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Thread: What, if any, are the drawbacks to owning a Kodak Master View 8x10?

  1. #1

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    What, if any, are the drawbacks to owning a Kodak Master View 8x10?

    Hi,

    I am having a hard time making a decision about buying my first 8x10 camera. I am not a wealthy person. I got lucky and found a really good Calumet C-1 for free but it turned out to be way too heavy for the trip I would like to make. I think I am committed to buying a Kodak View Master because it looks the sturdiest to travel with despite its weight. Before I spend any money could people let me know what drawbacks there are to owning it. I want to own something I would be happy with for years to come so I would like to know its disadvantages. What, if any, lens size issues might I have with it? I have read the some cameras don't work with some wide angle lenses and sometimes cameras have issues with bellows extension and/or weight. Feel free to badmouth the camera that way I will know what I am getting into.

    Also, what lens would people suggest I buy first?

    -Andrew

  2. #2
    ic-racer's Avatar
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    Re: What, if any, are the drawbacks to owning a Kodak View Master 8x10?

    I think you want a camera not a steroscopic viewer

    You saw this review of the Master View?

    https://www.largeformatphotography.i...asterview.html

  3. #3
    Scott Davis
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    Re: What, if any, are the drawbacks to owning a Kodak View Master 8x10?

    Quote Originally Posted by ic-racer View Post
    I think you want a camera not a steroscopic viewer

    You saw this review of the Master View?

    https://www.largeformatphotography.i...asterview.html
    If that article is correct, then a Kodak Master View weighs about the same as the Calumet C-1 (at least the magnesium-framed green ones). These days, aside from those Intrepid cameras, there's precious little NEW being made that's light weight and budget-friendly. The compromise there is in overall fit-and-finish and robustness, as well as limited function (the mechanical limits of the camera may not be an issue if you are doing primarily landscape with only mild wide-angles/short telephotos). If weight AND budget are a concern, I'd look at something like a Kodak 2-D. You MIGHT get lucky and find an early Deardorff without front swings that clocks in under $2K, but that's iffy. Better IMHO to save up until you can afford a better camera like a Chamonix or a Canham, which will be much more enjoyable to use, and that's an important criteria when traveling with a view camera - if you're not enjoying the process because your tool is frustrating you, you won't make as many or as good images as you would with a tool that does NOT frustrate you.

  4. #4
    New Orleans, LA
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    Re: What, if any, are the drawbacks to owning a Kodak View Master 8x10?

    No downsides for me. But others may dislike the fast focusing, the robust build, the clamshell design, and the 12 lb. weight. I use everything from 180mm to 420mm no problems. Moved from a Deardorff to the KMV and never looked back.

  5. #5
    Mark Sawyer's Avatar
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    Re: What, if any, are the drawbacks to owning a Kodak View Master 8x10?

    I have a few 8x10s, including a Master View which is my hiking 8x10. It weighs about 12 pounds, about the same as a Deardorff or 2D. Considering the weight of the rest of the equipment needed (tripod, filmholders, lenses, etc.), trying to lose another pound or two isn't much of a difference.

    The Master View is a great camera. Its only disadvantage is that its lensboard is peculiar to that camera and may be hard to find. Aftermarket boards have been made though, and I wouldn't be surprised if there were plans for 3D printed ones available. (I converted mine to a standard 6-inch board which fits a myriad of other cameras too.)

    The proper first lens for a Master view would be a 12-inch f/6.3 Commercial Ektar or a 12-inch f/4.5 Ektar. Later you could add a 14-inch Commercial Ektar, 190mm or 250mm Wide Field Ektars, an 18-inch to 21-inch Kodak Process lens, and maybe a 12-inch or 16-inch Kodak Portrait Lens (if you're so inclined).
    "I love my Verito lens, but I always have to sharpen everything in Photoshop..."

  6. #6

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    Re: What, if any, are the drawbacks to owning a Kodak View Master 8x10?

    My Calumet C-1 is 19 lbs. I decided to take a walk with it. If it is a short walk it is ok but going a long way with 19 lbs is really hard. The Intrepid Black is really light but all I can find is negative reviews of early 3rd generation intrepid. I thought maybe I should just buy it at $700 and enjoy a really light subpar camera for hiking and a great old heavy camera for short distances. A Stenopeika 8x10 is really light and the same price as the KMV but I have not seen any reviews on it.

  7. #7

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    Re: What, if any, are the drawbacks to owning a Kodak View Master 8x10?

    Mark,

    Thanks for the help with the lens. I will research them tonight.

    -Andrew

  8. #8

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    Re: What, if any, are the drawbacks to owning a Kodak Master View 8x10?

