of great advice.

I have made my decision, somewhat influenced by a listing on eBay.

There was a nice Zone VI 4x5 System listed that ended today that I just could not pass up.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3817456507&sspagename=STRK:MEWN:IT&rd=1

So it looks like for now I'll be shooting 4x5. Hopefully sometime later this year I can add an 8x10 to go with it.

Thanks again!

Jim

 

[bmac]

Wow, what a deal. complete rig ready to go! Good luck, she looks like a beauty!

 

[Jim Moore]

Wow, what a deal. complete rig ready to go! Good luck, she looks like a beauty!

Thanks Brian,

I just couldn't pass it up.

Jim

 

[Johnny V]

Jim,

Wow is right! Congrats on a great deal! Use in good health!

I just purchased a Burke&James 5x7 Grover:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3817301743

Was going to build my own 6x17 pano camera from scratch, but decided for the price it's cheaper to buy this camera and shoot either 5x7 and/or make 6x17 film holders.

 

[John McCallum]

Congrats Jim. That looks like a great deal.

John

 

[mikewhi]

My first 8x10 was a Kodak Masterview. I now own a KB Canham 8x10, with 4x10 back and other accessories. I liked the KMV, especially that it was metal and folded up so nicely into a box. The only drawback was that the front standard was nov as rigid as I would have liked. When I put on a heavy lens (a few pounds) and tilted the front standard forward, it could not hold the weight of the lens and would sag down. I partly fixed this by replacing the nuts with locking washers and tighter thumbscrews.

I really like the Canham. No complaints, but it is way above your budget.

I second the general concensus towards a Deardorf, just be sure to get one with front swings as early models don't have them. A KMV is still a good recommendation and a lot of camera for the buck even with my problem. Lensboards for KMV's can be hard to find, but post here if you get one and I (or others) will point you to people who custom make them.

A new Tachihara looks real nice as a basic 8x10 for $1300 at www.mpex.com so youmight check that out. I think it only has base tilts which are a pain but usable. It folds up and is luggable.

Good luck.

-Mike

 

[Jim Moore]

Well, I just found another "deal" that I couldn't pass up.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3819300689&sspagename=STRK:MEWN:IT&rd=1

I figure I just paid $1,000 for the Schneider Super-Angulon 165mm (They seem to be selling on eBay for around that price) and $676 for the Dorff and the 300mm Lens.

Even though the Plasmat Set I just got is a "5x7" set it go's up to 500mm, so I should be able to use it on this.

O.K... Somebody PLEASE tell me to stay away form eBay

Jim

 

[bmac]

I think you just edged Sean out of his title (Out of control on eBay)

 

[Jim Moore]

I think you just edged Sean out of his title (Out of control on eBay)

Now I have to go home and tell my Wife

Jim

 

[Deniz]

I just don't know what to say Jim....

have fun using the Dorff..

 

[bmac]

Now I have to go home and tell my Wife

Jim

Good luck with the wife, I'd offer my couch, but I'm already there

 

[Jim Moore]

Well I called yesterday to pay for the camera and received a nice little bonus. The seller told me that he is going to include 2 old Kodak lenses. One is 11" and the other is a 13".

He said that the shutters will probably need CLA'd but the glass is in good shape.

 

[bmac]

Nice!