I need a different 8x10 camera.

[Kino]

I hope no one gets disgusted with me but I have made the decision to seriously try to revamp this old camera and fix its issues.

That's what I would do. A bit of cleaning, a few nylon washers and some tinkering should improve things quite a bit.

 

[MTGseattle]

I too support the OP's plan. I did a bit of googling because I was curious about older Zone VI 8x10 models vs other markers regarding basic design and hardware. While I am a fan of throwing money around at different (and possibly fancy) gear, if the funds are unavailable, tuning up what one has is a very smart plan. Is the bellows Leather or synthetic? If the old bellows has no pinholes, there's no need to head down this road, but if leather, would a synthetic bellows help the behavior of the camera at all?

There had been a Philips 8x10 compact II on ebay for a bit; Asking price was $14,900.

There is/was a Canham 8x10 wood/metal in Maple which caught my eye since I like it when camera makers stray from the "red" woods. Whether the Maple is equal to the Walnut Mr. Canham usually employs over the life of the camera I have no idea, but it sure catches the eye.

@dpurdy please post a picture of the Zone VI when you have tuned it up.

 

[DREW WILEY]

I'd avoid hard maple. it's both heavier and more split and warp prone. But it is blonde.

 

[MarkS]

There are several generations of "Zone VI" view cameras. The first were re-badged Wista (or perhaps Tachihara) featherweight 4x5 cameras. Then in the late 1980s, Fred Picker had Ron Wisner (who was already making his own cameras) design a more capable camera for Zone VI. These were heavier machines with more extension, movements, and interchangeable bellows. These were made for coupe of years, until Picker and Wisner had a falling-out. So FP had Richard Ritter reverse-engineer the Wisner camera (with a few small improvements ) and offer that one for sale. Which they did for a number of years; my own 4x5 is one of those, from 1992. It was around this time that Z-VI began to advertise an 8x10 field camera, an upscaled version of the Ritter design. These continued in production when FP sold Z-VI to Calumet, around 1995. Calumet redesigned those cameras as the 'lightweight', using aluminum hardware rather than brass, along with a few changes like a satin finish. These were in production until the mid-2000s, when Calumet discontinued most everything with the Zone VI brand.
I've written this long-winded (but mostly accurate) history is because solving your problems depends on which Zone VI camera you have. Can you post a picture of yours, so we can understand this? You mention having used your camera for 40 years... I wasn't aware of them manufacturing 8x10s that far back.
A side note; I've been using a Ritter-designed, Vermont-made 4x5 Z-VI since 1992. I've worked it hard (and made a fair amount of money with it). The complaints you mention make me think we don't have the same generation of camera. I've recently seen an 8x10 Z-VI for sale at a local store, and it is definitely a scaled-up 4x5. Admittedly the folding field design is not the optimum choice for tabletop or macro- although I can and have done so successfully. Most of my work with mine has been landscape and architecture (in the 90s my clients were amused by my wooden camera).
Two more things; If you want your camera repaired send it to Richard Ritter (www.lg4mat.net), and if you want to shoot tabletop and close-up, get a used Sinar f2.

 

[dpurdy]

There are several generations of "Zone VI" view cameras. The first were re-badged Wista (or perhaps Tachihara) featherweight 4x5 cameras. Then in the late 1980s, Fred Picker had Ron Wisner (who was already making his own cameras) design a more capable camera for Zone VI. These were heavier machines with more extension, movements, and interchangeable bellows. These were made for coupe of years, until Picker and Wisner had a falling-out. So FP had Richard Ritter reverse-engineer the Wisner camera (with a few small improvements ) and offer that one for sale. Which they did for a number of years; my own 4x5 is one of those, from 1992. It was around this time that Z-VI began to advertise an 8x10 field camera, an upscaled version of the Ritter design. These continued in production when FP sold Z-VI to Calumet, around 1995. Calumet redesigned those cameras as the 'lightweight', using aluminum hardware rather than brass, along with a few changes like a satin finish. These were in production until the mid-2000s, when Calumet discontinued most everything with the Zone VI brand.
I've written this long-winded (but mostly accurate) history is because solving your problems depends on which Zone VI camera you have. Can you post a picture of yours, so we can understand this? You mention having used your camera for 40 years... I wasn't aware of them manufacturing 8x10s that far back.
A side note; I've been using a Ritter-designed, Vermont-made 4x5 Z-VI since 1992. I've worked it hard (and made a fair amount of money with it). The complaints you mention make me think we don't have the same generation of camera. I've recently seen an 8x10 Z-VI for sale at a local store, and it is definitely a scaled-up 4x5. Admittedly the folding field design is not the optimum choice for tabletop or macro- although I can and have done so successfully. Most of my work with mine has been landscape and architecture (in the 90s my clients were amused by my wooden camera).
Two more things; If you want your camera repaired send it to Richard Ritter (www.lg4mat.net), and if you want to shoot tabletop and close-up, get a used Sinar f2.

Honestly I didn't keep track to well of the exact date of things when. I was younger.. still don't. But When I dropped and broke my Raja I used it to make an 8x10 enlarger and I know that was before 1989 but maybe not much before. When I broke my Raja I then bought the Zone6. At that time Fred picker was full on marketing everything. Now a couple of you have mentioned Ron Wisner and yes I remember my camera was pre Wisner. It has brass controls and non removable bellows.. which is still good. I will get the digital camera out and take some photos of it.

It used to have a shiny brass name plate on the front of the bed, I took that off because it annoyed me.

 

[DREW WILEY]

At one point the brass hardware was gold-plated, as I recall.

