What is the lightest 4x5 field camera with a rotating back?

[nicemate1]

Does anyone know which one is the lightest 4x5 field / folding camera that has a rotating back ?
Thank you !
Pietro

[diversey]

Tachihara 4x5 might be the lightest filed camera with landscape and portrait orientations.

[LabRat]

A Busch Pressman is very light with a RB (for a press camera with some movements)...

Steve K

[rbiemer]

The Intrepid is 900 grams--body alone--don't know how that compares to other cameras.

Rob

[Doremus Scudder]

Does anyone know which one is the lightest 4x5 field / folding camera that has a rotating back ?
Thank you !
Pietro

Pietro,

Do you really need a revolving back? Most field cameras have removable backs that can be mounted in either landscape or portrait orientation (horizontal or vertical). Getting somewhere in-between is usually done with the side-to-side tilt on the tripod head. Any camera with a truly rotating back will be larger and heavier and won't necessarily enable intermediate positioning of the back since many of them vignette the corners when the back is somewhere intermediate between horizontal and vertical.

If you can live without the rotating back, there are a lot of choices for lightweight wooden folding field cameras. The lightest camera I own is a Woodman, but I mostly use Wista DX cameras. The Chamonix cameras are worth looking at as well as the Tachihara and Shen Hao cameras too IM-HO.

Best,

Doremus

[xkaes]

Gowland made some 4x5 models and at least one was extremely light. I believe it was called the Gowland Pocket 4x5 or something like that. It may or may not have had a "rotating" back. From the ads I've seen, it was little more than a bellows!

And, as pointed out, "rotating" needs to be defined. Most use it for a back that can be turned without being removed -- such as with The Mamiya RB (Rotating Back) 67. Many LF cameras have backs that are flipped, instead of rotated -- accomplishing the same thing. Perhaps we need better terms.

[Bruce Watson]

Does anyone know which one is the lightest 4x5 field / folding camera that has a rotating back ?

If you want really, really, light weight, look at the Toho FC-45X. Does it have a rotating back? Yes and no. You can certainly use it to make horizontal and vertical photographs. But the whole bellows assembly rotates, not just the back. You'll find it's better to decide what you are trying to do *before* you set up the camera. It's easy enough to change after you've set things up, but not quite as easy as a true rotating back. But it's half the weight of a camera with a rotating back, so... tradeoffs.

The Toho is an ideal backpacking camera IMHO. I loved mine, that's for sure.

[morecfm]

I have a Horseman HF without a rotating back but the newer FA and HD, I think, have backs that can be removed and reinserted in either orientation. My HF has tripod mounts on the "side" of the case that I use for portrait orientation. This camera is light enough for me and appears to be a rugged package, especially when folded up.

[xkaes]

If you want really, really, light weight, look at the Toho FC-45X.

I'm glad you love your TOHO. I love my TOKO -- no relation -- which is heavier than yours. But there are several cameras that are a half a pound, or more, LIGHTER than your TOHO, and my TOKO.

I guess that they would qualify as "really, really, REALLY light weight" -- and they fold up "really, really, REALLY easy".

[Alan9940]

To my mind, a rotating back generally equals weight because most with this feature fall around 6 lbs. I love my Toho for backpacking. Couple that camera with Nikkor M lenses and you can trek anywhere!

Good luck!