Very light 4x5 camera with 125mm lens

[Havoc]

Got some money coming along and I was looking into a (very) light 4x5 camera with a 125mm lens. Why? Well recently I spend a long weekend in Holland and had the Wista and 3 lenses along. It never left the hotel room. Just because much wind, showers and the weight.

So if I could find something low weight, sturdy, weather resistant that could fit a 125mm or 135mm (quasi) permanently and available south of 2000 euro maybe I'd take it out more.

Any ideas? I'm very happy with my Fujinon CM W 125mm but the size makes it impossible to leave on a camera.

[Vaughn]

Gowland PocketView...2.5 pounds with my 150/5.6 lens on it.
Rail camera, but folds up as small as a wood field. One can keep a lens on it, but I take mine off.
A light camera on a light tripod is no easier in the wind, though.

I like the idea of these non-folding 4x5s -- keep any lens on. 4 to 4.5 pounds. http://www.chamonixviewcamera.com/45H.html

[Steve Goldstein]

The Nagaoka 4x5 is a folding field camera similar to your Wista but weighing only about 1kg. The Ikeda is almost identical. It has tilt and swing in front (no shift), and only tilt on the back, that's the price you pay for light weight. Watch out, some of the very early Nagaokas seemed to have even more limited movements.

For a really small lightweight lens consider the original-version (so-called "inside lettering") 125mm f/5.6 Fujinon-W or the 120mm f/6.3 Osaka Wide Field. My 125mm Fujinon-W in Seiko 0 weights 180g including caps and the retaining ring. I don't think you'll be able to leave the lens on the camera, the folded size is quite thin.

[ioingjorbor]

Chamonix F2?
Or maybe the Intrepid 4x5, but I don’t know if it’s sturdy enough


Enviado desde mi iPhone utilizando Tapatalk

[Tin Can]

What was the aluminum
Body that Traveleide copied

Very rare and very lightweight

And waterproof.

[Jac@stafford.net]

Globuscope 4x5. Picture here. (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7V3jb7jZD8g/VqGU8S4bobI/AAAAAAAACqE/oUVhSzqYESE/s400/Globuscope4x5.jpg)

[Tin Can]

Globuscope 4x5. Picture here. (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7V3jb7jZD8g/VqGU8S4bobI/AAAAAAAACqE/oUVhSzqYESE/s400/Globuscope4x5.jpg)


Yes! And somebody sold under 10 bodies a while back

[CreationBear]

So if I could find something low weight, sturdy, weather resistant that could fit a 125mm or 135mm (quasi) permanently and available south of 2000 euro maybe I'd take it out more.

A newbie here, but you might consider the Horseman FA/HD/HF and Rodenstock Sironar N 135/5.6 combination--even with a 6x12 RFB thrown in, I was able to come in at less than half of your max.:)

[Leszek Vogt]

I guess there is a variety of ways to put the whole thing on a diet. VDS camera + Angulon 121/8 (older) + some sort of nice 210mm > as start and you are ready to go. That 4x5 rig is listed as 1200grams.

Les

[Two23]

My Chamonix is lighter than my Nikon D800E. Light cameras don't resist wind as well though.


Kent in SD

[Mark Sampson]

Best to consider the total weight of your kit. The camera is the biggest piece, but the weight of the other parts can add up without your noticing.

[Tin Can]

I prefer some weight for handheld.

I only shoot my Travelwide handheld, but add a heavy Horseman QR base.

My Fotoman 6X17 is heavy and I like that.

What I really like about both is I shoot by distance, not GG.

[Jac@stafford.net]

Yes! And somebody sold under 10 bodies a while back

There is also the Printex.
183388
.
183389

[Tin Can]

There is also the Printex.
183388
.
183389

I found the 4X5 Printex to very heavy and painful to handhold and I like heavy. Somebody here bought it from the actual owner when I teamed them.

What I did like was the really simple RF single arm to Kalart Rangefinder, which is a doddle to adjust.

A Speed is also heavy but has better ways to hold it, which I didn't understand until I read the Navy Speed Graflex manual (https://graflex.org/helpboard/viewtopic.php?t=4767).

[Peter De Smidt]

Also Toho FC45x.

[Michael Roberts]

Stripped down Crown Graphic with 127mm Ektar. Mine weighs 3lbs, can be hand held, and the investment is so low I don’t worry about exposure to the elements. Fits in a lunch cooler bag with shoulder strap.

Add a Slik Sprint travel tripod for a light weight companion for low light conditions.

[Drew Wiley]

Either the Toho or Gowland would be wretched in wind. The Horseman FA is a beautifully made technical camera that can be
handheld, suitable for moderate-wide to long-normal focal lengths. But I'd rather have (and do use) a 125 Fuji W that takes small 52mm filters rather than the later CMW which requires 67mm and is unnecessarily bulkier.

