Ebony or Gandolfi, That is the question

[jdurr]

Advise please.

Experiences and/or opinions for the Gandolfi vs the Ebony

Thanks

[Tin Can]

Ebony

[Jeff Keller]

I have no experience with either in 8x10 size. Only a little experience with Ebony SV57U.

Looking at a picture of a newer Gandolfi (https://www.anatomyfilms.com/gandolfi-large-format/) I think you could be very happy with either.

My limited experience with Ebony Cameras is that they increase the size of everything depending upon the size of the film format. A 5x7 uses increased sizes to keep it just as rigid as a 4x5.

From the picture of the Gandolfi, perhaps the biggest difference is that both the front and back of an Ebony are mounted on rails and can be extended out. It appears the Gandolfi can only extend the front. The Ebony Cameras have fairly strong detents for axial tilt. It isn't clear whether the Gandolfi also has detents.

Hope you enjoy whichever you get ...

[Oren Grad]

Hard to make a blanket statement - both Ebony and Gandolfi offered a range of very different designs. What features or other attributes are you looking for in a camera?

[Mark Sampson]

Finding an example of either one might be difficult- both cameras were made in small numbers and are long out of production. By all accounts, both are very high-quality machines. It's hard to say which might be better, as that may depend upon your intended use.