Some suggestions on how to choose your ULF camera format.

[Scott Davis]

I'd want to consider, how it focuses, does it have movements on the front standard, how or if it folds, does it come apart easily for repairs, how much if vibrates when you knock it, does it come with film holders, what kind of tripod mount and where it balances. There are a lot of contraptions out there in ULF land that only the mother/creator could love.

Thinking of film holders... some ULF cameras, especially vintage ones, are not built to ANSI standards, and therefore getting them with matching original film holders is an important thing, because if not, replacement holders will have to be fabricated to spec, and that will add considerably to the cost of the camera.

[Lachlan 717]

For some, the aesthetics are also important. A Civil War re-enactor wouldn't want to show up with an 11x14 Arca-Swiss monorail...

Depends on which civil war you're referring to. There are at least 16 going on around the world at the moment...

[Mark Sawyer]

Depends on which civil war you're referring to. There are at least 16 going on around the world at the moment...

And so many of those are being photographed in wet plate by historic re-enactors...

[Lachlan 717]

And so many of those are being photographed in wet plate by historic re-enactors...

Okay, which of these were you referring to?

1872–1876 in Spain
Uruguayan Civil War, 1839–1851
Māori War (New Zealand), 1845–1872
Sonderbund war (Switzerland), November 1847
Revolutions of 1848, numerous European countries, 1848–1849
Revolution of 1851 (Chile)
Taiping Rebellion (China), 1851–1864
Bleeding Kansas, 1854–1858
Indian rebellion, 1857
War of Reform (Mexico), 1857–1861
American Civil War, 1861–1865
Klang War; also known as Selangor Civil War, 1867–1874
Boshin War (Japan), 1868–1869
Satsuma Rebellion (Japan), 1877
Jementah Civil War, 1878
The North-West Rebellion of 1885 in Canada
1891 Chilean Civil War
War of Canudos (Brazil), 1896-1897

[Mark Sawyer]

Those are all still "going on at the moment"?

Depends on which civil war you're referring to. There are at least 16 going on around the world at the moment...

[angusparker]

Okay, which of these were you referring to?

1872–1876 in Spain
Uruguayan Civil War, 1839–1851
Māori War (New Zealand), 1845–1872
Sonderbund war (Switzerland), November 1847
Revolutions of 1848, numerous European countries, 1848–1849
Revolution of 1851 (Chile)
Taiping Rebellion (China), 1851–1864
Bleeding Kansas, 1854–1858
Indian rebellion, 1857
War of Reform (Mexico), 1857–1861
American Civil War, 1861–1865
Klang War; also known as Selangor Civil War, 1867–1874
Boshin War (Japan), 1868–1869
Satsuma Rebellion (Japan), 1877
Jementah Civil War, 1878
The North-West Rebellion of 1885 in Canada
1891 Chilean Civil War
War of Canudos (Brazil), 1896-1897

My father always laughed when I recounted the Satsuma Rebellion, I guess because it sounds like it involved flinging fruit rather than the last gasp of the sword bearing samurai versus modernist elements in Japan. But surely re-enactment almost always means the American Civil War in the wet-plate / large format context!

[karl french]

Well, you've pretty well diluted the point of this thread...

[Luis-F-S]

Well, you've pretty well diluted the point of this thread...

+1

[Grumium]

I would like to add another deciding factor. Mine.

(8) Maximum sheet film size that can be mounted on drum scanner.

In my case this is a Heidelberg Tango that allows for a maximum size of roughly 14x17". As I am more of a panoramic guy I chose 7x17 and now mount two negatives at a time.

[Len Middleton]

The things I considered were:
(1) shape (square versus panoramic)
(2) Finished print size and your darkroom setup
(3) film availability and cost
(4) weight/portability - field versus studio
(5) whether you can use wide, normal or long lenses for the format given the bellows length
(6) camera cost and availability and
(7) lens cost and availability

Anything else you would add?

Surprising given my typical analytic tendencies, but my purchase was more opportunistic...

I had an opportunity to get an 8x20 kit that came with everything, except the lenses although with some "assembly required" (needed new bellows, new darkslides, repairs to case). Included was the camera (Korona 8x20 Panoramic View Camera), the rear extension rail, set of stiffeners (for across the rear extension rail, tripod block, and front extension rail), two film holders, original case, a 16x20 contact print frame, and a box of Ilford HP5+ film (no idea how well stored at the time).

Given the cost and sometimes difficulties in getting everything together, I think it has to be a consideration of getting a kit with everything required in an interesting format...

Serendipity can also be a factor.