?? 4x10 Cameras -- Roundup / Comparison ??

[Mike1234]

Does anyone know of a comparison or roundup of 4x10 cameras?

[ljsegil]

Kerry Thalman did one several years ago in two parts for View Camera which is nicely summarized in a thread on this forum if you search for it. And of course there is his article on the home page of the forum as well, very easily accessed. If you have an 8x10 camera Toyo makes a split darkslide for producing two 4x10 images on a single sheet of 8x10 film, perhaps not an ideal solution but an economical way to experiment and see if the format suits you. Badger Graphic carries them, quite reasonably priced, or if you are handy and have the tools you can always make a comparable DIY with a superfluous darkslide of your own.
Larry

[Mike1234]

Great!! I'll look for those artcles. Thank you!!

Thanks too for your advice. I've shot plenty of 4x5 and some 8x10. I really prefer longer formats and "always" crop to at least 2:3 ratio. Yes, 5x7 is pretty close to this ratio but I often prefer 1:2 and sometimes 2:5. I would rather shoot the longer format and waste the short end pieces than lose resolution by cropping smaller film on the long edges. I other words, with 4x10 film I'll shoot 4x6, 4x8, and 4x10.

I flirted with the idea of 5x12 but, for color, this would require cutting from 11x14. It seems to me that color LF film availability is settling on 4x5 and 8x10. Again, I don't want to crop 4x5... I rather just just 6x12 roll film and not bother with sheets. I would LOVE to shoot 5x12 but future 11x14 film availability worries me. So, in my opinion, this leaves 4x10 as the most viable choice for my needs.

I would rather do my fiddling in a cool darkroom rather than in a sunny/hot field so 4x10 is better for me than 8x10 with a half darkslide. Also, although the average 4x10 isn't all that much lighter than the average 8x10... and some 8x10's are actually lighter... 4x10's are smaller in bulk as are the film holders. I just don't get around as well as I once did... no more trekking into remote areas for sure.

I'm still toying with the idea of shooting 5x7 and stitching two shots together for images requiring 1:2 and 2:5 ratios. Color film availability isn't an issue if I cut from 8x10. But I would really rather capture the image in one shot. Stitching is easy but subject movement can really be a bugger.

[Jim Becia]

Mike,

I have shot with both the Canham 4x10 and now currently use the Shen Hao 4X10. The reason I switched from the Canham to the Shen Hao is that both my other LF cameras are Ebonys and the Shen Hao uses the same hardware as the Ebonys. All my cameras set up in the same manner now with the same functions. The Canham has more bellows and I was able to use my Fuji 600 with it while the Shen Hao falls just short of it. The weight on the Canham is about 6# and the Shen Hao is about 8#. I have both the 4x5 and 5x7 reducing backs for the Shen Hao (horizontal only of course.) The Canham is a fixed back and to switch to 5x7/4x5, you needed to switch the back and bellows. That was also another reason I moved to the Shen Hao, I got a little more versatility from it.

When shooting 4x10, I prefer cutting the film down and using the 4x10 holders as opposed to using an 8x10 and either cropping or cutting the dark slide to get 2 shots on a sheet.

Both cameras are certainly rigid enough. New, the Shen Hao is fairly reasonable and the backs are also.

Hope this helps. Jim

[Mike1234]

Jim, thank you. The Shen Hao is a sweet camera for sure and I may have to opt for one due to financial constraints. However, I'm trying to stay with USA offerings. Used is okay and preferred in order to save some cash. Canham is at the top of my list but they are pricey. That said, I really do want the extra bellows extension as I intend to shoot 600mm.. perhaps a tiny bit longer on occasion... and I don't want to deal with a l--o--n--g top hat... a short one is okay though.

[S. Preston Jones]

I was lucky to find a 4x10 back that had been made to fit my 8x10 Phillips and my 8x10 Deardorff. I use 4x10 holders and can use either 4x10 film or cut down 8x10 film. I am happy with this equipment.

Preston

[Mike1234]

I'd "prefer" to stick with 4x10 unless I can find an ultralight 8x10 with 4x10 reducing that I can afford.

[Nick_3536]

Shen FCL-810 is fairly light. The 4x10 back is reasonable.

[Jim Becia]

Shen FCL-810 is fairly light. The 4x10 back is reasonable.

I was looking at this setup (Shen Hao 8x10) on Friday afternoon at Badger Graphics. It would be the one way of getting back to shooting with the 600. There would also be two other benefits - being able to shoot 8x10 and also being able to shoot a vertical without having to try and "flip" the 4X10. The drawbacks are the added size and I'm just not thrilled with the way the front standard gets set up. I'm so used to my Ebony standards being locked in place and square. The Shen Hao has a knob that tightens down, but it's not all that tight as far as I'm concerned. I guess it's a matter of being used to the system with which I'm familiar. But as mentioned, the other backs for the Shen Hao are very reasonable and the 8x10 is priced right also. Jim

[Keith Pitman]

I've used four 4x10 cameras: Wisner, Canham, Shen-hao, and Chamonix. I highly recommend the Chamonix. It functions extremely well, it is compact, and light weight. It uses Linhof-type lensboards and Canham-type filmholders--both standards.