8x10 for portraiture work and easy Lens Board Adaption

[Luke79]

Greetings to all,

I would like to get a 8x10 Camera for my portraiture work
I Love the shallow depth of Field and 3D feel to the Images
Mainly doing Black and white indoor and Outdoor Portrait work with my 4x5 speed currently
Apart from that i would like to get a camera where i could easily Build and adapt my own Lens boards (an Adaption friendly 8x10)
In Order to use Old lenses and their characteristics

Is there a random shutter system that can be
used with many Old lenses and
Is Easy for Adaption ?

Best regards

Luke

[vinny]

Packard.

[Jay DeFehr]

Luke,

I think something like a Kodak 2D might work for you, or maybe even a studio camera, if you don't plan to venture too far afield. And a Packard shutter is the typical arrangement for barrel lenses.

It's funny you should be pursuing shallow dof. Traditionally, the problem for portrait photographers has been getting enough light for reasonable exposure times at the expense of dof. It's funny how one generation's technical compromise becomes another generation's aesthetic.

Good luck!

[Luke79]

thank you very much,

i will take a look at the kodak 2D , is there a common lens board size for 8x10 or are there different sizes for different cameras?

i have looked over at packard shutters and how they work, do i need different packard shutters in order to use them with different size lenses or do i buy one packard shutter camera specific to use it with one lens board, and i saw its fully manual and can only bes used to 1/25 of a second as far as i read?

[E. von Hoegh]

thank you very much,

i will take a look at the kodak 2D , is there a common lens board size for 8x10 or are there different sizes for different cameras?

i have looked over at packard shutters and how they work, do i need different packard shutters in order to use them with different size lenses or do i buy one packard shutter camera specific to use it with one lens board, and i saw its fully manual and can only bes used to 1/25 of a second as far as i read?

The size Packard you can use will be limited by the size of the lensboard on the camera you choose. You can build the Packard into a board, the mount the lenses in smaller boards that will mount to the main board. You don't need more than a table saw and hole saws to make the boards

[jp]

If it's for indoor use only, I'd suggest keeping an eye out for an old century studio camera with stand. They mostly use a 9" lensboard, which you can build more of with a table saw if you are a little bit handy. It will also allow big packard shutters, big lenses. B&J makes a 8x10 rembrandt with the same size lens board as well.

A step down in lensboard size is the kodak 2d or a calumet green monster 8x10. a 2d won't take as heavy a lens as the other options, but is more portable for outdoor use.

[aluncrockford]

I have no idea of your budget , but if you are intending to stay in the studio a Sinar P and a sinar shutter would meet your needs, a P2 is not outrageously expensive and it is not too tricky to get hold of a sinar shutter on line

[jp]

thank you very much,

i will take a look at the kodak 2D , is there a common lens board size for 8x10 or are there different sizes for different cameras?

i have looked over at packard shutters and how they work, do i need different packard shutters in order to use them with different size lenses or do i buy one packard shutter camera specific to use it with one lens board, and i saw its fully manual and can only bes used to 1/25 of a second as far as i read?

ND filters can provide some shutter speed flexibility if 1/25 isn't ideal, as can more or less lighting intensity. Long exposures are easy; open it as if you were to compose. I've built a speed graphic onto a 9" lensboard so I can have 1/30-1/1000 sec. Not that important indoors, but I built it to use outdoors with big lenses wide open.

[goamules]

I like the Kodak 2d with it's 6" lensboard. Some of the older cameras had smaller lensboards that won't hold a very fast lens. If you use slow film, 125 ISO or so, and shoot during the golden hour when the sun is setting, or in shade, you can get by with using a darkslide or piece of cardboard for a shutter.

[Luke79]

great help so far, thx to you guys,

i have to say im really the one with two left hands when it comes to building stuff ;) but perhaps i will have more practice now.
sadly over here in germany we do not have someone like s.k. grimes to mount all the stuff

the packard shutters looks interesting the problem i see is using them outside as someone mentioned, when i use my efke25 with red/orange 1,5 stop filters i still get arround 1/60 1/100 1/125 times outside , moreover i used the T setting on my speed often and was able to get times arround 0,5 sec and slower spot on, but i dont think i could manage that with faster times,

i have looked at the sinar p2 great camera and easy to get here in germany, but it looks kind of clumsy and big and i would really like to shoot outside with the 8x10 ,
a somehow transportation friendly camera would be nice.

the kodak 2d size looks ok and i have a solid and sturdy tripod with an old 1920-30 large format head, built like a german tank ;) looool

i currently use my beloved efke 25 for my outside work with my speed graphic and would like to continue using it with 8x10 , even great for starters like myself in the cost department and pricewise

i would like to try different fast old lenses in order to find 2-3 favorite lenses with special character and like jay said im pursuing the shallow depth of field :-)

i need to do more research on the shutters....

