Most Rigid 8x10 Field Camera

[Don Hutton]

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.

It's not wind that gets inside the holders and causes film to pop - it's usually a combination of humidity change and temperature which can cause the film to "pop" into a slightly different position. Also, you may be looking at film simply dropping down slightly in the film channels within the holder to due gravity - at some point during the exposure, it may be slipping down. A good tap or two along the top of the holder once it's inserted almost always guarantees that this won't happen and it helps if you have holders with tightish rails. The "popping" problem is a little more difficult and you should probably do a test with a holder where you have stuck a small piece of double sided tape on the middle of the septum holder and then tap the film onto it when you're loading it...

[Don Hutton]

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.

Absolutely and one of the most understated advantages of using smaller formats under less than perfect conditions - you have a "smaller sail" and usually have shorter exposure times too due to larger comparative apertures for a particular given composition...

[David A. Goldfarb]

Toyo 8 x 10 field camera is probably the most rigid

I suspect that's right.

[Paul Fitzgerald]

bulrich,

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

I think Don is right with the film 'pop', the film moved more on the right than the left. Camera shake or double exposure would not do that.

Good luck with it.

[bulrich]

Other than tape what could be done about 'pop'? Are some types of film more likely to behave that way? Certain holders? Or simply too long of an exposures with film that large?

[David A. Goldfarb]

Vacuum holders are an option. If you hunt around the net there is an astrophotography site with instructions for turning a 4x5" filmholder into a vacuum holder that can be operated with a bulb or a small vacuum pump, and the principles could easily be applied to other formats. I have a couple of 8x10" holders like this that I purchased from someone here on the forum, but they were very nicely manufactured, not home made, I'm not sure for what purpose originally--maybe also astrophotography. I haven't had much of a problem with film pop, though. I guess I just don't photograph under such conditions very often.

[Oren Grad]

Other than tape what could be done about 'pop'? Are some types of film more likely to behave that way? Certain holders? Or simply too long of an exposures with film that large?

Once in a very great while I've had a big negative pop on a long exposure under humid conditions.

If the subject and lighting allow, sometimes you can avoid pop by pulling the darkslide and letting the film equilibrate for a couple of minutes with the prevailing temperature/humidity before you open the shutter to make the picture. That is, you let it pop before you start making the exposure rather than during the exposure.

[cjbroadbent]

I was glad to learn about the pop problem. Maybe I avoided it by whacking the bottom edge of the holders soundly before inserting into camera. I do very long exposures and also pack a string shopping bag for heavy rocks found on site.
The weakest link is the head which puts the baricentre too far from the camera. So I eliminate the head and screw the camera directly to a swivel plate on a video tripod. (Viglen, carbon fibre with a very big cup and ball for levelling)

[cjbroadbent]

In reply to the original question, By far the most rigid 8x10 field camera I ever had was the Toyo. You have to make do with front focus, but that's no hardship outdoors.

[archivue]

my toyo 810 M is very rigid... the main problem is the tripod head !
i've find that the best combo was a gitzo leveling head and a sinar 2D.

i'm not shure that i will keep my 8X10... i have to raise money for a digital back...