Is Bender the only 4x5 kit out there?

[steve simmons]

The Stroebel book is a tome and not a good place to start. It might be a good longterm reference but not for a beginner. Any one of the three books I suggested would be better.

steve simmons

[CXC]

Benders have been around for a long time, since before digital and eBay, let alone the internet, and probably a few of the current manufacturers. I believe the main idea was to provide a way to obtain a working LF camera for a modest price. The LF marketplace has changed drastically since then. My advice is to buy a new Shen Hao, or something used from mpex.com, keh.com, eBay, or wherever. Direct your woodworking talents toward something more attractive.

[Garrett Lee]

All,

I think I'm going to go ahead and give the Bender a whirl. The reason I have decided so: By my building it myself rather than buying a stock one, I think I am going to get a better feeling for how the entire thing works as well as how to make improvements later should I ever at any time choose to do so. Plus, I do love to work with my hands.

jj,

One reason that I am going with the Bender is because I don't want to get used to luxury and then have to work with something of lesser quality later on. I think I am forever ruined as far as cars go, since I inherited a '92 Buick Roadmaster, which rides smoother than anything else I have ever been in. I fear that I will always compare new cars to that Buick and find them wanting, and I do not want to have the same happen should I get a good, able used LF camera for my first.

Eric,

Thanks for the site advice. While I like the looks of them, I personally prefer the Bender's lines from my own aesthetic position, as well as the fact that I know the support that I'll get (from what I've heard, anyway).

Bill,

I had never thought about tilting the easel, and can see the merits of doing so after the fact, but I can forsee two problems were I to do this. The first is that, for the image to be in focus across the easel, I would have to tilt the lens as well, which would not be easy. The second is that angling the easel would cause for me to have to crop the edges down at angles, and it would be nightmarish trying to figure out those angles when I was taking the shot. As to the issue of a tilt-shift lens: I have no desire to drop over a thousand dollars on a Canon lens when I can get a large format camera to do the same thing for less. Thanks for the advice, though; I may try it out.

Chris,

Unfortunately, I really need to get it by Christmas so I can get started on construction before school starts back up. If I wait until after school starts, I'll never find the time to get it done right. So, I can't afford to wait however long it may be before the Camera Bellows one comes out.

Fred,

Modifying the Bender appears to be pretty easy, from what I've heard, so I think the ability to customize, as you plan to do, makes it a more valuable camera to me than one that comes in a box.

Steve,

Unfortunately, the Richmond Public Library does not seem to have any of the books you mentioned, and it will be a while before I can get down to the VCU library to pick them up there. However, I will keep an eye out for them.

Brian,

There is a copy of Strobel's book down at the VCU library as well; next time I'm down there, I'll take a look.

CXC,

The thing is, I would prefer to build it myself. Call me crazy, but I am the sort of person who will cut down a 1.5' dia. tree with an axe rather than a chain saw simply because I want to make sure that I can do it. Now, I'll cut the tree up into smaller sections with a chain saw (I am not crazy enough to use an axe for that), so I will probably end up getting another view camera about halfway through college that is professionally made and fits precisely what I need (which the Bender will hopefully allow me to find out).

[Garrett Lee]

One other question before I retire for the night:

Does anyone know of a good wooden tripod that matches the design of the Bender? I would like to have one total system that is a true showstopper. If not, well, I can easily build one while I'm working on everything else, because the tripod I have for my Elan is really a piece of crap that I use only if I have to.

Once again, thanks for all your help.

[John_4185]

One reason that I am going with the Bender is because I don't want to get used to luxury and then have to work with something of lesser quality later on.

But that's not the way the world is moving. There will be more and better used cameras as time goes on, not fewer. The automobile analogy does not apply.

Does anyone know of a good wooden tripod that matches the design of the Bender?

Offhand, I cannot think of a currently manufactured wooden tripod that is as inadequate and as fragile as a Bender, so you might look to antique brass-and-woodies.

I would like to have one total system that is a true showstopper.

Oh, I get it now - the outfit is for posing!

[Brian Ellis]

Steve Simmons said:

"The Stroebel book is a tome and not a good place to start. It might be a good longterm reference
but not for a beginner. Any one of the three books I suggested would be better"

It might have been nice if you expressed this as your opinion rather than a statement of fact since reasonable people can differ on something like this. I happen to disagree with you. I think the Stroebel book is the best book for anyone, beginner or not, and if someone wishes to purchase it they will never need to buy another LF book. That's my opinion of course, not a statement of fact. I should add that I have no personal financial interest in it or in any other LF book.

[steve simmons]

Brian

I made this as a stateent becasue the Stroebel book is used as a beginning text only at a very few locations because of its complexity. My book and Jim Stone' s book are the ones that most photo programs use as a beginning text.

This is not just my opinion but that shared by most educators.

steve simmons

[Brian Ellis]

"This is not just my opinion but that shared by most educators. "

So it's your opinion and the opinion of "most" educators. It's still an opinion, not a fact, and my opinion is different. Every educator I know (including me when I taught a photography course at a university) uses the Stroebel book. Different people have different opinions, which was my point. It might bear repeating - I have no financial interest in the Stroebel book or any other book. I didn't write it and I don't publish a magazine through which it or Jim Stone's book is sold.

[steve simmons]

I did not suggest anyone buy any of the books. I simply suggested the three books beginners find the most user friendly. How and when and where he obtains them is his choice. I did him a service by giving three options. You only give one.

I stand by my response. It was more informative than your answer.

steve simmons

[Garrett Lee]

jj,

As to your first point: If there are truly going to be more better used cameras out there in the future, then shouldn't I wait for them? If you are correct on the quality, then wouldn't it be better to know what crap is so I can accurately judge what good quality is? As to your second: Thank you for advising me to look into the secondhand market for a tripod to match up. I'll see what I can find. As to your third: Ouch. That hurts. I don't object, since I think I misspoke on that one, and deserve that bit of criticism. What I was meaning is that having a beautiful cherry view camera on top of a modern-looking aluminum tripod would look mildly odd, at least to my mind. I would rather have something that matches the Bender in appearance, so that it fits together artistically. It's not that I intend for this camera to just sit in the corner looking pretty. Also, I am a Civil War reenactor and may someday try using this camera to take pictures on the battlefield. An aluminum tripod would be mildly out of place in that context. That is why I was inquiring to that subject.

Brian and Steve,

Please, don't get into a flame war over which books are better or whose posts are better. Accept that you both gave the best advice that you had. The entire point of a forum is so that everybody may share what they think is best so that the person who asked the question may receive all the information and decide for themselves. I will look into all of them at some point in time, so don't worry about it.