Ebony SV45Ti

[Doug Dolde]

I'd be sure to budget in an extre $265 for a Maxwell screen. The stock screen is pretty bad in my opinion.

[Eric James]

Consider the RW45E, if you think 4X5 is big enough, and 300mm is long enough.

[JPlomley]

Thanks for all the feedback everyone. I now have some concerns about the Ebony SV45Ti given the issues of stability and smoothness of operation. My other consideration was the Arca F-Line field camera, but I decided against it since extra braces are required when using telephotos (to the tripod, as illustrated by Dykinga), and then there is the extra rail required etc etc. So it just seemed like a lot more accessories to carry into the field than what I was really after. I guess it's back to the drawing board...

[Michael Gordon]

I now have some concerns about the Ebony SV45Ti given the issues of stability and smoothness of operation.

I'd get your hands on one and make the decision for yourself rather than letting others decide for you.

I have an SVT45i and find it both smooth and rigid *enough* for what I do with it (landscape). Comparing metal to wood is apples vs. oranges. Obviously most wood cameras will generally be less rigid than metal. I went with the SV45Ti because there is no other 4x5 that offers the range of movements that the SV45Ti does at this weight and size, other than a Canham (and I don't care for the Canham comparatively).

[JPlomley]

Cheers Michael. Just visited your website. Absolutely stunning work! I remember seeing some of your fine images in the Jan/Feb 2007 issue of the View Camera shot with the Ebony SV45Ti. I'm definately interested in your workshop schedule for the fall. I"m going to spend the summer learning basic view camera techniques before I take a major trip. I'm located in Montreal, Canada...so Vermont (Green Mountains), New Hampshire (White Mountains), and the Adirondacks are right in my back yard. Perfect locations for practicing. Really appreciate your feedback. In fact I am signed up for a workshop with Rob Skeoch (Big Camera Workshops) in a few weeks and will have the chance to evaluate the Ebony at that point. Should facilitate the decision making process.

[Eric James]

...I now have some concerns about the Ebony SV45Ti given the issues of stability and smoothness of operation...

All you need to know to calm your fears is here:

I have an SVT45i and find it both smooth and rigid *enough* for what I do with it...

Dive in JPlomley - if 4X5 is large enough!

[Ted Harris]

Hello JPlomley,

From a neighbor slightly south. I'll chime in as a minority voice ... I don't like Ebony cameras, not at all. I have used them and still don't like them, nothing aginst them it is just a matterof taste. I have found over time that I much prefer the feel of metal cameras. While you are at Rob's workshop take a hard look at the Canham and Toyo cameras as well as the Ebonys and see which you prefer. I use both a Toyo 45AII and a Canham 57T. Yes the Canham I use is a wood camera but can more accurately be described as a metal camera in a wood box.

See my email on some other workshops of interest.

[PViapiano]

I have an Ebony 45s non-folder...an absolutely wonderful camera.

If you're just starting out I wouldn't worry about mounting telephotos just yet, they're very rarely used by most LF practitioners anyway. They can be extremely heavy for 4x5s, hence the braces used by Dykinga, and I would imagine his metal camera to be a better support for them than any wood camera.

Listen to Michael Gordon above, he has the best advice in this area...

When I started out not too long ago, people told me that if I was used to working with my Mamiya RZ, I'd hate working with a wood camera, missing the precision, etc...well, they were wrong. They're two different animals...

Will a metal camera feel more sturdy and be geared more precisely...probably yes. But as Michael said above it's apples vs oranges. Try a bunch out in the field and decide what fits you.

And by the way...the stock screen is plenty bright enough.

Also, there's been a little bit of an anti-Ebony bias among some on this forum for as long as I can remember, but the thing to remember is that it's the photographer, not the camera, not the lens, that matters.

[JPlomley]

Hi Ted:

Thanks for the workshop info. I thought I was getting into a format of photography where there were very few practitioners (my colleagues shooting digital can't believe I'm going back to film, let alone trying large format), so I am just delighted that there are so many experts close by that can help out.

Jeff

[Jack Flesher]

I'll chime in as a minority voice ... I don't like Ebony cameras, not at all. I have used them and still don't like them, nothing aginst them it is just a matterof taste. I have found over time that I much prefer the feel of metal cameras.

Ted,

That's pretty much how I felt until I specifically used a 45SU NON-folder. There's just something about that camera that allows me to work more intuitively. I realize it isn't for everybody, but that model is different enough from other cameras that its definitely worth a test-spin if one gets the opportunity

(Edit: The Arca-Swiss F-Metric with micrometric Orbix appeals to the exacting engineer in me, while the Ebony 45SU appeals to the disheveled artist in me )

Cheers,