Originally Posted by
Sheldon N
Thanks for the kind words Henry, but I'm fresh out of Arcas for sale! I did keep myself an Arca 4x5 Field with 141mm rear standard, telecsoping rail, and Orbix. It's a wonderful camera and I really enjoy shooting with it.
However, if the goal is to shoot just whole plate or 5x7 in a lightweight package, I think one would be better served with a wood field camera - Chamonix would be my first choice. This assumes that weight is the primary concern.
There are good reasons to go with an Arca:
- Stability/weight ratio. It's not lighter than a wood field, and it's not sturdier than a big studio camera, but it represents an excellent compromise between the two.
- Precision movements, tactile quality in use.
- Ease of access of movements, no little knobs or fiddling, everything falls right to hand
- If you plan to shoot multiple formats, the Arca is a great platform to build onto due to its modular design.
So, if you are going the Arca route, I'd recommend the following choices...
Use the current F-Line (not the older Basic/Model A/B/C) function carriers and rails. The older cameras are nice, but the F-Line components are just better and worth it if you're going to the trouble of building your own camera. The F-Metric carriers are nice too, but add weight and price just to gain geared shift. The Discovery function carriers are ok, but it would likely be easier to source the F-Line function carriers and rail together on an existing camera and the F-Line carriers are preferable.
Use the 30cm Telescoping rail, not the folding rail. The telescoping rail is good for 425-450mm of extension while the folding rail is only good for about 260mm of extension. The telescoping rail is also lighter and more rigid than a folding rail + 15cm rail extension combo. I like the newer flip lock version of the telescoping rail, it's really slick in operation.
Use the 6x9 (110mm) front standard. The size/weight difference between that and a 171mm standard is pretty significant. Plus, you have to figure in that there will be a lot of extra bellows to go with that larger frame. I had a 171-171 square camera and my 110-141 Field camera side by side, and the size/weight difference is dramatic. A 141mm front standard would be a good compromise, but you'd have a heck of a time finding one of these used.
Now the problems of sourcing all this, and the pricing....
To get the Telescoping Rail + Function carriers, you might as well buy a full camera and sell off the extra parts. A 171-171 square camera with telescoping rail will run you about $1200-1400. Sell off the frames/bellows as a "4x5 Conversion Kit" for $400-600. That will get you your function carriers and rails for around $700-800.
Add a 6x9 Front standard - $700 or $800 new, probably $400-450 used if you could find one. You may be forced to buy a 6x9 compact camera, keep the frame and sell the parts, which wouldn't really be any cheaper.
If you decide to keep one of the 171mm frames to use, add the cost of a Linhof Tech board adapter ($150) and figure that the parts cost would be roughly similar to the 6x9 approach due to having only a bellows and rear frame to sell rather than a full "coversion kit".
Then you need a blank bellows frame for your bellows builder to attach to so that the custom bellows will clip onto the front standard. You could get the actual part or use a lensboard and have it cut out to use as a frame.
Add lensboards ($50 used, $75 new each for 6x9 boards), the cost of your custom bellows ($250?), the cost of your custom build WP back (?), plus the cost of aircraft aluminum dovetail + machining so that the rear standard will clip into the function carrier.
I'd be surprised if you could do it for less than $1500 with a LOT of legwork. And the camera will still weigh in the vicinity of 7-9lbs depending on the construction of the WP back. It makes sense to go with the Arca if you're going to shoot 4x5 and WP with two different back/bellows. However, if you're looking for a light camera just to shoot WP the Chamonix will be lighter, comparable in cost, and much easier to source.
Hope this is of some help!
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