With respect to rigidity, is there an advantage/disadvantage/no difference to an ARCA F-line 8x10 over a good folder?
Alex
With respect to rigidity, is there an advantage/disadvantage/no difference to an ARCA F-line 8x10 over a good folder?
Alex
depends on the folder. I've found folders that extend out from the back and the front(so the weight on the head is more centered) to be the best designs, especially if one uses long lenses(like a 24" or bigger). Heavier lenses(such as a 24, 30 or bigger Artar/Ronar) weigh a good bit, so they need some more support to keep them from swaying so much.
Arca's are kind of a "system" IMO, like the Sinar cameras. Lots of interchangeable parts, and very convertible to other formats. However, they're expensive, but so are Ebonys.
However, where there's a will, there's a way. Lots of people have talked about the KMV's(Kodak Master 8x10) and wooden Deardorffs not being "stable" at full extension. From my experience, having owned one(sold it), and now have another one(and selling this one), they're great cameras. Just not my style for my work. They're VERY robust. Not as lightweight as an F-Line Arca, but they're great field cameras, and you don't have to worry about really "damaging" the camera, cause its a metal box when closed up.
I use a Calumet C-1 now for my 8x10/4x5 work, its a totally different design, but its solid as a rock, but its heavy, very heavy.
-Dan
One of the nice things about an Arca or other monorail system camera is that you can add a heavier base rail (or with a Sinar/Cambo/Toyo a secondary rail clamp) and "build" an even stiffer camera.
My hunch is that the Arca will be superior to any wooden camera, especially in different humidity conditions, but only you can test and compare your own set-ups. There is no governing body for standards on any of this and usually people that drop $5000 for a camera are utterly convinced that theirs is the absolute best. Rather like college alumni love the school they hated as an undergrad ;-p
I'd watch for some sort of get-together of large format photographers in your region and attend, then you can see several nice cameras first-hand as there are no real retail shops left that stock all the best stuff in a hands-on location. Or just message someone with an Arca and an Ebony that you find here, most people are really helpful like that.
I've never used a wood folder, but I did use an Arca F-Metric 8x10 and it was very rigid. The only other 8x10 camera I have used extensively is a Canham JMC metal folding camera, which was a joke in comparison. I also (briefly) owned a KMV and it was somewhere in between--better than the Canham but not as rigid as the Arca.
I would imagine that studio monorails may be similar to the Arca in rigidity or perhaps better, but they're much heavier and larger.
The Toyo metal folder, the 810MII, was also quite rigid when I saw one at a shop, but it's big and heavy as well.
If I were going to shoot 8x10 again, buget permitting, it would be with an Arca.
My Phillips folder is lightweight, but I have no vibration problem even with a 600mm lens. If my Sinar was racked out that far I'd want two tripod support clamps for sure. Never used an Arca.
I had an older style Arca 8x10 and it was solid - weighed about 13 pounds too. Not sure what the F-Line 8x10 weighs, but it must be less. I have a 4x5 F-line metric and it is rock solid. It is no ultralight but not a complete pig either.
I used to have an 8x10 Toyo field camera. That thing was a beast, a Ford F750 of a camera. However, the movements are slightly limiting as is the bellows length. I recall it weighed ~15 pounds.
For 8x10, I ended up with a Wehman that weighs about 8.4 pounds. My longest lens is a Fujinon 600C. The heaviest lens I use is a Rodenstock apo-Sironar W 210. It handles both easily and has more than enough bellows extension for the 600. If I recall, the 8x10 standard Arca bellows is just 500mm so you might need the long bellows plus a bag bellows if you routinely use wide and long lenses on the Arca.
You really can't go wrong with an Arca. To me the only drawbacks are relative - it is a little heavy; it does not have a universal bellows for wide and long lenses; it is expensive; and depending on its configuration it can be somewhat of a pain to pack securely. My Wehman for example pack into a secure aluminum shell with ground glass protected and is a perfect shape for packing.
Although I have never seen one in person, I would be looking at a Ritter if I were shopping today. Come to think of it I do need a backup. The Ritter has a long bellows and rails. It weighs just 6.4 pounds which is lighter than many 4x5's. It can close up with lens attached (I think it can take a Fujinon 450C closed, but not certain what the max size of the attached lens is for storage), uses a synthetic ground glass for durability, and appear to be rigid. You can also buy it configured for interchangeable bellows if you want to use a bag bellows. Looks like reducing backs are available for 4x10, 5x7, 4x5, etc.
I don't know of an 8x10 wooden folding camera that will be as rigid as an Arca F. If I had the money, I'd have an Arca.
“You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
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Next time you are in an airliner, watch how far up and down the wings flex on landing.Originally Posted by John Kasaian
I think rigidity is overrated. My Deardorff is nowhere near as rigid as an all-metal monorail, yet it produces incredibly sharp negatives when used with an incredibly sharp lens. When used with a less-than-incredibly-sharp lens, it produces less-than-incredibly-sharp negatives.
One man's Mede is another man's Persian.
I like rigidity but the entire system has be solid, especially the tripod and head. Most people go too light on the sticks imho.
A good design like the Deardorff can flex but it will return to a stable, consistent position but you do have to check and tighten every joint. I have had crummier cameras that couldn't hold a position or would shift when loading the holder, etc. and that is what drives me towards the heavier stuff. With an Arca-Linhof-Sinar you don't have to tighten the joints you aren't using ;-p
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