Gandolfi made out of MDF ???????????

George Papantoniou · Mar 23, 2006

http://cgi.ebay.com/Gandolfi-Varian...ryZ15248QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Look at the question someone asked the seller... What is this ? I didn't believe what I was reading ... A Gandolfi made from MDF ???

Ole · Mar 23, 2006

It's quite correct.

Gandolfi Variant cameras come in a range of different woods - and MDF. What's the problem? It's stable and directionless, won't warp, twist or crack...

Changeling1 · Mar 23, 2006

For the kind of money Gandolfi wants for his cameras, they should be made out of French Pearwood!

Ole · Mar 23, 2006

A new Gandolfi Variant 4x5" costs about £1000, whether Americam Walnut or MDF. That's not especially expensive.

A new Gandolfi Traditional is a different matter - £2800 for the 5x7" (a 4x5" traditional is a 5x7" with 4x5" back). That's expensive. What's worse is that they are worth it!

Bob F. · Mar 23, 2006

Plus, it's a marine grade of MDF: the stuff from which they make boat components, not the stuff from which IKEA make their wardrobes... Stable and so tough it needs metalworking tools to machine. Quite heavy though and not as pretty as the polished wood 'n' brass versions IMO.

I still have mine, but my Shen Hao is lighter and has more movements so gets more use. Yer pays yer money, and yer takes yer choice...

Cheers, Bob.

Nick Zentena · Mar 23, 2006

Check out high priced speakers. Those things aren't cheap and you'll still get MDF. Some times MDF is the right choice.

Jan Pietrzak · Mar 23, 2006

et All

Not as utilitarian as MDF, but more romantic

Gandolfi MDF (Mahogany Dark Finish)

Just a thought

Jan Pietrzak

roteague · Mar 23, 2006

I prefer metal cameras anyway.

George Papantoniou · Mar 24, 2006

Well, I have to admit that I have used MDF too (for shelves and stuff), although I really dislike the stuff. It's full of harmful chemicals, too.

I don't consider it being a noble material and I would never want a camera made out of it.

I don't know whether my B&W speakers are made from it, but I'd rather not find out...

Dave Parker · Mar 24, 2006

A friend of my came over from England last year, with a grandolfi made out of MDF painted with black laquer and it was a very nice camera, I didn't see any problems with it at all, very nice fit and finish and sturdy..with the way they are painted with the laquer, I don't see how any harmful chemicals could ever be a problem, also many of the MDF products are produced quite a bit more enviormentally friendly than they were in years past, heck my Bose 901 speakers, which at the time I purchased them were a couple grand, and they are veener coated MDF, as were my Polk Studio monitors. You will find most of even the high end speakers are MDF, the audio properties of MDF are a lot easier to control than solid wood.

Dave

jd callow · Mar 24, 2006

I wouldn't trust MDF. I have seen it expand, crumble, and if a screw hole ever strips you are finished. Maybe Gandolfi's is better quality and maybe it is better than wood -- I wouldn't know. I'll stick to metal.

Dave Parker · Mar 24, 2006

mrcallow said:
I wouldn't trust MDF. I have seen it expand, crumble, and if a screw hole ever strips you are finished. Maybe Gandolfi's is better quality and maybe it is better than wood -- I wouldn't know. I'll stick to metal.

The stuff Gandolfi is using is not what your thinking of, it is marine grade MDF, it don't expand, contract or strip out, a good sheet of marine grade MDF will cost you more that a piece of Good quality Birch Plywood, if I remember right the last time I looked at some 1/2 inch marine grade, a 4x8 sheet was around $250.00 US, there are many different grades of MDF, what we normally are exposed to in the states is a very cheap product, you can take a piece of marine grade from a good manufacture and put it under water for 6 months and it won't change at all, it will stay the same size, stay flat and still be usuable..perception is a big thing in woods, but believe me this stuff makes solid wood look like junk..

Dave

tim atherton · Mar 24, 2006

In addition to being very tough, Gandolfi have been making the MDF Variants for a good number of years. It's not exactly news.

tim atherton · Mar 24, 2006

George Papantoniou said:
I don't consider it being a noble material and I would never want a camera made out of it.

A noble camera! It's just a tool to do the job - doesn't matter what it looks like as long as it works - the tougher the better. Let it take a beating, bounce around inthe back of the truck, get scratched by rocks and tree branches. But whatever you do, don't get caught fondling your camera...

Ole · Mar 24, 2006

Just think of the MDF as a kind of "light weight metal". That's about correct, and tells you a little about why the chose it to make cameras out of.

avandesande · Mar 24, 2006

MDF quality depends on the resin that is used to bind the wood together. There is a huge difference in the quality of the resins.

George Papantoniou · Mar 25, 2006

Satinsnow said:
The stuff Gandolfi is using is not what your thinking of, it is marine grade MDF, it don't expand, contract or strip out, a good sheet of marine grade MDF will cost you more that a piece of Good quality Birch Plywood, if I remember right the last time I looked at some 1/2 inch marine grade, a 4x8 sheet was around $250.00 US, there are many different grades of MDF, what we normally are exposed to in the states is a very cheap product, you can take a piece of marine grade from a good manufacture and put it under water for 6 months and it won't change at all, it will stay the same size, stay flat and still be usuable..perception is a big thing in woods, but believe me this stuff makes solid wood look like junk..

Dave

So, it would be good for underwater photography, this Gandolfi... Does it come with a waterproof bellows ?

George Papantoniou · Mar 25, 2006

tim said:
A noble camera! It's just a tool to do the job - doesn't matter what it looks like as long as it works - the tougher the better. Let it take a beating, bounce around inthe back of the truck, get scratched by rocks and tree branches. But whatever you do, don't get caught fondling your camera...

Tim, I almost sleep with my cameras... I woudn't scratch them in my worst nightmare. I am what you would call a sick camera - fetishist. But I'm getting help, I have joined the camera-holics anonymous here in Athens and it's getting better.

mark · Mar 25, 2006

My Father in law is in the boat biz. Marine grade MDF is amazing stuff.

pete oakley · Mar 26, 2006

Made out of MDF??????????

I spoke to a rep at Gandolfis stand at the UK Focus exhibition some yewars ago and he went through the Marine Grade MDF chat line. If you want to buy a cardboard camera thats up to you. How many boats have you seen made out of this "superb" medium? They are cardboard under another name. Pete.6black

Dave Parker · Mar 26, 2006

MDF is made from wood and resin epoxies, cardboard is made from paper and paper pulps...Of course beings wood is used to make paper, I guess all those wood cameras out there are just raw paper cameras, beings the raw product to make paper and cardboard is wood!.....LOL

Actually quite a few boats now a days use a considerable amount of marine grade MDF...

Dave

tim atherton · Mar 26, 2006

And of course a good part of my Phillips is made out of plywood - and it's about one of the best 8x10 cameras out there...

Papa Tango · Mar 26, 2006

Plastic, sawdust, oh how we settle for such junk these days...

Gandolfi made out of MDF ???????????

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