What field camera to purchase?

[anna perkins]

hi. i am looking into buying a large format camera this month and have been doing quite a bit of research. i know how the cameras i have looked at differ in purpose and materials, but now i would like to get some feedback on what lasts, what works, and what camera(s) are preferred. so basically i want your scoop on what you use and why.

i want a wood 4x5 field camera. i will shoot a wide range of subject matter-from small still lifes to landscapes. the movements are important to me, so are the bellows length. these are the camera companies i have narrowed it down to:

-canham
-ebony
-gandolfi
-wisner

any feedback what be much appreciated. thanks!!

[Brian Ellis]

Which models? Ebony makes a whole bunch of different models, Wisner made a whole bunch when they were still in business, and Canham and Gandolfi make several as well though not as many as Ebony and Wisner.

[Frank Petronio]

Do a search for Wisner regarding customer support. You can eliminate that one right away unless you get a smoking great deal on a good used one.

If you are in the USA, Canham is made here and you can talk to the man who designs and builds them, so I consider that a nice advantage.

But the Canhams, Ebonies, and Gandolfis are all fine cameras -- the subtle differences that makes one person favor one over the other usually come only after you use a camera for a spell -- which is why so many people trade cameras around on this forum. That and the usual (mostly male) gearheaded equipment lust and keeping up with the Joneses...

If you identify the range of lenses you might use it will help you narrow the decision making process down. But if you stick to mainstream 90 to 240 lenses the mainstream cameras will all work well with them. The superwides and 300+ longer lenses tend to push you towards one design or the other.

Ebony makes a good basic all arounder called the RW -- get the one with the special bag bellows on the end -- I think it is in the $1700 range -- not the top of the line but a very nice camera. The Canham will be larger but maybe more versatile down the road. Both will hold their value.

The Gandolfis are rare in the USA but perhaps a Brit will chime in with their glories.

Don't overlook the Walker from the UK that people praise a lot - but it isn't really made of wood ;)

[Ron Marshall]

Frank has given you very good advice below.

I will only add that if I had to choose a wooden field camera it would be the Canham.

But selecting a camera is a very personal choice. One persons dream camera is anothers also ran. Try to get to a workshop to try a few different models before you buy. But if that is not possible it is no great hindrance since there is a lively market in used LF gear and it should be possible to sell most cameras with only a minor loss.

The Canham is versatile, well built and still in production. It is a 5x7 with a 4x5 back. There is a 4x10 bellows/back conversion kit available for a reasonable price. It can handle a wide range of focal lengths. I could say much more but you should see the link below to a review of the Canham on this site:

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/canham/canham.html

[Michael Heald]

Hello! The Tachihara is great for field work. I think it may be the lightest one around. So, if you plan to backbpack to your sites and weight is an issue, the Tachihara is a good one. Best regards.

Mike

[Capocheny]

Anna,

You shouldn't exclude the Shen-Hao line from consideration... for the dollar, they are still one of the best on the market.

If you have LOTS of money available... IMHO, the Ebony line are beautiful cameras made from beautiful, exotic woods. Lots of users love them.

Cameras are really quite personal and you should keep in mind that the first camera you buy may not be the one that you'll keep. Camera have their own unique character and personality quirks... some are acceptable; others you'll just be unable to live with and, therefore, you'll trade/sell it and move on to another!

Personally, I absolutely dislike using my field camera for still life shooting. Instead, I much, much prefer using a monorail camera and find it a far, far better instrument to use.

Just my 2 cents worth!

Good luck with the decision. :)

Cheers

[Walter Calahan]

Get whichever one you want, as long as it's in your favorite color. Grin.

Seriously, you shouldn't buy sight unseen. It doesn't matter what others like (me included), it matters what works for you. A camera is simply a tool for achieving your vision. No one camera can do it all. Each has its engineering limits, strengths, and weaknesses.

You can't really go wrong with an Ebony or Canham. That said, Shen-Hao and Tachihara have their place, too. But none of these cameras are worth a darn, without the correct selection of lenses that match the way you see.

You may want to shoot only wide-angle, so a short bellows or bag bellows camera is right for you. You may want to shoot only macro and landscapes so a more rigid camera is needed for longer glass.

It's up to you to do more homework.

[Herb Cunningham]

Something SteveSimmons recommended to me when I started was to go to NY and look at several hands on. If I had spent say a grand on that trip I would still be way ahead of buying selling buying selling the many cameras I have had since. I had two SHEn Hao's , a 4x5 and a 5x7, and was not happy with the quality. Canham Ebony, and Walker would be my list, with a special place for ARca swiss, not technically a field camera, and VERY expensive, but I like it.

