Just curious, but where do you guys stand on the old Calumet 4x5 monorails? (I'm not in the market, but I see one every now and then) I used one years ago and my only memory is "heavy". (and I guess "bleeping metal monorail will bring you up short if it catches a tree as you go by") No particular reason other than that nobody has mentioned them yet, despite their excess of movements relative to the various graphic press cameras which have been.
These old (CC-400 series) Calumets were the mainstay of photographic training for many years. I think there was a good reason for this. They provided the student experience with all the view camera movements. Later, it might be decided that some or all of these were unnecessary for the work intended, but if so it would be an informed decision.
They had several other virtues. They stand up remarkably well. Lens boards and perhaps other parts are still available at modest cost from Calumet.
They were not perfect, of course. Particularly when in the vertical position, slippage of the focusing drives can be a nuisance. (Cleaning the rollers and their grooves can help.) Occasionally broken knobs are encountered. Better replacements can be found at www.mcmaster.com.
Someone who starts off with one of these will very likely want to move on to something else later. If so, having used the Calumet, he or she will be in a better position to know what to look for in a replacement. The Calumet can then very likely be sold for roughly the same price at which it was required. Alternatively, the buyer of a field camera might decide to keep the monorail for occasional use when fuller movements would be appropriate.
You can certainly find one cheaper on ebay if you are knowledgeable and patient. It is a gamble, though. A pre-Anniversary model, a fine lens (and I can't tell about the Ektar without more information), a few film holders, and most of all, the knowledge and goodwill of a local dealer, are valuable to a LF beginner. Ask him how much trade-in he will allow on the camera if you upgrade to something more sophisticated.Originally Posted by Ken Grooms
I admit to being one of the worst proponents of "dirt cheap bargains" here, but if I were you I'd buy it. A decent lens and a dealer you can get back to and complain if something isn't as expected - that's worth $250 IMO. That leaves $79 for the camera; a very fair price. If there are any light leaks or other problems, you know where to go.
I know that you can get a working LF setup for less than $100, but to do that you need a:time to search for bargains, b: luck with the "bargains" you get, and c: a thorough knowledge of unpopular old stuff. Or maybe just "b: Luck" - but if you believe in that, you should by a lottery ticket.
I paid $150 for my Anny with blank lens board, no lens, (easily replaced) bad beam splitter in the (adjustable) Kalart RF, and only one infinity stop (should normally have two), but with a good focal plane shutter; I've since obtained the additional infinity stop and a replacement beam splitter (which I haven't gotten installed yet), and spent $180 on a Componon 150/5.6 in shutter, which can double as a 265/12.5 with the front group removed. Add that clean 150 Ektar (presumably f/4.5 to f/5.6 somewhere) in a good working front shutter with flash synch, and as long as the FPS is good, $329 isn't excessive (especially if the RF is still usable -- takes about half an hour to adjust it for a given lens). Still worth asking if he'll throw in a few film holders, though...
You won't be able to use Graflok accessories, but that mostly means roll holders; most Polaroid backs will slide under the ground glass like a fattish film holder (go gently, though, just in case yours is tight), as will a Grafmatic. And I prefer the older 24-speed focal plane shutter over the newer ones with only six or so speeds. Do remember not to point the uncapped, open front lens near the sun, lest you burn a hole in the focal plane shutter...
If a contact print at arm's length is too small to see, you need a bigger camera. :D
Met with my local dealer and came to the conclusion that a monorail would better suit my needs, but he only had an expensive Omega. But Ebay has a lot of inexpensive ($200-$300) Toyos that look nice. Maybe I'll get one. Funny thing is none of them seem to come with a back. O well, I guess you can't get everything for 200 bucks!
I also got a cheap lens recommendation from Tim Sharkey - a Schneider G-Claron 210 f/9, which he informs me is actually multi-coated although that fact is not in the literature.
I've already been considering the Rodenstock 180 f/5.6 Sironar-N and Nikkor 150 f/5.6 - W. Lots of good stuff out there!
Almost all of them come with backs. What you might be looking for is called a "film holder". You'll want to buy 5 or more, they hold two sheet each, look for modern plastic ones made by Lisco or Fidelity to start. The film holder actually slides in between the ground glass back assembly and the rear end of the camera. The back is usually held onto the camera with large leaf springs. It sounds odd but if you see someone use a 4x5 it will all be very easy to grasp.
You should find loading film even more interestingAgain, RTFM.
Last edited by Frank Petronio; 30-Oct-2006 at 21:57.
I know - I just got my Soebel books yesterday!
I think I'll practice with one sheet in the light for about a month!
Loading sheet film into the holder isn't difficult. I did it successfully, in the dark, without prior practice, on the first try (with a plate holder and film sheath, 9x12 cm); did it again, successfully, on the first try with a 4x5 film holder. Yes, I've had a couple 4x5 sheets go into the dark slide slot or otherwise get crossed up in the first few dozen loads, but practicing in the light wouldn't really have helped that, and I haven't had that problem in the past three loading sessions, so I think I have it beat now.
If a contact print at arm's length is too small to see, you need a bigger camera. :D
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