I'd look for a Kodak D2, B&J, Agfa/Ansco Universal or Century. Any used camera at the low end of the price spectrum will likely require some work, probably patching bellows, but this can usually be accomplished without too much angst.
I'd look for a Kodak D2, B&J, Agfa/Ansco Universal or Century. Any used camera at the low end of the price spectrum will likely require some work, probably patching bellows, but this can usually be accomplished without too much angst.
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White
There's also stenopeika who make an affordable model I was looking at recently. Haven't seen or used it but looked promising for the money, around 900 bucks.
There is the metal Calumet C1 if you don't mind weight. It is rear focus only which works great for portraits but the bed gets in the way when shooting wide lenses. There are compromises with any camera but when you go cheap there seems to be more compromises.
I think if you've used Deardorffs before, the Intrepid, with all due respect, is not going to be anywhere near the same user experience. As Bernice basically said, pay now, or pay later. I'm not entirely convinced an Intrepid is a camera that will grow on, or with you. I say this as a KS backer and owner of v1.0, who also owns a Zone VI 8x10.
Last edited by Fred L; 19-Jun-2019 at 14:49.
notch codes ? I only use one film...
I only have a little experience with 3d printing. In your experience, are the plastic parts stable, i.e. resistant to warping and moisture damage?Originally Posted by Charles S
“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 have had since it X-mas so hard to say how durable it will be. I am using it in a studio, so moisture should not be a factor. Maybe the attached pic helps; the white parts are plastic, all the black stuff is metal. I don't see a big risk of warping (unlike the 3D printed 4x5). I'm no 8x10 engineering expert, but it seems to me that the parts that carry most of the load are made out of metal. If you shoot at a weird angle, with the bellows fully extended and a heavy lens on it, I am sure you will notice the difference with a rail camera.
Like previous posters said, you get what you pay for and every camera has it's constraints. For the price, I don't expect it to last a life time, and neither does my DSLR. If I get 5 years of regular use out of it, I will be so much more experienced and can then decide whether I want to invest more. Until that time, my money goes into film and chems.
In terms of buying older, used cameras, I bought a Plaubel from the 50s off eBay for 200 Eur. It had a bellows that needed to be taped, a cracked screen, a warped front standard and it reeked of cigars. The movements are more precise, the rail makes it sturdier, but since it needed to be transported in a large wooden box, I couldn't be bothered to take it with me and it stayed in the basement. I used it maybe 10 times over the course of 3 years. I spent more on the lens, the film and development tools than on the camera, so it was money wasted. The Gib works for me because of the portability and because I could afford it.
Svedovsky? Sure looks the business.
Or its equivalents such as a Century 1. Super light, a real field camera over 100 years-old and still strong.
A 14" Ektar is not a monster, but a lens well within the size and weight of ordinary lenses for 8x10.
... "ordinary"and well within the size and weight when mastodons still roamed the earth and rented themselves out to help you carry your gear. There are plenty of lightwt lenses in that focal length to choose from that are optically superb. Same could be said for 8x10 cameras. Just because there are now lighter wt options does not mean they're lesser cameras. Just depends.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks