Help me pick the perfect LF camera for my needs!

Hey, all! Let me start this off by telling y'all a little about myself: I'm a starving college student (music cognition/philosophy) who has been shooting 35mm (various rangefinders and SLRs) and MF (Mamiya c33, Rolleicord V) but I'd really like to get into large format.

My criteria for a camera are this:

I'd like it to make pictures that look respectable when contact printed (no room for an enlarger, certainly not one that can support 4x5 in my apartment), so I think 8x10 is the most appropriate. I intend to keep the cost down by using x-ray film and/or paper negatives, b/w, and developing myself.

I'd like it to be more portable than a monorail unit.

I'd like it to have modular backs in case I find myself desperate to shoot 4x5 or 5x7. (though this isn't the most crucial criterion)

I'd like it to be adaptable to glass plate negatives too if at all possible.

I'd like it to be sub $1000 (with lens).

Movements are great, but I probably won't be doing anything that requires a full set. Nor do I consider a shutter to be of utmost priority. Low tech, beat up, whatever, is fine with me.

What camera should I buy? If anyone here has any information (or a camera to sell) that'd be awesome!!

Thanks,

Isaac

Tachihara makes a very nice 8x10 field camera. I have one.

It has decent movements. A 4x5 reducing back is available.

It will accept Sinar lensboards, which are readily available, although the native Tachihara boards are cherry as is the camera.

Great camera. You'll have to look really hard to find one under $1k sans lens.

- Leigh

I have two ~100 year old wooden poco cameras... one is 5x7 and the other 8x10, and I think either would be very well suited to your needs. They are extremely light, and only needed a tiny of work to get them in perfect operating condition. They cost me about $300 apiece, including convertible lens with bulb actuation.

Kodak 2D's, Koronas, or Burk and James' wood view cameras would be good choices. Some of these don't have much for movements but they can be folded to relatively compact packages and can be had within your budget of 1K, including a lens and some holders, though reducing backs might increase that some. They are light enough to carry around easily, though adding tripod, optics, and holders will increase the weight and bulk of anything considerably.

You might also consider a 5x7, the negative is big enough for a decent contact print, but holders and film are much less dear than 8x10. Some lenses that are good for 4x5 also cover 5x7, for example the Schneider Symmar 210. A 210 is a good portrait and general use long-ish lens for 4x5 and more or less "normal" for 5x7.

If you aren't going to carry it much a Calumet C1 "Green Monster" 8x10 might be a good candidate to consider. The downside is that they are very heavy, even though they're made of magnesium. They are also not quite as compact as the wood cameras, but they are cheap, and unlike the wood cameras mentioned, they have full movements.

keithwms said:

I have two ~100 year old wooden poco cameras... one is 5x7 and the other 8x10, and I think either would be very well suited to your needs. They are extremely light, and only needed a tiny of work to get them in perfect operating condition. They cost me about $300 apiece, including convertible lens with bulb actuation.

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I can't seem to find much information on these "poco" cameras, though what little I've found has piqued my curiosity! Do you have any links with info about them, or know where I might find one for sale?

Thanks!

hi isaac

you might go on ebay and type in "8x10" + "camera" click off the include descriptions box
and look through the listings.
there are a handful ( i only looked through a few pages of listings there were more than i wanted to look at )
but most of them do not have modular backs as you suggest you might want to have.
some of them are big and clunky some aren't, some have no lens, some have lenses ...

if you are handy, or have a little time on your hands, there is one being sold for not much money, including the lens,
its not a poco but it looks sturdy and cheap. ... it just needs a little TLC ...
don't forget you will need film holders and plate holders and they add up in $$$ ...

teleugeot said:

I can't seem to find much information on these "poco" cameras, though what little I've found has piqued my curiosity! Do you have any links with info about them, or know where I might find one for sale?

Thanks!

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Hi, I see them on ebay from time to time. If you just go there you will find some. Note that they often come with plate backs, which you can easily modify for film. They are not very different from the other cameras mentioned here... koronas etc.

Here is a link...

http://historiccamera.com/cgi-bin/librarium/pm.cgi?action=display&login=kingpoco

The best thing about the pocos is that they are made of mahogany so they incredibly light, but also sturdy. They fold up into a strong little lunchbox with the lens inside- great for travel.

try looking for the FKD 18x24 camera, its usually comes with a 300mm Industar lens for under US$500. and comes with holder(s). although i dont think you can exchange the back (maybe have modify the holders to accept smaller size and give markings on the ground glass?

add: i seeone on ebay that come with all the accseories, even some masking for smaller formats. and just realize that 18x24 is actually a bit smaller than 8x10, it"s actually 7x9