Folks:
My new Shen Hao 8x10 from Badger Graphic is scheduled to be delivered tomorrow. If people are interested, I will post some pictures of it here. I've searched the forum and not found a lot on this camera and some might find the pictures of interest.
Cheers,
Dave B.
Congratulations. I've seen their 4x5, so it'd be fun to see in pictures its big brother.
I'm curious what you think of it -- the 8x10 Badger sells is a copy of the Phillips design and not your typical folder.
I played with one last year and, to me it was largely like a Phillips Compact II with a couple of bows toward Keith Canham as well. biggest difference ... it is heavy.
I'll post some pictures of the camera here tomorrow. I have the highest regard for Mr. Phillips and his cameras and have had one on order for a while but the best case scenario is that it will take a LONG time to get one. The Shen Hao could either be the first 8x10 camera I get or the first and last, depending. Like a lot of folks here, I have been bitten by the larger camera bug and wanted to get one while one could still get 8x10 color film (Velvia) and I was young enough to lug it around the woods and mountains. I personally tend to find that the most interesting things to photograph are a long ways from the car.
Cheers,
Dave B.
Is the camera horizontal only? There is a discrepancy on Badger Graphic site. It says dimensions 39x24x12cm and Camera back in either vertical or horizontal orientation. It is not possible to put the back in vertical position with the camera height only 24cm (9.45"). Could it be 34cm instead?
I am also interested in knowing the real weight of the camera. It is not heavy for an 8x10 camera at 4.4kg (9.7 lbs) as advertized. Thanks. John
The back can be removed and replaced in portrait orientation, so those numbers on the Badger site are clearly incorrect (there are some other obvious errors too - the camera does not have rear shift, and with that design, clearly cannot, yet there are figures on the Badger site showing amounts of rear shift possible). For the money, the camera looks like a great deal. I do however hope that the aluminium is anodized...
Well Folks, here are some pictures. Generally, I'm very happy with the camera. It is light (8 lbs, 10oz), well made and very solid. The wood is something like walnut although of a slightly different grain than I am used to. The fit and finish is first rate. The metal parts are nicely machined and all work smoothly and are well placed. The knobs have a nice rubber surface that makes them easy to grip. The focus knob is located under the center of the bed behind the camera so that you can focus while under the dark cloth. The front standard looks a lot like my Ebony. There is back tilt and swing but no back rise, fall or shift. The camera is smooth and easy to adjust but locks down solidly. IMHO, for the price, it was a good deal.
Cheers,
Dave B.
More pictures:
Looks pretty darn nice! How is the rigidity when near to fully extended?
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