CANHAM vs EBONY

**Drew Wiley** · 29-Oct-2022, 15:10

Apples versus oranges. An Ebony folder should be compared to a Canham woody, which seems to have been the gist of the original query. Metal Canhams are really in a different category, although there is the common denominator of Keith's well known attitude of excellent service. But his cameras will outlive him, so thinking ahead toward potential maintenance issues is advisable for anyone of younger years. Things really get splattered all over the map once Linhofs and Sinars get thrown into the equation, not to mention ancient decrepit wooden cameras perhaps better repurposed for campfire kindling. Wooden field cameras wouldn't have been produced parallel to metal monorails for so very long if there weren't such a strong demand for BOTH. They fill somewhat different niches, though I use both mainly in the field myself.

**Scott Davis** · 31-Oct-2022, 07:36

Another thought with the Ebony cameras - many (don't know if it is all, or only some models) used titanium hardware instead of aluminum. From a technical standpoint, titanium is great stuff, but it is harder to work with, and more expensive. Should you need it repaired (you have a case of the oopsies and drop your camera and damage the hardware), finding a third party that can make the replacement part will be more difficult and more expensive than having the same repair done on a Canham once Keith is no longer in business.

**Drew Wiley** · 31-Oct-2022, 11:02

The difference is, that the titanium hardware will undoubtedly outlast the rest of the camera itself. A non-issue. That's not necessarily the case with brass or aluminum hardware. But even titanium can be machined in any reasonably equipped shop, just not CNC-style probably. It's not like you're trying to make a jet fighter plane out of it. Not much more difficult than working with stainless steel. Drop a wooden camera on the rocks and you've got a lot more than the hardware to worry about anyway!

The titanium rack and pinion gearing of the Ebony is basic, however. Don't expect it to be as silky smooth as the helical gearing of a Technika or Horseman FA, or the Delrin gearing of Sinar. Canham's is also basic, as are most field cameras.