    Andy, as you now realize, the Kodak 8x10 is maybe a few pounds lighter than your Calumet. Most of the older, traditional 8x10 cameras are heavy things - that's pretty much unavoidable. If weight and price are the two most important considerations, then you really ought to consider the current iteration of the Intrepid. I owned the first gen 8x10 Intrepid and it worked well for me for a couple years, but I upgraded to the current version 18 months ago and am very happy with it. At 6.2 pounds, it's approximately half the weight of a Kodak Master View. It has all of the features you really need in a large view camera and there's no reason to think you wouldn't be happy to use it for years to come. Is it a "precious" tool that you can expect to hand down to future photographers for generations to come? Not really. Is it a sleek, precision tool that rivals a $5000 Chamonix? Obviously not. Will it work well and be enjoyable to use? Absolutely.

    I find that for many photographers wanting to buy into the "big negatives" paradigm, one of the things they want out of it is a spectacular kit. There's no arguing that a very expensive, handsome, beautifully engineered camera is going to be a pleasure to use. But at the end of the day, what matters more is what you produced with the camera. Ultimately it's just a tool to enable you to make something. If it does its job, then it's a successful tool. If you have unlimited funds to purchase that tool, that's great. But myself, I don't have unlimited resources, so I have to choose carefully what tools I buy.

    As it happens, my first 8x10 camera was a Deardorff, with a 12" Kodak Ektar f4.5 lens. (bought in 2015, when I could still afford such a thing) It's a very nice camera and it has
    big history" seeping from its very bones. But it's a heavy beast and I've found it difficult to cart around. So which of my two 8x10s gets used more? The Intrepid - it's easier to pack up and carry, easy to set up, and it actually offers some features that the Deardorff does not (Mine's an early Deardorff and lacks front swing). I'm sure I'd enjoy using a Chamonix more than either of the two I have, but I don't have $5000 to spend on one. Film is very expensive these days (I buy FP4 more than anything else, and it's $200 for a box of 25 sheets now) and if I want to keep working, then I have to buy film to feed the camera.

    Anyway, I'd consider an Intrepid if I were you. You're going to get a brand new device that doesn't have any problems that an 80 year old camera potentially does. It does the job well, and it will be easier to carry around, and I think you'll find that's a very important consideration.

    I echo Mark's recommendation: a 12" Kodak Ektar (either the f6.3 Commercial Ektar or the f4.5 regular Ektar - both are superb lenses). These days, however, neither is likely to be inexpensive: expect to pay at least $500 for one in a working shutter. The Wide Field Ektars are also great for landscape work that requires a wider view, but these tend to be even more expensive: I bought a 190mm Wide Field (sample image) about 5 years ago, and it cost me $750.
    To start out, a "normal" 12"/300mm focal length lens is a good choice. Learn how to use that well before acquiring special purpose lenses, like wide angles.

    If you need to go less expensive still, I'm sure someone can recommend a Fuji or a Schneider lens that is more in the $250 range. If you don't think you need a shutter, you can likely find an 300mm Industar-37 for about $100, and those are satisfactory for a variety of applications. (I own one and use it occasionally, in situations where the exposure time is measured in multiple seconds. Sample photo here and here)

  9. #9
    Tin Can's Avatar
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    Re: What, if any, are the drawbacks to owning a Kodak Master View 8x10?

    C1 is studio camera

    I tried 3 and sold them all

    BUT I really like the simple 2 screw GG with Bail

    So I kept all 3 size for DIY cameras

    Really like them on my very very heavy Copy Camera


    Many ways to make pictures

    Many here told me Bin them all
    Tin Can

  10. #10

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    Re: What, if any, are the drawbacks to owning a Kodak Master View 8x10?

    Hi Paul,

    First, I would like to say your images are F###ING AMAZING! Second, I am so glad you wrote me back. I could not find anything but complaints about the intrepid. I tried to do some research on the Intrepid. I was looking at the new 8x10 black. I was thinking I have he calumet C-1 for traveling from home to home or to keep in the back of a my car and I could use the intrepid for longer trips. I wrote intrepid and asked them to point me to an independent review but I was just told that I would be "able to find reviews online". Not the best customer service. So you are the first person I know of to say that they like the Intrepid. Mat Marrash from Large Format Fridays was quite down on it. He had issues with it having a soft focus caused by the back of the camera being off. That is why I was looking at the Kodak Masterview.

    So let me ask you, do you ever have any issues with the Intrepid? Does it shake in the breeze because it is too light or in any way cause your images to come out with problems? Do you feel like warping might become an issue? How do you travel with it? Are you ever afraid it will break in your backpack? What is the glass like? Do you need to use a fresnel screen? How are you locking it down on a tripod. I just ordered a INNOREL RT90C in prediction of needing something for a heavy camera. It is 6lb. Do you think I could get away with something lighter? Also, you seem happy with all of the bellows movements are you satisfied with the focusing system?

    -Andrew

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