Advise for 8x10 with barrel lens

[malcao]

I thinking of stepping up to 8x10 wood camera and will use 300-360mm barrel lenses for portraits. I found Deardorff a little bit to expensive and also a bit risky buying used. I like the look of Tachihara better then the Shen Hao and also the price is lower. My only concern is if the Tachihara 8x10 is sturdy enough for barrel lenses 300-360mm?
Would appreciate all help/ experience regarding this!

 

[ic-racer]

300 to 360 should be fine on that camera. I can't think of an 8x10 camera in which would have issues with lenses in barrel or shutter of that focal length (which is normal for the format). Now if you were talking 1200 or so, then there could be issues.

 

[Ole]

I have more questions than answers to this:

An old Deardorff is too expensive, so you consider buing new? While I agree Deardorffs are overpriced, there are other used cameras that are not. After all, a camera is only a dark spacer between lens and film.

"300-360mm barrel lenses" is a vague term. That can be anything from a 305mm G-Claron which any camera can handle to a 360mm f:3.2 Petzval monster - where it might be better to mount the lens on a tripod and hang the camera off he back of it. Even a 360mm f:5.6 Symmar will tax many cameras. My Gandolfi handles it well, but anything less sturdy might struggle a bit.

 

[Nick Zentena]

What Ole said. I've got an 450 [or so] mm barrel lens that weighs over 6 pounds. Which lens are you going to use? Also why that lens?

 

[malcao]

I'm not sure what type of lenses I will use, for now I'm doing my home work about different lenses. But something like Voigtländer Heliar if the price is right.

 

[jimgalli]

A voice of experience and reason. I have a Deardorff that has been languishing for about 3 years now. The trouble is that my $285 Kodak 2D is so much more user friendly for barrel lenses. Yes, less movements but you can compensate for much of that. Mostly it is very strong and I can use up to 16 inch Petzval and a host of other barrel lenses, and a Packard Shutter lives inside the camera so it is always ready for whatever I find to put up front.

If you decide to have a look at my web pages, approximately 85% of the images there are done with this old cheap Kodak in 8X10 and full plate.

in oregon last week ~~ lens is a Voigtlaender Euryscop IV #6 54cm​

I tried Ansco / Agfa, Korona, etc but the Kodak had the best platform to actually put the shutter inside the camera and it is much less wobbly than some of the other old flat bed cameras.

 

[Maris]

My Tachihara 810HD has a 18 inch f4.5 Wollensak Projection Triplet barrel lens on it at the moment. The lens is huge but the camera doesn't seem to care. Nothing bends or binds.

Unless the bellows are extended to the limit a Tachihara should take almost any lens you can graft onto the front end of it.

 

[k_jupiter]

Do not pick up an 8x10 Deardorff. If you do you will understand that...

Price isn't everything.

I have never used as intuitive a camera as my V8. I will be mounting a Nikor 420 on it soon so I will see how it handles a fairly large barrel lens. All I know is the 12 in. Com. Ektar is a wonder on that camera.

tim in san jose

 

[2F/2F]

A voice of experience and reason. I have a Deardorff that has been languishing for about 3 years now. The trouble is that my $285 Kodak 2D is so much more user friendly for barrel lenses. Yes, less movements but you can compensate for much of that. Mostly it is very strong and I can use up to 16 inch Petzval and a host of other barrel lenses, and a Packard Shutter lives inside the camera so it is always ready for whatever I find to put up front.

If you decide to have a look at my web pages, approximately 85% of the images there are done with this old cheap Kodak in 8X10 and full plate.

I tried Ansco / Agfa, Korona, etc but the Kodak had the best platform to actually put the shutter inside the camera and it is much less wobbly than some of the other old flat bed cameras.

I feel the same way about my Kodak No. 2 5x7, which is basically an earlier model of the 2D. It's a very solid camera. That fact that it lacks swings is the largest drawback. I also wish it had a bit more rise and fall, and some shift, but it is fine for most things. Front tilt can be faked with it by tilting the whole camera at the tripod head, squaring up the back, and raising the front standard to recompose.

I have not installed a shutter in this camera yet. I have gaffer taped Sinar DBM lenses to the front standard and used a lens cap as a shutter. Often I have to use ND filters to be able to pull this off, but it has worked so far.

 

[Ole]

Is this where I insert the standard comments about the Gandolfi with universal iris lens holder, and a 640mm f:7.2 Aplanat all the way out in front of the iris and lens board?

It's possible, but marginal. I'd rather use that lens in that way on the 24x30cm rigid-front "Reisekamera".

 

[malcao]

Thanks for all the help!

Great web page and photos Jim!