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Need 4x5 camera recommendations (for use with Linhof lens boards)

epforever

Member
(Posted this on largeformatphotography.info as well)

I'm looking for the an inexpensive, quality 4x5 that meets these criteria:

- accepts Linhof/Wista lens boards
- has rear movements (rise / fall / lateral shift)
- accepts a standard Graflok back
- is rigid and well-built enough that the standards are nicely parallel with a 75mm lens
- ideally doesn't weigh as much as, say, a Horseman LX
- ideally doesn't need a separate wide-angle bellows for 75mm and 90mm lenses (ideal, but not crucial)

I already have a Master Technika, but there are times when I need rear movements. I'm aware of the Technikardan, but good ones tend to be fairly pricey.

thanks,
ethan
 

FromJapan

Member
Are you looking for a monorail or a field camera. If it's a monorail, you can always use an adapter board. Let me know if you are interested in a Toyo.

Kumar
 
Canham DLC is a pretty nice option. All the build and function of a Linhof without the over-engineering.

I'm not sure about all the rear movements you asked for but IMO a Chamonix 45n-2 is an ideal field camera. I really want one personally.

**edit** My mistake! The DLC does not have rear rise and fall. What is the advantage of rear rise/fall over front? Legitimately asking because none of my view cameras have had it.
 

epforever

Member
Thanks for the suggestions so far. To all those reading this: monorails are fine too. Keep the suggestions coming!

Lars: I'll check out Shen-Hao. Chamonix doesn't have rear shift / rise / fall.

Kumar: monorail or field, both would be fine. What Toyo do you have? Feel free to PM me.

Speedgraphic: Rear movements (rise / fall / shift) allow stitching.
 

Lars

Active member
Curious - why do you specifically need rear rise/fall movements? Those are easy to handle with front movements.

The one time I missed rear shifts on my Ebony SW23 was when doing stitched 6x17 panos - to avoid parallax problems between the two frames I had to **** the camera in the opposite direction after shifting the front. I used a long dovetail plate with an RRS clamp to simplify the body shift step. It was not a perfect setup, sometimes there was a slight misalignment between frames so rear shift would definitely have been preferable.
 

DougDolde

Well-known member
Your preferences aside, there is nothing better than an Arca Swiss. You don't really need geared or Orbix. Great fresnel super clear unlike most of the other options including Ebony which have crap screens. Linhof is pretty good too like a Technica or Technikardan
 

Lars

Active member
Your preferences aside, there is nothing better than an Arca Swiss. You don't really need geared or Orbix. Great fresnel super clear unlike most of the other options including Ebony which have crap screens. Linhof is pretty good too like a Technica or Technikardan
"I'm looking for the an inexpensive, quality 4x5 that meets these criteria"

Today's Fun with Words challenge: Use the words "Arca-Swiss" and "inexpensive" in the same sentence. :ROTFL:
 

DougDolde

Well-known member
There are several on Ebay not too expensive. They aren't the new F line models but still great cameras
 

epforever

Member
Thanks, everyone.

Lars: I'm wanting rear movements so I can stitch. Otherwise, I agree that everything can be done with front movements. I've been loving the Linhof MT for many years (and am keeping it; it's my main 4x5).

DougDolde: Thanks. Good suggestion. I had an Arca Swiss 69 FC for a long time, and it was very well made.
 

Lars

Active member
Another option is a Toyo monorail. I've collected quite a supply of spare parts for my Toyo 810G monorail, can probably piece together 2 8x10's and 3 4x5's... The Toyo monorails are geared studio cameras though, not lightweight elegance like some of the Arca-Swiss and Linhof models. That said, my 8x10 has been with me around the world including some pretty harsh hikes over sand dunes, deep snow and pouring rain (always keep a huge trash bag in your backpack :) ). The reason I'm not using a 4x5 configuration Toyo is that the front and rear standards interfere a bit when using extreme wide angles like a 47XL. My Ebony 45S is much better in that regard, as is the 8x10 configuration of Toyo monorail (the front standard can move inside the rear standard in a way possible if front and rear standards are the same size). I also have a bag bellows for the 8x10. The 150XL works like a breeze with it, and a 110XL would be no problem either.
 

Lars

Active member
Your preferences aside, there is nothing better than an Arca Swiss. You don't really need geared or Orbix. Great fresnel super clear unlike most of the other options including Ebony which have crap screens. Linhof is pretty good too like a Technica or Technikardan
I developed a method of making my own screens (invented in Alice Springs after a storm mishap in the Aussie outback crushed my 8x10 screen). The method I developed: Start with clear glass, add a layer of adhesive clear cover plastic like used for school books. Get the finest sand paper you can find, and rub the plastic until it is not clear anymore. Try different rubbing directions, try different sanding papers. It takes a little experimentation but you can eventually get it exactly the way you like it - possibly even better than etched glass.
 

RodK

Active member
I developed a method of making my own screens (invented in Alice Springs after a storm mishap in the Aussie outback crushed my 8x10 screen). The method I developed: Start with clear glass, add a layer of adhesive clear cover plastic like used for school books. Get the finest sand paper you can find, and rub the plastic until it is not clear anymore. Try different rubbing directions, try different sanding papers. It takes a little experimentation but you can eventually get it exactly the way you like it - possibly even better than etched glass.
By the way, while this works with film as long as you stop down, increasing the depth of Focus, on digital this would not be very precise. Sanding the glass however can work pretty well. Remember the light acceptance plane for film was thousandths thick. Digital is 1 micron(millionth)...
Be well,
Rod
 

MrSmith

Member
If you are in the uk I have technicardan with wide angle bellows I would let go for not a lot of money, it's cosmetically rough but I'm talking 3 figures not 4
It has long bellows too but they went a bit funny in storage (strange sticky residue that happens to some plastics and have no way of testing them for lightfastness)
Might have a few lens panels/dark cloth/Polaroid back in the box with it.
 

Lars

Active member
By the way, while this works with film as long as you stop down, increasing the depth of Focus, on digital this would not be very precise. Sanding the glass however can work pretty well. Remember the light acceptance plane for film was thousandths thick. Digital is 1 micron(millionth)...
Be well,
Rod
Yeah I don't agree with you here.

First of all sanding glass does not work well - been there done that.
Second, sanding (more like rubbing actually) a thin layer of plastic film does not affect flatness as the underlying glass still keeps it flat. So there is no prectically difference in precision between a plastic film taped on glass and the glass itself.
Third, not sure why you think that a digital sensor needs 1000x the precision of film for the same sensor format. If you compare 8x10" film to a tiny phone camera sensor there is of course a difference but hardly three orders of magnitude on a comparable format. In the end the scene and the output dictates the precision required from sensor flatness.
 
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