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Thread: What Kind of Camera? (Finding Camera Manufacturers)

  1. #1

    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    55

    What Kind of Camera? (Finding Camera Manufacturers)

    When I first decided to purchase a large format camera I had no idea how many companies made them or who they were. So, I did some homework and read through hundreds of posts on this and the “other” LFP forum. It turns out there there may be nearly 40 such companies.

    As I did this background research, I was struck by how frequently one fundamental question was being asked - which camera should I buy? This might very well be the most frequently asked question in these forums although the basic question is rephrased in a variety of ways:

    What Large Format cameras do you recommend?
    http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-...id=00GjlH&tag=

    Toyo 45CX for a starter kit?
    http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-..._id=00GmYg&tag

    Help finding a 4x5 system for a 4x5 newbie....
    http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-...id=00GjlH&tag=

    tachihara vs ebony
    http://www.largeformatphotography.in...ad.php?t=17706

    Any 4X5 field camera to recommend?
    http://www.largeformatphotography.in...ad.php?t=17495

    As I read through the forums trying to decide which camera was right for me, I collected a list of the names of the camera manufacturers. Sometimes a URL was included which I also noted. For those messages that mentioned a company name but that didn’t list a URL, I tried Google and Yahoo to see if I could find a URL for a specific company. I did this because I wanted to have a look at the Web sites and figure out what my options were in terms of manufacturer, price, features, and the less tangible aspects of LF camera ownership like aesthetics and “fit.”

    As you can imagine, this took me quite a while. I finally decided on a Shen-Hao since I could get a new one very inexpensively (I live in Hong Kong and bought directly from Seagull Trading Company in Shanghai) and the Shen-Hao seemed to have more to learn about in terms of movements than other low-cost cameras.

    Now that I’ve bought my camera, I hate to waste the research I did on camera companies so I am posting it below for others to use. I did the same thing with a list of manufacturers of focusing screens:

    http://www.largeformatphotography.in...ad.php?t=18137

    and of bags and backpacks

    http://www.largeformatphotography.in...ad.php?t=18043

    The camera manufacturers are alphabetized below into one of three categories:

    A. LF Camera manufacturers: active URL
    B. LF Camera manufacturers: inactive URL
    C. LF Camera manufacturers: no URL

    If you know one of the missing URLs or have other contact information like an alternative URL, email address, or phone number, please leave it in your comments.

    Best wishes,

    Craig

    LF CAMERA MANUFACTURERS: ACTIVE URL

    Artworks View Cameras
    www.fineartphotosupply.com/workscamera.htm

    Bender (camera kits)
    www.benderphoto.com

    Bulldog (self assembly camera)
    www.camerabellows.com/Bulldog.html

    Cameramaker.com (camera plans and kits)
    www.cameramaker.com

    Calumet (also sells Zone VI camera)
    www.calumetphoto.com

    Cambo
    www.cambo.com

    Deardorff Cameras (Ken Hough Photographic Repair Service)
    www.deardorffcameras.0catch.com
    Specializing in the Complete restoration of Deardorff View Cameras
    “My cameras are mechanically new.”
    (219) 462-0281

    K.B. Canham
    www.canhamcameras.com

    Ebony
    www.ebonycamera.com

    Fotoman
    http://www.fotomancamera.com/

    Gandolfi
    www.gandolficameras.com

    Gowland
    www.petergowland.com/camera

    Horseman (also markets Woodman cameras)
    www.horsemanusa.com

    Kozik Camera Kit (Aluminum camera kits)
    home.luna.nl/~kozik/index.htm

    Layton
    www.laytoncamera.com

    Lotus
    www.lotusviewcamera.at

    Linhof
    www.linhof.de/english/index.html

    Rayment Kirby
    www.raymentkirbycameras.co.uk/home/index.htm

    Shen-Hao
    www.shen-hao.com

    Silvestri
    www.silvestricamera.it/eng/home_eng.htm

    Sinar
    www.sinar.ch
    www.sinarbron.com/sinar/conventional/cameras.php

    Toho
    www.toho-machine.co.jp

    Toyo
    www.toyoview.com

    Walker
    www.walkercameras.com

    Wehman Field Camera
    www.wehmancamera.com/camera.html

    Wisner
    www.wisner.com

    Wista
    www.wista.co.jp/e_wista/english.htm


    LF CAMERA MANUFACTURERS: INACTIVE URL

    Granview (USA)
    www.GranView.com
    More information - http://www.camerareview.com/template...?camera_id=361

    Tachihara (Japan)
    www.binder.co.jp/handyview/index.htm
    More information - www.kenrockwell.com/tech/4x5.htm

    LF CAMERA MANUFACTURERS: NO URL

    Arca Swiss Phototechnik (Switzerland)
    No company URL available, email customer Service arca-swiss@swissonline.ch
    Or see http://www.precisioncameraworks.com/...arca_core.html

    Deardorff Cameras

    Deardorff Photographic Products International (USA)
    58 West Lincolnway, Valpariso, Indiana, 46383, (219) 464-9748

    Hoffman Master View (USA)
    631/694-4470 Phone number does not work, no URL
    More information - shutterbug.com/equipmentreviews/ medium_large_format /0600sb_wetried

    Ikeda Anba (Japan)
    More information - www.thalmann.com/largeformat/anba.htm

    Iston (Japan?)
    More information - www.rarecamerainc.com/info/CamId173.htm

    Kwok (China)

    Lupa (Italy)

    Nagaoka Seisakusho (Japan)
    More information - www.clickondavid.com/nagaoka.jpg

    Osaka (Japan)
    More information - www.bromwellmarketing.com/osaka.htm

    Rajah (India)
    More information - www.cameraeccentric.com/html/sale/rajah45g.html

  2. #2

    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Posts
    2,955

    Re: What Kind of Camera? (Finding Camera Manufacturers)

    Comprehensive research. I did the same over a year ago for my first camera, but you have found quite a bit more than I came across.

