First 4x5, make sure it has light tight bellows as few first timers want to replace a bellows.
I don't recommend a $500 CAD Sinar F1 for anybody.
Whatever you buy will be not what you want in under 2 years. You will buy a different camera and lens.
So buy cheap, but with good bellows, and a cheap lens with good working shutter. Best deals are camera with one lens.
Shop here on this forum when you become able to.
Window shop on eBay for 30 days.
Tin Can
Good idea to post your location, as there are some members in BC, and a few in Vancouver.
Certainly you can start to make a list of all the bis you will need for the kit to photography what you want in the way you want, and start to acquire it all.
A less expensive route would be to purchase someone's kit who is moving out of LF, as that would be much less expensive. Might not have everything you will want, but cover a lot of what you need, and you will need a lot...
Most brands of Japanese and Chinese field cameras take the Linhof-Technika style lens boards - e.g. Nagaoka, Ikeda Anba, Tachihara, ShenHao, Wista, and Ebony 4x5's.
Deardorf, Wisner, and Zone VI 4x5's typically take 4x4" lens boards that are bigger.
If you are patient and don't mind not-perfect condition or a "name brand", you can find a wood folding camera for under $500. But monorails are always going to be cheaper due to the weight and non-hipster appeal vs. a wood camera.
I'd stay away from stuff like this that needs repairs, takes non-standard film holders and lens boards.
-Adam
I will second anything that takes Linhof-Technika style boards. My Arca Swiss monorail has a Technika adapter board on it and I can get Shen Hao Technika style boards for about $20 a piece on ebay.
To help you, and anyone else looking for a comparison between a field camera and a monorail camera:
The Wista 45D metal field camera weighs 2,907 grams, and measures 205 x 180 x 105 mm.
The Toyo D45M with 6" rail, Technika lens board adapter and focusing hood, weighs 3,529 grams and measures 310 x 225 x 190 mm.
Though I don't have a photo, the Sinar F1 with Technika adapter and 12" rail weighs 3,137 grams and measures 325 x 190 x 180 mm.
I carry both the Wista and the Toyo outdoors, depending on the lenses I carry. With the Toyo, I carry a 12" rail separately, which adds 350 grams. Photography with long and wide lenses is far easier with the Toyo, which has geared rise/fall and shift, and geared focusing over the entire rail. The Wista is great for general landscape. Closeups are more difficult with field cameras due to the front focusing, which means you have to constantly move the tripod in small increments to get the right framing. This gets tiring after a few times. Both the Wista and the Toyo are fully metal, tough cameras and can be carried in a backpack without protection.
If you intend shooting wide angle, I will caution you against the Sinar Alpins/A1. The rail is fixed, and sticks into your throat when you use a loupe. It was meant as a beginner camera for studio use where longer lenses would be normally used.
Kumar
The Sinar A1/Alpina had an accessory 6" rail. It could be added to the main rail, or it could be used by itself with wide angle lenses.
“You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know
I'd recommend a monorail for your first camera. It will have all the movements and is very straight forward to use so great to learn on. Look for a very inexpensive Cambo/Calumet or Toyo camera preferably with a 210mm f/5.6 lens to start. You can add a wide angle and bag bellows later after you learn what you are doing. First you need to decide if you even like large format.
Later if you decide that you want a field camera then keep the monorail for portraits or architecture. If you find that you don't use movements all that much then you may want a Crown Graphic over a field camera.
Don't sweat it. Like Randy says, you will probably change your mind on what camera you like later. You will do the same with lenses. Just dive in and have fun!
Thanks for pointing that out. I didn't know about the 6" rail for the Alpina. A friend had one, and he constantly complained about it. He solved it by buying an F2
Kumar
Compare those to a wood Nagoka 4x5. Weighs 1180g, measures 200 x 175 x 65 mm.Originally Posted by B.S.Kumar
-Adam
Yes, of course wooden cameras are smaller and lighter. If I had one, I would have measured and taken a photo of it as well. Each camera type has its pros and cons, and everyone needs to figure out what works best for them. Which is why spending a lot of money in the beginning is a bad idea.
Kumar
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