Help me choose a camera. I’d like to take 5x7 B&W portraits at home with a soft-focus Verito lens, head & shoulders to ½. Working space is 14’10” x 13’. I already have a set of tungsten spot and flood lights, largely Moles and Photogenic, looking for pretty much a 1940s look on Ilford FP4, and would be moving up from an RB67 to LF. No prior experience on LF, but I’ve got 20 years to figure things out and realize creamy tonal goodness. Budget for the camera, everything not including lens, cannot exceed $1,000, preferably $600-$700. What are your thoughts about these options for what would be a specialized platform for a Verito 14 ½ or 16 ½ that need never venture outside for landscapes. Movements would be needed for the usual portrait corrective purposes, but it’s not necessary to blow the bank on Scheimpflug. Would prefer a solid, smooth-functioning dependable camera over an exotic tempermental project. I can get the developing done elsewhere, and a 4x5 back seems sensible as a backup to 5x7 film.
Potential sample choices:
1) 5x7 flatbed, maybe a gray Ansco Universal
2) 8x10 Century with a 5x7 back
3) 5x7 monorail, like a Norma or Toyo 57G
4) 8x10 monorail with 5x7 back
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