I'm wondering....
Has anyone dealt with those Russian sellers? There are 18x24cm cameras for sale. Two at the moment but they are fairly frequent on the site I believe.
I'm afraid the cameras may be too heavy for any real field use, but 18x24cm might be a likely candidate for a modified WP back.
Unfortunately I don't have £100 for the camera (or otherwise!) or else I would have bought one to test by now.
if you mean ebay, I have had no problems with those I have used to get glass.
The Russian /FSU sellers I've dealt with have all been good.
You might also look for a German 18x24cm plate camera, the originals of which the later FSU-made FK's and FKD's are copies. The build quality is totally different.
Ole, I was wondering about build quality. I fear that stability may be an issue with the extension bed. Not to knock the ruskies, but if 35mm camera 'copies' are anything to go by, I was glad to buy a German 35mm instead
Ash, I have three Germans - 13x18 and 24x30cm in the "classic" German "Reisekamera" style, a 18x24 German "Englische type" (folds up with the lensboard inside and GG outside, opposite of the German type), and a russian 30x40cm camera. The smaller FKD's I've seen aren't at all as bad as the big monster, but the Reisekameras are in an entirely different league.
The 24x30cm camera is a beauty - folds up to 8cm thick, can focus both a 30mm lens and a 840mm lens at infinity. And is utterly stable at all extensions. The only thing "wrong" with it is that it needs a new bellows, which I will get from CameraBellows later this year. I won't try making one myself since it needs to be very thin and very precise at the same time to manage that stretch and still allow the camera to fold.
Ole, sounds like my search will continue.
For heritage' sake I'd prefer to buy an English plate camera than any other brand, but we'll have to see what ends up the cheapest option if/when I can afford to think about this format.
If the popularity grows, the price will too - hopefully the cost and availability of film in the size will change as well though.
Ash - I think you're spot on. If you get a European 18x24cm type camera here, you'll be completely alienated from all the parts you need. That bit is okay, but don't support those awful metric tyrannists!!
We is imperial. Inches, not strange peculiar unpronounceables like 'cm'. And be stoic! The long wait you can drain morale, before you find an English whole plate camera, half plates and quarter plate sized temptations come your way.
Rob, I have a half-plate. It has sat unused for a year now due to cos-..... maybe I should stick with 4x5 after all!!
Originally Posted by Ash
Rob, I have a half-plate. It has sat unused for a year now due to cos-..... maybe I should stick with 4x5 after all!!
Lol. Just for that, I'll not send you the film after all
How comes? Isn't it the perfect portrait camera for MJ? The long elegant vertical persuasion of the 6 3/4 inch length adds a panoramic dimension to an otherwise boring rectangle.
I like mine and use it with Kodak plates which I really enjoy. They aren't a lot more work either and they certainly look stunning.
I haven't used it simply because it's a very heavy camera, and I'm finding it difficult to afford 4x5 film at the moment, so 5x7 film (the back takes some 5x7 holders I'd bought) is out of my price margin.
I'd LIKE to use it, don't get me wrong!!
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