Opinions wanted - Easiest 4x5 field camera to focus.

[Tin Can]

Im looking pretty strongly at the FA, do you find you have enough rails using a 210mm for headshots? Other than the screen thats the only thing im worried about.

A FA must have more extension than an HD, as the FA has the rear movements. I just measured my HD and I get 10.5 inches from FP to front of my 8mm top hat lens board. I need a top hat lensboard with a Copal 1 shutter and the 210 mm f5,6 Caltar II-N which gives me a full head on 4x5. But that lens will not fold inside.

I usually have a 150mm F6.3 Calter II-E with a filter mounted and that folds inside my HD nicely.

I'm not against a FA and I want one, but the lens boards are a limit and the hole in the camera behind the lens board is another. The above 210mm just fits through that hole. Some here have written of making the internal camera hole larger and mounting the rear lens element from inside the camera. A 120 SW Nikkor would need this treatment.

[Leonard Robertson]

Ryan - You might also do a bit of research on Super Graphics. They have pretty good front movements and most importantly for you - a revolving back. You seem to do as many verticals as horizontals and with a Super you can change the orientation of the back without having to remove it, so it is fast to change. Here is a video on the Super G:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HpYQ-tLqhk

Bellows draw is about 300mm, so with a 210mm lens you should be able to focus fairly close. I don't doubt the Horseman is a really nice camera, probably better than the Super G in many ways. But comparing the two on eBay, the Super seems less than half the price of the Horseman FA. Maybe the back movements are worth the difference in cost. But you buy a lot of film for the difference in price.

PM me if you want to meet up sometime when I'm in Spokane and I can bring along a Super so you can do a hands-on. Also have a Linhof Technika IV I can bring if you are curious about those.

Len

[Richard Wasserman]

I can't speak to headshots as I've never tried. I just measured my FA at maximum extension including the back movements and it's about 11 inches. A top hat board would add a bit more. Is that enough for what you want to do?

Im looking pretty strongly at the FA, do you find you have enough rails using a 210mm for headshots? Other than the screen thats the only thing im worried about.

[DG 3313]

I have a Sinar F 2 with the standard GG. It's light (in weight) with a ton of movements.....easy to focus.....

+1! L

[Thomas Greutmann]

I have been through a number of field cameras (Wista, Chamonix, Speed/Crown Graphic, Technika) but I haven't really noticed any difference, focusing wise. I found all pretty much equal in that respect. Tons of other differences of course, but not in focusing.

As others have pointed out, a bright screen makes a big difference. And you might want to check out a reflex viewer. That is really a big composition and focusing help for me. I am wearing glasses and I really have troubles viewing everything correctly under the darkcloth, but a reflex viewer solves that problem for me.

Greetings, Thomas