Peter De Smidt
26-Jan-2011, 13:13
I finally acquired a Toyo 4" extension tube for my Toyo field camera. These fit between the back standard and the ground glass back. New, these cost in the mid-$500s, which is a lot of money.
Now that I have one in hand, though, I realize a little more why they're so pricey. They are very well built and finished, with very sturdy locking mechanisms. Given that not many were made, it follows that they need to be expensive to cover production and design costs.
One could certainly make something similar, although it would be difficult to make something equally good. The main issue would be the locking mechanisms. I have a Maxwell screen on my Toyo, and it would be really unfortunate if it ever fell to the ground.
The downsides to the extension back is that it's quite heavy and bulky, although there's plenty of space to store something inside of it, such as a lens in a lens wrap. I'll put up some pictures soon.
Now that I have one in hand, though, I realize a little more why they're so pricey. They are very well built and finished, with very sturdy locking mechanisms. Given that not many were made, it follows that they need to be expensive to cover production and design costs.
One could certainly make something similar, although it would be difficult to make something equally good. The main issue would be the locking mechanisms. I have a Maxwell screen on my Toyo, and it would be really unfortunate if it ever fell to the ground.
The downsides to the extension back is that it's quite heavy and bulky, although there's plenty of space to store something inside of it, such as a lens in a lens wrap. I'll put up some pictures soon.