I've been watching the "BEST! 8x10 setup money can buy!" thread over on the For Sale/Wanted with some perplexity. For some reason the header stirred up the wrath of certain members who thought it was hyperbole. For the record, I thought the outfit was a reasonable start for a shooter, overpriced perhaps but the whole point of forums like this is to establish actual values: what will an actual buyer actually pay.

The real hyperbole to me is stuff like this, seen all the time:

"Shutter speeds sound accurate" (to my scientifically calibrated ear)
"Scratches on glass do not affect image quality" (unless you're aiming for quality images)
"CLAd a few years back by the previous seller" (and only used in church by a little old lady)
"Bellows appear to have no pinholes" (there's a sure way to find out)
"Last chance before I send it to eBay" (don't make me drown these kittens)
And my current favorite:
"Paypal only. Add 3% for Paypal" (?)

I'm quite happy to step around these little stinkers because I've found and purchased some amazing stuff on this forum. Bargains, yes, but more than that things that would be otherwise impossible to find, like the $5 rangefinder cam that matches my Horseman 65mm. This is the Long Tail effect of the internet, and it's what makes this forum, and those like it, so valuable.

So caveat emptor. Let the feedback continue but let's be civil about it. There is, after all, a certain dignity that goes with large format work.