[E. von Hoegh]

great help so far, thx to you guys,

i have to say im really the one with two left hands when it comes to building stuff ;) but perhaps i will have more practice now.
sadly over here in germany we do not have someone like s.k. grimes to mount all the stuff

the packard shutters looks interesting the problem i see is using them outside as someone mentioned, when i use my efke25 with red/orange 1,5 stop filters i still get arround 1/60 1/100 1/125 times outside , moreover i used the T setting on my speed often and was able to get times arround 0,5 sec and slower spot on, but i dont think i could manage that with faster times,

i have looked at the sinar p2 great camera and easy to get here in germany, but it looks kind of clumsy and big and i would really like to shoot outside with the 8x10 ,
a somehow transportation friendly camera would be nice.

the kodak 2d size looks ok and i have a solid and sturdy tripod with an old 1920-30 large format head, built like a german tank ;) looool

i currently use my beloved efke 25 for my outside work with my speed graphic and would like to continue using it with 8x10 , even great for starters like myself in the cost department and pricewise

i would like to try different fast old lenses in order to find 2-3 favorite lenses with special character and like jay said im pursuing the shallow depth of field :-)

i need to do more research on the shutters....

Something to keep in mind, is that the faster the lens, the bigger the lens. At 300mm, an f4.5 lens is getting big and heavy. You'll need a large lensboard and a large shutter to handle the faster long lenses.

[Tony Karnezis]

the packard shutters looks interesting the problem i see is using them outside as someone mentioned, when i use my efke25 with red/orange 1,5 stop filters i still get arround 1/60 1/100 1/125 times outside , moreover i used the T setting on my speed often and was able to get times arround 0,5 sec and slower spot on, but i dont think i could manage that with faster times,

i would like to try different fast old lenses in order to find 2-3 favorite lenses with special character and like jay said im pursuing the shallow depth of field :-)

Luke, you could always consider a really dark neutral density filter that would allow you to shoot wide open at, say, 1/2 sec which you could time manually.

Edit: Just read the thread more thoroughly. jp suggested this above.

[Luke79]

Thank you both and Tony , yes that could be an Idea , i will try that hope not getting a decrease in Image quality

I will post a WTB in the section perhaps someone selling a nice 8x10 Set

Thank you guys for the help

Slowly everythings clearing up ....

[Luke79]

one thing i would like to ask,

what would be a good rail lenghts/ bellow legnhts concerning portraits (face /half body shots) , i have read the working lenght for lenses should be arround 250-350mm (8x10)

I have seen some 8x10 currently offered

what do you guys think of TACHIHARA cameras, a TOYO 810M or a Cambo Legend 8X10 for my purposes?

I did not know that there is such a wide range of 8x10 cameras

Im really impressed, but it is hard to select for a newcomer

[Drew Bedo]

I like my 2-D. In the past, using odd-ball lenses was no problem as the lens boards can be made up from plywood with a table saw and a drill with a hole saw bit. Gaffer tape is a godsend and fix-all. 'Course this type of FIY doesn’t look professional. Really nice lens boards can be also be made at home with more expensive woods and more work . . .and they can look great.

Currently, I have an adapter board on my 8x10 that takes Toyo/Linhoff boards for 4x5. I swap my 210mm and sometimes the 150mm onto the big camera. Works as long as I watch the corners.

The Kodak 2-D cameras were used by the armed forces. Later on they used some 8x10 Deardorffs. There was a model made for the military that took 2-D lens boards with square corners.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

I think the 2-D is a good camera for this purpose. I use a Seneca Improved and I use several heavy lenses on mine. For portraits I have been using my 14" Darlot that comes in at just over 5 lbs. I shoot Efke-25 all of the time and x-ray film as well. I have recently started using a front mounted Packard shutter with this set up and it is a dream to use. For added insurance when I develop my negatives I do it by inspection under a green safe light and judge the density I need for carbon printing. My feeling is that Efke and/or x-ray film is great for portraits and everything else I shoot.

[Marc B.]

On a lighter note, there is the Galli Shutter.<grin>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Baa8Bwnn9Sk

Or a Guillotine shutter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8odb2oeBrJA&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL3133B39E85EA89FC

[Mark Sawyer]

A Packard shutter is a very versatile option. Use neutral density filters to lower the exposure times to a workable speed with the aperture wide open.

6x6-inch is a common lensboard size, fitting the Kodak 2D and several other of their 8x10 cameras. It also fits the 8x10 Burke and James Commercial View, and their 5x7 Rembrandt Portrait Camera. 6x6 is big eough to handle a fairly large lens, up to 5" diameter at the flange.

If you move up to a studio camera, most (not all) take a 9x9-inch lensboard, (the Century series, E. & H.T. Anthony, Burke & James...) Also, the Burke & James 11x14 Commercial View takes a 9x9.

You can make both sizes of boards from stock pretty easily with just a small table saw. With a 6x6-to-9x9 adapter board, you could put any lens on any of these cameras.

[Luke79]

Thanks to everyone for the valuable information, i think i will try the kodak 2d as my first 8x10 , i think i will first try the nd filter method to get around 0.5 sec and slower, maybe its suits my needs, if not i can go packard aswell, i m excited i want to start shooting right now but will have to wait till i have my full functional first time setup, thank you all again for helping me out , i will post news soon

yes and the efke 25 , i love it, i hope its the same love with 8x10 ;):p

great forum!!!