Portable (???) Large Format Camera

[dbrown57]

Hi, I am mainly a MF shooter but now have a new darkroom with a DeVere 504 and kit to make 4x5 enlargements. I have a Horseman View/Studio camera - I think it might be an L45 with 3 really nice lenses. Have used it inside a couple of times and taken it out once! I would like something much more portable. Have dabble with a Travelwide point and shoot - not accurate enough, and currently have a Chroma LF camera I got following a Kickstarter project. This has too many movements (!). I am looking to sell the Chroma and buy a 'portable' LF camera. Thought about one of the MPP cameras or a Speed Graphic or one of the Horseman folders. Don't want to spend more than £400 ideally but could stretch to it a bit. Don't need any lenses. Like something that is going to be back packable and reliable. Any suggestions? Thanks David

 

[moggi1964]

I carry my MPP MkVII with me on walks and hikes. Not light but definitely manageable for an unfit 60 year old

Seeing as you are in the UK you should check out LF Forum UK where there are another bunch of helpful folk.

Where are you in the UK, David?

 

[dbrown57]

In Shropshire - Ta for the link

 

[Besk]

Being in the UK I would also suggest one of the press type cameras with a working rangefinder - just make sure the rangefinder works.

My Sinar outfit usually stays at home as I have found that my Busch Pressman or my super light copy of the Gowland Pocket camera will do anything I want. The rangefinder of the Busch often comes in very handy to speed things up.

 

[koraks]

Welcome aboard @dbrown57
The Intrepid 4x5 comes to mind. Available new, made in the UK. I think it fits in your budget. They pop up second hand from time to time as well.
Personally I use an old, metal Toyo field. It was also (well) within your budget, at least back then.
The Toyo is more solid than the Intrepid. I only have an Intrepid 8x10, but I think the Intrepid 4x5 is probably lighter than the Toyo - but I'm not sure if it folds down into a smaller package, per se.

There are plenty of other options when it comes to portability, but feasibility depends a lot on what you can find on the 2nd hand market within your budget.

 

[ic-racer]

Horseman FA is compact and lightweight.

 

[John Wiegerink]

I have used Speed Graphics and have nothing really bad to say about them. Used a Busch Pressman D 4X5 for years and preferred it to the Speed Graphics. The only problem with the Busch Pressman was the small size lens board. My lens set was a 100mm Wide-Field Ektar, 135mm Schneider S main lens and rangefinder coupled and an old, but excellent 203mm f7.7 Ektar. These are all fairly small and work just fine on the Pressman. As much as I liked that camera I sold it and bought a the much older style Toyo grey metal 4X5. The Toyo had a bad bellows so it cost me very little. I bought a bellows of the big auction site and in one evening had a very nice, very portable and very robust 4X5 field camera. I don't know if it's the same model Toyo Koraks has or not. Those model Toyo cameras owe their fame to the Graphic Camera Corp(think Speed Graphic) since Toyo in Japan took over production. That's what I was told anyway. My main 4X5 in a Chamonix, but I actually use the Toyo more simply because there are times I know I'm not going to need the Chamonix movements and with Toyo it doesn't matter if it gets a scratch or two.

 

[aconbere]

I recently modded a Polaroid 120 Land Camera to shoot 4x5. Exclusively to use it as a hand held take around town camera. Replacing the machinery for polaroid roll film with an 3D printed back to hold 4x5 holders.

https://film.kolve.org/darkroomdiy/polaroid-110-convert-to-4x5/ (works with 110a, 110b, and 120 models)

I bought the camera used locally for about $50 and paid another $20 for parts needed to do the mod.

It still isn’t a light camera, clocks in at a couple pounds. But it packs up nicely, has a nice lens, accurate rangefinder focus, is a lot smaller than a speed/crown graphic, and I’ve found folks are a lot more comfortable around it than a standard view camera.

 

[Paul Howell]

At lest in the US you can get a Horseman technical camera 4X5 to go with your Horseman View, rangefinder for under $500 us. As you have lens set all you need is the body.

 

[John Wiegerink]

I recently modded a Polaroid 120 Land Camera to shoot 4x5. Exclusively to use it as a hand held take around town camera. Replacing the machinery for polaroid roll film with an 3D printed back to hold 4x5 holders.

https://film.kolve.org/darkroomdiy/polaroid-110-convert-to-4x5/ (works with 110a, 110b, and 120 models)

I bought the camera used locally for about $50 and paid another $20 for parts needed to do the mod.

It still isn’t a light camera, clocks in at a couple pounds. But it packs up nicely, has a nice lens, accurate rangefinder focus, is a lot smaller than a speed/crown graphic, and I’ve found folks are a lot more comfortable around it than a standard view camera.

I modified one of those many years ago, but sold it when I was dealing in cameras. Just didn't use it much, but it sure was portable. Like you say, it wasn't no lightweight. The viewfinder/rangefinder worked really well too. It had a 127mm Ysarex lens that was extremely sharp and had good contrast.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Welcome to Photrio!

I use a 4"x5" Pacemaker Speed Graphic and a 4"x5" Graflex Model D hand held.

 

[aconbere]

I modified one of those many years ago, but sold it when I was dealing in cameras. Just didn't use it much, but it sure was portable. Like you say, it wasn't no lightweight. The viewfinder/rangefinder worked really well too. It had a 127mm Ysarex lens that was extremely sharp and had good contrast.

