a possible bastard ARCA 8x10?

[mortensen]

as the urge to go down the 8x10 route continues to haunt me, so does the eternal, fun camera research.

It can come as no surprise that I find an Arca 8x10 metric w/orbix to be the candidate - portable, versatile, rigid, precise. What's not to like?
... well, the price tag - I simply won't ever spend that amount of money on a camera, even if I had it.

So, having read a bit on precisioncameraworks.com and happily revisiting Joseph's outstanding 'Arca Irish', I thought going down that route would be ideal for me:
- spend the dough on a F metric front frame and function carrier w/micrometic orbix (and the 'extender' to lift the frame)
- buy an old 4x5 Arca model C (or similar) for the rail and back carrier
- pick up a Sinar or Cambo 8x10 back and build the frame using help from my friends... one has a CNC-machine, the other develops and produces prototypes for the pharmaceutical industry. I'm an architect myself and have a lot of experience working with 2D/3D CAD.
- order bellows-to-measure from custombellows

But can it be done? And what are the pitfalls?... please enlighten me!

short note about how I work:
- I'm quite sure that my lenses for 8x10 would be within the 150-360mm range only. So I wouldn't need too long a rail.
- I shoot mostly architecture, so I need plenty of front movements. Geared front tilt seems essential, although I know a lot of you will find it total overkill. for the back, horizontal shifts should be sufficient for me.

thanks,
lars

[jb7]

Thank you Lars-

Bastard Arca has a nice ring to it, and the assonance of the title should be enough to convince you to make it.

There's no real problem associated with the strategy you've outlined, in fact, as far as DIY 8x10's go, it's so simple and obvious, it's probably cheating.

So get the bits, and off you go...
Of course, if you could find a full 4x5 F-Line, all the better, you could use that to provide extra extension on the front, should you ever need it.

All the best-


Joseph

[Frank Petronio]

You could just absorb a little extra weight and use an off-the-shelf, relatively inexpensive Sinar that simply works. Certainly a fine Arca system might shave a little weight and bulk but you might want to check to see exactly how much. I bet it is only 10-20% if that, and it is much more versatile, easy to find parts for, and not nearly as expensive.

[mortensen]

I'm actually not too obsessed with weight and you do a good job as an ambassador of Sinar practicalities, Frank
My 'problem' is, that I've gone from a woodie to Linhof... very hard to backtrack on mechanical quality! And the Sinar F I've toyed with briefly, was not in the Linhof legue. I know they are fine cameras used by countless pro's, but the F's front standard is - as far as I've read - not really suited for 8x10 architectural work, since you use almost all the front rise on just 'zeroing' the standards. That would leave me with (too) limited front movements and a wobbly front. Also, geared front tilt would be really nice!... those 8x10 shooters always talk about front tilt to optimize focus, right?

[John Schneider]

I wouldn't even call such a camera a "bastard," you're just combining Arca parts from different vintages to get the best of each vintage. In an analogy that probably only makes sense to American hot-rodders of a certain age, it's like putting a vintage 427 side-oiler in a new Mustang chassis. It's still a Ford, and a very fast one at that.

I've done just this several times in 8x10, 4x10, and 5x12; and Kerry T. has done so in 4x10 and 7x17. Kerry has nice pics of his conversion if you search here. I'm in fact cleaning out some (I made three) of my older 8x10 conversions (one with an older model A rear function carrier and format frame and one with a modern F), and I can give you the details before putting them in the FS section here, sometime in the next few weeks.

[mortensen]

sounds great - please keep me posted!

btw, where can one actually order a F-line metric front only ? looking at Robert White, Badger, magasin Arca etc no one list it separately.

[Frank Petronio]

There is a Sinar F front end made for 8x10 with longer risers, and it is solid. Of course P or a Norma would be even better.

Only 4x5 but Years ago I swapped an Arca Discovery for a Sinar Norma without missing a beat, only slightly larger.

Given how little an 8x10 might get used, I'd factor the price and time ahead of other concerns!

[John Schneider]

btw, where can one actually order a F-line metric front only ? looking at Robert White, Badger, magasin Arca etc no one list it separately.

You can always buy it new (ouch!). I found mine from Kerry, who bought it new; Lensfielders* had one for sale until recently.

*This is an online used store run by the wife of the US Arca rep, so they get a lot of used Arca gear you wouldnt find anywhere else (http://lensfielders.com/category/arca-swiss/).

[mortensen]

thanks, John - seems like a good place to look!

[Frank Petronio]

You saw Eric's recent ad for the 810 Arca mod?