[Cor]

Had a Gowland pocket view, found it too fiddley, not stable at al. Had the change to buy a rare 4*5 Galvin, much sturdier, easy to set up, compact and light weigth. You have to adapt to the long extra rail you have to add for lenses longer than 90mm. My set (http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?36782-Show-off-your-Large-Format-camera!&p=1271185&highlight=Galvin#post1271185): 90mm TopCor (just covers 4*5), 150 and 210 G-Clarons. A light weigth Amazon Tripod makes a surprisingly sturdy combination ( considering that tripod). It's my travel set.

Good luck,

Cor

[EdSawyer]

What you want is a Chamonix Saber. It was designed around the 120mm apo-symmar, a fabulous lens. They are hard to come by, but you could acquire one for <$2k I'd think. I have one but don't want to sell it. Easily the lightest/most compact 4x5 I have ever seen. http://chamonixviewcamera.com/saber.html

[Pere Casals]

You can make a mod for the Travelwide to work with longer lenses. This is really lightweight.

http://www.welshruins.co.uk/travelwide-wanderlust-camera-modification-125mm

https://web.archive.org/web/20180326110314/http://www.welshruins.co.uk/travelwide-wanderlust-camera-modification-125mm

Search google: travelwide 125mm

[Tin Can]

You can make a mod for the Travelwide to work with longer lenses. This is really lightweight.

http://www.welshruins.co.uk/travelwide-wanderlust-camera-modification-125mm

https://web.archive.org/web/20180326110314/http://www.welshruins.co.uk/travelwide-wanderlust-camera-modification-125mm

Search google: travelwide 125mm

While some of those conversion parts may be too rare, the links do show a way to hack a broken TW back into use.

[Bob Salomon]

While some of those conversion parts may be too rare, the links do show a way to hack a broken TW back into use.

his article is delusionable, his broken body cost him 150€ plus he had a lens laying around. What was the value of that lens plus the value of that other lens he got the shutter from? How many hours were invested?
About is not a value for focusing or DOF.

A Crown Graphic was not a metal camera and a Hasselblad was never a folding camera.

Lastly, how did he assure that his cobbled together camera has a lens that is now properly aligned with the film?

This sounds like he now has a 45 snapshot camera and probably not an effective working tool.

[Kevin Crisp]

I also found the Gowland was just too light for me. My solution to your problem was and is a Crown Graphic with a 135 Symar that folds up inside. Also carry a 210 R Claron and a 90 mm Angulon. Fits easily in a modest 35 shoulder bag. Yes, I could cut a couple pounds off that with a lighter camera, but then I'd lose the handheld option and rugged construction. I did add a high end ground glass to it. As noted above, the Crown is mostly mahogany.

[Tin Can]

his article is delusionable, his broken body cost him 150€ plus he had a lens laying around. What was the value of that lens plus the value of that other lens he got the shutter from? How many hours were invested?
About is not a value for focusing or DOF.

A Crown Graphic was not a metal camera and a Hasselblad was never a folding camera.

Lastly, how did he assure that his cobbled together camera has a lens that is now properly aligned with the film?

This sounds like he now has a 45 snapshot camera and probably not an effective working tool.

True

[Pere Casals]

While some of those conversion parts may be too rare, the links do show a way to hack a broken TW back into use.


This sounds like he now has a 45 snapshot camera and probably not an effective working tool.

Well, the 275grs of the Travelwide allows a certain kind of LF shots that are otherwise difficult...

A 125mm lens at f/16 has the hyperfocal at 9m, and if focused at 5m then DOF is 6m deep, not a challenge to have it effectively working... and with the aid of a monopod...

I agree that the pointed mod can be done in a better way... but that example shows that with some imagination we can do powerful things.

[Havoc]

Ok, thanks for all the ideas. Really all kinds of solutions look possible. And with the shoulder problems it might be good to start exploring them.

I must say that the Globuscope looks fabulous! Also it looks like it could be used more or less like a "normal" camera. But finding one might be not that easy. I'm not that much taken in by the monorail solutions, somehow a field/press camera looks easier to pull out of a bag, take a shot and put back. But that could be down to having no experience with them. The Century Graphics might be easy to find in the states and cheap as chips there but in europe they are far less common. A bit surprised they are wood, always took them to be heavy metal.

So, time for study now.

[scheinfluger_77]

Stripped down Crown Graphic with 127mm Ektar. Mine weighs 3lbs, can be hand held, and the investment is so low I don’t worry about exposure to the elements. Fits in a lunch cooler bag with shoulder strap.

Add a Slik Sprint travel tripod for a light weight companion for low light conditions.

+1 on this one. I have this very camera and used it for years. Easy to carry, sets up quickly, works great.

[drew.saunders]

It's no longer made, and if available used might not be below 2000 euro, but the Ebony SW45 would do the job very nicely. 46-190mm min/max bellows extension, 1.5kg, all front movements, rear rise, non-folding. There are a couple on ebay right now from Japan for around $2K USD. I have the "big brother" 45SU and it works really well with my Fuji 125/5.6.

