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Thread: Hand-Held 8x10

  1. #1

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    Hand-Held 8x10

    I'm looking for a hand-held 8x10 camera for "street" photography, and Environmental Portraits (people in their environments)...Any suggestions for something that isn't too expensive??
    David Blumenfeld

  2. #2

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    Hand-Held 8x10

    The Hobo - by bostick and sullivan - I think starts around $600... I know you can make something similar for less, if you are mechanicall/woodshop inclined.

    http://www.bostick-sullivan.com/Hobo/welcome.htm

  3. #3

    Hand-Held 8x10

    You'd have to get a "Hobo" - see Bostick and Sullivans website. I think there's one on Ebay at the moment. The biggest issue you will have with doing environmental portraits with a handheld 8X10 is the usable focal lengh issue - due to the shallow depth of field on this format, you are likely to need to use a very short lens which is not very flattering on the average person and you may have great difficulty in placing them "in" their environment as a result. Also, you are going to be waving a pretty substantial piece of gear around at them from quite close. I would have thought that this would be a better application for a smaller format and enlarged digital negatives (I'm presuming that you want to do some alternative process in the printing which is why you are even considering 8X10). For "street" photography (I hate that term - it sure covers a lot of bad ground and worse work), the Hobo would seem to be a very viable solution.

  4. #4

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    Hand-Held 8x10

    With all due respect, I think this is just a bad idea that will produce lots of frustration and images that don't please you!
    Peter Collins

    On the intent of the First Amendment: The press was to serve the governed, not the governors --Opinion, Hugo Black, Judge, Supreme Court, 1971 re the "Pentagon Papers."

  5. #5

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    Hand-Held 8x10

    Unless you plan billboard-sized prints, I would have to agree with PeterC.

  6. #6

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    Hand-Held 8x10

    David,

    In addition to the Hobo, Peter Gowland makes a handholdable 8x10 "aerial" fix focused at infinity. (as I recall Infinity can be a relative kind of thing) as well as a model with helical focusing. If you don't mind downsizing a bit, you can sometimes find 5x7 Speed Grapics and Linhof Technikas. I don't know anything about the Linhofs, the the Speeders are a delight to work with.

    While handheld 8x10 is certainly do-able, carrying a supply of 8x10 film holders makes One considerably less mobile than you might imagine (like, what are you going to do with that big honkin' dark slide while you're shooting?? Shade the lens from possible flare probably, but then you'll be holding and shooting your 8x10 with one hand which isn't the steadiest position!)

    Good Luck!
    "I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White

  7. #7
    Whatever David A. Goldfarb's Avatar
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    Hand-Held 8x10

    The Hobo is mainly set up to be an ultrawide camera, which may not be exactly what you want for portraits. Granview is another handholdable 8x10" arial camera. These cameras don't tend to focus to portrait distances.

    I have a 5x7" Press Graflex, which is a handholdable SLR that's great for portraits of contact-printable size, if that's your goal.

  8. #8

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    Hand-Held 8x10

    Thanks for all the quick responses! Anyone working with the HOBO out there that I can see some samples online? Also, Any ideas on resources to "build my own?" Thanks
    David Blumenfeld

  9. #9
    Whatever David A. Goldfarb's Avatar
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    Hand-Held 8x10

    I took a look at your website as well, and I think Michael makes some good points. You're not going to be able to do the kinds of close in portraits you're currently doing with a Hobo. Here's the website, and you can find some sample images there--

    http://www.bostick-sullivan.com/Hobo/welcome.htm

    You just can't focus close enough reliably with this kind of camera, and you're stuck with a lens that would be like a 15mm lens on a 35mm camera.

    If you want to work with 8x10" in a dynamic way, you might look at the work of Nicholas Nixon, but bear in mind that he's using a large camera on a tripod with a big stack of filmholders. It can work, but it means thinking about what you're doing in a very different way.

    I think the suggestion of a Mamiya M7 II is a good one. The lenses are outstanding, and you'll get a lot more film real estate than with 35mm.

    If you want to go large, you probably would do best with something like a 4x5" Graflex Super D, which is an SLR with a rotating back, the option of flash sync, and enough bellows to focus close. I love my 5x7" Press Graflex, which is a similar type of camera, but it's not as practical for a photojournalist--too hard to get filmholders, too fragile, no rotating back, no flash sync, etc.

    A Linhof Technika or Graphic press camera with a rangefinder is another option (I use a Tech V), but looking at your work, I'm guessing you would find an SLR more natural to work with than a rangefinder.

  10. #10

    Hand-Held 8x10

    I agree that people on the street will be put off by such a large camera.

    I would also recommend a TLR Rollei or a hasselblad as a great street camera.
    I can identify with you on wanting better images that 35mm can get. I stopped
    using 35mm altogether about 2 years ago and now shoot with a hasselblad with an eyelevel
    prism. It is pretty fast for MF. Also one of the 6x4.5 cameras would be great.

    I also use a Pentax 67, but not for street photography. I have gone to 4x5 in search of
    a big negative with high quality and the ablility to make masks, selenium intensification and
    other darkroom enhancements.

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