Is there an 8x10 field camera with no movements?

mtfilm · May 2, 2009

I'm looking to buy an 8x10 for street portraits, but I don't want any movements at all -- I just want to throw it on the tripod and shoot. No rise, no fall, no shift, no tilt, no nothing.

I want to reduce the amount of time from unloading out of car, until I'm shooting the first frame, to a very short time.

I want to shoot full length or tighter, with a 300 or 360.

I'd love to never worry about the front standard EVER getting out of parallel with the rear standard. I just wanna shoot pictures.

Is there such a camera. I've owned Deardorff 8x10 and it's just too inaccurate to set up quickly, in the field.

What about the Wehman? Or is there something even more simple?

Thank you.

jon.oman · May 2, 2009

This may be what you wanted, but they just went out of business!

Dead Link Removed

Jon

archphoto · May 2, 2009

Talk to the people from www.walkercameras.com, they might be able to build the camera you want.

Peter

Tim Boehm · May 2, 2009

Bostick and Sullivan makes, or once made, their 8x10 "Hobo."

their homesite is:
http://www.bostick-sullivan.com

the camera can be seen at this link:
http://www.bostick-sullivan.com/cart/product.php?productid=680&cat=237&page=1

Tim Boehm · May 2, 2009

I forgot to mention that the Wehman 8x10 has movements.

mtfilm · May 2, 2009

Wow, so far, the Walker Titan 8x10 looks impressive. So simple, with the fixed back. I wish the front standard was as simple as the rear. Thank you for these links.

Mark Fisher · May 3, 2009

The Walker doesn't fold so it should set up very quickly.....you could always keep the camera settings neutral. You could always lock the movements down with Loctite if you were so inclined. The only thing about the Walker is that the bellows draw is pretty limited. If you can live with that, it should be perfect. If not, there are non-folding Ebonys that should do what you need too.

ChrisC · May 3, 2009

Fotoman has gone out of business, but I don't know what their stock situation is. Failing that, Gaoersi is the same thing but with front rise and fall, but with that tightened in the neutral position, it's be exactly the same thing.

Matthew Rusbarsky · May 3, 2009

Check out rayh on another forum. This might be what your looking for.

http://www.f295.org/Pinholeforum/forum/Blah.pl?m-1227267230/s-2/#num2

Oren Grad · May 3, 2009

Peter Gowland built some 8x10 Aerial cameras. At the age of 90-something he's winding down the business now, but perhaps he has one left - scroll down a bit more than halfway on this page:

http://www.petergowland.com/camera/index.html

The problem you're going to have with all these cameras is that the focusing helicoid isn't going to get you very close. You have to extend a 300 or a 360 a long way for close focus, and a bellows camera is much better suited to that than a camera built around a fixed box.

Rolleiflexible · May 3, 2009

You might consider one of Peter Gowland's
8x10 cameras. Peter still makes these
cameras and can build one without movements
for you.

EDIT: Oren beat me to it while I was typing. Oren:
Peter also builds an 8x10 "Lite" rail view camera --
that was the model I would suggest he use.

Oren Grad · May 3, 2009

Sanders, I had one of Peter's 8x10 monorails for a while, a very early horizontal-only version that was little more than a bellows riding on a pipe. It was pretty fussy to use, because the front and rear standards were easily knocked out of alignment and there were no detents to assist in quick setup. I don't think that changed on later versions - at least not for the front standard, and maybe not the rear as well in his larger cameras. So I'm not sure it's an ideal match for a user who wants to be able to set up in a jiffy without ever having to worry about alignment.

Oren Grad · May 3, 2009

A pie-in-the-sky option: Linhof made a handful of 18x24cm Technikas. If you're very patient and have some money to burn...

mtfilm · May 3, 2009

Oren Grad said:
Peter Gowland built some 8x10 Aerial cameras. At the age of 90-something he's winding down the business now, but perhaps he has one left - scroll down a bit more than halfway on this page:

http://www.petergowland.com/camera/index.html

Peter Gowland is a great guy. I've bought a lot of cameras from him over the years. That weird GowlandFlex twin lens was a great idea; not so much in the real world though. But he's a true gentleman.