    How do like LF? What lenses have you aquired so far?

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Jun 2002
    Posts
    9,487

    Re: What Kind of Camera? (Finding Camera Manufacturers)

    Fatif...

  4. #4

    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    55

    Re: What Kind of Camera? (Finding Camera Manufacturers)

    Hi Frank:

    I looked them up and found the following in Italian. The English version doesn't seem to work:

    http://www.fatif.com/fotografia_professionale/ds2.php

    Craig

  5. #5

    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    55

    Re: What Kind of Camera? (Finding Camera Manufacturers)

    Here's more contributed by Peter Yee:

    R.H. Phillips and Sons
    No URL
    http://www.largeformatphotography.info/phillips.html

    R.H. Phillips & Sons
    2283 Old Pine Trail
    Midland, MI 48642
    T 517-835-7897
    F 517-839-9745
    Email rhphill@concentric.net

    Star Camera Company- makes "antique" type large format cameras and adapters for wet plate photograpy
    http://www.geocities.com/starcameracompany/

    Richard Ritter- He is better known for repairing view cameras and is planning to build ultra-large format cameras.
    http://www.lg4mat.net/

  6. #6

    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    55

    Re: What Kind of Camera? (Finding Camera Manufacturers)

    The Hobo - The Camera that goes where you go

    http://www.bostick-sullivan.com/Hobo/welcome.htm

    "No rosewood here. No gold plate, no hand rubbed finish. No attitude. Its bloodline is more Jeep than Rolls Royce. We wanted a large format 8x10 camera that could ride in the trunk with the spare tire and jack and feel comfortable. We wanted an 8x10 that could be hand held. We wanted a lot. This is it."

  7. #7
    Moderator
    Join Date
    Jan 2001
    Posts
    8,640

    Re: What Kind of Camera? (Finding Camera Manufacturers)

    Updated phone/fax/email info for Dick Phillips:

    tel 989-835-7897
    fax 989-839-9745
    rhphill@sbcglobal.net

    Best way to reach Dick is by phone.

  8. #8
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    8,640

    Re: What Kind of Camera? (Finding Camera Manufacturers)


  9. #9
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    Join Date
    Jan 2001
    Posts
    8,640

    Re: What Kind of Camera? (Finding Camera Manufacturers)

    Plaubel view cameras - German only:

    http://www.plaubel.com/

    Plaubel view cameras - Japanese only, includes more pictures:

    http://members.aol.com/anamikaigaikk/pages/6_plaub.html

    YSCreate - Japanese only:

    http://www.yscreate.co.jp/info/origin.html

    Fotox - 6x9cm wooden cameras (Japanese, no website)

  10. #10

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    Smile Re: What Kind of Camera? (Finding Camera Manufacturers)

    Quote Originally Posted by Ron Marshall
    How do like LF? What lenses have you aquired so far?
    Hi Ron:

    I am embarrassed by your question because I have yet to shoot my first LF photo!

    Originally, I bought a complete setup (camera, lenses, dark cloth, shutter release, film backs, etc.) from a seller on eBay which I would have had in hand more than a month ago and I would have some experiences to share. That deal fell through, however, because the seller didn't disclose some damage to the camera until after the auction.

    After that experience, and more research, I decided to buy a new Shen-Hao rather than trying to find another complete kit on eBay. The Shen-Hao was available for US$495 just up the road from me in Shanghai. It seemed to me - after reading many of the comments about camera choices here - that this was as good a deal for a new or used camera for a LF beginner as I was likely to find on eBay in terms of price and features.

    From that decision on, I purchased the rest of my kit from here, there, and everywhere - eBay, Seagull Trading Company, Badger, Maxwell, and local Hong Kong shops. However, all of the bits and pieces still haven't arrived. For instance, I am waiting on my Berlebach tripod and Polaroid and Regal film backs, but I hope to have all of the really necessary pieces in hand by next week so that I can get started. Meanwhile, I continue to set my camera up and practice focusing upside down and reversed with my two lenses.

    My two lenses, which I bought on eBay, are a Schneider-Kreuznach Symmar-S 210mm f5.6 and a Fujinon-SW 90mm f8. I think I paid a little two much for the 90mm but got a pretty good deal on the 210mm.

    The reason I got involved in all of this is that I'm in discussion with a publisher concerning a book deal. While outlining the ideas for the book - a study of a neighborhood in Hong Kong much of which will be shot at night - it occurred to me that one visually interesting approach would be to use 35mm for grainy B/W shots, with which I am familiar and somewhat experienced, and 4x5 for finely detailed color transparencies, with which I am a complete novice, to contrast subjects to be covered in the book. I am still in discussion with the publisher but have already outlined two more book projects with which I should be able to use the Shen-Hao.

    Upon reflection, this foray into LFP has turned into a much larger and much more interesting project that I anticipated!

    Best wishes,

    Craig

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