Help me decide which 4x5 camera to buy...

[luvmydogs]

Actually Steve, I think somebody did try to ask this and the reply was basically, "I want it do do everything and use every lens but above all, it has to look good....". So, I don't think this is necessarily an excercise in rational use of one's money.

 

[jimgalli]

A super expensive brightly colored 4x5 camera will always make sharper, cleaner, better contrast and even toned negatives than a plain old black or wood stained camera. Even at f wide open! My vote is for the 5x7 B&J then spend the mega bucks with J. Galli for a super good batch of lenses! Charlie........

Excellent advice. Buy a $56 Burke & James, send it to the folks at www.pimp_my_camera.com for the leapord skin or red aligator treatment. Then send the remainder of your $5600 budget to me and I'll decide which lenses you need. Simple eh?

 

[jmdavis]

Bummer,

You mean there's really not a www.pimp_my_camera.com? I think that I'm off to register a new domain.


Mike Davis

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Bummer,

You mean there's really not a www.pimp_my_camera.com? I think that I'm off to register a new domain.


Mike Davis

Right this way, Mike------------> http://www.cameraleather.com/

 

[laz]

Excellent advice. Buy a $56 Burke & James, send it to the folks at www.pimp_my_camera.com for the leapord skin or red aligator treatment. Then send the remainder of your $5600 budget to me and I'll decide which lenses you need. Simple eh?

At the recent Photo Expo I passed a display case with bellows made of faux leopard skin and other exotic materials, I ran like hell!
-Bob

 

[jmdavis]

Right this way, Mike------------> http://www.cameraleather.com/

David,

I must admit that I've used them when restoring a couple of Minolta's and my Yashica C. So, I don't actually think of them as pimp_my_camera. But with the right dyed alligator skin... who knows?

Mike

 

[gr82bart]

what do you want to photograph?

Landscapes, streetscapes, people - environmental, "outdoor things", nudes, night scenes. Not really into macros, interiors, table top "things".

what range of lensdes (sic) do you want to use?

Wide angle to medium tele. Say 20mm to 100mm in 35mm SLR equivalent.

Despite what the joksters (and other descriptions ) think, I don't want it to do everything. Again, an outdoor camera but one that can be used inside, light, portable, with all the movements, decent gears and rulers, durable, good engineering behind it, and contrary to most things purchased by men, except cars and women (but not wives) - it has to look decent.

So far of all the recommendations - it's the Sinar, Canham and Arca Swiss.

Regards, Art.

 

[Donald Miller]

Art,

You know, it is quite apparent that you are a discerning individual. Your taste is readily apparent and impeccable. If I had the financial wherewithall that you indicate, I would not settle for the ordinary either...in fact if you were my manager, I would probably fire you if you settled for the mundane.

I would probably have something made up in an art deco theme...no need to buy off the rack. it would impress the hell out of everyone...that would offset the images until you got to the point of learning to use it.

I insist on proper presentation from all of my managers...

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

About packing a Sinar F-series--it doesn't weigh much more than a Technika (about 6-7 lbs), and it doesn't have to travel in a trunk case. There are a few ways of folding it compactly--either flat with the standards parallel to the rail, off the rail or with a 6-inch rail so the body of the camera becomes a brick with the rail in a side pocket, or with the back and bellows folded all the way down and the front standard raised and folded on top of it. Setup is pretty quick with the levels and neutral detents.

Canham is self-casing and lighter, and the Arca-Swiss can take a folding rail, which is more compact than a Sinar, but the Sinar is still a precision camera and is pretty cheap right now (you'll have plenty of cash left over to have it powder coated in fire-engine red). Arca and Sinar have the advantages of being modular systems with lots of options, so that if you decide at some point to do tabletop, it might just be a matter of adding a rail and maybe an intermediate standard and another bellows.

 

[Peter De Smidt]

I've used quite a few Sinars over the years--P, F, F2, A1, and P again-- mostly on location. They are very good cameras, but they are somewhat delicate. You have to be especially careful that lensboards and bellows frames are seated properly before pushing down on the locking levers. Never force anything on a Sinar! That is, unless your best friend is a Sinar repair man.

While I like Sinars, until you get to the P model I prefer ARCAs. (I've never used an ARCA M.) Any of the ARCAs are smoother, more ruggeded, easier to use, and in general slicker than an F2, let alone an F or an A1. The advantage of Sinar is the great availability of used gear, including stuff that no one else had in their line. Bellows, lensboards, extension rails are all available for reasonable prices. That can't be said about ARCA.

 

[Amund]

Here`s one more to look at :http://www.walkercameras.com/titan-sf-4x5-01.html

 

[gr82bart]

Art,

You know, it is quite apparent that you are a discerning individual. Your taste is readily apparent and impeccable. If I had the financial wherewithall that you indicate, I would not settle for the ordinary either...in fact if you were my manager, I would probably fire you if you settled for the mundane.

I would probably have something made up in an art deco theme...no need to buy off the rack. it would impress the hell out of everyone...that would offset the images until you got to the point of learning to use it.

I insist on proper presentation from all of my managers...

Donny, Donny, Donny. If this came from someone I respected, I'd laugh at. From you, it's pitiful. Was it really necessary? Try and have some semblance of self-restraint, K?

Art.

 

[laz]

Donny, Donny, Donny. If this came from someone I respected, I'd laugh at. From you, it's pitiful. Was it really necessary? Try and have some semblance of self-restraint, K?

Art.

Come on Art, you gotta see the humor in your statements regarding a stylish 4x5. All in all I think the APUG crowd has been as helpful as can be and considering the emphasis you've put on what your camera will look like, as restrained as they can be in the gentle kidding you've gotten.
-Bob

 

[gr82bart]

Nobody stops at just one view camera anyway.

