A dream 8x10" LF camera setup for environmental portraiture

[Leonard Robertson]

A link I ran across last week on Avedon's cameras:
http://lifeslittleadventures.typepad...edon-ye-2.html

I'm a long-time lover of wooden cameras - 5X7 Deardorff, 8X10 Eastman 2D, 8X10 Ansco. But a couple of weeks ago, I got a 4X5 Sinar Norma, and the little bit I've played with it, I can see why it is such a cult camera. The fast coarse focus, precise fine focus, and movements that lock down securely are wonderful. I doubt I'll ever afford the 8X10 format change kit for it, so the Eastman will no doubt be used if an 8X10 urge comes on me. If you do decide on an Eastman, try to get one which includes the add-on rear extension rail. I don't recall the maximum focal length you can use without the rear rail. I suspect a 14" will work, but I don't know how close it will focus. The 8X10 Ansco has a built-in rear extension track which is handy, and also built-in front tilt, something the Eastman lacks.

Len

[Joel Brown]

deardorff/14" commercial ektar


done and done

I second that!

[Leonard Robertson]

While looking through the group archives for info on the care and feeding of my new Norma, I've come across posts on the Agfa/Ansco that may be worth reading:
http://www.largeformatphotography.in...ad.php?t=14888
http://www.largeformatphotography.in...ad.php?t=16162
http://www.largeformatphotography.in...ad.php?t=45051
http://www.largeformatphotography.in...ad.php?t=41386
Some of the posts are more oriented toward 5X7 Anscos, but are relevant to the 8X10 version. I'm certainly not arguing against any of the other cameras mentioned by previous posters, but if you run across the right Agfa or Ansco 8X10, it may be worth your consideration. A few advantages of the Agfa/Ansco:
Fast setup- The lens can be left on the folded camera, the tailboard dropped down and locked in place with quick turn of the lock knob, then the rear standard racked back and you are ready to focus. Some people say speed doesn't matter with view cameras, but with fading evening light or some people situations, fast set up can be important.
Most (but not all) Agfa/Anscos have built-in front tilt movement which is important in getting the foreground sharp (if you want it sharp). Eastmans lack this feature. There are rare front tilt lensboards for 2Ds, and 2Ds can be modified for front tilt, but with most Agfa/Anscos, the tilt is already included. 2Ds can achieve front tilt by using back tilt and front rise. Maybe a 2D owner can comment on that. It may give as much tilt as is needed for most situations.
A/As have the rear extension track built in, rather than an add-on piece. I think this tends to make them sturdier at longer extensions. The down side is, I believe most won't give quite the extension length of a 2D with its add-on track. There is a version of the A/A 8X10 with both built in extension track and an add on track, but I don't think these are easily found.
A warning about the later model gray/grey (http://www.greyorgray.com/) painted Anscos - some or all used a plastic material for bellows that hardens with age. Makes it difficult to get max. bellows draw and use the movements, and eventually leads to pinholes in the bellows corners. An earlier version with leather bellows would probably be a better choice, unless the gray one has had a new bellows sometime in life.

Final thought, since most of your work is people photography - I suspect your subjects will have a more positive reaction to being shot with an old-looking wooden camera than a modern looking metal one. Most folks won't know a Deardorff from an Eastman from an apple crate, but they will think the wooden looking whatever is way cool. Maybe not an important thing, but I suspect it may be.

Len

[jnantz]

hi nicole

i think frank said it all in this post:

You see a lot of people suggesting the Kodak Commercial Ektar 14" f/6.3 lens from the ~1950s. The reason is because this lens will produce a traditional, classic sharp image with a quality best described as "smoothness" - as opposed to modern lenses that will be very sharp and are sometimes described as "clinical" or "harsh" in comparison.

I usually shy away from using vague and subjective descriptions like smooth versus harsh but in this case I have owned the older soft portrait lenses (like Veritos), Commercial Ektars, and modern Rodenstocks and Schneiders... and I have found it to be true. The Commercial Ektars are "just right" at being sharp enough not to be noticed as being affected or as part of a style or genre. They just make darn good photographs.

