1 or 2 cameras..if you were starting again.

[Former Member 8144]

Hello,

To all the wise ones out there...
If you were having to choose a 54 camera now, based on all your practical experiences, what would you do if you shot both landscapes including the odd building (so backpacking, hiking etc) and interior/exterior (that's architectural work not studio based stuff) work where you need to have the full range of movements...but you never shoot these two styles at the same time!

Given a fixed budget (see used camera choices below) that is not huge would you choose to have both a field/technical camera using lenses from say 75mm to 240mm such as a Horseman FA, wista vx, toyo cf etc and a good old monorail and lenses from say 58mm to 240 like a sinar F1 or 2 or go for just the one camera choosing something like an Arca F-line or discovery which can possibly cover both shooting needs?


Marc

[Gene McCluney]

1 field camera and 1 modular monorail for studio work. Hopefully both take the same lensboards, or an adaptor can be had, so one set of lenses will work with both.

[Nick_3536]

Fixed budget to me means at least two cameras. The wonder cameras tend to cost more then two more basic cameras.

[archivue]

Arca Fline field 141 with a binocular viewer

[Scott Davis]

Easy-

I'd get the same 4x5 field camera I have now- a Shen-Hao. Then I'd have money enough to put into some serious wide-angle glass.

[Vaughn]

I'd start the same way that I did originally (tho not very interested in the interior work).

Gowland Pocket View and a CaltarIIN 150mm lens. Backpackable rail camera (<2.5 lbs w/ lens). Mine has the two 6" rails, so I might opt for the two 8" rails (or a 6 and an 8), if I ever thought of a longer lens, or more close-ups. It can take a short lens easily.

My Gowland does not have rear rise/fall or shift...but one can get those movements by using tilt and swing, so I don't think I'd go for the Gowland all-movement which adds a pound or so.

Vaughn

[SamReeves]

I love my Tachi, and would get another one if possible.

[Bill_1856]

Crown Graphic and Graphic View II.

[John Kasaian]

The Graphic View 2 is very tempting, so is the Gowland and the Nagaoka for something light wieght, but I could do it all with either an Agfa Ansco Universal (and get 5x7 to boot!) or a Linhof Technika. For glass I'd pick a 90mm SA or Ilex Acuton or Wolly equivalent, and a 210 (oh wait, I've already got a 203 f7.7 ektar!) and maybe a 120 SA or 135 WF Ektar.

But I shoot 8x10 ;)

[JPlomley]

I second the Arca F-Field camera. A seriously nice bit of kit which is extremely versatile for handling everything from 47mm to 360mm without having to swap out bellows.

[Gordon Moat]

Now coming up on two years with a Shen-Hao HZX45-AII, and given the chance I would buy the same camera again. That doesn't mean I would not enjoy using an Arca Swiss Misura, but given the need for my gear to be highly profitable, that one will have to wait.

To fill the gap of a perceived need for solving some unusual imaging problems, I am now in the process of making my own hand held 4x5 camera. This is based on a Polaroid, but optimized for left eye focusing capability, while maintaining a slim profile. So this will be my other 4x5.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio

[Capocheny]

Hi Marc,

1st camera choice.... Arca Swiss F-Line

2nd camera choice... Arca Swiss F-Line

6x9 or 4x5

Cheers

[Frank Petronio]

Given what you require, I'd look at Arcas. The older pre-F models can be assembled and reconditioned to be as nice a camera as anything out there if you are patient enough to find everything on eBay over time. The next easiest thing to get is an Arca Discovery, which gives up very little between it and the F Classic. There are good deals to be found on the 171mm lensboard standard models as the line switched over to using a smaller 141mm lensboard in recent years, and some people are driven to upgrade at a loss. But the size and weight difference may not be worth the potential savings, and by using an adapter board you can mount your lenses on smaller Technika-sized lensboards to make them more compact.

I think for architecture the Arca is the bomb. Sinar's and other monorails are excellent too, but the Arca seems a bit more compact and field/carry-on friendly.

I use a Technika myself but I do more handheld work and accessing the back movements is much slower than a conventional monorail.

I think it would be hard to go back to wooden camera except for ultralight backpacking. Once you use something with the precision of a Sinar/Arca/Linhof the little wooden cameras seem woobly, even though I know they aren't, no offense.

[Ralph Barker]

The Arca cameras are quite nice. On a less robust budget, however, a Toyo 45AX field camera and a Toyo 45C monorail (with an optional short rail) has worked well for me.

[raucousimages]

#1 Toyo 45AII and mount all lenses on 110mm boards.

#2 Toyo 45GX W/normal, long and bag bellows and an adaptor for the 110mm boards.