What camera to shoot with out in the field when using HEAVY lenses?

[tmcsweeney]

I am wondering what is everybody using when they are shooting outside using a heavy brass lens? I currently have 2 studio cameras and they work fine for my CC Harrison and Voigtländer but I don’t think those lenses would work on most field cameras due to weight of lens and size of lens flange. I wouldn’t mind carrying the studio camera outside but what a pain in the A$$ trying to find something to set it up on, level, etc...... any thoughts or pictured of your setups with these heavy lenses

[Two23]

I have a c.1925 GUndlach Korona 5x7 (plus 4x5 back) that I use for my 12 in. Voightlander Petzval (5 pounds) and other large pre-Civil War lenses. It works well. It's a collapsible field camera design.


Kent in SD

[Peter De Smidt]

A sturdy monorail camera with a long enough monorail to build an xtra support for the lens, something that helps support the lens by resting between the bottom of the lens and the monorail. Or if you're not using movements, build a dedicated box camera.

[jp]

If you're doing 5x7 or 8x10, look for a Burke and James Rembrandt. 8x10 is not that common, but they are out there. Studio camera front, field camera back, goes on a tripod. Here's mine with a B&L Sigmar (big triplet) plus speed graphic shutter.

https://live.staticflickr.com/8142/7316268874_76ee7b714d_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/c9vMQN)
sigmaroutdoors (https://flic.kr/p/c9vMQN) by Jason Philbrook (https://www.flickr.com/photos/13759696@N02/), on Flickr

For 4x5, I use a speedgraphic preanniversary. The anniversary and preanniversary have less front standard adjustment and bigger lensboard than the later pacemaker and super models. I use Aero Ektar and a 9" f/4 soft focus glass on it.

[Jac@stafford.net]

Peter's suggestion is good. Another approach that I used was a Manfrotto super clamp on the leading tripod leg with an adjustable-length arm and a 'Y' shaped cradle under the heavy lens (a #7 Voightlander Euryscop). The telescoping rod permits rise/fall and to a lesser extent swing and shift. I can elaborate if you wish.

In an early, rather desperate attempt to support a heavy lens on a weak front standard, I tried this. Don't do the same. It's a b*tch in the field.

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[Leszek Vogt]

Like the set up, Jason. I'd add that one can get one of those (Manfrotto ?) flex arms, attach it to the tripod and it it will support a heavier lens.

Les

[Leszek Vogt]

Ha ha, Jac....we wrote pretty much the same thing at the same time.

[tmcsweeney]

Thanks for the suggestions. I have a chance to buy an older Kodak field camera with the large front standard and separate back extension. It definitely is not a lightweight camera, but I will be pulling all of my gear including pop up darkroom in a cart, so the weight doesn't bother me too much
The bellows seem good and it comes with numerous 8x10 film holders and accessories. Would an older camera like that require any modifications to utilize a more modern tripod?

[Jac@stafford.net]

Like the set up, Jason. I'd add that one can get one of those (Manfrotto ?) flex arms, attach it to the tripod and it it will support a heavier lens.

Les

Les, I have the Manfrotto 237HD heavy duty flex arm, but never tried it! It is certainly stout enough. Thank you so much for the nudge!

OP - look into the above.

[Jac@stafford.net]

Thanks for the suggestions. I have a chance to buy an older Kodak field camera ...

The bellows seem good and it comes with numerous 8x10 film holders and accessories. Would an older camera like that require any modifications to utilize a more modern tripod?

Which Kodak camera, and it is almost certain it will work with a modern tripod. (I would be more concerned about bellows light leaks.)

[Cameron Cornell]

Here is a 10” Wollensak Vitax on an 8x10 Kodak Master View. The camera is solid as a rock.

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192206

Here is a 13” Wollensak Vitax on a 7x11 Eastman View No. 2. This setup works fine, but I had to knock together a support for the lens. Overall, it isn’t as steady as the Master View.

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Here is a closeup showing the lens support...

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Cameron Cornell
Washington State
www.analogportraiture.com
www.instagram.com/papacornell

[tmcsweeney]

Its a KODAK 2D, Looks to be in pretty good condition. I have had some older field cameras where the bellows were roached beyond repair. It tested the bellows with a flashlight and they seem good.

[tmcsweeney]

wow.. awesome setups

[Jac@stafford.net]

[...]

Simple, elegant, profound. I'm going to copy your #2 solution for my own use. (I can engrave your name on it) Thanks for your contribution.

[Cameron Cornell]

It’s $13 in materials from the hardware store and a piece cut off the top of an old oak chair that I found broken on the side of the road.

Cameron

[Two23]

I'll add that when using my heaviest lens, I center the LENS over the tripod support and focus the camera by sliding the back on the rear rails.


Kent in SD

[Dan Fromm]

Um, about crutches, I use several. For a Cambo monorail, a Cambo standard with the function carrier -- this is the square piece that accepts lens board, bellows, back, ... - milled out. It supports a very heavy 900/10 Apo-Saphir. For a 2x3 Pacemaker Speed Graphic, a piece of acrylic that was, by chance, the right thickness on the front standard's crossbar. It supports a heavy 12"/4 TTH Telephoto. For my catastrophe of a Baby Bertha, an inexpensive lab jack. It sits between the rail -- 1" square Cambo SC -- and a 2x3 Graflex RB Ser. B. Many are the ways.

[Greg]

Very long time ago (if my memory serves me right) used an 8x10 Sinar Norma with a front 5x7 Sinar standard. 5x7 lens board custom made. Lens was a 16" f/3.8 Wollensak Vitax (Petzval) in a studio shutter. Whole camera/lens rock solid on a Linhof Heavy Duty Tripod. Always regret getting rid of that optic, but at the time a 14” (350mm) f/7.7 GOERTZ DOUBLE-ANASTIGMAT in a #5 Ilex more fit to the subject matter that I was shooting.

[Mark Crabtree]

I did something sort of similar to Cameron's approach on his Eastman. But I had a Deardorff and new 16" Vitax I wanted to try. That is one heavy lens, way heavier than a Dallmeyer 3a. I made a support bed out of a piece of plywood with a block of wood shaped to support the lens out at the end. This bolts to the tripod head and is effectively the mounting plate for the camera. It worked out better than I could have imagined and was just scrap wood I had laying around. The only cutting I did was shaping the support block for the lens. Ideally I would have made the bed a few inches longer, but this piece of plywood was just sitting around and very close to the perfect size.

I do regularly use this setup on location (portraits), but would not be hiking with this gear, even without the bulky bed.

[tgtaylor]

I regularly use a 14" Wollensak Veritar which is a front loading lens on my Toyo 810MII field camera without any problem at all - just make sure that the tilt locks are firmly set.

Thomas

[Drew Bedo]

I have a Wista DX45. I do not use "heavy " lenses.

[Robert Opheim]

I broke a front standard on a old wood camera 8x10 camera I had (it was similar to a Kodak 2-D) with a 12 Inch Wollensak Velostigmat series II - which is by no means the heaviest lens. I now use a Calument black beast 8x10

[jmontague]

I always wondered if this would work for LF. Maybe 4x5, but 8x10?

https://www.amazon.com/FOTGA-Telephoto-Release-Long-Focus-Support/dp/B07DDFY3DZ


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