The Wehman is on the way, man!!

[Diane Maher]

The bellows lenght is 30"

Thanks Amund. Turns out it's only about an inch longer than my Ansco. It was considerably lighter than my Ansco though. I'll have to revisit my consideration of this camera. I've been thinking about going for a lighter 8x10.

Diane

[paul stimac]

You can get a 3-4 few more inches out of it by tilting the front standard forward at the base and then rotating front lensboard plate up. I get enough to use a nikkor 1200mm tele.

[Steve Hamley]

As light as the Wehman is, why not a bogen 410?

Steve

[Amund BLix Aaeng]

As light as the Wehman is, why not a bogen 410?

Steve

The 410 is rated at 5kg and the Wehman is a little over 4kg, add a lens and you`re at the weight limit of the head. I wouldn`t trust it...

[Ralph Barker]

FWIW, I think the 5kg rating on the 410 is quite conservative. I've used mine (in typical camera positions) with both a Tachihara 8x10 and a Toyo 810G, and it didn't complain. Radical camera positions might be another matter, however.

[CXC]

Yeah, those weight limits are pretty meaningless. What matters is the torque it will withstand, which will vary wildly from photographer to photographer, as well as from shot to shot. I routinely use my tripods way over their weight limits, but generally with nice straight shots at inifinity. Then again I damaged the head of my favorite secret tall light tripod (Bell & Howell telescope tripod) by putting a Sinar P2 on it and racking it out...

[Turner Reich]

What is the focus mechanics on the Wehman is it rack and pinion of brass, steel, or other? It sounds like a rigid and durable field camera.

tr

[CXC]

It is rack and pinion in the rear, with sliding knob in the front for rough initial focus. By the way, rear swing is also rack and pinion, asymmetrical. Extremely durable when closed up, more normally durable in use. I find the rigidity more than adequate, less than outstanding, but I have never used any other 8x10 flatbed to compare it to. Certainly not as rigid as my 8x10 field monorail.

[Capocheny]

FWIW, I think the 5kg rating on the 410 is quite conservative. I've used mine (in typical camera positions) with both a Tachihara 8x10 and a Toyo 810G, and it didn't complain. Radical camera positions might be another matter, however.

I agree with you, Ralph. The ratings are very conservative. I've had a Dorff 8x10 on it (with 240 Nikkor) and it hasn't rebelled!

Amund,

If the 410 isn't sufficient... there's always the 405, which will support a few kg more weight. Similar head to the 410 but supports a bit more weight. Nice head!

[And, far, far lighter than the 400 head!!! ]

Cheers

[Dan Schmidt]

I find the rigidity more than adequate, less than outstanding, but I have never used any other 8x10 flatbed to compare it to. Certainly not as rigid as my 8x10 field monorail.

I don't know which vintage Wehman CXC is using, but the 2006 Wehman uses thicker aluminum sheet stock and is supposed to be more rigid than earlier versions. He dropped the weight of the back panel and this allowed him to go to thicker stock without upping the total weight.



here is what bruce said allowed him to beef up the aluminum

In the past, the back panel was made from a solid piece of ¼" phenolic
resin. This is an excellent material from the standpoint of wear and
strength, (the lens boards and front standard are still made from this
material) but a 12x12" piece adds too much weight to the camera. So in
doing some research into materials, I discovered what is referred to as
"Aviation Grade Plywood." In a ¼" thickness, it is 5 ply, strong and
dimensionally stable. But the down side (and the reason it is not used more
often in camera making) is that it doesn't have the cosmetic properties of
phenolic or other hardwoods. So for this reason, the back is painted
black. The result is a much lighter assembly, with no sacrifice in
functionality.

The rear slides were cut down to a narrower profile and some lightening
holes were drilled in the side - all providing lighter weight without any
sacrifice in performance.

And a change that will not be evident in the photos is that the rear base
panel is made from a thicker gage material, meaning a little more weight but
a lot more rigidity.