Of course, downgrading from 8x10 to 4x5 can be a matter of degrees . . .
At various times, I've had a Sinar P 8x10 (a lightweight version), a Toyo 8x10 G, a very nice Deardorff, and an Arca Swiss 8x10 older version. (Not necessarily at the same time.) All were excellent cameras. And, I had a set of 8x10 lenses, including a 250mm f6.7 Fujinon for moderate wide-angle (ic of 398mm), a 355mm G-Claron, a Nikon 450mm M, a Nikon 450 Q, a 600mm Fuji C, and a Repro Claron 610mm. And, I should probably mention an 8x20 that I owned.
But, I didn't really use them. Any of them.
Alas, they've all been sold. I still have an 8x10 representation. I have a Bender kit 8x10 that I've customized. (It's actually quite a nice camera.) And, I recently purchased a 355mm Red Dot Artar in a Copal 2 shutter mounted by S. K. Grimes. Not to be caught short-handed, I also own an 8x10 enlarger. I'm keeping these items for one purpose, to photograph an old violin that I own.
The fact is, straight out and simple, I'm a 4x5 person. That's what I like, and that's what I've used the most. I took a workshop from John Sexton, and he articulated much the same sentiment. He said that he owned an 8x10, but he wasn't sure of where to find it.
I guess I'm in good company.
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