Hi,

I am a total novice, and I am thinking about buying a new Calumet Cadet. As advertised at http://www.calumetphoto.com/, it is $750 with Caltar II-E 150mm f/6.3 lens or $400 without the lens.

My first question: is it a good idea to buy this lens or should I rather look for a better second-hand lens? Is it really possible to get a decent 4x5 lens for around $350?

My second question is about roll film which I absolutely want to be able to use. As advertised on the same site, Graflok adaptor for this camera is only $30. So far so good. But, "C2N 6X7 Slide-in Roll Film Holder" is $450! Is this the right price? If I get the Graflok adaptor, can I hope to get some used roll film holder for, say, under $100?

BTW, if someone has arguments that I absolutely should not buy this camera, I would be grateful to hear them. Do you think one can get a better [used] ready-to-go 4x5 camera with all the basic movements at this price range? I've already read mostly favourable reviews by Javier Henderson, Jay Schlegel, and View Camera Magazine.

Thanks. Boris