Monorails in the field

[Kerry L. Thalmann]

Owning one of each is out of the question for me so I have to pick one or the other.

Why? Cost? For little more than the price of a Sinar F2, you may be able to get two cameras - one for each purpose. Perhaps something like a Crown Graphic and a Graphic View, or perhaps one of the less expensive Toyo/Omega monorails. Lens board adapters are available that will let you share lenses between both cameras without swapping boards.

You have two very different applications in mind; hiking and studio portraits. Other than something like an ARCA-SWISS F-Line, there isn't really any one camera ideally suited to both applications. You need something light and compact for hiking. You already have a Tachihara, which is well suited to that application, but not at all well suited to shooting studio portraits. Why not just keep the Tachihara and buy a good, cheap Toyo/Omega, Cambo or Calumet monorail. These cameras are very inexpensive, and are full system cameras perfectly suited to studio applications. Unfortunately, they are big, bulky, heavy and definitely not ideal for hiking any considersable distance. If you poke around on the KEH web site and prowl eBay, you will see a ton of different 4x5 monorail cameras for less than $200, even several for less than $100.

Why try to force a tool to do something it was never intended to do? Would you use a screwdriver to pound nails? The wrong tool will bog you down and distract you from your image making goals. The camera should be a transparent part of the image making process, not a distracting burden that is ill-suited for the intended application. I highly recommend you keep your Tachihara for hiking and pick up a good, cheap $100 - $200 monorail for your studio work. This will give you the right tool for both jobs.

Kerry

[Kerry L. Thalmann]

Some specifics I am interested in is how heavy your camera is, how far you hike with it, and what you use to carry it.

Perhaps if you answered the same questions, the replies you receive will be more appropriate to your needs. We already know you have a Tachihara, that weighs about 3.5 lb. How far do you hike with it and how do you carry it? There's a big difference between a half mile stroll on a paved path through your local city park and a 20 mile wilderness hike up steep mountainous trails. Pretty much any camera, field or monorail, will work fine for the former. As you approach the latter, practical considerations start to limit your choices.

Kerry

[AnselAdamsX]

I have a Wista SP metal field camera which weighs about 6lb. But I picked up a Sinar F monorail which I think weighs 9lb and is bulkier. I tend to shoot wide angles and the Wista SP requires a recessed lens board for my 65mm and I have to drop the bed. The Sinar allows me to use a flat lens board with even a 47mm lens.

[Corran]

I hiked up to the tallest point in the Great Smoky National Park with a Toyo GII monorail. It was at that moment that I realized the value of a field camera!!

Considering decent monorails can be bought for $200 or less, I don't see why you can't have both. I have a Wista now for field use and the Toyo is used for architecture and indoor work.

[Heroique]

I also have a Tachi 4x5 (4 lbs.) – and complement it with a Toyo 45c monorail camera (15 lbs.).

I don’t do much studio work as you plan to – my work is almost exclusively landscape – but I may be able to share some personal experiences to help your decision.

My brief reply: “I think you’re gonna miss your Tachi when it’s time to go on strenuous hikes!” ;^)

Now for a slightly longer reply:

I’m glad I have both cameras, because depending on the type of trip I take, one or the other is the best one to take. Three key considerations help me choose which camera to bring.

1) How far will I walk/hike to my destination, and just what else am I “lugging” there?
2) How much time will I have to set-up, compose, take the shot(s), and take-down?
3) How sophisticated will my camera movements be? (This of course, influences #2).

For example...

When I’m near my destination w/ plenty of time, I enjoy using my monorail camera – whether or not I think movements will be sophisticated. Once I have it set-up, I like (I love) having all the optional movements, plus the ease of applying them, some of which I may not have anticipated.

On the other hand, when I have a “hike” ahead of me, usually there is no question – I bring the much lighter field camera, no matter what I think about #2 or #3.

Only if I think I’ll need several extraordinarily precise movements, and have little chance of getting the shot I want w/o them, will I consider making the extraordinary effort of hiking over hill & dale with my studio camera. But my landscape shots most typically don’t need movements like that.

Please let us know what you finally decide is best for you – one camera or two.

[Joseph Dickerson]

Don't be misled. A Sinar F/F1/F2 weighs 7 pounds or so with lens. At least mine does.

That's only a couple of pounds more than most field cameras (two pounds=one quart of water).

The Sinar F(ield) cameras can be carried in a backpack (check PhotoBackpacker) and will give more movements and more rigidity than most folders. Speed/Century Graphics don't offer much in the way of movements, and a Graphic View camera (as lovely as they are) will be at least 40 years old.

If you're somewhere you can rent lf gear you might want to try that before you commit to anything.

Also, search the Large Format home page, you'll find lots of info re: monorails vs. folding cameras.

JD

[gevalia]

I used a Sinar F2 4x5 for 6 months in the field. And I define field work as hiking anywhere from a few hundred yards to 8 hours. So field work for me is not "by the car". While I got use to the extra weight of the F2 and extension rails, the problem was that it was difficult to get the weight distribution correct in my backpack. I had to constantly shift it around to reduce stress. I spent a long time trying to figure this out and also got the photobackpacker case but in the end I went back to a field camera. I also have a tendency to hike more flat areas with the camera on the tripod over my shoulder and this was just not a good idea with the Sinar.

That being said, if I could find a way to get the weight distribution right, I would hike with the F2.

Ron

[Scott Walker]

I use a Sinar P2 8x10 for my field camera and carry up to 25 holders. I will go down to 5 to 10 holders if I am going to be going on a short hike or one with a big elevation change. I usually carry the camera over my shoulder mounted on the tripod with the dark-cloth as padding. I carry lenses etc. in a backpack and my wife carries more film holders, food and extra water in her backpack. My backpack will normally weigh in at 30 to 35 lbs and Lorraine's at about 20 to 25 lbs. I have no idea what the tripod and camera weigh but it is heavy. There are times (especially on steep inclines) when I think a nice light folder would be perfect but those thoughts always seem to disappear once I set the camera up and actually start using it. I also use the same setup for snowshoeing although the weight makes breaking trail in deep snow very tiring and slow.


This picture is from a fairly short hike on a good trail of about 3 miles with a bit of elevation, about a 400 foot gain if I remember correctly.

[Ken Lee]

You might find it illuminating to weigh all your equipment: film holders, dark cloth, light meter, lenses, etc. Then consider how to save weight. It may be better to carry a lighter camera, or fewer lenses, or get a lighter tripod instead. It depends on your gear. You should also consider the lenses you use, and the kind of images you make. The Tachi may be perfectly adequate for 99% of them, so it may be counter productive to chase after that elusive 1%.

As others have wisely counseled, there is no one perfect camera for all circumstances. You have to decide which images you consistently want to make, and when the wise thing to do is just smile and say "no thanks".

[Drew Wiley]

Just get a real backpacking backpack instead of one of those silly photographers things. A Sinar is super easy to pack. I just wrap it with my goosedown jacket and plop
it between a couple of tupperware boxes of holders. I've carried at least a hundred of miles at a time, over class 3 13,000 ft passes, hauled over ledges with ropes, scooting
down glaciers with an ice axe. You name it. But I had a problem carrying enough food, and now that I'm getting to be a lazy geezer and deserve to eat better in the mtns, I've resorted to an Ebony folder. But for those long dayhikes when I'm not carrying 8x10, that new/old Norma is sure the ticket! Maybe only a pound heavier than my similarly equipped F2, and holds its settings much better.