SHENHAO wooden field cameras (4"x5" and 8"x10")

[andrea milano]

Dear friends and contributors, I went to the Fotokina this year and while wondering around I saw a very intere sting field camera, a chinese born product. The stand wasn't large or particular ly actractive and was crowded by 3 company representatives who spoke little or n o English. However, I found their cameras to be very good, I was especially attr acted to the vertical and horizontal shift of the camera back (very rare on fiel d cameras), the back standard focus capabilities (not as rare, but uncommon), th e wideangle bellows (on their top model) ,the teak wood, and last but not least, the metal parts which could be Titanium nitride coated. Now I am in the process to import these cameras into the Netherlands and I wonde r if other contributors have had the same impressions and even if someone might know the cameras first hand and might want to share his/her impressions. I know this isn't the right place to do so but if anybody would want to get in t ouch with me for purchasing these cameras he or she will be more than welcome to do so. Regards

[John Reuter]

Andrea, I was at the fotokina too and I was impressed by these cameras as well as you did. Unfortunately I couldn't buy it then and there and had the same experience with the people there who spoke no English or German (I am German..). So if you will import these cameras , I'll be glad to buy it from you, let me know about it. To the rest of the forum, I second Andrea's description, the chinese made cameras arose some suspition in my western eyes but after a long , good look. The cameras looked like a good honest product, I'll go for the 8"x10" but the 4"x5" was even better!

[Knut Larsen]

Hi I am very curious to know something about these chinese cameras, I have never heard of them, I an not very happy with chinese products, I owned a Iston camera and I must say that the quality of the metal work is much lower that anything else I've ever seen. Are these Shenahao anything like the Iston and I would like to hear more from people who have bought and used the cameras. Greetings

[TAN K H]

According to Luong's website, Shenhao makes the Iston cameras. Maybe they improved their manufacturing process and designs?

[andrea milano]

The shenahao camera has little to do with the Iston camera (anymore?) , I mean I do not know if the factory is the same but I can assure that their new product which I will be importing soon has nothing of the poor craftsmanship of the Iston cameras. Again , I would like to exchange my views on this camera with users or people who, like me , were so impressed about it at the Fotokina. Greetings to all who wrote me privately to ask about the camera or order.