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Thread: Field Camera Recommedations for Urban Environments/Abstracts

  1. #11

    Join Date
    Jul 2007
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    241

    Re: Field Camera Recommedations for Urban Environments/Abstracts

    Go for one the metal toyo field cameras. They are really well made and super durable.

  2. #12

    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Posts
    2,955

    Re: Field Camera Recommedations for Urban Environments/Abstracts

    Linhof Technika or Wista RF, with rangefinder. Probably a bit out of your price range, but you might get lucky!

  3. #13

    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Milford Pa.
    Posts
    2,930

    Re: Field Camera Recommedations for Urban Environments/Abstracts

    i do not know? for what you are asking a crown or speed graphics sound perfect. they set up very fast, are durable, and take wide angle lenses pretty well. and the best part is they are cheap. if you get the speed you can use the old barrel lenses...again saving lots of that 1500 for film or beer:: . i use an old korona view. i love it. but it is limited to 165mm lenses and longer because the bellows do not allow it to squeeze much smaller at infinity and a 165 with little movements is all i can get out of her. but again it was cheap.

    eddie
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  4. #14
    Abuser of God's Sunlight
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    brooklyn, nyc
    Posts
    5,796

    Re: Field Camera Recommedations for Urban Environments/Abstracts

    I think you're on the right track looking for a field camera. I used my college's monorail cameras when I was starting out in LF, and it was a miserable experience. Even when I was driving, if I had to walk a couple of blocks from the car, the case was big and heavy and bulky, and everything was unweildy.

    My first field camera was a revelation. I still use it. It's an old Toyo. I think just about any field camera with the required movements would be fine. This would be my checklist:

    -Fast and easy to set up/take down.
    -big enough knobs to use with light gloves in the winter
    -reasonably solid and sturdy
    -healthy amount of front rise

    I can't make specific recommendations, because I haven't shopped for a camera in ages. But if you keep these things in mind when you look at all these other recommendations you'll probably do fine.

  5. #15

    Re: Field Camera Recommedations for Urban Environments/Abstracts

    What no one seems to mention any more is the Wisner. Although no longer manufactured, they are a great camera and if repairs are needed Richard Ritter or others can handle the work. The key advantage, as I see it, is the bellows extension. The Tech Field has 23 inches of bellows and I think the traditional has 19 or 20. I use mine with a 210mm lens for close up abstracts quite often and the bellows extention is wonderful. The camera is quite sturdy. You just may want to investigate this choice further, I've found it to be the answer to 90% of my 4x5 needs.

  6. #16

    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    AU
    Posts
    175

    Re: Field Camera Recommedations for Urban Environments/Abstracts

    The toyo 5x4 CF has been already covered on this thread but has any one got experience with the titan SF 4x5. Some of the reviews seem to spruik it up.

  7. #17

    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Posts
    2

    Re: Field Camera Recommedations for Urban Environments/Abstracts

    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Ellis View Post

    "My camera is a 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 Linhof with a Speed Graphic back and I use a Cine-Kodak tripod which is light, steady, and a joy to handle. . . . All of these photographs were taken with aperture f29 (that's where my aperture stops because of a repair job on the shutter). I made three exposures for each picture, varying from 1X to 4X Weston depending on the importance of the darker elements in the subject. The film was not developed until I returned to New York - all normally and according to the manufacturer's charts and graphs."
    Thanks for the Siskind information. I've been searching all over for what kind of equipment he worked with. Obviously, it didn't really matter to him. I'm leaning towards the Toyo, since they seem to be pretty durable but still light. I also like the look (black and a little subdued). Maybe I will pick up a 180mm or 210mm lens. The Crown Graphics are great cameras, but I would like to try something different.

  8. #18

    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    SF Bay Area
    Posts
    198

    Re: Field Camera Recommedations for Urban Environments/Abstracts

    I am very happy with my Super Technika IV I bought on this forum.

    I sent it in to Martin in North Carolina and had my Rodenstock 150mm Sironar N cammed for it. Now it is a very sharp handheld camera even at f5.6. There is something about the build tolerances and construction of the Technika that in my opinion really work well. Reminds me of my Leica rangefinders.

    My total price into this package is $1550.00

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