Hey Brad,

This is the scary part. So many LF shooters have told me this. I think it's like any other 'hobby'. I mean just how many cameras is enough? I think there's a thread somewhere asking to list how many cameras we all have and it's amazing to see just how many.

Art. (Just working on my first...)

 

[gr82bart]

Come on Art, you gotta see the humor in your statements regarding a stylish 4x5. All in all I think the APUG crowd has been as helpful as can be and considering the emphasis you've put on what your camera will look like, as restrained as they can be in the gentle kidding you've gotten.

Bob,

You are absolutely correct about that. But, in the case of Donny here, it's a personal attack. He's bringing things from the soapbox that should remain there or else we could all do the same and bring things into the regular forum. We have a history.

Art.

 

[laz]

Bob,
We have a history.

'nuff said, sorry my friend.
-B

 

[Ole]

Bob,

You are absolutely correct about that. But, in the case of Donny here, it's a personal attack. He's bringing things from the soapbox that should remain there or else we could all do the same and bring things into the regular forum. We have a history.

Art.

In that case I must advise you to keep it personal, and take it off-forum.
The moderator has spoken.

On the other hand, I have several Art Deco LF cameras... My 6.5x9cm, the 3 9x12cm's, one 13x18cm and the 18x24cm all have obvious Art Deco design elements.

 

[Nick Zentena]

Hey Brad,

This is the scary part. So many LF shooters have told me this. I think it's like any other 'hobby'. I mean just how many cameras is enough? I think there's a thread somewhere asking to list how many cameras we all have and it's amazing to see just how many.

The thing is it's possible to have valid reasons for multiple cameras. You might need a big heavy studio camera that you'd never haul around. You might need something that handles really wide lenses. What ever. In smaller formats if you want a wide lens odds are no matter how wide it'll work just fine. Assuming the mount matches. Or if you want a long lens. LF isn't like that. Some cameras can handle really short lenses better then others. Some have lots of bellows and handle long lenses better. You likely don't mind the extra weight of a studio camera in a studio. But when hauling the thing around it might seem a millstone. So you're willing to give up some features for lighter weight.

 

[Ole]

My reasons for having several LF cameras is that - eh - ummm - no, forget about that. I have several, and they are (nearly) all different.

A light yet stable monorail for inddors and close to home or car, a light folding 5x7" for longer walks, an ancient 18x24cm plate camera just because it looked so nice and I wanted the larger format, a huge ugly 30x4cm plate camera for even larger format, a selection of old 9x12cm plate cameras for walking about with (and a 6.5x9cm plate camera for waliking about for a bit longer). And an 8x10" camera (still in parts) getting ready for the day when 18x24cm film is no longer available. Oh - and the 13x18cm plate camera I bought to get the universal iris lens mount that was on it, expecting the camera to be tatty and the bellows in tatters. It wasn't - it's an unusually well kept German "Reisekamera" from around 1900-1920, which seems to have been in regular use until very recently. Fixed front with rise and shift on the lensboard, moving back with minimal swing and tilt. The whole thing is even more stable than my Gandolfi, which is very stable indeed. So I've kept it, and bought another iris mount

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Nick Zentana makes some good points, and given how used gear has come down in price, you could easily purchase three or four cameras for different purposes with your budget. Eventually, you'll be like Donald and have three new Durst 5x7" enlargers too.

 

[gr82bart]

On the other hand, I have several Art Deco LF cameras... My 6.5x9cm, the 3 9x12cm's, one 13x18cm and the 18x24cm all have obvious Art Deco design elements.

Don't make me ask for leopard print bellows!

Art.

 

[Donald Miller]

In that case I must advise you to keep it personal, and take it off-forum.
The moderator has spoken.

On the other hand, I have several Art Deco LF cameras... My 6.5x9cm, the 3 9x12cm's, one 13x18cm and the 18x24cm all have obvious Art Deco design elements.

No attack intended...I have no control over how someone interperts things. Nuff said.

 

[Mongo]

This is the scary part. So many LF shooters have told me this.

Art-

For a lot of folks, saying that this won't be your last LF camera doesn't imply that you'll own more than one, just that you'll "trade up" to something else. Everyone's familiar with Gear Acquisition Syndrome, a disease which attacks many photographers of all formats. But LF photographers seem to be particularly prone to Magic Bullet Syndrome - the disease that makes one believe one would be a better photographer if one only had some additional movements or bellows capacities at hand. (It's the same reason that LF photographers accumulate lenses...we all want you to think that it's simple GAS, but in reality we're looking for that magic lens that takes only great images.)

So when you're warned that you aren't buying your last camera, don't worry about ending up with a closet full of cameras. You'll likely end up with more than one in time, but you'll also probably sell some off as you acquire new cameras.

(This, by the way, is written by someone who has four 4x5s and three 8x10s in his posession at this time, and intends to sell precisely none of them. So take it for what it's worth.)

In all seriousnes: I think the Canham is the best answer that I could come up with for you. You can even get the DLC45 finished in some interesting colors if that's your thing. But the cameras are engineering marvels, very capable, and cool as all hell even in black.

Best of luck with your decision.
Dave

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Just went down to B&H to pick up some supplies (and I finally bit the bullet and bought a Rotatrim), and then it hit me. How could none of us think of it?

Arca-Swiss Misura--

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...s&Q=&sku=335463&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

Better LF porn shots of the fetish leather version here--

http://www.profot.ch/web_fr/produkte/studio_1.php

or here--

http://www.robertwhite.co.uk/ArcaSwiss.htm#LabelMi

Good article on the metal cased version here--

http://www.galerie-photo.com/arca-swiss-misura-us.html

 

[mark]

Now that is erotic David. Especially the disrobing series of pics in the Article.