When you handle a camera you will notice the things you like and do not like. No other way to tell.

[Brian Ellis]

"If I had spent say a grand on that trip I would still be way ahead of buying selling buying selling the many cameras I have had since. I had two SHEn Hao's , a 4x5 and a 5x7, and was not happy with the quality."

Rather than spending a grand on the trip couldn't you just have bought by mail and then returned the cameras if it was their quality that bothered you? You can learn much more about a camera by having it at home and using/playing around with it for a few days, then returning it if the quality doesn't suit you, than you'll be able to learn by messing around with cameras in a camera store. And even with a few days at home, it's hard to tell how much you'll eventually like a camera until you've used it for a while. We each have our own ways of doing things but personally I can't imagine that the benefits of playing with cameras in a camera store outweigh the cost for someone who has to spend a grand to do it, especially since we're presumably talking about new cameras that could easily be returned if bought by mail from a reputable dealer.

And just out of curiosity, if the quality of the first Shen Hao didn't satisfy you, why'd you buy a second one?

[anna perkins]

the ebonies i am looking at are from the SV45 series, possibly the TE or the U2.

[wfwhitaker]

...so basically i want your scoop on what you use and why.

I have two, neither of which are really 4x5's: a Deardorff 5x7 which has a 4x5 Graflok reducing back and a Wisner Technical Field 5x7 also with a 4x5 Graflok reducing back. Both have a wide range of movements and being 5x7's, both have ample bellows. The Deardorff is set up to use Technika lensboards and is much lighter than the Wisner.

For quite a while I had a Wisner 4x5 Pocket Expedition which had a normal front standard and not the front standard the Pocket Expeditions come with. That was a superb camera. It was lightweight, easy to use and had plenty of bellows and movements. I sold it only because I shoot so little 4x5. 5x7 is my preference, hence the use of reducing backs. That's what works for me.

[Brian Ellis]

I've owned two Ebony SVs, the SVTi and the SVTe. I first bought the SVTi because it's 2 lbs lighter than the Te and I liked the looks better. However, it wasn't as firm, precise, tight - not sure of the words but you get the idea - as I was expecting from things I read here and elsewhere. I thought that might be attributable to the mahogany wood so I replaced it with the Te. It was about the same. So after a year or so of use I sold it too.

Both cameras had many desirable features. My problem was that my previous camera was a Linhof Technika, a metal camera that is a model of precision and fine engineering and the wood Ebonys suffered in comparison. Both cameras were excellent cameras, my only real complaint with them (other than the fact that they suffered in comparison to the Technika in terms of precision, firmness, etc.) was the three rail focusing system. With lenses of a certain focal length, probably anything in the 135mm to 300mm range or thereabouts, you begin focusing with one focusing knob, then with some subjects you reach the limits of the rail with that knob so the rail stops moving and the focusing knob spins uselessly in your hand. You then switch off to a second focusing knob and rail to continue focusing. This requires no physical effort and the three rail system probably promotes stability. I just found it to be a royal pain since it happened with the lenses I most frequently use.

However, Ebonys are clearly excellent cameras, if I hadn't been used to the precision of the metal Linhof and had come to mine from another wooden camera I probably would have thought they were great except for the focusing system. Of the four brands you've mentioned I think the Ebony SVTi or Te is probably the best in terms of a single package that combines excellent stability, extensive movements, long bellows length, available accessories, low weight (the 4+ lb Ti), simplicity of use, etc. if you can afford them (never used the model with the asymetrical back so I can't comment on it).

[naturephoto1]

Hi Anna,

I know that you have specified that you wish to get a wooden field camera. However, you may wish to consider adding the Toyo A and AII cameras to your short list even though they are metal cameras.

Also, be aware that even the Ebony cameras are not that light. If weight is of importance to you may also wish to consider the ultra light weight Toho Shimo FC-45X metal monorail camera. Many of us here use this as our first or second 4 X 5 camera. After some minor modification, my camera only weights 2 lbs 12 oz. The camera has a fixed bellows and requires the front and rear of the camera to be removed for transport and to be rotated from horizontal to vertical. The camera has about 15" of bellows extension but if more is required a top hat/extension board can be purchased. There is a special Eccentric Lens Panel for wide angle lenses. The camera is available in this country from Badger Graphic.

I just recently purchased my Toho FC-45X and there is a recent discussion here at LFPH that I will be adding to shortly. Below are some links:

http://www.thalmann.com/largeformat/toho.htm

http://www.badgergraphic.com/store/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=147

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=21762

Good luck with your quest.

