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Thread: Recommendations for a cheap monorail for wide angles?

  1. #11

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    Re: Recommendations for a cheap monorail for wide angles?

    Ed, I have a Calumet monorail wide angle 4x5 view camera. It will take a 47mm on a flat board, has only about 7"-8" of bellows, so could be used with a 135 or 150 lens as well. I picked it up on the bay for the lens that came with it(a really sweet, late model, Schneider 120mm Angulon) I am thinking of putting it up on Ebay as I really have no use for it. Kirk Gittings refered to this model as his prefered camera for wide angle work in architecture in a recent thread.

  2. #12

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    Re: Recommendations for a cheap monorail for wide angles?

    this fits the bill and more:

    http://www.walkercameras.com/titan-x...x5-thumbs.html

    click on the thumbnails ans also read the reviews.

    A bag bellows may be required for full movement with very short lenses but do you really need 70mm of rise?

    and they are light and not expensive.
    Last edited by robc; 30-Sep-2006 at 12:56.

  3. #13

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    Re: Recommendations for a cheap monorail for wide angles?

    Robc - I guess expensive is relative, but it runs more than $2k with the bag bellows. Were you by any chance forgetting that the price is in pounds?

  4. #14

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    Re: Recommendations for a cheap monorail for wide angles?

    lol

    I didn't say it was cheap and you did say cheap wasn't essential and it seems to be what you are looking for.

    And it may be that for a 47m lens you don't need the bag bellows. Email and ask how much movement you get with that lens.

    Oh and yes and the exchange rate is not so good for those stateside at the moment.

    someone was offering the 5x7 version of this recently At this site.
    Last edited by robc; 30-Sep-2006 at 13:32.

  5. #15
    All metric sizes to 24x30 Ole Tjugen's Avatar
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    Re: Recommendations for a cheap monorail for wide angles?

    A cheaper alternative to the walker is the Argentum xl...

  6. #16

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    Re: Recommendations for a cheap monorail for wide angles?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ed Richards View Post
    Max,

    Is the hiking problem that it is bulky and heavy, or are you worried about crud getting into the mechanism in the field? I am not much of a hiker, but I do work in the field, usually carrying the camera on the tripod over my shoulder.
    Ed, I also have an F1, and have done a couple of day-long hikes with it. With a good pack it is not a problem for someone in fairly good physical condition. There are three options to pack the camera. Put both standards on a six inch rail. Detach the bellows and fold both standards inwards. Completely remove the standards from the rail. I used the first option. The key is a good backpack.

    That said, I soon went out to buy a 3lb Toho monorail (see Kerry Thalmann's review on this site) which is a wonderful camera. I don't miss the Sinar at all. In fact now it is a 5x7, with the addition of a Norma rear standard and bellows.
    Last edited by Ron Marshall; 30-Sep-2006 at 13:38.

  7. #17

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    Re: Recommendations for a cheap monorail for wide angles?

    One great advantage of the walker is that it is water and humidity proof, which would be useful down here, except that I do not have any water proof shutters.:-)

    The weight, within reason is not a problem, and I find I am doing a lot of architecture, even if not in the conventional sense - a lot of the building and forts are in ruins. The sinar or the like would be a lot easier to use to really get the angles and movements correct.
    Last edited by Ed Richards; 30-Sep-2006 at 14:10.

  8. #18

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    Re: Recommendations for a cheap monorail for wide angles?

    when you get down to a 47mm lens your biggest problem will be accurate focussing. Do the maths and work out what your depth of focus will be and then work out how difficult it will be to handle that with tilts. Then think about which camera will make focusing easier given the minimal depth of focus and focus error you have to work within. Then you may just think that a fixed and rigid back is worth the money.

  9. #19

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    Re: Recommendations for a cheap monorail for wide angles?

    ROBC,

    I have no illusions about using much tilt with a 58. That is almost point and shoot. Where it is an issue is with my 90mm, which is pretty hard to use effectively on my old Technika. If I only wanted to use the ultrawide, I would get the Linhof wide angle kludge, or, better, a Fotoman. I may go the Fotoman route yet, once I get my copy of the current issue of View Camera and read the review.:-)

  10. #20

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    Re: Recommendations for a cheap monorail for wide angles?

    "Cheap", of course, has different meanings to different people, but with my limited budget the only monorail that deseerves the adjective is the Calumet that Robert Ley suggested. I assume he was speaking of the original Calumet wide angle, a derivative of the CC-400 series designated CC-402. Calumet modified the original (Kodak) design by providing a short (12" 305mm) rail, a special short bellows with large pleats and a front plate set back from the uprights so as to avoid the need for a recessed lensboard. They have full movements; lensboards and some spare parts are still available from Calumet, and although now old, many remain in good condition. The only fragile items seem to be the knobs. If not available from Calumet, they can be replaced with a very nice lever which adjusts to any desired position. These are available from the Carr-McMaster company. I think their website is www.mcmaster.com. These cameras can use quite a wide range of focal length lenses. They show up on eBay occasionally, it might take a bit of patience to find one.

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