Most Rigid 8x10 Field Camera

[Jon Shiu]

I think someone was selling a Toyo 810 on this forum.

Jon

[Steve Hamley]

I have an Ebony SV810, and although rigid, it seems to want to vibrate like a tuning fork when used with Compound #5 shutters, and I've experienced some unsharp results with those shutters. Nothings loose in the usual sense, but the front standard assembly apparently can flex quite easily. I've been using an AWB wind stabilizer with good results, which I got from The View Camera Store IIRC. You can find 8x10 field cameras that are rigid, but I haven't seen one yet that won't flex under normal forces.

As a side note, "wobbliness" doesn't always seem to be a good measure of unsharp photos; you'd swear my limber Korona 8x20 could never take a sharp picture, yet it consistently does. I once owned a Canham wooden 8x10 and like others remarked about the lack of stability in the rear standard, yet it took pictures as sharp as anything I've owned before or since. I always add the note that I sold it because I didn't like the ergonomics of the controls.

I'd try the wind stabilizer because it "ties" the front and rear standards together with no play. If the standards can't move relative to each other, it doesn't really matter what the rest of the camera is doing. There are vintage versions out there too; there's a picture of Edward Weston using one on his 8x10 with a 14" Kodak Commercial Ektar. He probably knew what he was doing. ;^)

Cheers,

Steve

[Dave Wooten]

Toyo 8 x 10 field camera is probably the most rigid, it is metal...next would probably be the Wisner. I have a Wista which seems to be more rigid-less flex in front standard, than an 8 x 10 Canham. As mentioned the bogen magic arm adds stability when the front is loaded with a heavy lens at full extension. I remember Kerik telling about his 14 x 17 Anthony taking a tumble forward when loaded with a large lens and extended. He has since successfully used the magic arm if I am not mistaken.

[JPlomley]

I have owned both Arca and Ebony 810's (SW810, non folder, and FMetric). The Ebony was SUBSTANTIALLY more stable. Both models on a heavy Gitzo, B2 and a 25 pound weight suspended from hook at bottom of tripod base.

In fact, I would never buy another 810 Arca for this exact reason.

That certainly does not parallel my experience in the 4x5 world. Very hard to beleive that an Arca in 8x10 would all of a sudden become less stable than its 4x5 counterpart. This is very Un-Arca like. Also hard to believe that if it is that unstable that one of the top landscape photographers in the world today uses an Arca 8x10 (Rodney Lough Jr). Go figure.

[bulrich]

Steve,
The wind stabilizer kit sounds like a good place to start. Some sandbags might help too.
I like the Ebony tons other than this issue. Though I am pushing a large camera to some really long exposures.

Here's an detail of it at it's worst:
http://www.notifbutwhen.com/2/Detail.jpg

[Don Hutton]

That looks like the film popped or moved in the holder - wind movement creates blurring, not a double image.

[Eric Leppanen]

That certainly does not parallel my experience in the 4x5 world. Very hard to beleive that an Arca in 8x10 would all of a sudden become less stable than its 4x5 counterpart.

I have owned an Ebony SV810U and currently own an Arca F-Line Classic 4x5 and 8x10. My experience has been that, on balance, the Arca 8x10 is roughly comparable to the Ebony in terms of stability. The Arca 4x5 is definitely more stable than the Ebony 4x5's, or any other wood 4x5 field camera I have tried (haven't tried the Phillips yet). The Arca 8x10 rear standard loses a smidge of stablity in that, while being much larger than the 4x5 rear standard, it is still supported by the same sized function carrier, so there is greater theoretical potential to wobble. In practice, though, I have not found this to a significant problem, and I have found using long-lens support arms as supplemental supports to be easier on the Arca than the Ebony.

The most stable 8x10 camera I have ever used was a Toyo 810G, but that was hardly a field camera!

[bulrich]

Yes Don, it is odd, though I've checked the holders pretty well and it would be quite difficult for wind to not only get inside the holders to move film but for the film to move that much. I think because the exposures are so long and stopped down it creates the double image effect.

[Walter Calahan]

I mount a super clamp at either end of the magic arm.

One clamp attaches somewhere convenient on the tripod leg. The other clamp I attach to the front of the Canham. I don't lock the magic arm at this point.

I compose, set my focus, lock the camera and tripod down, then lock the magic arm. Then recheck composition and focus to make sure nothing moved.

Load film and shoot. I also put a small sandbag on the bed of the camera even when not using the magic arms.

Good luck with whatever ends up working for you.

[Walter Calahan]

Oh, and any view camera can act like a sail if there is any wind. Especially cross wind moving the bellows. The most expensive, ridged camera will move.