Canham 5x7 decision

[Pronier Jean Claude]

Bonjour à tous
I already have a 4x5 Ebony and for 8x10 a JMC Canham and very satisfied with these two cameras.
From several months I’m very attracted with the 5x7 format and really hesitating between the MQC Canham and the wooden 657 Canham.
As very pleased with the 8x10 Canham I was pretty decided about the 5x7 metal MQC but reading thru the forum discussions about it, I’m afraid with the rear front stability when introducing the film holder. I know the method described with too fingers for spring back opening and pratice it on my JMC but, the MQC rear is not built the same way, only two T screew on the rear base...
I wonder, I wonder...
Who can help me? giving a real experience with the 5x7 metal? assuming it’s not the same for 4x5 DLC users due to the smaller lever length on the rear.
Many thanks for your answer.
jean claude

[Ted Harris]

Jean Claude, I have used the Canham 5x7 metal and it just requires a bit of the care you described. Having said that, I use the T57 wooden 5x7 Canham nearly daily and have done so for 10+ years. I find it to be one of the mot rigid field cameras I have used. You will not be dissaisfied with it.

[Herb Cunningham]

You will not be disappointed with the wood 5x7. The insertion of film holders is always a problem in any camera, takes a bit of practice. Call Keith and he will go over the technique. I asked him about putting a bail on the back, but that is not possible, because of the spring setup.

If I was going metal I would go ARCA.

[Walter Calahan]

A friend has the Canham 5x7 wood field camera and loves it. I have the Canham 8x10 wood field camera and love it. Keith Canham puts a lot of care into both the metal and wood versions of his cameras, so both will work fine. But for me, I believe the wood version is the way to go.

[sanking]

I have been using two wood Canham cameras for many years and am familiar with their strong and weak points. They are great cameras and you definitely would not be disappointed in a wood 5X7 Canham.

However, I recently acquired a metal 5X7. I much prefer it to the wood models because the focus controls are more intuitive (for me) and it sets up and takes down much easier and faster than the wood Canhams. And I also believe it is more rigid, both on the front and back standard. It also has very extensive movements, limited in most cases only by the bellows, so it could handle virtually any architectural scene with the right lens. I also love the bellows of the metal 5X7 as it is very light has very little sag even when fully extended.

So here is a vote for the metal 5X7 Canham over the wood.

Sandy King

[Kevin Crisp]

I have never tried any of the partially wood Canhams. If you like the JMC, you will probably like the MQC as much if not more. It doesn't have the crowding of the knobs like the JMC on the back left side when in certain positions. It folds up a little easier since you don't need to tuck the bellows in at the back. I frequently use a great deal of front rise and the MQC gives it to me. It weighs less than lots of 4X5 cameras.

[Scott Davis]

I'll put in my words of praise for the wood Canham 5x7. It is a terrific camera - tons of movements, bellows draw is more than adequate (I can do macro work with a 12" Commercial Ektar on it), it is terrifically light weight and so it travels easily (I took mine with me to Argentina). If you've not used one before, the controls will not all be intuitive as compared to other LF cameras, but they make plenty of sense and work well. It would just be nice to have single locking knobs to control things like extensions of front and rear standards.

[tim loose]

I too have a Canham wood field (8x10) and am very happy with it. I have been thinking about asking Keith to make a 5x7 reducing back for it. What about that option since you already have a nice metal camera?

[Michael Kadillak]

I have the 5x7 metal Canham and also use the 8x10 wooden Canham that I have the conversion back for 8x20.

To be quite honest, both camera are equally capable of making excellent photographs. The concerns of camera back rigidity on the metal camera are obviously from individuals that do not understand the objectives of weight reduction that Keith employed in designing this particular offering. Sandy mentioned the intuitive camera movements and the synthetic bellows on the metal but this camera also comes with an excellent fresnel and accepts the 6x17 roll film back.

If it were me I would make my decision based upon the best deal in the used market I could find. Retail really sucks.

[Pronier Jean Claude]

Thanks to all of you for your messages.
I'm just coming this morning from the forest with a nice morning light thru tall trees and took photographs with my JMC. That's help me to be more and more in favor of the 5x7 metal, I like the Keith camera metal system, it sounds clear and simple for adjusments and focusing.
On the JMC I use only for the moment a 300 fuji C lens and a 450 same type.
jean claude

[Rick Moore]

I too have a Canham wood field (8x10) and am very happy with it. I have been thinking about asking Keith to make a 5x7 reducing back for it. What about that option since you already have a nice metal camera?

Canham makes an adapter that allows the standard 4x5 and 5x7 wooden backs to mount on the 8x10 wooden field cameras.

[evan clarke]

Jean Claude,
Don't overlokk a 5x7 Arca Swiss..it has none of the above rigidity problems, has a bail for easy holder insertion and is probably more compact and rigid..Evan Clarke

[Pronier Jean Claude]

Bonjour to all of you.
I posted my first message in september, we are mid of june 2007 and finally had the opportunity to buy a used but nice 5x7 metal Canham. Thanks to Midwest P.X.
I enjoy with it and my previous fear about lack of stiffness disappeared fast.
With only a day of practice the camera is very easy to set up, focusing is accurate and stable even when using very thick Linhof 5x7 film holder. Just for horizontal pictures I need to take care about the back positioning of ground glass when film holder is removed. It sometime happens that the ground glass frame shift a little bit downward, this is not a real problem when paying attention about holder extraction.
The bellow is very confortable whatever the focal length.
Really happy with this light camera in my backpack walking early in the morning sunrise.
jean claude