Canham 8x10 Wood Traditional vs. Lightweight

jiggler · Apr 25, 2007

Besides the reported 1 pound in weight, would someone explain the differences between theses two cameras please? Thanks.

Loose Gravel · Apr 25, 2007

I don't know about the 8x10, but the 45 I figure is the same. The wooden camera is friendlier, less of a puzzle. If you are buying used, the metal one is probably cheaper, which means if you are buying new, the wooden one will retain its value better.

Guillaume Zuili · Apr 25, 2007

I use to have one traditional. The difference between the two is in the front, the lensboard size is smaller on the lightweight and it makes it difficult to have large lens (even a number 3 would be too big or heavy)

TheFlyingCamera · Apr 25, 2007

Loose Gravel said:
I don't know about the 8x10, but the 45 I figure is the same. The wooden camera is friendlier, less of a puzzle. If you are buying used, the metal one is probably cheaper, which means if you are buying new, the wooden one will retain its value better.

In the 8x10, there is the Canham JMC 8x10(all-metal), the Traditional Wood Field, and the Lightweight Wood Field. See below URLs for clarification. This is not the same as the 4x5 lineup. You can easily fit any modern lens up to a Copal 3 shutter on any of the Canham 8x10 cameras, as even the lightweight 8x10 takes a 110mm lensboard. Considering that you can get Technica boards for up to Copal 3 shutters or even an Ilex #4 will fit on it, and the Technica board is smaller than 110mm, I don't know where the idea that you couldn't fit a lens in a Copal 3 shutter on it comes from. Certainly there are some lenses I would not attempt to put on the front of a Canham, or any field camera for that matter, because of their weight and physical size.

http://www.canhamcameras.com/8x10standard.htm

http://www.canhamcameras.com/8x10lightweight.htm

http://www.canhamcameras.com/8x10metal.htm

Pinholemaster · Apr 25, 2007

I have the lightweight version. The front standard is smaller, but I used many large lenses on the camera with no problem. Copal #3 shutter works fine.

There are a few lenses where the rear element is too wide the the lightweight front standard. If you get say a Nikkor 150mm this will be a problem. The Nikkor 120mm works fine.

The work around with lenses that have large rear elements is to unscrew the element, uncouple the bellows from the front standard, place the lens board with the front element onto the front standard, screw in the rear element, and then reattach the bellows. Slow, but easy.

Frankly, I've never missed the larger lens board of the standard 8x10 camera. Keith Canham make the lightweight so strong that the camera has no problem with my Nikkor 1200mm.

jp80874 · Apr 25, 2007

Go to the Canham accessory page and you will find that the larger backs & bellows (7x17 and 8x20) cannot be added to the Light Weight. Don't tell me you will never go larger than 8x10. Tell that to yourself in six months. 8x10 and 7x17 make a great combination. Just in our neighborhood Robert Pucket will tell you that 8x10 and 8x20 make a great combination. Neither of ours are Canham, but the concept applies.

What ever you get, enjoy it.

John Powers

Michael Kadillak · Apr 25, 2007

jp80874 said:
Don't tell me you will never go larger than 8x10. Tell that to yourself in six months. John Powers

I built a darkoom for 4x5/5x7 and within 18 months I was shooting 11x14, 12x20 and 8x20. Thankfully, I decided to acquire the Canham 8x10 standard and had Keith make me the 8x20 back for it. I can go from 8x10 to 8x20 in under 60 seconds. It can happen in a country minute.

Rob Skeoch · Apr 28, 2007

I've sold both of the wood versions over the past year. The standard camera uses a sinar size board while the lightweight uses the smaller Canham/Toyo size board.

The smaller board allows for a more tappered bellows which is lighter, and slightly lighter hardware.

The regular one is slightly heavier as mentioned but does allow you more flexibility down the road when you want to switch to an even larger camera.

I keep the standard model in stock, and usually order the lightweight model in when they're ordered.
-Rob

Canham 8x10 Wood Traditional vs. Lightweight

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