Portable (???) Large Format Camera

MattKing

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We have a couple of those battery free flashlights that work based on a crank powered generator - ideal for long term power failures.
Perhaps the daughter thought it employed that sort of technology!
 

Imaginaut

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I've moved away from the crank recently in favor of solar - less motion blur, but unfortunately the low light performance suffers.

On a topic-related note, the Intrepid would be my top recommendation as well. For an affordable and lightweight camera, it's a good way to go.
 

Romanko

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All LF cameras I know of are portable (can be carried by one or two persons) as opposed to transportable (non-stationary, e.g. can be moved by truck) and self-propelled. That said, I vaguely remember a project where someone tried to convert a box truck into an extremely large format camera where the lens (the size of a beer keg) was mounted at the back and the photographic paper (the sensitive media) was mounted inside the truck. Processing was done in-place by applying the solutions with a painters roller (a broom, or a mop I don't remember the details).
 

koraks

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Romanko said:
All LF cameras I know of are portable (can be carried by one or two persons)
Click to expand...

That still leaves a gamut ranging from a Wanderlust camera that you could strap to your wrist ranging up to a Sinar P2 which I would not recommend to strap to anything unless you want to tornado-proof it.
 

Imaginaut

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“Portable” in its denotative sense might not be a useful conception when light weight and backpackability are primary considerations. When price is added to the equation the option range becomes even more limited.

 

Imaginaut

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Isn’t the challenge finding the appropriate camera in the first place? Unless you’re referring to the photo I attached rather than the OP’s camera search.

The photographer in the photo is Bill Hao, who shoots wet plate on his portable ULF camera and develops the plates in his transportable darkroom bus. My idea of portable is a little different from his!

Home - Bill Hao Art doing huge format Wetplate Photography

Canada Off grid wetplate photographer. He made a huge Camera 32X48 inch format and converted a bus to a dark room RV. works is unique and can’t be copied
billhao.com
 

Romanko

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Imaginaut said:
The photographer in the photo is Bill Hao
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Thank you, I'll look him up. I had no doubts that the camera in the photo was purpose-built. The camera support system looks a bit redundant. Reducing the number of legs would make it more portable. There should be plenty of room in this bus for a mule or a camel to carry the camera around.
 

Imaginaut

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That would indeed increase portability, but with a mule available I doubt reducing the number of legs would be a priority. Another approach might be to add more legs and find a way to get the camera to backpack itself, with the added advantage of not needing to use the darkroom bus sink as a feed trough! OP’s budget considerations would remain a limitation, but I will include some possible inspiration:

 

DREW WILEY

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There are all kinds of full-featured folding 4x5 field cameras that weigh less than 4 lbs. I recommend buying the best quality one you can afford - a solid keeper with tight fittings, and not something you'll regret buying later on. It might take some patience to find a good deal one if you can't handle typical asking prices, which are on the high side at the moment. But film isn't cheap either, so you don't want to gamble with an inferior camera where something might slip or vibrate.

For about 35 years I backpacked with a full Sinar 4x5 monorail system, and often an 8x10 camera for dayhikes at least. But now that I'm 75 I'm sure glad that I also invested in a lovely lightweight Ebony folder too. You won't find one of those affordably, but there are numerous other makes out there which should do well.
 
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Donald Qualls

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With modern materials like carbon fiber used for the camera structure, a monorail can be lighter than a 1940 Speed Graphic, competitive with a wooden field camera (some of which were astonishingly light) -- but carbon fiber structure isn't cheap. Probably the best combination of "light, inexpensive, and versatile (in terms of movements)" is one of those field cameras in "needs a little love" condition. By the time you're through fixing it up, you'll know all you need to know about operating it, you'll save a lot of money with "as is" listings, and those wood field cameras were about as light as anything with useful movements ever got for a given format.
 

DREW WILEY

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In terms of the giant camera in the linked picture, his tri-tripod support system is simply three lightweight cheap aluminum survey tripods, upon which his camera might simply rest - possibly no linking attachment. Survey tripods have nice big platform tops.
 
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Romanko

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DREW WILEY said:
Survey tripods have nice big platform tops.
Click to expand...

I am actually considering modifying one to use with my Horseman 985. Probably an overkill but it is ten times cheaper than any decent photographic tripod. They are surprisingly light for their size.
 

abruzzi

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I bought a Toho monorail from @B.S.Kumar a while back. Its the earlier A model that clocks in at 1.1kg which is nearly as light as some of the lightest wood folders. Its almost entirely made of aluminum. They are not cheap, but they aren't that expensive either. There are two on eBay right now, one is the lighter model and one is the heavy (1.4kg) later X model. You really need to find ultra light lenses if you get one otherwise you lose much of the benefit. Right now I use a Fujinon CM-W 105/5.6 (220g) as the wide, a Schneider G-Claron 150/9 (230g) or a Fujinon-A 180/9 (170g!) for the normal, and a Kodak Ektar 203/7.7 (???g), Schneider Xenar 210/6.1 (375g), or Schneider G-Claron 240/9 (330g) as the long. All are light lenses.
 

Donald Qualls

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Romanko said:
They are surprisingly light for their size.
Click to expand...

I've had one of these for many years, and they're not as light as all that. Compared to an 8x10 or larger setup, perhaps, but the cheap carbon fiber unit I got a couple years ago from eBay is less than half the weight and cost (twenty years later) only twice what I paid with an employee discount for my Porter Cable surveying tripod (inflation adjusted, it was cheaper).
 
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