8x10 newcomer

[Roger Richards]

Hello, I recently decided to return to LF after experimenting with it (4x5) a few years ago. I would like to ask the members of this forum for some advice regarding 8x10 cameras. I know a little about 4x5 and realize that 8x10 is a totally different thing. What I would mainly wish to know is which camera would you all recommend in the up to $2500 price range, and what would be a good lens or two to start with (brand and focal length). I have been looking at Wisner, Canham, Tachihara and Shen Hao and would really appreciate any comments that might help me to make the right choices. Thanks very much.

[Mike Troxell]

Roger

I just moved up from 4x5 to 8x10 this past December. I love 8x10 but I would never suggest spending up to $2500 for a camera to anyone who had never used 8x10 before. As you said "8x10 is a totally differnt thing" from 4x5. I'd get a good $400 - $600 8x10 like an Agfa and make sure 8x10 was right for me before investing that kind of money. I've heard lots of stories of people who moved from smaller formats, including 4x5, who found that 8x10 was not for them and wound up selling off the camera a few months later.

Mike

[Gem Singer]

Hi Roger,

A few weeks ago, I added an 8X10 to my camera collection, and I have been going through the learning curve. Composing on that nice big focusing screen, returning to tray development of sheet film again, and contact printing 8X10 negatives, is a different experience from the 4X5 photography I was used to doing. So far, I'm really enjoying it. However, if I didn't have my wife to help lug that heavy 8X10 equipment around, I probably would not be enjoying the experience as much.

I purchased a brand new 8X10 Tachihara (the double extension model), along with a previously owned Fujinon 300CM-W lens (the lens is like new, and it is mounted in the latest Copal 3 shutter) from Jim, at Midwest Photo Exchange. Half a dozen new 8X10 holders, two boxes of Ilford HP-5+ film, and a brand new Harrison Silver Classic dark cloth. The entire outfit was well under your $2500 price range.

[Brian Ellis]

I've had two Deardorffs and like them both. You can get one in excellent condition for about $1,500. The only downside is the weight (12 lbs). If you plan to hike you might look for one that's ligher. The Canham lightweight (about 9 lbs) and the Wehman (about 8 lbs) come to mind. Both are well within your budget. For lens suggestions you'll have to say what it is you plan to photograph.

[Roger Richards]

Mike, Eugene and Brian, thanks so much for your responses.

Mike, you make a good point.

Eugene, what do you think of the Tachihara's build quality?

Brian, I have been looking at the Deardorff's on e-Bay and wondering about them. Also, I will primarily be photographing landscapes and portraits. I am figuring on using medium-wide to short tele lenses (in 4x5, 90 to 270mm lenses.

[Neal Shields]

I love my Deardorff V8 which I brought on Ebay. I now realize how lucky I was and got a great camera with a new bellows.

Deardorff's can have problems such as a split bottom which cause other problems. By all means if you want a wood camera, get a "Dorf" but buy from someone who knows how to describe it and will take it back or make it good if there is a problem. In other words buy from one of the big advertisers in View Camera Magazine.

I have transitioned to all B&W with the 8x10 from which I make contact prints. Getting color prints from 8x10 is more and more meaning scanning and digital prints at 300 dpi. I just don't see the point of capturing that much information and the going to a 300 dpi print.

I shoot both color and B&W with my 4x5 for which I have a full set of lenses. With my 8x10 I am currently limited on lens selection to a wide normal and a F18 180.

[Ralph Barker]

I scratched the same itch about a year ago, Roger. I think you'll find the comparison of the available 8x10s to be a balance between features (movements, bellows extension, etc.), weight, price, and availability.

After considering the options, I, like Eugene, went with the Tachihara double-extension. Aside from rear swing, which is limited and a bit clunky, the Tachi double seems a good compromise between features, weight, and price. The build quality is quite good for an "economy" camera. In this case, "double extension" really means about 500-550mm of extension.

Personally, I've found that I prefer lenses a bit wider or longer than my druthers on 4x5 (where my most used lenses are 110mm and 210mm). On 8x10, I seem to prefer either a Schneider 150mm SS XL (big and heavy, but a beauty), or a 450mm Nikkor M. A Schneider 240mm G-Claron seems to be my "normal" focal length of choice on 8x10. The 240mm G-Claron is tiny in comparison to the other two, and economical on the used market. Plus, the 240mm is short enough to do close-ups with the 500mm+ of bellows extension on the Tachi double.

Here's a scan of an 8x10 Polaroid done with the 240mm G-Claron on my Tachi double:

[John Kasaian]

Roger,

IMHO, look into a 240mm G Claron or second hand Nikkor 450 M for the most "bang for your buck" in modern glass. If you pefer classic optics and can tolerate older shutters, you can't go wrong with a 12" Dagor, 10" WF Ektar, 14" Commercial Ektar (BTW I think these last two lenses are incredible for both landscape and portraiture) or the longer RD Artars. If a convertible is what you want see if you can find a Wollensak triple convertible My 2-cents, YMMV!

[Roger Richards]

Neal, Ralph and John, thanks so much for your help.

[Brian Ellis]

There's a lot of lenses out there in the focal lengths you're interested in. I haven't tried many of them so I can't compare. The lenses I've used for 8x10 and have been pleased with for contact printing black and white are the 159mm F9.5 Wollensak (a very nice small, light wide angle that is seen pretty frequently on e bay and that sells for around $250, maybe the single biggest large format lens bargain there is considering the usual size, weight,and price of wide angles for 8x10), the 210mm F9 G Claron (another small, light inexpensive moderate wide angle that from the specs looks like it wouldn't cover 8x10 but does with room for movements when stopped down to F22 or smaller), 240mm F9 G Claron (same comments as the 210 but it has even more room for movements), Wollensak triple convertible 330mm, 520mm, 620mm (focal lengths are from memory and are approximate, I made the mistake of selling this lens - a big, heavy lens that sells for about $350, excellent at the shortest focal length, not so great but better than missing the shot entirely at the other two), and 420mm (the lens itself is small but it comes in an Ilex #4 shutter so it's a little on the large size but not bad and it's a great lens).

I doubt that any of these lenses would be ideal for portraits. I don't do portraits but for head and shoulders I assume you'd want something in the 500mm and up range and the triple convertible Wollensak at its two longer focal lengths isn't all that good. However they're fine for general purpose photography, including the landscape work in which you're interested. One of the nice things about contact printing 8x10, at least in black and white, is that you don't need the latest, greatest Super Apo XL HM ED L lenses to get incredibly sharp, detailed, contrasty photographs, almost any lens that will cover the format and in good condition will do fine. So while the cameras are on the expensive side you can save a lot on lenses compared to smaller formats if all you plan to do is contact print.