After I have found that I won't be able to buy Deardorff, and after some search over the used equipment market, I have decided to ask again. Once again to start the thread about what to buy and later to use.
I was wondering what might be the appropriate topic (headline:-)) of this thread|; "Is Kodak 2- the right one for me?", or "Is 8-by-10 large enough?", or "to wait for some lottery jack-pot and to order 12x20?"... Yes, there are so many questions I would like to ask, or better to say - I would like to be answered. And no, I'm not looking for your recommendations, just wondering what are your opinions. I believe that most of us here have asked themself such questions, I did at least every time I switched (jumped) to a different format - from cheap Prakticas to Nikons, from 35mm to medium format. From cheap Mamiya Universal set to Bronica set, latter to Hass. You probably might remember or can recall my bunch of questions when I decided to enter LF.
And now, I'm aware that I'm the only one to answer on most of questions about my future (larger) format, but I just have to ask for "the second opinion".



What I would really like to have is 12x20. In inches, 30x50 in centimeters. I do like that wider, more panoramic format (but not true panoramic), but at this very moment I'm aware that it will be tooooo costly. Either buying used or building one by my two clumsy hands. And will be "too late". I want it now! But I don't need it now.
One friend of one friend of mine who have neighbor who knows the man who have some old Deardorff... yea, something like that, give me a call and asked if I would like to buy that camera with 2 holders for 900 German Marks (yes, there are still some people counting their old valuables in DMs). That isn't expensive. But in time I have contacted the owner the price rise to 900 USD. And today I have heard from him that if I would like to have Deardorff with holders the price is 900 Euros...
O.K... I'm not that surprised with the final price, I'm just irritated because he have wake my hunger for larger than 4x5 (I'm not counting that hardly useful full-plate Shen-Hao). Because I had serious fight with myself, my wife, our car, our older household equipment... and finally I have found the way to "steal" some 500 USD. And now, when I "have" that money, the price is doubled but I still have that picture of myself making 8x10 contact prints... (pt/pd? :-))



Lurking on the internet market, I have found that Kodak 2-D camera with Goerz 300mm f4.5 Dogmar lens (ebay item # 7530003037)... I placed a bid but haven't reach the reserve price and have no idea what is the real value of such camera.
And, question more, will my spoiled way of working be satisfied with limited movements of that camera? On the other hand - when in the field (in the land, taking landscapes) I rarely use more than some front raise/fall, and front or back tilt, the other movements are much more used in the studio and for now, I'm planing to use any 8x10 (or larger) camera only on my trips with efke 25.
Working this days with efke on my Tachihara, I'm on exposure times between 1/8 of second up to 2 seconds. On my Shen-Hao is pneumatic shutter (is any such shutter "Packard" or "Packard type" shutter?) and I haven't find yet a way to get relatively sure exposure time faster than 2 seconds. So, I'm afraid that my type of work will require a shutter with at least speeds from 1/8 of second to 1 second.



O.K. (allow me to end this waves of thoughts), I would like to shoot landscapes end eventually some "small" close-ups, I will do it in black & white with hope that I will one day print some platinum prints. I'm spoiled. I'm not rich. I do like Tachihara 8x10 but $ 1300 is way to much for me right now for the camera without lens and without holders. (oh... where is in this story part about lenses? maybe later...) I want 12x20... this will be left in the dream area for next 5 years, I'm afraid.



Wonderful Mediterranean (east Adriatic coast) cheese, wine and olives... I have lost myself a little bit. Now I'm ready to write a book about what I would like to have but have no money for it yet, but I'm curious did anyone had enough patience to fight with my english to this point...



sorry for bothering you so much,
Janko.



P.S. How about Agfa Ansco 8x10 (...although the camera can be utilized with present bellows, a replacement would be better...) for $ 200, or Burke & James 8x10 with Triple Convertible Velostigmat Series 1 lens (have no idea what kind of lens that is) for $350..?