Would anybody want to weigh in here with an opinion. I have not handled either the Horseman or the Linhof 612 but I've got to make a decision ASAP and I know I'll have the camera for a loooong time.
Which one for ease of use, reliability, accuracy, quality of image? The Horseman has shift but the Linhof has the built in lower angle.
Who has used both/either and can comment?
Much obliged.
M
testing messages
Also the Linhof has a larger image. Linhof is 56 x 120mm. Horseman is 56 x 112mm.Originally Posted by Michael Stratton
How about the Noblex 6/150 UX?
Re: Help! The Horseman 612pc or the Linhof 612?
Sorry I missed this earlier. Add my vote for the Noblex 150. My preference in models is the 150 F (or FE) which gives you much more focus control. I have been using one of these for 4 years and it is the only piece of equipment I own that paid for itself so rapidly, two jobs! Before I got the Noblex I tried out the Fuji 617, the Horseman 612 and the Seitz Roundshot.
Last edited by Ted Harris; 28-Jul-2006 at 19:20.
The Linhof is really beautiful to handle and covet, so I would get it over the Horseman if I were sure it would be a "forever" camera. But what Ted said, Noblex images sell really well and used Noblexes are far less expensive than either the Horseman or Linhof. Different look though...
Last edited by Frank Petronio; 28-Jul-2006 at 20:29.
Having rented the Horseman, all I can say is that it is not such a great camera. I'd rather just use a 6x12 back on a Toyo 4x5CF if it came down to it, and then at least have the option of using 4x5. It's big, fairly heavy, and more of a kludge to use than one might expect. I have also rented the Noblex - it is sharp, doesn't suffer from wideangle falloff or need for center filters, and takes amazing, wide photos as long as one remembers to keep the fingers well away from the front of the camera!
I had the Horseman 612 camera (but not the PC model, I figured in landscape photography I did not need it) for three years, and I sold it only because I needed the money, otherwise I would have kept it forever, what a beautiful camera! The Rodenstock lenses are superb. It's small, compact, easy to handhold --- yup, Ed K and I live on different universes :-) --- you end up treating it almost like a point-and-shoot, i.e. you put it in a pouch that you carry with you ready to be used.
A 6x12 back on a 4x5? That depends on your shooting style. I was hiking around with one of two setups: (1) the Horseman, two lenses, 120 chromes, no tripod, look into the viewfinder and shoot: immediate setup, easy easy easy; (2) the Horseman, two lenses and a very light tripod when I was shooting black and white with dark filters and infrared. In this latter case the Horseman (or the Linhof) make your life easier because you can compose with the filter already on the lens.
Sure, I would not buy it if I had to shoot 6x12 even 30% of the time in a studio or if I had often issues with precise DOF or exact composition. In fact, I had the optional groundglass and in three years I did not use it once. This to say that for me it had always been a point and shoot on steroids for expansive landscapes.
BTW, I shoot both 4x5 and 8x10, so I am not against LF. Actually that's all I'm doing these days. And my back knows it ...
Cheers!
Well, I haven't used either camera, but I can tell you I would choose the one with shift... I use my own home-made shift camera, and use shift all the time for architectural and landscape subjects. It simply gives me more flexibility for "image control". I also think ground-glass composition helps a lot for architectural work - especially if you're trying to set up the camera parallel to a wall or other surface. If I shot more handheld using a shoe-mount viewfinder, shift-ability would be less important. On a camera with shift, though, you can have it both ways!
Jim
www.oneeighth.com
About two months ago on a lark, I purchased a Gaoersi 4x5 (with shift) to use with 6x9, 6x12, and BetterLight backs. It is indeed quite hand-holdable and a great companion to my Mamiya 7II. I also purchased lens adapters for 47mm and 75mm. And I'm awaiting a Silvestri shift viewfinder with masks for 75mm 6x12 that I just purchased on eBay.
Here is an image of what the camera looks like:
Look for a complete in-depth review in the premiere issue of MAGNAchrom.
J Michael Sullivan
Editor/Publisher, MAGANchrom
www.magnachrom.com
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