So for longer bellow draw, and rear geared focusing. The 3-section wood camera (like ebony sv) will work. I would like to have a geared front rise, front center tilt maybe not as necessary.
So for longer bellow draw, and rear geared focusing. The 3-section wood camera (like ebony sv) will work. I would like to have a geared front rise, front center tilt maybe not as necessary.
I think the Ebony SV45Ti has a nice focusing arrangement, though my thought on front and rear focusing was to separate the two more. In other words, the front focus on the side and the back focus on the rear. The rear focus I thought looked like a really nice solution was the slightly off centre knob on the newest Shen-Hao 5x7 camera. Combine something like that with a more regular front focus, and increase versatiliy. The rear focus could then have finer gearing to allow finer focus adjustment, compared to if it used the same geared track as a front focus then all you would do is allow position changes.
I don't see much advantage on a field camera of gearing other movements. Lots of things being geared would add quite a bit of weight. If I really wanted lots of gearing, and I think some people might agree on this, then it might be better to just take along a monorail.
I think the Arca Swiss Misura would make a nice field camera. However, I think they missed an opportunity of not providing carrying equipment for all the other items one needs to shoot 4x5. The packaging idea is a great design, but looses some practicality in not fitting in well with all the other items that need to be carried to actually use a Misura on location.
Ciao!
Gordon Moat
A G Studio
The old Linhof Tech II managed to have geared front rise and shift and still be a relatively light, compact, metal field camera. No front swings, though, as I recall, and the front tilt was like on a Graphic in that it only tilted back so you would have to drop the bed and raise the lens to get a forward tilt, then tilt back to adjust, or do an indirect tilt by tilting the camera and tilting the back to plumb (it has the same style back as a modern Technika).
After seeing misura, I think I would like to have 141 F-classic/metric instead. If I want to shoot 4X5, I had to carry other items.Originally Posted by Gordon Moat
But F-classic has no geared movement, F metric stand has geared shift, while the frame has geared rise, but no geared tilt or swing.
Unless you also want to do architectural photography.
The Misura has the same weakness as the Carbon Infinity: A nice fitted case, with no spare room. The CI has everything a field camera could possibly have (and then some), but the nifty leather case doesn't have an extra pocket for four or five film holders.
As long as you have only one lens the camera can be closed in its shell with a smallish one inside. But as anyone who has been on this forum for a while will know, I tend to take more lenses than film with me! As long as I insist on bringing 90/120/135/150/180/210/240/300/355 lenses on every trip, I need an extra case anyway...
Back to wooden cameras: I don't have a 4x5" wooden camera. I do however have a 5x7" wooden field camera, which is what I would actually prefer: It's not much bigger than a 4x5", but has longer bellows and more movements. The weight difference between a 4x5" and a 5x7" is in most cases negligible, since there is a limit to how small the structural bits can be made without becoming unstable. Mine has front rise/fall and tilt; and rear swing and tilt. In 90% of the cases that's enough for me. The last 10% of the time I really would like a front swing, but that's only because I sometimes like to use reverse tilt and swing to isolate elements of the scene. I don't need any more than I have on the rear for "ordinary" reasons.
Come to that - one of my other cameras is a classic old German plate camera of the "Reisekamera" type: Solid front with rise and shift on the lensboard, and about 10 degrees each of tilt and swing on the rear. In 90% of the cases, that's enough as well. The added benefit of this is that the front standard is very solid, and holds my heaviest lenses without protest!
A plenty could be said about this topic. The ideal, it seems to me, would be a modular case. Imagine the self cased camera (Misura, Carbon) to which you could attach yet another case (with a choice of different sizes and shapes) for the other paraphernalia. It could even have one side missing, as that would already be present on camera case. It is possible to make such a case in DIY style but professionally looking would be even better. Unfortunately, it's a field ignored by manufacturers.
Nota.
Wilhelm (Sarasota)
More movements = more play and slop and weight, at least with wooden cameras.
I think mine has everything but rear rise/fall.
both front and rear have shift/swing/tilt I think, with front having rise/fall as well
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