I am about to make a few purchases and I would love it if those who are more technically savvy could help me make the decisions.
I have had a Calumet wooden field camera with a 135 caltar lens for about eight years now. It is my baby, and it has treated me well, but the time has come to make a move to a better, more versatile, more professional camera. Preferably a view camera that is relatively light so that I may carry it around with ease. After doing some research, I have narrowed it down to a few cameras which seem to be available used here and there...
they are, in no particular order, the following:
- sinar F, F2, X, P, P2, norma
- arca swiss metric
- toyo vx125
- cambo ultima
I know that some of these are very high end, and intended more for studio work, but I would basically like something that spans the gap between studio and field...
Also, what is a price that I should jump at for any of these cameras if I were to see it for sale? On ebay I saw a wide array of prices for the same cameras with very little difference in wear.
and finally, (sorry for the long post), is the caltar II-N 135 that I have really a decent lens? It has been working well for many years, and people tell me that it is a schneider with a different name, but I feel as though I might be missing out on a more precise image that I could arrive at with a better lens.
I think I want to stick around the 135-150 range for my main lens, then I was thinking about a 90.
What lenses should I look for? My price range will be around 600 each.
Any help you can provide would be much appreciated.
Thanks, Michael
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