I currently have a Burke&James 8x10 Field Camera (Red Bellows) and it's way to heavy for me.
- Almost only shoot with a 210mm lens.
- Mostly in the field, could be some rough weather sometimes.
- I don't need much movements nor extension (even if much movements could be nice)
- I need a lightweigh body
What are my alternatives?
Thank you!
If you can fork out 4k - Chamonix 8x10 would do the trick
Almost any 8x10 flat bed or field camera would be lighter. The Folmer & Schwing Universal is by far the lightest of the flat bed cameras and has the most movements. A Tachihara is relatively light, as is the Wehman if you want a newer camera. Even a Kodak 2D is lighter than the B&J.
Of course it depends on how light you want to go and how much you want to spend.
Wehman is excellent. That's what I use. He made a lightweight version which was the standard version with lots of holes drilled in the aluminum shell. I have the standard model which weighs ~8 pounds. The litweight is ~1 pound lighter.
A Canham lightweight would be a good choice and is available new.
My choice were I buying now would be a Ritter 8x10 which is the lightest available (~6.5 pounds), has good bellows options, and has asymmetrical rear swing which I could never understand until I started using it. I would not want an 8x10 without it now. Makes focusing so much easier. Ritter has a DVD you can buy showing the use of his cameras.
The Gowland is one of the lightest I know of.
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White
Been there with the B&J as my first 8x10. Jerold & John's advice is similar to mine. Used Wehman's show up at about $1800 or so. My pick is the Canham metal 8x10 light & instinctive to use.
Good luck.
Mike
“You can’t have everything. Where would you put it?”
or $3050 plus shipping if you buy it new from the manufacturer.Originally Posted by SergeiR
Thanks! Allright, how about the Zone IV Ultralight? 3-4k is too much, but maybe 1,5-2k. I dont mind buying used gear.
I had a back fusion so lightweight but sturdy is very important to me. I purchased a used Wehman for $1500 and really like it. For a landscape camera it has plenty of movements and folds up into a protective clam shell.
You can look at the Wehman website for info. Bruce is no longer making new cameras and they don't come up on the used market often.
Did you look into Argentum cameras? While I don't have any personal experience with them, they seem to be well built and some models meet all of your criteria, including the price for a new one. Just check out http://www.argentumcamera.com. I believe there's also a review about the factory on french site www.galerie-photo.com.
Frank
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