Buying guide 8 x 10

[StudentOfLight]

Dear all,

I am considering shooting large format because I am dissatisfied with the tonality of my digital 35mm (A7R III if anyone cares). No matter how much technology (CMOS, Pixel Shift) a 35mm sensors stays 35mm I guess.

Also I find the lack of image control limiting (tilt and shift lenses are a niche thing and probably never offer the freedom of a monorail or field camera).

And of course I admire the craftmanship, the real understanding of focal plane, depth of field, the Zone system and of course shooting analogue.

But the choices are sheer endless and I don't get to try a view camera around here (Switzerland) let alone look at 8 x 10 prints. So I would have to buy one directly

So my first question is, is 11 x 14 of much finer quality and subtle tonality than 8 x 10? Is 11 x 14 too impractical for a solo hiker / landscape photographer?

What kind of 8 x 10 could you recommend me? I would like to shoot landscapes, architecture, portraits with ambient or flash, the occasional macro and product photography, long exposures I guess anything I can. So it
should be "portable" for the hikes. Are there portable monorail cameras? I mean I'm young and healthy and gear is the rock photographers have to carry like Camus' Sisyphus with a smile.

I thought about getting a 8 x 10 by Intrepid but read and heard that working with it can be a bit a hassle. So I might as well get a real 8 x 10. If it's like working with a bad ballhead I'd rather avoid that. I heard good stuff about Deardorff.

I generally don't care how it looks like, it's jus a tool and I would like it to be as precise as possible and durable.

I also have no idea how much tilt/shift/rise/fall I will need due to my lack of experience. Do you often find yourself in a position of lacking movement? Or do only hardcore architecture photographers need that much mouvement?

Thank you for all the kind souls who take time to respond to such an open ended question and I wish you the best in the pursuit of timeless images.

[mmerig]

If tonality is the main reason to go from 35 mm to 8 by 10, but portability is important, 4 by 5 may be good enough. There are lots of threads on LFPF about the pros and cons of each large format (4 by 5, 5 by 7, etc). It's worth looking through them.

Here are a few basic questions, with a little bit of answer for each:

Do you only want to contact print? If so, then 8 by 10 and larger makes more sense than smaller formats.

Plan on enlarging? An 8 by 10 enlarger is expensive and hard to find. Enlarged 4 by 5 can look really good up to quite large sizes (10x)

Will you be backpacking, or day-hiking? Backpacking with an 8 by 10 (or larger) and associated gear would be very heavy and bulky.

Before diving in on 8 by 10 gear selection, it's worth looking into the smaller formats, and even trying a 4 by 5 to see if LF is even worth it at all to you.

[MAubrey]

For what it's worth, The 2nd version of the Intrepid is now shipping. It has a spring back rather than a bungie one and it also has a redesigned base, too.

https://www.largeformatphotography.i...=1#post1486083

And honestly, if you're really looking for an 8x10 for hiking, it's probably the best option.

[Mark Sawyer]

So my first question is, is 11 x 14 of much finer quality and subtle tonality than 8 x 10? Is 11 x 14 too impractical for a solo hiker / landscape photographer?

Contact prints have the finest tonality of any form of photographic printing, and for many LF photographers, it's the print size that determines the format. The big difference between 8x10 and 11x14 contact prints are the size. Of course, expense and difficulty naturally go up with size. 8x10 enlargers are rare, 11x14 enlargers are very rare.

4x5 can also be very nice, and there are quite a few enlargers around. 5x7 is an excellent choice, cameras are not much bigger than a 4x5, the negatives are large enough some are happy contact printing it, and there are 5x7 enlargers if you go looking.

[Mark Woods]

I agree with Mark. I have an 8x10 Deardorff & love it. It was a working camera and shows it. But it can do whatever I want. BTW I do have an 8x10 enlarger & the difference in quality is minimal on prints (unless they’re crazy large) from a 5x7.

[peter schrager]

Never mentioned 5x7 size...good intermediate size and not heavy..makes a good contact print
Honestly 5x5 is the way to start but jump in to 8x10 and go for it!! Goid luck!

[oakranch]

Just ordered mine 3 weeks ago. "Put me in coach I'm ready to shoot!"

[Bernice Loui]

Sinar System.

Bernice

What kind of 8 x 10 could you recommend me? I would like to shoot landscapes, architecture, portraits with ambient or flash, the occasional macro and product photography, long exposures I guess anything I can. So it
should be "portable" for the hikes. Are there portable monorail cameras? I mean I'm young and healthy and gear is the rock photographers have to carry like Camus' Sisyphus with a smile.

[John Kasaian]

Leaving money out of the equation, there is size and weight to consider---not just the camera but the film holders, tripod and lenses. Certainly not a deal breaker if your strong/stubborn enough.
I really like my Deardorff, but any old wooden camera is going to exhibit some wear. If that bothers your there are alternatives.
I'm not familiar with current Chinese imports so I can't comment on those, but the Tachiharas are very highly regarded. For an older US built camera take a look at a Kodak Master View or Century Universal. Peter Gowland built a very lightweight monorail----very light weight! The wind then becomes a greater concern.

Have fun! 8x10 Rocks!

[Jim Noel]

My Deardorff is pre 1939 (no serial number) but still solid. I also have a Lehman which I now use on trips because of my age. Either is a good bet for a young person and will not run out of movements in any direction.