I'm thinking to sell all my low cost medium & LF equipment and get a good 4x5 fi eld. By good, I mean a camera that has at least : Rotating back Geared focusing Significant geared front rise geared front or rear tilt front or rear shift front or rear swing Rigid construction Ability to handle very wide lenses with some movements Any ideas?
Arca- Swiss 4x5 FC metric. Well okay it doesn't have the revolving back.
And most importantly is not a field camera. No matter how light, IMO a monorail is not something you casually take with you on the road. Thank you for the suggestion though.
The Toyo VX125 has all features mentioned except it has geared shift instead of geared tilt. Technically, it is a monorail, but it has the compactness and light weight of a field camera when folded. Especially good with wide lenses. The US price is artificially inflated, try England or Japan.
After some more research Wisner Pocket Expedition came as an option. I already read the threads about it, anybody wants to add something new? Maybe somebody who has used it for a while?
I'm not sure about anybody else but I want geared stuff, especially tilt and shift. I really don't care if it's front or rear.
Anybody knows if you can mount the back in "portrait" format?
I used a Wisner Technical field for years and your requirement of 'rigid construction' does not come to mind as a good description. It's as floppy as a boneless turkey farm during the mating season.
Have you considered the Linhof Technikardan? Only thing geared in the rear focus; but it is quite rigid and so smooth that you can manually tilt, rise, etc without any loss of precision. With a bag bellows it handles very very short lenses (can't remember but I think <50mm) as well as long (to 450mm). From Robt White it is reasonbly priced too.
The literature on it understates its weight and its maximum extension a bit though. Cannot remember exact weight but its about seven lbs. Add about 7 ounces to the brochure's reported weight.
John Hennessy
Sorin,
I had a 4x5 Pocket Expedition which I bought new in December 1999. Absolutely hated it, and sold it six months later. It is *very* user unfriendly...fussy to fold/unfold; tiny knobs that are hard to turn; the back popped off every time I took out the film holder; it felt anything *but* rigid when locked down...I could go on. It's not a camera that I would recommend. Overpriced and underbuilt.
I wanted to move up to something top-notch, and seriously considered a Linhof Technika, but its movements and long-lens capability were not as flexible as I wanted. Then I discovered Ebony. After a lot of detailed questions to Jeff at Badger Graphic, I decided that the Ebony SV45U2 was what I was looking for, and I absolutely love it. Like you, I was originally looking for something with geared movements - the Ebony lacks geared movements (it does have geared focus) and there is no rotating back, but it is wonderful in so many ways that I honestly don't miss having these other features.
It will take lenses from 35mm (!) up to 800mm (tele), all with the same bellows. It has movements to rival a monorail. It is *very* rigid and stays in place without a hint of movement or looseness. It's beautifully made, with attention to every detail. And...it has those wonderful assymetric tilts!
Don't overlook the Ebony just because it lacks geared movements and rotating back. Give Jeff a call and he will explain the camera in detail to you. It's expensive, but well worth the price. I'm totally spoiled by mine, to the point that I can't imagine using a lesser view camera anymore.
You didn't say what you were going to use it for. You gonna be schlepping over mountains? Are you simply going to shoot from the road side? With the requirements you listed, you sound like you could use a lightweight monorail, like the Arca-Discovery or the Toyo VX...
Sorin,
I don't know why you won't consider a monorail for field use. Just because a camera rides on a rail does not automatically mean it is meant to be used indoors. Afterall, the lighest 4x5 "field" camera ever (the Gowland Pocket View - less than 2 lbs.) and the lightest currently avilable (Toho - 3 lbs.) are both monorail designs. Of course, these two models lack almost all the features you have on your list above (such niceties add a lot of weight to any camera - monorail or other), but I just wanted to illustrate that there are monorail designs specifically made for use in the field. In fact, given all the other niceties you prefer, I think a monorail may be your only choice. I know of no "field" (flat bed) camera with that particular combination of features. In fact, you aren't even likely to get all of those features in a monorail that's small enough and light enough to be used in the field - but you'll come closer than with any flat bed design.
As others have mentioned, the Arca Swiss F Line Metric (no rotating back, no geared tilts, but everything else on your list, and it folds up compactly and deploys quickly for use in the field) and the Toyo VX125 (no geared tilts) probably come closest to meeting the requirements you listed.
When it comes to wide angle use, other than the Canham DLC, any of the monorails are going to be better suited to the task than most field cameras. Many flat bed type field cameras CAN be used with ultrawide lenses, but it if often quite tedious. The Toyo VX125 is supposed to be good for wide angles, but you are limited on the long end, unless you buy a longer, non-collapseable rail and longer bellows. In terms of expandability, the Arca Swiss F Line wins hands down. However, the Arca accessories are EXPENSIVE (the cameras themselves are competitively priced).
Personally, I would not recommend the Wisner Pocket Expedition. I hate to say this, because I really appreciate the contributions Ron Wisner has made to the large format community. Plus, I have never actually used this camera in the field (so take this with a grain of salt). However, I have played with it on more than one occasion in camera stores and at swap meets. For me, this camera had way too many teeny, tiny knobs that are placed way too close together. Even in the warm comfort of the camera store, I could not get my fingers at all those little knobs. And, folding and unfolding the camera reminded me of a Chinese puzzle. I can't imagine trying to actually use this camera in the field where morning temps are often below freezing. I greatly prefer a camera like the Linhof Technikardan, Canham DLC or Arca Swiss F Line that can be operated easily while wearing gloves. The specs for the Pocket Expedition look good on paper, but unless you have much smaller fingers than I do (quite possible - I have X-large hands) and only shoot in a much warmer climate, I'd look elsewhere. Even though it's a little heavier, and lacks some of the geared movements, if you have your heart set on a Wisner, I'd recommend the Expedition of the non-"pocketable" variety.
Kerry
I really like my Linhof and highly recommend them. If you are going with a 65mm or there abouts I do recommend the focusing lens board but the 90mm works fine when dropping the bed. Cheers
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