As you can see from the examples I’ve found it to be a really fun camera for shooting informal portraits where a traditional view camera ends up feeling like it gets in the way. My only real complaint is that I wish close focus was a touch closer. But we’re getting into rangefinder limitation territory. (realizing i could fix this with a piece of string and a new infinity stop)

 

[John Wiegerink]

As you can see from the examples I’ve found it to be a really fun camera for shooting informal portraits where a traditional view camera ends up feeling like it gets in the way. My only real complaint is that I wish close focus was a touch closer. But we’re getting into rangefinder limitation territory. (realizing i could fix this with a piece of string and a new infinity stop)

Yes, with modifying one of these you can't have everything. It would be nice to have something like the Zeiss Contameter that would automatically correct viewfinder image and a proxar for the closeup, but like I said you can't have everything.

 

[Ian Grant]

In Shropshire - Ta for the link

I'm in North Worcestershire if you want to pop down. I have various 5x4 cameras,

Ian

 

[Bill Burk]

Converted Polaroid Rangefinders are great.

One hard decision to make: Do you like the “syntax” of a rangefinder with no movements?

When I was making up my mind, I played with a regular 4x5 and found I hardly ever used movements.

 

[John Wiegerink]

Converted Polaroid Rangefinders are great.

One hard decision to make: Do you like the “syntax” of a rangefinder with no movements?

When I was making up my mind, I played with a regular 4x5 and found I hardly ever used movements.

Very true Bill, many of the old 9X12cm-6.5X9cm plate cameras only had front rise and folks got by just fine.

 

[blee1996]

The lightest 4x5 might be the 3D printed ones from Chroma, Will Travel, and etc. They are great for wide angle lenses: e.g. 65/75/90mm. You can do scale focus and use the DoF table. Typically they don't have any movements at all. When the lenses get longer (e.g. past 105mm), the cone will become rather large and kinda defeat the portability.

I also have a Polaroid 110A converted to 4x5 Graflok. You only get one lens, but a very good Ysarex 127mm that is rangefinder focus coupled! I use both sheet film and Lomograflex Instax back: you only need to mark the different infinity stops. Again, there is no movement on this.

Next along the portability scale, will be wooden/hybrid field cameras like the Chamonix and Tachihara. Both can fold down quite compact, are lightweight, and offers lots of movements (esp. tilt) for most purposes.

Recently I have also been playing with 9x12 metal folding cameras, which are cheap and cute. They typically only have rise/fall and shift, and a fixed 135mm lens for its format. The main pain is finding the compatible 9x12 film holders, since there are dozens of variants. They fold down very compact, but not lightweight.

 

[John Wiegerink]

The lightest 4x5 might be the 3D printed ones from Chroma, Will Travel, and etc. They are great for wide angle lenses: e.g. 65/75/90mm. You can do scale focus and use the DoF table. Typically they don't have any movements at all. When the lenses get longer (e.g. past 105mm), the cone will become rather large and kinda defeat the portability.

I also have a Polaroid 110A converted to 4x5 Graflok. You only get one lens, but a very good Ysarex 127mm that is rangefinder focus coupled! I use both sheet film and Lomograflex Instax back: you only need to mark the different infinity stops. Again, there is no movement on this.

Next along the portability scale, will be wooden/hybrid field cameras like the Chamonix and Tachihara. Both can fold down quite compact, are lightweight, and offers lots of movements (esp. tilt) for most purposes.

Recently I have also been playing with 9x12 metal folding cameras, which are cheap and cute. They typically only have rise/fall and shift, and a fixed 135mm lens for its format. The main pain is finding the compatible 9x12 film holders, since there are dozens of variants. They fold down very compact, but not lightweight.

Well, there is one 9X12cm plate camera that is both compact and light weight. That's the KW Patent Etui 9X12. I have one of these and it's amazing as to just how small this camera is compared to the size format it shoots. Of course we are talking 9X12cm and not 4X5. I think these 9X12 cameras would be much more popular if there were more sheet film available and holder/septums were easy to find. 9X12cm is not far off from 4X5. They are much smaller than say a Speed Graphic.
Oh, and I Deon't know why I keep misspelling Chamonix, but I do.

 

[Pioneer]

My Travelwide is 3D printed and uses a wide angle (90mm) lens. It is wonderful for quick shots but there are no movements so you are limited to aperture control for DOF issues. Like I said, great for simple shots but certainly not good for serious large format controls.

 

[grahamp]

My Will Travel 90mm is my lightest 4x5 with a lens. The Will Travel 58/65mm body with a pinhole in place of a lens is actually a bit lighter (and smaller) but much wider view. One thing about the Will Travel - they are designed for left or right-handed use, so they are trivial to turn over. This makes them good for 2x5 panoramic views with a half dark slide and accommodating the effective rise/fall.

When you start with cameras with significant movements, you start to look at accumulating lenses.. which impacts the portability. All cameras are trade offs, and what one likes is anathema to another

 

[aconbere]

Interestingly the Will Travel cameras are made by the same fellow who designed the 3D printed Polaroid 110 mod I did. Dedication to the craft.

 

[dbrown57]

I'm in North Worcestershire if you want to pop down. I have various 5x4 cameras,

Ian

Hi Ian
Thanks for the offer - I am retiring end of March so perhaps in the Spring when the weather is better!
David

 

[dbrown57]

Thanks for all your suggestions and warm welcome - some homework to do. But first need to sell the Chroma camera. I have got quite a few cameras (it's rude to count) and my wife says one has got to go if I want another one! Had a lego one for Christmas but I don't think that counts. Although my daughter did ask if it took film or was digital ...
David

 

[Donald Qualls]

my daughter did ask if it took film or was digital

It's got a rewind crank...

 

[retina_restoration]

It's got a rewind crank...

To rewind the pixels back into the SD card, obviously!