[Drew Wiley]

Ebony wouldn't handhold well without modification, like adding an optical finder. Technical cameras made by Wista, Horseman, Linhof Technika, as well as older Graphic press cameras were made for this kind of dual usage. I'm a long lens addict, so don't personally use any of them.

[fuegocito]

Another solution might be a Polaroid converted hand held 4x5 with coupled rangefinder to your lens of choice, there are several sources for the conversion and I am sure there are a few listed on the big auction site.


Got some money coming along and I was looking into a (very) light 4x5 camera with a 125mm lens

So if I could find something low weight, sturdy, weather resistant that could fit a 125mm or 135mm (quasi) permanently and available south of 2000 euro maybe I'd take it out more.

[Greg]

For me it's a Chamonix 4x5 with a 5 1/4 inch f/6.8 Dagor. My Chamonix is a 45N-2. Seriously would consider a 45Hs-1 with a 3 5/8 inch f/8 Goerz WA Dagor. If I ever come across a 3 5/8 inch f/8 Dagor at a reasonable price, will probably go with that combo. Have read that a "Golden" 3 5/8 inch Dagor was made, but have never seen one for sale and my B&J catalogues list 2 3/8" and 6" Golden Dagors but no focal lengths in-between.

[robertraymer]

Have you considered a crown/speed graphic? They can be easily found in your price range in excellent condition, and although they are old they are definitely built to last.

While they may not be as light as a 35mm or MF camera I can carry mine around all day with no issues. They also give you the option to shoot from the ground glass or handheld via the rangefinder, which is something I love. And with the focal plane shutter the speed graphic allows for both leaf shutter lenses and barrel lenses. Im not sure about the size of your Fuji lens, but with the Kodak Ektar 127mm 4.7 it folds up quite compact enough to fit in a backpack or messenger bag.

[Bill_1856]

Got some money coming along and I was looking into a (very) light 4x5 camera with a 125mm lens. Why? Well recently I spend a long weekend in Holland and had the Wista and 3 lenses along. It never left the hotel room. Just because much wind, showers and the weight.

So if I could find something low weight, sturdy, weather resistant that could fit a 125mm or 135mm (quasi) permanently and available south of 2000 euro maybe I'd take it out more.

Any ideas? I'm very happy with my Fujinon CM W 125mm but the size makes it impossible to leave on a camera.

[Bill_1856]

A Crown Graphic or Busch Pressman only weighs FIVE POUNDS, and since you can hand-hold it you won't have to carry a big, heavy tripod.

[Havoc]

While searching the net for the cameras mentioned and reading about them I crossed also a few that were not mentioned: Dayi, Gaoersi and Fotoman all three have something similar. They look like a handheld 4x5 with only shift. Having some shift is just what I need (simple landscape/cityscape). Also in common is very little info about them. Does someone have comments/advice on those?

[Dan Fromm]

Havoc, you'll need rise more than shift. Shift (horizontal decentering movement) can't make the foreground disappear or let you shoot tall subjects without getting converging verticals. Rise (vertical decentering movement) can do both.

[Havoc]

You're correct, sorry for mixing up. Those cameras provide modest rise/fall.

[Tin Can]

I hope you show and tell when you obtain this item.

We wait.

[Luis-F-S]

For me it's a Chamonix 4x5 with a 5 1/4 inch f/6.8 Dagor. My Chamonix is a 45N-2. Seriously would consider a 45Hs-1 with a 3 5/8 inch f/8 Goerz WA Dagor. If I ever come across a 3 5/8 inch f/8 Dagor at a reasonable price, will probably go with that combo. Have read that a "Golden" 3 5/8 inch Dagor was made, but have never seen one for sale and my B&J catalogues list 2 3/8" and 6" Golden Dagors but no focal lengths in-between.

Don’t waste your money on a Golden WA Dagor. I have an ancient 6.5” WA Dagor I had mounted in a Copal 1 which is one of my favorite lenses.

[EdSawyer]

My comment would be don't bother with any of those. They are all imposters that try to replicate the Cambo Wide. If you want a camera like that, just get the Cambo Wide to start with (the earlier version, not the current DS models, though those are ok too but more digital-oriented). It comes with options for 47 to 150mm lenses, with the appropriate cones/helicals/lenses.

-Ed



While searching the net for the cameras mentioned and reading about them I crossed also a few that were not mentioned: Dayi, Gaoersi and Fotoman all three have something similar. They look like a handheld 4x5 with only shift. Having some shift is just what I need (simple landscape/cityscape). Also in common is very little info about them. Does someone have comments/advice on those?

[orgraph]

I use Nagaoka 4x5 + Congo 90/6.3; Fujinon 150/6.3; Nikkor 300/5.6 and traveling to Iceland, USA, New Zealand and others including mountains

[John Kasaian]

A hip flask full of your favorite spirits is my recommendation.
No, don't make a pinhole camera out of it.
Just take sips as you wait for the wind to die down, then shoot your photos with whatever camera you brought with you.