8x10 2D Extension

[Erich Hoeber]

So I've been looking at 8x10 2Ds and similar cameras on epay and elsewhere and none of them seem to have extension tailboards included. Did these cameras originally include an extension board? How much extension can you get on this camera without a tailboard?

[eddie]

most of the boards get lost. you get about 30 inches with the extension. so figure a bit more than half without it.

if i were you i would hold out for one with a rail. sometimes the rail is worth about as much as an entire camera with the rail!

eddie

[BarryS]

The 2D has an extension of 17" without the rear rail and 30" with the extra rail. I'd consider the 2D fairly useable with anything up to a 360mm lens without the extension track. I think a lot of the rails got misplaced/lost because they weren't being used. Finding a spare rail isn't easy because there are a lot more 2D's than rails available. They do turn up occasionally and they sell for $50-$150. The other piece you should watch out for is the sliding tripod block--I think it's more important than the extension rail because it allows you to balance the camera and the 2D can be a little shaky without it. Ideally, you'd buy a camera with the extension rail, tripod block, and a bellows in great shape, but be prepared to wait and pay a little extra.

[Brian Ellis]

The 2D not only came with the rear extension, each extension was matched and mated to a particular camera. Which is why the extension and the camera each have the same identifying number.

I don't know how big a variation there was from one camera/extension to the other but even if you can find a rear extension alone on ebay or somewhere else, it might not fit your camera correctly. If I was looking for an extension I'd check with Richard Ritter and see what his charge would be to make one. My guess is it wouldn't be much more than what they typically sell for on the rare occasions when they come up on ebay and you'd know that Richard's matched your camera perfectly.

The sliding tripod block is a nice accessory. It isn't necessary unless you also have the extension but I don't think I'd use the camera with the extension and no sliding tripod block. I paid $400 two years ago for a beautiful mint 2D with tripod block and rear extension, I'm still kicking myself for selling it.

[eddie]

i used my 2D with no sliding block the whole time i owned it. i did not know it had one till just recently! IMO the extension rail is way more important than the sliding block. the 2D has front and rear standards that move. so you can pretty much get it balanced in most all situations.

if the numbers do not match you may have to doa bit of work on the teeth to make them mesh nicely. no too difficult to do.

good luck and keep us posted.

eddie

[Erich Hoeber]

Thanks everyone for the quick responses. I love this place.

Unless something great shows up, I may just try to find a C-1 instead. Different animal, but within my price range.