Originally Posted by
Peter Lewin
In general I'm in the "buy the best you can afford" school, because well-made equipment is more fun to use, and more likely to satisfy your requirements. However LF cameras are a bit different, since they are all compromises of a sort. Almost all LF cameras optimize one characteristic over another: they may have more movements, or longer/interchangeable bellows allowing for a greater variety of focal length lenses, but then they may be heavier or less "packable." Unless you know in advance which features mean the most to you, it is difficult to define "best."
My first LF camera was a Sinar F, the most transportable in the Sinar line, and one of their least expensive models. (Aside, Sinars are Swiss-made precision cameras, the equal of their Swiss cousins, the Arca-Swiss; you are incorrect to assume a quality difference between the two brands.) The Sinar excelled in flexibility: it was a monorail with generous movements everywhere, and part of the Sinar system which meant that with all parts interchangeable, it could be modified to do anything. But it was not the lightest of field cameras, and not very easy to pack compactly. An excellent camera, but not the best for the backpacking and field use I enjoyed most.
My second was a Wista wooden field (actually one of the early ZoneVI cameras with the strengthened base plate). It was light, easy to fold and put in a backpack, but limited in its movements and not as rigid as the Sinar. Neither of these was a show-stopper, but with a fixed bellows it was limited in terms of either very short lenses, or longer ones. I enjoyed using it, but was aware of its limitations.
Ultimately I traded both in and got a Canham DLC (upgraded to a ^2 model later) which is a metal folder with interchangeable bellows. It is lighter than the Sinar, heavier than the Wista, with flexibility in-between the two. It is my favored compromise, and handles both my Schneider 80mm and my Fujinon 300mm, my personal extremes. It is precision-made out of alloy, but is somewhat idiosyncratic in design; I love mine, but some dislike theirs.
I use my history to show how "best" and "highest quality" are somewhat independent. In terms of sheer engineering quality, I would place the Sinars, Arcas,and Linhofs at the top, but you still have all the trade-offs to work through. And you may well find that a Wista, a Canham, a Chamonix or other is the best fit for your needs. So to go full-circle (and end this post!) I would still go for the highest-quality enlarger you can afford, or tripod, or any other equipment where the design doesn't have to include the variety of compromises as LF cameras. But for cameras, there is no way that I'm aware of of knowing what you really want without some experience.
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