If i were primarily doing architectural photography in 4x5.... i'd look at the Technikardan
What was especially tempting today was a 2000 with some of the leather covering peeling off, but with no damage to the metal parts and no functional issues at all. It was even being offered at a lower price than a Classic.Technica are great but if you see a 47mm-75mm in your future the iv and v's are limited, the 2000 has a built-in short range focusing device
Although I’ve already acquired a new camera, I appreciate the suggestion and will definitely look into that one as well.Personally I would source a mint condition Kodak/Calumet all metal 4x5 off ebay and put the rest of the money into film etc. .great cameras and rock steady
The subject is "church thought & history".....
So i deduce lots of architectural photos..... i've always used a field camera...so i'm not averse to them, but i wouldn't choose one for this project.
At the same time, I'm confident i could do a project like this in medium format. I'd choose 2 Hasselblads ....one of which would be the Superwide C.... & Tmax 100 & 400
I’ve already built a solid shooting‑to‑darkroom workflow for formats from 35 mm up to 6×7, but 4×5 is still fairly new territory for me. I recently got an Ebony 45SU from a friend, and I’m curious about how to handle and use this discontinued camera with care, as well as how you normally use and maintain yours.I've had 3 Chamonix, an Ebony, 3 Canhams, & 2 Deardorffs...(4x5, 5x7, 8x10).....None of them are Ford pickups and it's possible to knock any field camera out of adjustment. At the same time I got perfect photos with every single one of them. Either you live with a field camera or buy Arca, Sinar, or Technikardan.
What do you mean by larger print?
I was wondering the same thing. What size "print" would a "documentary" use???
I'm not a Chamonix user, but from what little I know, I don't think a Wista 45II would be any more stable. Perhaps some Chamonix users could explain your problem with stability. I find it hard to image that "the front standard can sometimes shift if it is accidentally touched (even when it is supposedly locked)". That does not seem plausible.
Surprising to read the Chamonix has a stability issue as there are a great many of these cameras in 4x5 used in Australia, along with the evergreen Wista cameras — in rosewood with shiny brass fittings.
Meanwhile, the Linhof Master Technika — still commanding serious cash so very many decades later, is a beast; heavy, metal, rugged, pretty much antique but indisputably reliable and with all the movements you will need. The bellows are the only issue and these would require scrutiny for pinholes. Of colleagues who own and actively use this camera, each have a reflex viewer attached for landscape work. My early dabblings in 4x5 were with a Horseman 45FA — of similar bulk and weight to the Linhof and worth looking at too if asking prices for a Linhof bring on the wobbles.
I guess I've just been lucky with my 4x5 field cameras. I've bumped into them several times over the decades, but it's usually the tripod or the ball head that gets out of whack, not the front standard. They've never gotten out of place if it's "touched", as he says his does -- "the front standard can sometimes shift if it is accidentally touched".
How big/heavy a lens? & Was the front standard properly tightened?
I have Chamonix F1, and kinda guess what the OP's problem might be. The front standard is metal, and the bed is Carbon Fiber. So it is a bit slippery where the two meet, even when the screw is tightened. I have a simple solution that cost less than $0.02: just add strips of rough surface gaffer tape right on the bed and along each slot that front standard will be in contact. And now once the front standard is locked, it will not shift in any direction. Better explain with a photo below.
View attachment 414721
I like working with 4×5 specifically because it allows me to print at 16×20 inches or larger. For many viewers here, a few strong, large prints communicate more effectively than an entire sequence. The larger scale pushes me to be more disciplined in my technique, and the visual presence is on a completely different level.
You really do not need anything larger than MF to print only 16 x 20.
There is more resolution in the negative than the paper can display at that size.
I spent today visiting several places to try out different large‑format cameras in person, including Linhof, Toyo, and even Wista. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), based on my hands‑on experience, the Linhof really suited me best — it just felt right for the way I work.
The resolution may be fine, but the tonality is different from a larger negative which is enlarged less than a smaller negative. In blind tests, I found people always preferred a print made from the larger negative.You really do not need anything larger than MF to print only 16 x 20.
There is more resolution in the negative than the paper can display at that size.
I’ve already built a solid shooting‑to‑darkroom workflow for formats from 35 mm up to 6×7, but 4×5 is still fairly new territory for me. I recently got an Ebony 45SU from a friend, and I’m curious about how to handle and use this discontinued camera with care, as well as how you normally use and maintain yours.
What was especially tempting today was a 2000 with some of the leather covering peeling off, but with no damage to the metal parts and no functional issues at all. It was even being offered at a lower price than a Classic.
Replacing the leather covering doesn’t seem like it would cost very much.
Chamonix and all similarly looking LF cameras were not meant to deliver precision control and feel of rigidity. They are in good enough category, never more, at any price point. Precision / rigidity comes with smooth controls and that feedback of once locked - it stays locked. Horseman L cameras, Cambo Master come to mind as a good compromise of price / precision / stability. And with all movements one would ever need. They can still be had for low price, especially Horseman L (with added benefit of sharing some components with Sinar). They may look large, yet they break down to pieces in little time and allow for rather compact storage.
Linhof is no stranger to high quality and rugged feel. Price still matches their engineering, pedigree, and ... weight in most cases. Arca Swiss made some good stuff too.
That looks sweet.Decades ago I went thru an extensive selection process looking for a monorail camera; I never wanted a field camera, but wanted the flexibility that comes with full movements of both front and back standards. I evaluated in-store the Sinar F and P, Horseman L, Linhof Kardan Master, as well as several others...living in the San Francisco Bay area made in-store evaluations of a very wide selection of brands and models not very difficult. Ultimately I chose the Horseman L series, and I have never regretted that choice in any way. The precision with geared movements, and rigidity are superb. While I lusted a bit for the Linhof Kardan Master GTL, its price was prohibitive for me. I have taken the Horseman out of the studio and gone portable with it on jobs, and customized a rather low profile padded case for it
and have even gone hiking with it -- once...the large tripod, and case of lenses and film magazines, in addition to the monorail case, made it all a bit much!
+1!In my own opinion, that "old saying" is indeed so old and moth-eaten, that it's time to throw it out once for all. Printmakers should set their own standards and not rely on generic formulas. Lenses are sharper than ever, and films finer, and I print more precisely than most. But still, if just winging a rote formula, I sorta agree with GG12, that proportionately cropped 8x10 inch is about as far as one can go with 35mm film until things start getting lossy. I don't like 6X7 or 6X9 printed any bigger than 20X24. 4x5 and 8x10 might be good for anything up to 30X40 inches; and anything bigger than that requires an exceptional original if the intended print is going to viewed up close.
"Normal viewing distance" is nonsense unless further specified. Are you viewing the image like in a book, up close, or like a billboard from a quarter mile away?
The resolution may be fine, but the tonality is different from a larger negative which is enlarged less than a smaller negative. In blind tests, I found people always preferred a print made from the larger negative.
The Technika is one solid piece of gear. And plenty of them around. Just go for it, you won’t be disappointed!
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