Zone VI 8x10 camera - worth it?

[orlovphoto]

Hi folks. I have a chance to buy a Zone VI 8x10 - asking price is $1750.

a) is it worth that much?
b) I read that tilt and rise and fall are the same knob - true?
c) how would it compare with a Tachihara 8x10? (I have a 4x5 Tachi and love it)
d) anything I should be aware of? Any weird things about it? I like the 32in extension (finally would be able to put my 24in lenses to good portrait use...), but hear it's heavy (though I don't plan on hiking with it)

Thank you!

 

[Rick A]

I recommend you buy the camera, some holders, film and a decent lens. Then box it all up, ship it to me for testing. I will get back to you(eventually) with the results.

 

[nsurit]

You likely will need a second opinion so have Rick ship it to me.

 

[StoneNYC]

Then you can ship it to me and I'll compare it to my Chamonix810 to see which I like best.

 

[karl]

Vaughn is the one to talk to. He shoots with a Zone VI 8x10. I'd rather have a Deardorff. The triple extension Tachi is heavy. Having both rise and tilt locked by the same knob is not that big of a deal. Not as precise as individual knobs for each movement but it works just fine.

 

[orlovphoto]

Thanks! What a helpful bunch of lovelies ya'll are!

I'll give it a whirl if the seller contacts me - just wanted to see if folks might have had any serious warnings about it. Sounds like no, so I'll be working on getting it.

Cheers!

 

[Rick A]

Good, I will be waiting to test it out for you then.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

Is it the Zone VI ultralight model? I had one for several years. Fantastic camera - I just didn't shoot 8x10 enough to justify keeping it so I sold mine on. If it is the Ultralight, then it weighs in under 10 lbs. It is robust enough to mount a 14" Commercial Ektar in Ilex #5 shutter on the front standard, even with the front standard racked all the way out.

 

[orlovphoto]

The one I'm looking at is not ultra light, it's the standard brass model and I sure to hope it's sturdy enough to support a 24in f6 Euryscop

 

[Alan Gales]

I paid $1,500.00 for my used 8x10 Wehman a few years ago. At the time, a decent Deardorff would have cost the same. Nice Kodak Masters were going for around $2,000.00 or more.

It's hard to price some cameras because you rarely see them for sale. The price seems in line with other comparable cameras.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

If it is the standard Zone VI, I think it would be even more rigid than the Ultralight, so there should not be a problem with using reasonably large and heavy lenses on it (don't try and put a 405mm f4.5 Kodak Portrait Ektar on it- that will wrench the front standard off of just about anything that takes less than a 9" lens board and/or has movements, but you get the idea). Heavy is relative. I think the non-ultralight Zone VI was somewhere in the 12-13 lb range - it's definitely NOT a Calumet C1 "Green Monster", which came in at 14 lbs no lens for the magnesium version, 17-ish for the standard aluminum one.

 

[pgomena]

I have owned and used a Zone VI 4x5 for 24 years. It is solidly built and works as well today as when I bought it.