I'm working on the design for my next LF camera and plan to build a field camera. Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance to get my hands on one - only seen pictures - so I'm curious on the sequence to fold up a field camera like the Weisner? http://www.wisner.com/ I can't figure out how the front standard folds to allow the camera to fold up into a "flat package".
Anybody wanna loan me you field camera so I can play with it ;-)
No? Then maybe you can tell me the sequence to fold it.....
On most of them, you slide the front standard, along the focusing track, back into the body cavity of the rear standard. Then by loosening the arms that link the front bed to the rear standard (or "body"), the front bed will fold up on its hinges to "close" the camera into a box. Some of the "arms" are secured by large screws (see a Wista Wooden Field camera) while others, like Crown Graphics, have arms with a notch set to click into place (with the help of a spring) into a stud set to hold the bed at 90 degrees to the body.
On the Wisner, the "hinge" is above the bed, and you'd loosen the knob on the middle of the rear vertical standard to collapse the "body" (the largest part of the camera) down onto the bed.
Easier to see in an instant than to explain...
As Frank said, most field cameras fold in a similar manner. I have a Wista wood field and fold it using the following steps.
1. Roll the focusing rail to it's rear-most position, back into the bed
2. Drop front rise to lowest position
3. Loosen front tilt
4. Loosen front standard and slide it all the way back towards the rear standard
5. Pull the front tilt 90 degrees forward so that the front standard lies face down on the bed
6. Loosen and pull the rear tilt 90 degrees forward so that the back lies down on the bed
7. Lock down the rear tilt knobs to lock the camera closed
Hope this helps.
On a Wisner loosen the arms that support the front standard, loosen the rise/tilt nuts and fold the front standard nose first into the bed between the rails. Then loosen the arms holding the rear standard and fold it down over the front, where it latches.
Ok, now I understand. Thanks fellas!
The Gandolfi traditional has a slightly different method. The front standard isn't attached to the focusing rail at all. When you pivot the back up, you grab the front standard (which had been laying in the bed of the camera) and drop it into notches on the focusing rail. You then slide the locks over the notches and Viola, an unfolded camera! This is very quick and very stable. I'm not sure if this limits the types of movements (there are no swings on this particular camera) but it sounds a little easier to implement.
Isaac
FWIW, the Tachihara 8x10 takes yet another design approach that might be interesting to consider for your project. The upright supports for the front standard are attached to the front of the focusing bed, and there is a tab at the base of the front standard that fits into a notch toward the bottom of the uprights, and then moves up and down in a slot in the uprights. Both the rear standard and the focusing bed move, so with shorter focal-length lenses, the rear standard is moved forward sufficiently to focus. As such, the take-down steps are:
1. remove lens and loosen front and rear focusing locks and tilt mechanisms,
2. retract the focusing bed and back to their rear-most positions,
3. loosen front rise/fall lock, and slide the front standard down to clear the tab from the upright,
4. fold the front standard uprights back 90° with the bottom of the front standard floating free, but faced downward,
5. fold the back standard forward.
Once folded, it's fairly compact:
If this design sounds interesting, and you need additional details, give me a shout and I'll take a few more-detailed digital shots for you.
Ralph - Thanks for your great shots of the Tachi 8x10 - which prove fortuitous, because I have been wondering if my current tripod head will be strong enough to hold it. I seem to have the same one you use in your photos... Tanks !
If you live near a Calumet store location, they usually have the Zone IV field camera in stock so you could go in and play with one, maybe even take some measurements.
Hope this helps,
Bobby
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