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Thread: wood

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Jun 2001
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    348

    wood

    Is the wood used in camera construction a major factor to take into consideratio n when purchasing a camera? Or are the visual characteristics and weight of the wood the only considerations in that regard. I've seen some ebony canes fron afr ica and they seemed as strong as steel and very heavy too..I dont know if I woul d like to haul that kind of weight even for the strength of it.Rosewood is prett y tough too and cherry and mahogony seem on the lighter side. What are the real differences between the various woods or are they just cosmetic? I wonder also w hy rock maple isn't used for cameras? Thanks E.D.L.

  2. #2

    Join Date
    Nov 1999
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    740

    wood

    I'm no tree expert, but I've been really impressed with the quality of the Ebony I use. I understand that ebony is a very hard wood but the Ebony cameras are very lightweight, but this is down to design I think. From what I gather, ebony is very straight grained and therefore doesn't flex like other woods? Regards

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Sep 1998
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    Loganville , GA
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    wood

    Wista uses cherry, rosewood and bony for their wood cameras.

    Cherry is by far the lightest.

    Rosewood and ebony are quite a bit heavier and ebony is the heaviest.

    Ebony, being a tropical tree is also best suited to use in humid/wet areas.

  4. #4

    wood

    At some level, there are real differences between different types of woods. According to Wisner, for example, American Black Cherry and Honduran Mahogany have the best shrink ratios as well as other favorable engineering characteristics that make them more suitable for LF camera construction. It may be equally important, however, to focus on how the wood is selected, stored, milled, joined, and finished.

    How important are these differences and should they effect your decision to buy a particular camera? IMHO these characteristics play only a small role in sorting out cameras, particularly if you are choosing between Winser, Phillips, Ebony, Wista or another high-end manufacturer.

    .................................

  5. #5

    Join Date
    Sep 2000
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    Farmington, MI
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    wood

    I believe Ebony is an endangered tree, we really shouldn't make cameras out of it.

  6. #6

    wood

    David, you are talking about old growth trees found in the wild. Reputable manufacturers use trees that are plantation grown specifically for harvesting the wood. This includes not only ebony, but also many other woods such as mahogany, teak, etc.

  7. #7

    wood

    In regards to which type of wood most of the sensible options have already been mentioned. As for the weight of the camera, you will not notice much difference between say Ebony and Cherry because of the small amount of wood actually present and the type of metal used in the construction can easily offset this factor. As for shrinkage or expansion, any of these woods if properly selected based upon grain direction and grain orientation during construction can be properly finished (as most manufactures do)that will prevent the wood from shrinking or expanding to a noticeable degree. The final important aspect to take into consideration is one's ability to maintain the camera so as to prevent the wood from becoming cracked which would then possibly permit shrinkage(due to drying in a hot climate) or expansion (due to mositure).

    Regards

  8. #8

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    wood

    "As for the weight of the camera, you will not notice much difference between say Ebony and Cherry"

    Wista DX Cherry = 59.5 oz Wista DX Rosewood = 72 oz Wista DX Ebony = 74 oz.

    About 20% difference between Cherry and Ebony but minimal difference between Rosewood and Ebony.

    All features and fittings are the same between these 3 cameras.

  9. #9

    Join Date
    Jun 2001
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    348

    wood

    I was at a wholesale import trade show(NYC) for my business and at an African dealer there was a considerable amount of ebony wood carvings/products etc. Some heavier pieces like canes and sculptures CHEAP....I was surprised so...I wonder if the exaulted prices (cameras) are for the wood itself or the difficulty in working it or most likly...a imaginativly percieved luxury wood that is not really as expensive as we would like to believe. Although it's the heaviest/toughest wood I've seen... except maybe ironwood... and probably more expensive to ship in quantity.Maybe...

  10. #10
    Yes, but why? David R Munson's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 1999
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    Saitama, Japan
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    1,494

    wood

    Another previous thread concerning wood choice can be found <a href="http://hv.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl? msg_id=005tWo"here</a> (http://hv.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch- msg.tcl?msg_id=005tWo). Ebony, cherry, etc are all good woods and each has its advantages and disadvantages for a camera-building material. I won't get started on the issue, but conservation is an important thing to keep in mind when considering the different woods used.

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