Toyo ROBOS and bigger formats

[hypermanual]

Hello everyone,

I have recently grown interest in the Toyo ROBOS camera. If I'm not mistaken, it's the only LF camera model from Toyo that has geared tilts. One of the brochures that I found told me, there were multiple format options offered, namely 4x5, 5x7 and 8x10. However, I have never seen this camera in configuration different than 4x5, and on this forum I saw some comments saying that Toyo had never offered ROBOS-type rear standards in bigger formats.

Regardless if the above is true or not, I started wondering if I could combine ROBOS parts with G parts to build a 5x7/8x10 camera with geared tilt in the front. I assume ROBOS is compatible with the rest of the Toyo monorail system, and I can take the rail, rail clamp and front standard from ROBOS, plus back standard from 57 or 810 G. Has anyone here tried something like that?

All the Best

[tgtaylor]

I may be wrong in this, but I think that all you would need to go from 4x5 format to, say 8x10 with the ROBOS would be an 8x10 rear standard, bellows, and probably the G type tripod clamps. The ROBOS and G are modular cameras with their main components being interchangeable.

[Neal Chaves]

I have been a Robos user for years and like them very much. The story is that Sinar sued for patent infringement after the first run of 4X5 cameras and the 5X7 and 8X10 components were never produced. If needed, the Robos front standard could go on my Toyo 8X10 G

[B.S.Kumar]

The ROBOS was never sold in any format other than 4x5. But components are interchangeable, and one could have a ROBOS front standard and G rear standard.

Kumar

[hypermanual]

Thank you all for the replies.

Not sure if it would be worth doing, but I'm also wondering, is it possible to detach the U frame from one base and plop into a different base, for example to have the G 5x7 frame on top of a ROBOS base or GX tilting base? Are toyo standards modular like the Arca Swiss F/M counterparts?

[B.S.Kumar]

Toyo G, GII, GX and Robos standards are interchangeable in that they can be used with the same rails, bellows and backs. However, the U frame is attached to the rail clamp, and cannot be separated like on the Sinar P & P2 cameras.

Kumar