It also helps that these lenses sell for $350 to $500 USd and they are reliable and not too bulky. The downside is the larger #5 ACME shutter they are mounted in only has a top speed of 1/50th on a good day. And they use an odd Series-filter thread (not metric but close to 72mm). The slow shutter speed can put you into having to use Neutral Density filters if you want to shoot at open apertures in bright conditions like you might have in OZ.

You can go softer-grungier like Sally Mann, etc. but I think that sometimes detracts from the image itself and simply furthers the style over content. The Ektar just "gets out of the way" of the image, unlike a lot of lenses that shout, "Yoh this is a VeriBrass$$$LumoLux kind of shot".

It strikes me as odd that intelligent people will spend thousands of dollars on some lens to make their 8x10 film photographs look like they were done with a broken Holga and processed by a drunk onto blotchy paper full of scratches but trends are trends ;-p

As for the cameras, you may find yourself trying a few or adapting to whatever you buy and just living with it. To me, a Deardorff is a worthless contraption with painfully small knobs, sloppy gearing, and shaky standards barely able to hold the lens. But to many photographers the Deardorff is a wonderful tool, the pinnacle of photography... And i am proven wrong once again.

Except that both the woodies and monorail camps all like the 14" Commercial Ektar ;-p You won't find many photographers who don't like it.

i think any camera sets up fast.
the more you use a 8x10 camera the easier it is to use
and set up ( pretty much like anything else ) .
i've never used a commercial ektar but it seems like a great choice.

if you don't like whatever camera / lens you buy, you can always sell it/ them
and buy a new one/s.

if you can find one, a gowland 8x10 would be perfect.

have fun !
john

[Hyok Kim]

I think Sally Mann used a Toyo 810MII field camera, quite heavy. My dream camera would be the Arca Swiss 8x10 camera, very light smooth and precise. I would have to win the Lotto to buy it, though. Kim Weston uses the Arca Swiss.

Jon

What is your working camera? Btw. Awesome photos in your sites. However, I can see the point made by contact printing enthusiasts. Your pictures looked better when in small size, when enlarged they lose the 3 dimensional perspective.

[Hyok Kim]

That may be the math but here are some f/8 - f/11 portraits done with the 14" Commercial Ektar. At ~full length, moderate distance they don't look too self-consciously short-focused like a hipster's photos using some of the speed lenses like Aero-Ektars or 150mm Xenotars.

Mr.Petronio, what was the distance? and the ambient light condition? Shutter speed? and did you use zone system on those models?

[Hyok Kim]

Here is one made with a 450mm lens, at a moderate distance from the subject. The depth of field at f/19 is several inches: just enough to keep the whole figure in focus: from her toes to her hair.

I'm not saying that wonderful portraits can't be done with 8x10 - just trying to inform the OP about the "parameters" so to speak.

What was the distance?

[aluncrockford]

Just to add to the recommendation of the Deardorff and 360 lens, though any tessar lens should be fine, the advantage using the Deardorff is twofold, not only is it very easy to use with back and front focus which is very instinctive, it also captures the attention of the sitter, the reaction from the subject is completely different to that of any other camera the Deardorff makes the sitter feel important as does the connection you get from having both you and the subject having to concentrate so much to get the picture. Although bearing no relation to your work the link shows how straightforward it is to shoot 10x8 portraits on the deardorff

http://aluncrockford.com/wordpress/?p=87

[Drew Bedo]

What about one of the lighter weight modern models from Richard Ritter? Is a new camera out of the question?

[E. von Hoegh]

What about one of the lighter weight modern models from Richard Ritter? Is a new camera out of the question?

The advantage of the Deardorff for portraits, is that it has rear focus adjustment. Unless the Ritter has this, it will be hard to focus unless you have bizarrely long arms.

The Deardorff is like the Mauser bolt action, there are many "improvements" to the original design that aren't really improvements.