Comparing DLC cameras to others

[Ardpatrick]

I’ve been out and about around the city with my Canham DLC 4x5, a recently acquired wide angle bellows, and some likewise new to me very wide lenses (72 / 58mm).

I’m clearly a little rusty with this camera although I’ve been shooting LF for 25+ years and own the Canham since 2009. I posted elsewhere about tripod head issues, but I’m having some camera specific issues too - the Canham is metal, folds / unfolds, and does not have any zero detente’s. I was advised to zero camera movements by ‘touch’ to verify standard alignment and that’s probably sufficient for landscape and / or with longer lenses. However for urban buildings / streetscape and wide lenses, I’ve had shots where even quite marginally non-aligned (to touch) standards have produced surprisingly unsharp results across parts of the shot. Of course very wide lenses are very unforgiving of any inaccuracy of alignment. The older DLC also has lousy bubble levels which is an inconvenience.

The DLC is generally a wonderful camera, but I’m wondering if I could find a better tool for my photographic needs - something that can be compact for portability, assembles accurately and has good movements & controls? I could sell the Canham and for similar money buy f.x. a Toyo View VX125, an Arca Swiss F, or a Linhof Technikarden. I have a sense of these cameras but haven’t used any of them. If it’s not already clear, my preference is a light metal 4x5 with plenty of movements.

Maybe there is little advantage to any of them. There are previous threads comparing these cameras, but maybe someone here has experience of these cameras compared to the DLC?

I should finally acknowledge that as I get older I get less tolerant of tools that ‘kinda’ work. Getting out to shoot LF film is not a convenient thing to do. It’s a commitment and film isn’t cheap anymore. Having to fiddle around just to level and align a 4x5 in Northern European winter weather and diminishing light, is less tolerable than it once was!

 

[abruzzi]

I have an Arca Swiss F-Field and F-Metric, and I also have a Technikardan. I've never used a DLC but my 8x10 is the Canham metal JMC. If one of those is best it would be close between the Arca and the Linhof, with maybe a light edge to the Linhof. In many ways the Linhof is the perfect 4x5 for me. Focusing is much easier on it that the other two because of axis tilts (my Arcas don't have orbix front tilt.) It also folds up very quickly.

That being said, I am moving toward retiring and maybe selling the Linhof because it is what it is. Its a 4x5 with 450 or so mm extension, and it really can't become something else. The Arca can become a 6x9 or a 5x7 (and maybe someday an 8x10), so its the better camera to become "one camera to rule them all.")

I'd see if you can get some time with the Technikardan, and preferably a 45S. It more securely locks the standards' tilt and swing at zero than the 45. Some people complain about folding it up with the bellows in place, but I always found it quite easy, though I don't use the Linhof method.

The main "dumb idea" in the TK is that the two rail extensions slide out of the front, so if you need to rack out to 45mm, the tripod mount is pretty far from the weight center. The Arca is much better in that respect since the entire base rail is an Arca Swiss qr plate.

 

[Ardpatrick]

I have an Arca Swiss F-Field and F-Metric, and I also have a Technikardan. I've never used a DLC but my 8x10 is the Canham metal JMC. If one of those is best it would be close between the Arca and the Linhof, with maybe a light edge to the Linhof. In many ways the Linhof is the perfect 4x5 for me. Focusing is much easier on it that the other two because of axis tilts (my Arcas don't have orbix front tilt.) It also folds up very quickly.

That being said, I am moving toward retiring and maybe selling the Linhof because it is what it is. Its a 4x5 with 450 or so mm extension, and it really can't become something else. The Arca can become a 6x9 or a 5x7 (and maybe someday an 8x10), so its the better camera to become "one camera to rule them all.")

I'd see if you can get some time with the Technikardan, and preferably a 45S. It more securely locks the standards' tilt and swing at zero than the 45. Some people complain about folding it up with the bellows in place, but I always found it quite easy, though I don't use the Linhof method.

The main "dumb idea" in the TK is that the two rail extensions slide out of the front, so if you need to rack out to 45mm, the tripod mount is pretty far from the weight center. The Arca is much better in that respect since the entire base rail is an Arca Swiss qr plate.

Interesting comments. Thanks.

How is the Technikarden for wide lenses? I have 58mm. I assume it has a bag bellows option?

Of the cameras I listed I think only the Toyo View has geared movements. With your Arca Swiss & Linhof, do you find control of camera movements, and zero-ing position, to be convenient and accurate?

 

[DREW WILEY]

The Toyo VX isn't all that light, requires rather large lensboards, and is hard to find components for. I'm glad I went with the Sinar F system from the start - very versatile, spare parts or outright conversion options abundant, and at the present, pricing quite affordable. Multiple bellows options. Outdoor portability? I've backpacked at least 15,000 miles with the system, and shot is all kinds of weather, especially at high altitude. And in my case, I had these routinely equipped with a 18 inch rail and extra long bellow; a dedicated wide angle kit with shorter rail would have been lighter.

There's no need for geared controls out in the field. In fact, that can be something of a liability because bits of sand or grit can get in there. Reliable detents and centering can be helpful. And an extendable screw-together sectional rail (versus a telescoping rail like with the Technikardan) can be valuable, since you can balance the camera at any point along the rail, making the system more resistant to vibration.

 

[abruzzi]

Interesting comments. Thanks.

How is the Technikarden for wide lenses? I have 58mm. I assume it has a bag bellows option?

Of the cameras I listed I think only the Toyo View has geared movements. With your Arca Swiss & Linhof, do you find control of camera movements, and zero-ing position, to be convenient and accurate?

the Arca can have some geared movements if you opt for the F-metric. That gives you geared rise/fall and shift. The Orbix option gives you geared tilt on the front standard only. Though I agree with Drew that I haven't found gearing all that usefull on a 4x5.

For zeroing the Arca has a fairly noticable detent at the zero position for swing and tilt. No detent for rise fall and shift, but clear and very visible rulers to visually confirm centering.

For the Technikardan, one of the reasons I suggested the 45S was your concern with zeroing. The 45 (which I have) has a detent. The 45S has a lock. You can't move the standard out of the zero position for swing and tilt without explicitly depressing a small locking lever and moving the standard. The foldup process requires tilt in the zero position, but requires swing outside of the zero position. When the foldup is complete both standards are swung 90 degrees away from zero. When unfolding the camera the standards swing back toards zero and lock when they hit zero. I have a Technikardan 23S also which is how I've had experience with the "S" models locking approach. Rise/fall and shift on the TK, like the Arca have no detent, but have a very clear visual indicator.

The TK does have a bag bellows. Somehow I ended up with two, and I have used them. They're one of the easier bellows systems to switch out in the field. The Arca isn't bad to switch out, but can be a little fiddly to get the frame in place. (the Sinar is also very easy.) The widest lens I've used on my TK is a Nikkor 75/4.5, and I think it can do that on a flat lens board, with the bag bellows. 58mm might be do-able with a relatively deep recessed board, but you won't get much wider than that, and at that short of a focal length, focused to infinity the standards will be tight up against each other so swing and tilt will be impossible. The Arca can get a bit wider but it may need a recessed board to hit 58. My Arca F-Classic converts to a 6x9 version and I have a Mamiya 50mm ƒ6.3 in a recessed lens board that covers 6x9 and can focus to infinity on the Arca.