Phillips Compact II 8x10?

[harryweber]

Hi!

I am the proud owner of a 8 x 10 Sinar and shoot street photography with it - didn't really know wether it would work - but it did: http://harry-weber.com/pagesnew/teneight.html ...
well - I was told by a photographer friend to get a Phillips Compact II 8x10 camera - far easier to set up and carry around the world - well, I cannot find one to buy - nowhere!
Can anyone help me?
Thanks in advance!

Harry

[Daniel Stone]

Dick Phillips stopped producing NEW cameras ~2006 or so. So they've been "out of production" for 8yrs or so now.
They DO come up on the secondhand market from time to time, usually on Ebay. However, because they're so great, they generally command a "GREAT" price too
So have your wallet (well) primed and ready to strike when one shows up. Usually in the ~$3500-8000 range. Some people keep tabs on sales prices. I just occasionally see one listed, but don't keep pricing logs...

If you have the shekels

OTHERWISE, if you want a similar(almost identical) design, and that's available BRAND NEW, take a look at Chamonix View Camera. They're made in China, but the fit & finish is really good.
http://www.chamonixviewcamera.com/

best of luck in your quest,
Dan

[vinny]

Sell your house, then you can afford one. Or just get a chamonix.

[dap]

Judging by the serial numbers that I have seen there were less than 600 Philips cameras made in total - pretty rare. Scarcity coupled with the fact that they represented a revolutionary large format camera design have pushed them into the collector realm. The prices I have seen them trade for as of late (more towards the high end of the range that Dan mentioned) makes me think that the days of picking them up for a reasonable price are long gone. I would just get a Chamonix and be done with it - same basic design at a reasonable price.

[harryweber]

wow - I appreciate the quick and relevant answers - maybe thats the way for me to go - I check it out!!!
Thanks for the responses!

[djdister]

Another suggestion would be to look for a Wehman 8x10. Compact and lightweight, and somewhat more available and affordable than the rare Phillips that shows up once in a blue moon.

[Luis-F-S]

One Wehman on the list right now reasonably priced

[Jim Noel]

I had a Phillips and got rid of it. I now have a Wehman and am pleased with it.

[dap]

I had a Phillips and got rid of it. I now have a Wehman and am pleased with it.

I had a Wehman and wasn't too fond of it - replaced it with a Phillips and love it (I managed to get lucky and get a well used one for about the price I sold the Wehman for). The phillips was the first large format field camera that really clicked with me. It just goes to show - there is no one camera that can please everyone.

[neil poulsen]

Isn't the Shen Hao 8x10 pretty much based on the same design as the Phillips?

Unfortunately, these cameras have shot up in price pretty dramatically over the last couple of years.