Rich

[Robert Hughes]

Get whichever one you want, as long as it's in your favorite color. Grin.

Seriously, you shouldn't buy sight unseen. It doesn't matter what others like (me included), it matters what works for you. A camera is simply a tool for achieving your vision. No one camera can do it all. Each has its engineering limits, strengths, and weaknesses.

You can't really go wrong with ...

I just bought my first LF camera sight unseen, a Busch Pressman D, off eBay for less than $200. Even if it weren't a great camera I could play with it and, when I get tired of it, sell it for probably more than I paid. As it happens this is a great camera - but it is metal, not wood. But you can buy a bunch of pretty good cameras (and hire someone to carry them for you) for the price of a new Ebony. What's your patience/budget balance?

[walter23]

Get whichever one you want, as long as it's in your favorite color. Grin.

Seriously, you shouldn't buy sight unseen. It doesn't matter what others like (me included), it matters what works for you.

Depending on where you live that may be necessary though. My philosophy is to be a bit flexible; do your homework but remember that there will most likely be a couple of unexpected idiosyncracies that you'll have to work with. If you're not expecting your gear to bend over and serve you, but expect instead to learn how to use your gear, you'll probably be happy with whatever you get so long as it has the specifications you want and is in good shape.


You can't really go wrong with an Ebony or Canham. That said, Shen-Hao and Tachihara have their place, too. But none of these cameras are worth a darn, without the correct selection of lenses that match the way you see.

I really like my shen hao, though I've never used any other LF cameras so I can't compare it to much. It does exactly what I want in exactly the way I want it to, so I'm not concerned. The only thing I would perhaps want would be longer bellows (but only if that added no weight), and since you've said thats important to you, you can probably eliminate the shen hao which stretches out to around 360mm with a front standard reconfiguration (which is quick enough to do compared to focusing & composing your shot). If you rethink that requirement it's a great camera that I would recommend to anybody who wants a field camera with almost all the movements of a monorail (but in smaller amounts). You're probably not going to be putting a 60 lb monster SA XL lens on a portable field camera to get the coverage you'd need for more movements anyway.

Oh, and look for Caltar II-N lenses. The longer ones are mostly Rodenstock apo-sironar N with a different engraving on the barrel, and the shorter ones are Rodenstock Grandagon-Ns. The only difference is that Caltars go for much less on ebay; everything else is identical.

[alec4444]

Do a search for Wisner regarding customer support. You can eliminate that one right away unless you get a smoking great deal on a good used one.

Well, sorta. You won't be buying a new Wisner, but if you bought a used one almost any service you would need would be done by Richard Ritter. So servicing used Wisners is not a problem.

I say this because there is a very nice Wisner 4X5 Pocket Expedition for sale on eBay at the moment. If I were in the market for a wooden 4x5 field camera I'd either get that or a Canham...

Cheers!
--A

[Dave_B]

Anna:
I have two field cameras, the Toyo 45AII and the Ebony SV45TE. I can recommend them both but for different reasons. The Toyo is a metal camera, not light but very solid and reliable. The movements are somewhat limited but for landscape work, enough for most things you will want to do. You can find pretty good used ones for a reasonable price and if you want to move on, will be able to sell it without taking too much of a loss. It is a camera that comes from a company with a lot of accessories that can be bought cheaply with a large, liquid market on ebay and so your investment will be reasonable for a full set-up. A good one should last a lifetime and probably never will be the reason you did not take a good picture. Pros like Tom Till use them and he takes pictures with them that will bring tears to your eyes.
The Ebony is something that is like getting a spiffy new sports car. No way you need it to get to work and little league games but somehow you convince yourself that you can't live without it. It has a much wider range of movements, is really a beautiful piece of engineering and is a joy to own and use. Will I take better pictures? Probably not. I'm the problem, not my gear. Am I happy to own it? You bet!! However the problem with the Ebony is that they are hard to find used, the accessories are hard to find used and everything is expensive new and so getting set up will cost some money. You will never regret having this camera but others will suggest, rightly so, that you can find a fine new or used camera for less and spend the $$$ on lenses that will make a difference in the kinds of photos you can take. Which kind of camera you buy will probably depend on how much money you can afford to spend on what is, for most of us, a hobby. The Ebony is a wooden camera that is as solid and rugged as a wooden camera can get.
Cheers,
Dave B.

[Jim Rhoades]

Rather than tell you what I would buy from your list or what I have gone through. I will say buy a cheaper starter camera. Or a real good priced used. After a year you will have a better idea of what you need. When buying new stay away from the medium or high end cameras until you really know what you want.

Even speed dating a camera at a show won't teach you what you need to know just yet.