Toyo 810M Wide Angle Camera Applications

[Michael Kadillak]

Anyone familiar with the Toyo 810M field camera use it successfully with the 120mm Nikon SW lens? Does the end of the camera bed get it the field of view? Do you need bag bellows for this application? The same question about the need for bag bellows when the rear tilt is applied to potentially drop the front bed?

Thanks in advance

[Ralph Barker]

I don't have the 810M, but rather the 810G monorail, Michael. But, they use the same bellows, so this may be helpful if an 810M user doesn't happen along.

The taper on the Toyo Bellows allows for fairly tight compression, and that seems to fit with the Toyo spec of being able to use a 100mm lens on a flat board with the 810M. I can compress my 810G to about 100mm (flat board to GG) by racking the focus adjustments to their extremes centered over the tripod block. But, at that compression, I don't think you'd get much in the way of rise or fall - tilt, OK, but rise/fall would be tight. A bag bellows would be far more convenient. But, I've not seen a used one by itself in a couple of years of looking. New, they're a bit pricey.

I also suspect you'd need to drop the bed with a 120mm lens, and then re-center the front standard vertically to nest the bellows properly.

[Walter Glover]

Michael,

Yep, I'm a Toyo 810M MkII devottee and I have shot with my 110mm Super Symmar XL and the standard bellows. The image circle did not allow for any movement and so I shot on axis with just a wee dram of tilt. As I recall I did drop the bed by tilting the back and the lens standard back to their respective stops. No rail in shot, but I had to wave my hat to make my shadow look interesting!

I now have a bag bellows which makes life much easier with my 155mm Grandagon, 240mm Sinaron and even the 300mm Apo-Symmar much easier with regards to bellows vignetting. It obviously makes the super wides easier to work with also.

Although you did not ask, I would add that I used a 2-stop Schneider centre-grad on the 110mm and it certainly looked like it needed it.

I have shot for panoramic aspect ratios with the Toyo using both 72mm Super Angulon XL and 90mm Grandagon.

Finally, I got a Sinar 8x10 Fresnel and had an architectural model maker friend mill it down to fit the Toyo. It simply goes under the strips which hold the GG in place. With wide lenses it certainly makes a difference.

I must admit that once I get it there my 8x10 Sinar F probably works better with its higher lens axis and smaller front protrusion, but somehow I just opt for the Toyo everytime. A truly great device.

[Ted Harris]

Mike,



I hate to go 30 degrees off topic but ....... i fyou are asking because you are considering the 810M as a new purchase have you looked at some of the other options that give you the functionality you need with an extreme wide angle (e.g. the Nikkor 120 or the 110 SSXL) with less weight and at a lower cost? For example I use the 110 SSXL with my Phillips Compact II.





Ted

[tim atherton]

or the Gandolfi Variant 8x10 - especially the "wide" version - both of which you can shift the back forward for focussing rather than using the front rail.

[Michael Kadillak]

I have a tan Toyo 810M and a 120 SW lens that so far I have used mostly with 5x7, but no Toyo bag bellows or Toyo Copal 0 lensboard. The question was a precursor to checking wheither the costs would be proportional to the results. Start with the lensboard and go from there.

My thanks for the responses.