Anybody has experience with Wista Field 810?

[Adrian Pybus]

The second hand market for 8x10 isn't really very active here in Sweden so I was thinking of the above camera as it's fairly cheap. Anybody have experience with it?



Adrian

[Andrea Gazzoni]

I have two Adrian, one double and one triple extension. What kind of advice are you looking for?

[Adrian Pybus]

How it feels working with it.
Is it easy to set up and dismantle.
Idiosyncrasies.
That kind of thing.

I use a 4x5 Technika today but would like to join the 'big boys' :)

[Andrea Gazzoni]

I use the double extension in the field.

downsides: sometimes it seems that anything is steady, I mean you don't have geared movements for tilts or swings, plus you have to play with two different knobs for moving the rear frame, so it's easy to end with an unwanted angled film plane. once locked in position, both standards show some play, not really an issue if just one is aware of it.
I find it unfit for close-up work, you have to rotate those knobs a million times to extend all the bellows.

pro's: light, light camera, fits in my backpack with 3 lenses, meter, etc...and I still can move. no parts to mess with, setting up my Sinar Norma is a nightmare compared to this. you just open it, secure it to a tripod head, mount a lens and you're done. ready to shot in 1 minute when needed. sometimes I just move it from one place to another by simply putting the tripod on my shoulder. I can use a 120mm on it, bellows become stiff but still you can focus at infinity and with some acrobatics you can also use front raise or fall, I do this with 4x10 split darkslide method anytime.

the triple extension (a Tachihara I guess, but they're nearly the same) is a hefty beast. I've tried it in the field one time and never did it again. it is the kind of camera you can use from road side work, not trekking or hiking.

both are beautiful cameras, even if I must say that the lovely wooden "ancient look" is somehow boring as you get much more curious stranger looking at you as if you were doing an historical reconstruction of the Austerlitz battle all dressed up like General Kutuzov...but this is an asset of nearly any wooden camera, I win strange looks and nonsense questions even with my Chamonix...

[Adrian Pybus]

Thanks! I think I can live with the issues you mentioned. Light is fairly important as I walk around with my gear.

4x10 seems interesting. Need to get one of those split darkslides.

Adrian