Look at Kumar's series of posts starting here:Originally Posted by Fungus
https://www.largeformatphotography.i...=1#post1480246
Look at Kumar's series of posts starting here:
https://www.largeformatphotography.i...=1#post1480246
Since the three cameras under consideration are in the 5-7lbs range, what would you suggest in the 3-4lbs range? I started out with a wooden Wista DX at 4lbs, but moved to a Linhof TK45 at 6.6lbs. Stability and precision require a little extra weight but I found it a worthwhile trade-off.
Last edited by faberryman; 31-Jul-2023 at 14:58.
I’ve heard the biggest issue people have with the Technikardan is folding it up for transport. Is it really as tricky and prone to damage the bellows as people say?
Prior to becoming Wista, they were Rittreck, who also made a metal folding 5x7* field camera. I have one and while it's heavy (nowhere near as bad as my Toyo monorail) it's also really tough and they're very cheap. It's my most used LF camera.
*actually a modular back system, the 4x5 back is probably the most common to find with them, but 5x7 is the "native" size. There are also half plate, whole plate, 6x10, and 8x10 backs for it as well.
A lot depends on how far/long you plan on carrying the gear. There are lots of wooden folders under 4 pounds. I've never had a problem with stability -- except in very windy conditions that no metal camera could handle any better.
Wista's metal field cameras – there are five models – all use the same basic body and feature a rotating back, base tilt and swing on the rear, axis tilt, rise and shift on the front, and triple focus extension. All I have seen have a fresnel lens incorporated into the ground glass. Bellows is about 300mm maximum, with minimum short enough for 90mm lenses on flat boards and 65mm lenses on recessed boards, but movement is physically restricted by the body or bellows compression.
The first versions – 45N and 45D – were finished in a (now retro IMHO) brown wood-grain vinyl and tan/gold paint. (The brown vinyl shrinks and the panel edges are usually lifted which looks bad; removing the panels, flattening them with heat and re-gluing them is messy but not too difficult.) At some time during production they were changed to black vinyl and black paint. Importantly, on both colour versions the front standard is finished in SILVER paint, has axis tilt, rise and shift but NO swing. The 45D is the deluxe version with a second set of knobs on the side for "micro" adjustment of rear swing, an easily removable back, and interchangeable bellows (bag bellows, long bellows and extension rails were available). The 45D also has a geared rise on the front standard, the 45N is manual (ie, lift it with your finger). Note that the basic 45N also has interchangeable backs but the mounting method is different, the backs are not interchangeable between the N and D, and the bellows are glued to the rear of the N.
For the second versions, the 45N and 45D models were renamed 45VX and 45SP respectively. These are finished in black-on-black and importantly have a BLACK painted front standard which now features swing (in addition to rise and shift). Note that the black standard is the best way to distinguish the 45VX and 45SP from the black finished 45N and 45D: only the black front standard has swing.
The fifth model is the 45RF which is the 45VX with a rangefinder. No lens cams are necessary, the rangefinder has settings for 135mm, 150mm and 180mm lenses.
I have a 45N and a 45D with bag bellows. Both are equally fine cameras, compact and solid. IMHO the micro swing of the 45D (and by extension the 45SP) is unnecessary, and the bag bellows is not particularly useful. Note that both 45N and 45D cameras lack front swing, but that's not a frequently used movement in landscape photography so can probably be lived without. I bought both as restoration projects because they were cheap, but if I was buying again I'd opt for a 45VX with the front swing.
Note that a lot of Wista 45 cameras on eBay have roll film backs. The 4x5 backs by themselves don't come up often.
As Oren pointed out above, I explained the differences among the various Wista metal field cameras.
The Toyo cameras also have minor differences.
Toyo 45A: This is the "standard" camera, with rotating Graflok back, front rise/fall, tilt & shift and rear tilt and swing movements. It was also unofficially called the AR (for rotating back).
Toyo 45A with reversible back: The only difference is that the back does not rotate, and must be removed from the body to change orientation.
Toyo 45AII: This is the latest version, with metal rubber covered knobs and polymer coated bed and tracks.
Toyo 45AIIL: This version accepts Linhof Technika style lens boards natively.
Toyo 45AX: This is the same as the AII, except that the back is reversible.
Kumar
I have a Toyo 45A(R) that I hike with for landscape and low-movement architectural photos (no overnight backpacking). I like the simplicity and sturdiness of it, using 65mm-210mm lenses. If I had to do it again, I'd go for one without the revolving back in favor of the reversing one for less bulk. Even with the rotating back, it's still much more compact than a Sinar F.
Yes, the Canhams are very very good and light for what you get, including longer bellows. However, unlike the Technika, there's not a rangefinder option for handheld use.
I have a new Canham MQC57 5x7 field camera, plus the optional 4x5 reducing back. The 5x7 Canham itself is lighter than some of the 4x5 metal field cameras thatyou mention. However, the overall weight of any large format outfit that includes more than one or two lenses and minimal accessories and tripod is going to be significant, more so when one is no longer 35.
Is the fixed back a different size than the rotating back? In particular, is the ground glass closer to the lens? I believe there is a weight difference.
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