 

[MarkS]

Yes, that was a selling point of the 1990s versions like mine. Hasn't made much difference- although tarnished now it's still pretty. My camera has nylon(?) inserts in some of the movement controls for longer life.. that ides has worked well as the cameras still locks down tight. It's just a characteristic of wooden view cameras that they will get rickety with age and hard use.
However my Sinar Norma (at least 50 years old) has issues too- it needs a complete teardown and re-lube to be at its best. But I'm not sure that I have the mechanical skills and/or tools for that, and having one of the few professionals who can do that work on it would likely cost more than buying another one. So it sits while the old Z-VI carries on. Such is life!

 

[DREW WILEY]

I sure like my Norma. But I bought one which sat in a studio for a long time; the original bellows still looked new. I have F2 and P components too - nearly all of it interchangeable.

Having sold an enormous amount of brass and bronze and stainless hardware over the years, I should point out that the brass knobs and so forth on the cheapest cameras tended to be cast brass, which is soft and wears out quickly. The better material is machined from dense forged brass instead. The gold plating on the ZVI seemed like a marketing stunt to me. Usually if brass is plated, it's with nickel. I personally prefer the machined titanium hardware which came with my Ebony camera. It was interesting to recently see Shen-Hao offer a clone of an Ebony model, replete with real Ebony wood and titanium hardware. I wonder if they bought the leftovers from Ebony sufficient for a few of those.

Wood choices are interesting. I remember going to downtown SF shopping for my first view camera. There on the glass shelves behind the counter were three pretty ducks in a row : rosewood, mahogany, and ebony Wistas, then next to them, a classic mahogany Deardorff Special, then a Wisner Technical made of cherrywood with a red bellows, then a couple Tachiharas, and a Nagaoka too. But I walked out with a Sinar F monorail.

When the novel Phillips design came out later, those same counter guys were mocking how ugly it was, blonde n'all, and remarking how cheap it also sold for, figuring it was doomed right out of the gate. Now look at the crazy prices! I bought mine directly from Phillips.

 

[dpurdy]

Pics sorry no attempt at art

 

[dpurdy]

guess my jpgs are too big

 

[MTGseattle]

That looks to be in decent shape. I can't recall seeing those little pins (probably screws) and small washers as ground glass retention before. Is having a bail lever on the back a divisive thing amongst large format folks? When I see it, it makes sense to me, but I've never personally owned a camera with that feature.

 

[MarkS]

That's a Vermont-made Zone VI. Richard Ritter made it, he can repair it.

 

[Joe Kashi]

The carbon fiber and wood 11x14 that Mr, Ritter made for me two years ago weighs about 13 pounds and is solid. I suspect that an 8x10 made by him in the same pattern would weigh about the same as a Rittreck 5x7.

 

[John Wiegerink]

I think trying to remake a camera that you seemed to have grown accustomed to, for good or not so good is the smartest thing to try first. Also, the least expensive, but I'm Dutch and that's the way I look at almost everything I own. I just put three coats of tung oil on all the newly stained wood of my 8X10 Burke & James camera. It used to have a Navy grey paint job so I stripped it bare and am rebuilding it from the ground up. This camera is surprisingly compact when folded and not as heavy as it looks. Would I sell it and buy something better? Yes, if I had money coming out my ears, used only 8X10 format and were younger. Well, none of the above fits me. The 8X10 B&J works perfect, came with a triple convertible Bausch & Lomb Protar and five wood holders. Was it expensive? Yup, it cost me $265.00 when I bought it about 12 years ago. When I came home my wife almost wouldn't let me in the house. You see, she's Dutch too and just doesn't see where one needs more than one camera. That's so sad. Keep us posted on how the rebuild goes.

 

[maruti660]

I have used this early version Zone VI 8x10 for about 40 years. I have shot thousands of negs with it. However I have always hated it. It is heavy and it fights me and I can't trust the control knobs to hold anything securely. When I go to cock my lens I am liable to change the tilt of the front. Changing from horizontal to vertical back is very persnickety and fiddly. The focus gets easily out of track. Basically nothing about this camera is a joy to use. It just sucks. I have stuck with it all these years because I never had a lot of money and always there are more necessary things demanding my money so I just put up with it. Now however I am getting pretty old and the struggle to use this camera is getting to be more than I can deal with. Not to mention the struggle I have with this old heavy Bogen tripod. Today going from a low horizontal looking down camera position to a 5 feet up vertical position looking over a table top took me more than 30 minutes and I needed to take a long break after during which I am writing this post.

I am wondering what is the best no frills sort of light weight 8x10 with secure dependable controls. My Z6 is a wooden flat bed.. I wonder if I should think about a rail.
I am not ready to stop making new work maybe a better easier camera would keep me working longer.
Any advice?

Hi, I personally felt that I preferred the 4x5 to the 8x10, so I sold the 8x10 in about half a year and expanded my 4x5, so I don't think you have the right to give me an opinion. However, I still think that the Chamonix 8x10 I used at that time was easy to handle and lightweight equipment. They also made a lighter model called Alpina which still inspires me with the possibilities of shooting 8x10.

 

[koraks]

I don't think you have the right to give me an opinion

Moderator note: I suspect that this post may have been written using an automatic translation service, or otherwise does not accurately convey the intentions of @maruti660. Most English-speaking readers will interpret the quoted phrase as aggressive, but having interacted with @maruti660 before, I cannot imagine this would be intentional. So anyone worrying about this, please consider the possibility that language barriers can play a role in international forums.

 

[maruti660]

I was greatly ashamed of myself when I read the points just made by the moderator. I am certainly not an English speaker. I was relying too much on the translator. So I would like to apologize to the person who started the thread and to anyone who read my text. In the future I will be more careful in my postings. Best regards once again, everyone!

 

[koraks]

No worries @maruti660 - no harm done and it's all good! No apology needed.