Best 8x10 camera for ultra-wide angle?

[Vaughan]

Hello

There are LOTS of posts asking about which wide angle lens is best for 8x10, my question is: which 8x10 *camera* is best for ultra-wide.

I have a Toyo Field 810M and a Fujinon NSW 125mm f8 which almost covers 8x10. (Don't judge me, I purchased the lens for 5x7 before I bought the 8x10.) Anyway, I like ultra-wide in general, but the lens is a pain to use on the Toyo with the bed appearing in the frame: yes the bed can be dropped down and the standard tilted up etc but those movements make the camera a real pain to use, as all the geometry of the optical axis changes when the focus is adjusted.

I have an old unbranded, probably Japanese, wood 5x7 folding field camera camera that allows the rear standard to be moved forward for focus (I dunno the correct technical term for this) so the front standard can be left at the front preventing the bed from appearing in the frame even with a 75mm lens.

Are there 8x10 cameras similarly made? I'm looking at putting a Nikkor SW 120mm on it which will better cover 8x10 than the Fujinon and be a little wider to boot.

[RichardRitter]

A custom built camera.
It has short rails. The front focus and the back can be reposition on the rear rail. This would keep the front and rear rail out of the image.
Bellow would be both pleated and has a bag.
Length of rails and bellows 18 inches.
I have built a few this way.

Richard

[Tin Can]

Depends on distance to subject

This 8X10 studio shot with KODAK Magnesium 8X10 KMV





SCHNEIDER 120MM F5.6 APO-SYMMAR MC COPAL 0 LENS
2 Minutes to Midnight by TIN CAN COLLEGE, on Flickr

[DannL-USA]

"Rear Focus" can be found on many view cameras from the past. A very handy feature to have. The minimum focus distance will probably depend on if the bellows will collapse enough.
Attachment 244850

[Mark J]

Gandolfi ( Precision ) does this. On my 5x7 one, you can use a 105mm in portrait format no problem, I think same would be true of a 90.

[Willie]

Deardorffs have the rear standard that moves forward on the bed. 120 Nikkor works just fine - with one exception. The Bellows is compressed and movements aren't easy other than rising and falling lens using the moving mount.(where the lens board can move up and down a bit)

Extreme wide angle lenses generally don't have much extra coverage so not having much movement may not be a problem.

From experence with a 4x10 back on the 8x10 Deardorff I know a 90mm Super Angulon XL is OK on the camera. Covers the 4x10 negative - again the bellows is tight.

[Oren Grad]

"Best" 8x10 camera for this specialized use? Off the top of my head:

Short-bed non-folding cameras:

1. Tachihara 810 Super-Wide. Minimum extension of 75mm, maximum 230mm. Very hard to find, alas, though I've seen it turn up on eBay once in a very blue moon.
2. Korona 8x10 Wide Angle Camera. According to the Pierce Vaubel site, it was offered only from around 1925-1931. I've seen exactly one of them for sale over the years.
3. Ebony SW810. Easier to find than the prior two, but very expensive if you do. Extension 105mm min, 380mm max.
4. Shen-Hao TFC810-A. Extension min 85mm, max 450mm. Available new, has become pricey.

Box cameras:

5. Adapt a box camera or have one built, since you don't have room for movement anyway. I have an 8x10 Hobo that I had adapted to mount a 120 Super-Angulon in focus helical.

EDIT:

Of course, you can cobble together a wide-angle camera from one of the monorail systems, using a short rail and a bag bellows. I've done it with Sinar, though I ended up never using it in the field because the front/rear standards I had on hand for 8x10 were P rather than F, which made it quite heavy.

[ic-racer]

Shen-Hao FCL 810-A can focus 75mm and likely even shorter lenses too. It can bring the lens all the way back to the ground glass (something the TFC810 can't do). Of course it is a great camera for everything else too.
With the 75mm, in landscape orientation, the bed is not in the view when set up like the first picture.

Compared to the Hypergon, the Fujinon 125mm is no problem and it works fine with standard bellows. (second picture).

[Michael R]

Maybe a Walker XL 8x10? The Walker XL cameras are designed/intended primarily for short focal length use. It might be difficult to find one of these used/cheap though, but maybe it will at least give you some ideas. http://www.walkercameras.com/XL_8x10.html

[Oren Grad]

Maybe a Walker XL 8x10? The Walker XL cameras are designed/intended primarily for short focal length use. It might be difficult to find one of these used/cheap though, but maybe it will at least give you some ideas. http://www.walkercameras.com/XL_8x10.html

Just checked the Walker price list - at the current exchange rate, the Walker XL is actually quite a bit less expensive than the Shen-Hao TFC that I mentioned.