In search of 5x8 format

[Oren Grad]

I've never handled the Walker Titan so I hadn't thought about it being heavy, I just liked the fact that it handles the 72 well.

I should have reported the weight so you can decide for yourself whether it's too much: the camera is specified at 6.6 lb.

[John Brady]

John, do you use other lenses besides the 72? If so, what's the longest?

I'm just wondering if you need anything beyond a bag bellows?

I dig low weight and simplicity, too. My fav 5x7 right now is a modified Cycle Poco No. 3. Weighs less than 2lbs w/o lens. Landscape mode (with additional tripod socket for portrait), with front rise and shift (rise for portraits). This camera could be modified for a drop bed to avoid vignetting your 72XL, but it's 5x7, not 5x8, so I'm not suggesting it would work for you. But the design might work for you.

For this project, I’m going for simplicity. The 72xl is all I am planning to use. I already have my 8x10 and a wide assortment of lenses. This will bee my swamp camera, I go as wide as possible to capture the environment.

I’ve never heard of the Cycle Poco, under 2lbs has got to be a joy!

[John Brady]

I should have reported the weight so you can decide for yourself whether it's too much: the camera is specified at 6.6 lb.

That seems pretty heavy! Looks like a great camera but maybe not for this project.

[John Brady]

Zach at Mercury Camera Works has offered to modify his new 5x7 to accept my 5x8 holders.
http://mercurycamera.com/new-product...t-5x7-is-here/

This could be a great solution for a single purpose camera!

[Greg]

In the past, I have owned a 5x8 chamonix that was a well built camera but the 72 was too wide for it, the front rail was visible in the image.

A while back remember corresponding with a photographer in southern Asia who was using a Hologon on an 11x14 Chamonix that Chamonix had modified to take his ultra wide angle lens. I would think that Chamonix could easily modify their 5x8 Chamonix to take your SA 72XL. Hugo?
FYI several years back when I went to use my 5.9” No. 5 Gray Periscope for the first time on my newly acquired 11x14 Chamonix had the same problem as you did with the front rail visible in the image and the camera not being able to focus at infinity... On probably the second time of trying to use my 5.9” No. 5 Gray Periscope on the 11x14, the solution became terribly obvious to me: just move the rear standard forward!!!

[Pere Casals]

Zach at Mercury Camera Works has offered to modify his new 5x7 to accept my 5x8 holders.
http://mercurycamera.com/new-product...t-5x7-is-here/

This could be a great solution for a single purpose camera!

This is a lightweight travel camera, but with a lack of movements...

But, to me, it looks that many wooden 57 cameras can be easily modified to accept 58, this is machining the rear window make it grow 12.7mm in each short side (receptacle and GG frame). I guess that many cameras have the rear frames big enough to allow the conversion, perhaps some alluminium platings can be bolted to reinforce the machined sides. Probably many 57 bellows may work for a 58 modification, if not some angled platings in the sides may separate the bellows.



This can be done with simple tools:



I guess that a good carpenter would do an excellent job by just spending 2 or 3 hours, with all polished and with all finishings, but additional work may required to reinforce the sides with metal platings.

[Michael Roberts]

Pere, I agree!

John, are you willing to give up front rise? If so, the Mercury fixed point and shoot may be just what you need.

[Oren Grad]

For this project, I’m going for simplicity. The 72xl is all I am planning to use. I already have my 8x10 and a wide assortment of lenses. This will bee my swamp camera, I go as wide as possible to capture the environment.

If this is going to be a dedicated ultrawide camera, that makes a box camera especially attractive - it can be rugged, very fast and easy to set up, but in that format and focal length still quite lightweight.

FWIW, I have an 8x10 Hobo with the 120 SA which I had modified by adding a focus helical and a real ground glass. A mini-version of that in 5x7 with the 72 SA-XL would be a really sweet camera.

[Corran]

Pere, I agree!

John, are you willing to give up front rise? If so, the Mercury fixed point and shoot may be just what you need.

John,

I actually have a Mercury 5x7 custom built for the 72mm XL. Zach also made for me the focus scale I calculated and it works perfectly.

To be honest, I haven't used it much yet due to time constraints and not finding the right subject, but it's a fine camera.

I can understand your want for rise so as to alleviate keystoning, but I would guess you'd run out of image circle fairly quickly anyway, so if the Mercury works, it would be a great and economical solution.

I don't have any current plans, but I do often travel down to south GA and sometimes FL for various reasons, so I could possibly get the Mercury in your hands to try sometime? Let me know. PS - love your work, as I've told you in the past! I am glad to see you back shooting film.

[John Brady]

Pere, I agree!

John, are you willing to give up front rise? If so, the Mercury fixed point and shoot may be just what you need.

Michael, I am definitely interested in front rise and fall. Zach at Mercury thinks he can accommodate that. Worst case scenario, I thought about a fixed front lens panel with rise built in, it could be flipped over to create fall. Not ideal but could work. I think I am giving the Mercury a go, could be a great solution. I will keep you all posted.