puchasing advice

[fralexis]

I have been doing 35 and 6x7 work for a long time. I am now having a gnawing feeling that I want to try 4x5. I have seen a lot of cameras on ebay but am unsure. There are a lot of Cambo or Calumet rail cameras going anywhere between $200.00 and $400.00. I don't know if these are too heavy or not....or just junk. I would like to use them for landscapes, but I don't plan on any real hiking with them. I probably would never use them for studio work. I also am curious whether to look for folding wooden cameras, rail mounted or graflex types.

Does anyone have any advice on a good beginners camera that won't cost too much to see if I really want to invest? Thanks!

Alexis

[AnselAdamsX]

I started with a Cambo and I think they are fine. You can disassemble them for backpacking. You will find lots of stuff available for them. The 4x5 weighs at most 9Lbs. I vaguely remember using a recessed lens board and maybe the bag bellows to use a 90mm lens with full movement. That may be the widest you will use for landscape in the beginning.

[Michael R 1974]

For lansdscape work I'd recommend a field camera versus a monorail.

One interesting option for a beginner would be something from Shen Hao. Based on what I've read over the years these seem to be pretty good, flexible cameras, and they are quite economical. I think you can get one new for something around $700, which is cheaper than anything else new, and probably cheaper than most used cameras.

[rthomas]

I am not a very experienced LF shooter, but I did once own a Calumet CC401 (that's the grey one with a 22" bellows). I actually hiked with this camera in the Appalachians! I had to carry it by the monorail in one hand, with the tripod in my other hand and film holders in a satchel over my shoulder. For a project I did in college, I got to try out a wooden Tachihara folding 4x5 and that was a LOT more fun to use in the field. Now I am using an 8x10 field camera also borrowed from school. If I was going to buy a LF camera for landscapes (and I will someday), I would go with a folding field camera over a monorail unless the monorail was really collapsible (mine was not). Just my two cents' of opinion.

EDIT: Another thought that has occurred to me from time to time is getting a monorail camera with a short rail and a bag bellows. This might be lighter and more useful for landscape work...

[Rick A]

I have owned a Cambo and still have two Calumet 4x5's, a cc-400 and the longer cc-401 and use both for landscape. My favorite of them is the long cc-401 for its versatility in the studio and the ability to use very long lenses. I'll sell you the cc-400 for $125 plus shipping.

[Brian C. Miller]

The Calumet Orbit was used by Ansel Adams. Seriously, there's a video of him on YouTube, carrying it on a job. I thought to myself, "Hey! I have that!" Better claim than Norsigian! These are sturdy cameras, and lots of them were made, and they are cheap.

Use and enjoy.

[Len Middleton]

Alexis,

If you are concerned with losing money, if you find that 4x5 is not for you, then as well as buying at a relatively low cost, you might look for something you can re-sell with minimal loss (think of it as rent). Buying used with a well known make can help in that way. A number of people recommend Sinar as a make that is easily and cheaply available and can grow if you decide that you need more of 4x5. Using a standard make can also reduce some of the other issues like needing to mount lenses on obscure lensboards types. Sinar / Horseman, Linhof / Toyo / Wista, and certain standard sizes (4x4, 6x6) are common lensboard versions.

The camera can easily be the least expensive part, with lenses and film eating a large part of the budget. In that situation of stareting out, you are better looking into a complete kit from someone getting out or upgrading. If local they might even be able to take you out to show you how to use it.

Just some other things to consider.

Good luck and enjoy, as it changes the way you work and the way you see,

Len

[Jim Jones]

Alexis -- Using most monorails in the field seems less convenient than the press, flatbed, and field cameras I sometimes use. A Crown Graphic or similar Bush or Burke & James press camera fitted with a lens with more coverage than the original lens makes a farly light and rugged outfit. I like it for convenience, but often need a field camera for its versatility. For decades my somewhat bulky 5x7 Burke & James flatbed, usually with a 4x5 back, sufficed. The ideal camera is a luxury; countless other cameras produce equally good photos. It is better to photograph with the camera at hand than merely yearn for a better one.

[vpwphoto]

Antique wooden cameras will be a "frustration" Cameras like Seneca, and Anthony for your use.
Those Ansco wooden jobs are so damn heavy and a "tail board" makes focusing and viewing a pain with shorter lenses.
The Grover and Kodak monorails from the 1950's and 1960's are wiggly and likely worn out.
The studio camera systems are a good bet, but not romantic in the wood and brass sense.
Wizner, Zone iV and other high end wood are nice. If you have the money and desire get a Shen Hao!
BTW.. I have a Sinar system listed that I might be willing to deal on. I dunno... I should probably keep it!