I don't think the camera I want exists. The Walker Titan is the closest. I want a CrownGraphic/SpeedGraphic but in 8x10...

Agree on the helio focus devices; the range is not long enough. Too limited. And any box camera too.

Oren Grad · May 3, 2009

More practical, if expensive: one of the non-folding 8x10 Ebony cameras. If you keep the front and rear movements locked down, setup is very simple - pop the camera on the tripod and rack out the front standard. The limit there is the maximum extension of 380mm - OK for 300, not so OK for 360 if you want to work close.

mtfilm · May 3, 2009

Oren Grad said:
More practical, if expensive: one of the non-folding 8x10 Ebony cameras. If you keep the front and rear movements locked down, setup is very simple - pop the camera on the tripod and rack out the front standard. The limit there is the maximum extension of 380mm - OK for 300, not so OK for 360 if you want to work close.

Maybe better to just buy an old Deardorff, get it parallel, and then glue the standards in place.

this is cool too, but it's 11x4 instead of 8x10. So simple:

http://glennview.com/jpgs/vcam/f-s/11x14/camera/big_1.jpg

Oren Grad · May 3, 2009

Or turn that Folmer around, and get an Eastman 2D or similar. Any of those cameras with a fold-down rail, front or rear, is quick and easy to set up.

There tends to be a bit of slop in the coupling of the standards to the rails, but get them tightened up and it might be close enough for your purposes. The main concern is whether the rear standard moves a bit when you pull off the focusing cloth and insert a holder. Are you shooting at middle apertures or are you trying to get the focus exactly on the eyelashes at open aperture?

John Kasaian · May 3, 2009

Peter Gowland builds a neat 8x10 aerial model with both a gg and sports finder. He can put a helical focus on it so you wouldn't be stuck at infinty. It is designed around a 300mm Nikor M lens but IIRC there is a wide angle model too.

David A. Goldfarb · May 3, 2009

mtfilm said:
I don't think the camera I want exists. The Walker Titan is the closest. I want a CrownGraphic/SpeedGraphic but in 8x10...

Have you looked at the Toyo folding metal 8x10"?--

http://www.toyoview.com/Products/810MII/810MII.html

Heavy for an 8x10" field camera, but should be quick setup.

Trevor Crone · May 4, 2009

I use an Ebony SLW810 which has minimal front movements, rise, fall and tilt. It's great to transport with lens attached, quick to set up and extremely rigid.

raucousimages · May 4, 2009

I have seen an 8X10 copy camera similar to a polaroid MP-3 only in 8X10 not 4X5. It was not a process camera, it shot vertical for copying artwork in a museum. No idea who made it. No set up or movements only focus. You could search for copy and process cameras.

keithwms · May 4, 2009

I have an 8x10 poco, it dates to about 1903 and has very limited movements... actually, it only has the shift and tilt necessary to fold the thing up. It folds up into a nondescript and lightweight box with a double-convertible lens inside. I think I paid ~$150 for it.

2F/2F · May 4, 2009

How about getting an old wooden 8x10 and fixing the rear movements by wedging a few tight-fitting shims in underneath the rear? The front of these cameras won't go anywhere, as all they usually have is some vertical shift.

IMO, the shims are not necessary. My Kodak No. 2 holds its positions very solidly, and it would be no quicker to set up if it lacked rear movements.

Is there an 8x10 field camera with no movements?

mtfilm

jon.oman

archphoto

Tim Boehm

Tim Boehm

mtfilm

Mark Fisher

ChrisC

Matthew Rusbarsky

Oren Grad

Rolleiflexible

Oren Grad

Oren Grad

mtfilm

Oren Grad

mtfilm

Oren Grad

John Kasaian

David A. Goldfarb

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Trevor Crone

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Is there an 8x10 field camera with no movements?

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