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Thread: How expensive is 8x10?

  1. #1

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    Oct 2008
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    How expensive is 8x10?

    I'm currently shooting 4x5 for school. I'm pretty broke, but I just started a new job. I like 4x5, but I'm borrowing a camera from school and when the semester's over, I have to give it back. I was looking at 4x5 cameras but then thought… why not just go all out, and do 8x10? But in following the For Sale forum here, they don't seem to come up for sale much. And when they do, they're expensive.

    Can I get a good 8x10 camera with a decent normal lens for under $1,000 and 8 lbs.? With rise and shift and not terrible movements? That is stable (we're using Wistas right now and they're good cameras but the movements always feel a bit loose, though this might also just be because they're school cameras)?

    Or should I just stick with 4x5 for now?

  2. #2
    Drew Wiley
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    Re: How expensive is 8x10?

    Never mind the camera (and probably some new lenses, too) ... it's the cost of the film that will get to you. But back to the camera itself... the lighter and more
    portable they are, the more they tend to cost, cause that's the kind of gear that is highly in demand. Big heavy clunky stuff isn't, so sell for less. The same rule
    seems to apply to lenses. You'll probably also need a much more stable, heavier tripod. It's a nice way to stay in shape, and stay broke.

  3. #3

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    Re: How expensive is 8x10?

    As 8x10 has four times the surface area of 4x5, it will definitely be more expensive for film and development costs.

  4. #4

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    Re: How expensive is 8x10?

    I paid $1,500.00 for my used 8.7 pound 8x10 Wehman with a few extras. I paid $600.00 for my 14" Kodak Commercial Ektar, $300.00 for my Fujinon 250mm f/6.7 and about $350.00 for my 19" Red Dot Artar. I probably paid too much for the 14" Commercial Ektar and I practically stole the 19" Artar. These prices include shipping costs.

    New film holders cost $200.00 for one film holder. Expect to pay $40.00 to $50.00 or more plus shipping on Ebay for used ones.

    Like Drew says, film is the killer. I only shoot black and white and save color for 4x5.

    For under $1,000.00 you will need to forget about a light 8x10. Of course even the light cameras are no longer light after you load a few lenses and film holders in your pack plus adding a heavier tripod.

    I'm not trying to discourage you. I love 8x10. I just want to give you a sense of what your expense will be.

  5. #5
    Vaughn's Avatar
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    Re: How expensive is 8x10?

    What do you visualize as the end-product? print, print size, printing process and all that.

    8x10 is very worth it if using alt. processes. Personally I prefer making prints directly from camera negatives...just a personal bias. Your budget and desires will be difficult to match up.

    4x5 is a nice size for learning alt processes, but one ends up wanting to go bigger. Scanning the 4x5 negative to make inkjet prints -- or enlarged inkjet negatives for alt processes -- is very doable...less so for 8x10...and not a lot gained unless you want to print BIG! So 4x5 would give you flexibility, lower film cost and greater mobility.
    "Landscapes exist in the material world yet soar in the realms of the spirit..." Tsung Ping, 5th Century China

  6. #6

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    Re: How expensive is 8x10?

    Another thing to consider is if you want to enlarge optically or not. If you do, then the cost of an 8x10 enlarger plus lens and accessories has to be figured in. 8x10 enlargers are usually considerably more than 4x5 enlargers.

    I stick with 4x5 mostly for portability; with a 4x5 field camera and 4 lenses plus filmholders, etc. I can still hike and backpack in rough terrain. I don't think that an 8x10 would allow me to do as much.

    Best,

    Doremus

  7. #7

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    Re: How expensive is 8x10?

    Rough estimate about four times most every thing including cost, size of gear, weight and ...

    Beyond the cost of film, camera, significantly more limited choices for optics and all that. There is post processing. Will these images be enlarged or contact printed? Good 8x10 enlargers and related dark room is large and require significant real estate. Even processing film can be a significant chore just to produce film to scan. The alternative would be to pay some one to process film which adds even more expense.

    Know bigger is not better, it depends much more on the type of images that you would like to produce. 8x10 alone does not assure higher image quality or getter images over 4x5 or any other film format size as there are specific advantages to each.


    Bernice


    Quote Originally Posted by AutumnJazz View Post
    I'm currently shooting 4x5 for school. I'm pretty broke, but I just started a new job. I like 4x5, but I'm borrowing a camera from school and when the semester's over, I have to give it back. I was looking at 4x5 cameras but then thought… why not just go all out, and do 8x10? But in following the For Sale forum here, they don't seem to come up for sale much. And when they do, they're expensive.

    Can I get a good 8x10 camera with a decent normal lens for under $1,000 and 8 lbs.? With rise and shift and not terrible movements? That is stable (we're using Wistas right now and they're good cameras but the movements always feel a bit loose, though this might also just be because they're school cameras)?

    Or should I just stick with 4x5 for now?

  8. #8
    Format Omnivore Brian C. Miller's Avatar
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    Re: How expensive is 8x10?

    Cost of camera: Monorail, from $600 to $1000, and they weigh 15-20lbs. Field, usually $1000 and up, but they are lighter.
    Enlarger: I have a Photar 8x10 enlarger in storage, because it's over 9ft tall, and I live in an apartment with ceilings that, at best, are under 7ft high.

    What will give you a shock, though, is the price of film. Think about how much film you'd like to shoot, and then look at how much film costs. 8x10 film is of course about 4x the price of 4x5 film. Yes, you can do it cheaply with x-ray or Freestyle Arista at $2.64/sheet. But Ilford is $4.92/sheet, and Kodak is $7.65/sheet. Kodak Portra is $16.50/sheet.

    I recommend that you should get a cheap 4x5, a decent lens, and shoot lots of film. If you aren't going for alternate processes right off the bat, that camera will produce excellent pictures. The other day I was showing my coworkers what my Graflex, with its original Wollensak Optar lens, produced. Tack sharp pictures, with a 22x loupe, and lots of amazed people. 4x5 is easier to enlarge and scan than 8x10. A 4x5 enlarger isn't all that big, and they're all over the place. You can easily pick one up for free, or very cheaply.

    Go with what you can afford, and make sure that you can afford lots of film.
    "It's the way to educate your eyes. Stare. Pry, listen, eavesdrop. Die knowing something. You are not here long." - Walker Evans

  9. #9
    bob carnie's Avatar
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    Re: How expensive is 8x10?

    From a handling point of view, I love 8x10 over 4x5 - I get to use this ancient 8x10 studio camera with a wonderful old lens, use the lens cap for shutter and it is a joy to work with. Basically only practical in house studio set up , but thats what I do.. I have a 11 x14 enlarger so putting the 8x10 film into the neg holder and making prints is a piece of cake and just handling the film is a joy.

    Many reasons $$ not to do it but for pure joy worth the time and expense for me at least.

  10. #10

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    Re: How expensive is 8x10?

    But inbetween 4x5 and 8x10 are the 2 most fabulous and less expensive formats, 5x7 and 6.5x8.5 or whole plate. both are not so expensive to buy, though whole plate film holders can be hard to find and they are'nt standard and film may have to be cut down from 8x10. Kodak drop bed cameras and holders in both formats can be had well within your budget, and almost any 210mm or 300mm lens will do. Both formats are ideal for contact printing and scanning/digital workflow using a flatbed film scanner. Colour too, if thats what you want and can pay, provided you are prepared to cut it down from 8x10.

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