I was using my Kodak 2A and appreciating the geared movements that it has. (It isn't perfect, though. Front movements are limited to rise and fall, albeit geared)
Are there any 4x5 or 5x7 cameras that have everything geared, and which are affordable ? Barring that, is there a model which has many geared features ?
Re: Affordable Monorail with "Geared Everything" ?
toyo has several. I think Horseman does?
Cambo has a monorail that is cheaper and uses friction rollers, almost like gearing. You can get those really cheap.
Toyo's 4x5 and 8x10 "G" series monorail cameras have geared front and rear rise/fall and shift movements. If weight is not a factor, Sinar's P and P2 monorails have every movement geared.Originally Posted by Ken Lee
Second hand Sinar P's are very affordable these days. My 8x10" cost $850. 4x5's are going for around $500.
At $ 500, the Sinar sounds nice.
If I wanted to get around 500mm of bellows extension, what else would I need to purchase ? I like doing botanicals at close range with my 240mm Fujinon A, and I have a 450mm Fujinon C that I use from time to time.
Also, would I be able to place a 5x7 back on that ? It would be nice to have one camera for both 4x5 and 5x7.
You need a 5x7" (or larger with a reducing back) Sinar to shoot 5x7", and 5x7's are kind of less common among Sinars, but it is fairly easy to convert between formats, so you could start with a 4x5" if you don't find a 5x7" right away, and then keep an eye out for a 5x7" conversion kit, which would include a format frame, back, and bellows (the front standard is always the same).
A standard Sinar 4x5" bellows is 14", and Horseman makes a 20" bellows that fits. I'm not sure how long the standard 5x7" bellows is. My 8x10" bellows is 40", but I think it's an extra long custom bellows. If you want more bellows, you can always add an extra front standard and bellows and more rail. The rail is infinitely extendable.
I have a 4x5" reducing back for my 8x10", which makes it handy to switch between formats, but if you use a reducing back, you lose the asymmetric tilts and swings because the swing and tilt axes no longer fall on the groundglass with the reducing back in place (or you could do them with the full size back, recompose and switch backs). If you use the full format conversion kit, you retain the asymmetric tilts and swings.
Sinar P is a very nice camera. If you cannot find one at the right price, a Cambo Legend is an option. They are nice cameras and seem to have been going for reasonable prices. Cambo accessories generally sell for less than many of the other brands.
Ken,
The Sinar X is also a great camera... I shoot botanicals with a 240 as well!
Cheers
Life in the fast lane!
You can squeeze over 18" of bellows length out of a standard Sinar 4x5 bellows. I use a Norma with 18" of rail (and an end cap - adds a useful inch). With both front and rear focussing slides fully extended I can focus a 18" barrel lens down to twenty feet or so, and my 420 in shutter to around ten feet or less. A 450 at infinity or a 240 up to 1:1 (or pointed straight down at the ground) would be no problem.
The bellows isn't so very pleated at these extensions, but with a Lee compendium shade I haven't noticed any excessive bellows flare. I once checked in a flarey situation if I could see any difference between the tight single bellows and a dual bellows setup with an intermediate standard and the differences were less than the differences introduced by my cheapie scanner.
I have a 5x7 back, bellows and reducing adaptor, but for field use I just take the 4x5 setup and one bellows: the slight inconveniences are heavily outweighed by the lack of extra gubbins to load into my pack.
If you are interested, I have a Toyo 5x7 with both the 5x7 and 4x5 reducing back that I would be willing to sell.
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