WTB: Metal Field camera + various lenses

[Marc Wilson]

Hi everyone,

Sorry about the vague title but...
I need to put my 54 kit together again and am looking for the following: (in order of necessity and my funds!)

Metal field camera such as Horseman FA, Toyo A / AX, Wista VX etc.

120-135mm lens: fuji 125mm cm-w, schneider 120mm super symmar, Nikkor F5.6 W, Sironar N 5.6, or similar.

210mm lens: again the Nikkor W or Sironar N or similar

90mm lens: Nikkor SW F8, Schneider 90mm 6.8, or similar

I really am not bothered by cosmetic condition but of course the camera needs to work perfectly in terms of its movements, etc and the glass on the lenses must be clean with a perfect shutter.

If you have any of the above or similar please do let me know by PM or email.

Thanks,

Marc

[Peter B]

Commercial Cameras have a Toyo 45A11 listed as Mint- @ £795 if that is of any interest? http://www.commercialcameras.co.uk/used.html

[mpirie]

There's also a 45AII on the auction website. I recently sold mine and have found myself in situations where it would have been ideal.

I can't vouch for the Nikkor 135mm (i've heard it's not the best lens Nikon made for large format) but can for the 210mm and 90mm.

I might be parting with a 90mm f8 soon, so depending on your timeline, I may be able to help.

Mike

[Marc Wilson]

Thanks guys,

Yes the nikon is just one of the options in the 125-135mm range I am looking at.
Ideally I'd pick up a sironar-s but my budget for this gear is fixed so...

Mike, do let me know about your nikon 90/8 when you look to sell it but I'll keep it updated here if I find one.

Thanks,

Marc

[Thingy]

It's a pity you're not after an Ebony. The RSW45 is being offered for sale (ono) on eBay for £900 at the moment.....

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ebony-RSW45_W0QQi ... 724wt_1167

This camera got a good write up by Joe Cornish, below.

http://www.ebonycamera.com/rev/RSW45.Cornish.html

[Marc Wilson]

Hi,
I used to use an Ebony SW45 and it was a fantastic camera...lovely smooth movements, rigid standards, quick set up and the shift as well as rise that I like for location work...in fact I thoroughly recommend it!
Right now though I'm looking at the metal field cameras more for their added protection with the clamshell fold up design and I also like their ease of lens range from 90 to 210/240 without the need for extensions etc or really expensive ebony designs!

It's got to be glass first for me so I may well end up with an MPP depending on how much left of my overall budget the 3 bits of glass leave me!

Marc

[dave_whatever]

You could always keep your eyes open for one of those old supergraphics too.

[Marc Wilson]

Good idea...it will be odd using an old camera like an mpp etc after using ebonies, sinar's, etc but it's amazing how 3 good bits of glass add up so quickly...but after all it's only a box for film at one end and a lens at the other!
Hopefully though a nice toyo 45A will come up for around £350 and I'll be sorted!

Marc

[Marc Wilson]

I've pretty much tightened up my lens choices down to the following lenses.
They make a good set in terms of focal lengths I need, available movements for types of images I inevitabaly end up shooting and overall weight / aperture balance.

Nikon SW 120mm F8
Schnedier G-Claron 210mm / 240mm F9 or Fuji 240mm A F9
Nikon SW 90mm F8


I already have a lead on the 90mm from Mike here but still searching out the 120 and 210/240

Thanks,

Marc

[Thingy]

I've pretty much tightened up my lens choices down to the following lenses.
They make a good set in terms of focal lengths I need, available movements for types of images I inevitabaly end up shooting and overall weight / aperture balance.

Nikon SW 120mm F8
Schnedier G-Claron 210mm / 240mm F9 or Fuji 240mm A F9
Nikon SW 90mm F8


I already have a lead on the 90mm from Mike here but still searching out the 120 and 210/240

Thanks,

Marc

Hi Marc

I have the Nikon 120 SW above. It's major limitation is that the rear element is as large at the front element and it is rather heavy! I have an Ebony 45SU but can only get the full movements on the Nikon 120 SW, with 5x4, if I use my Ebony wide (ie bag) bellows. The Nikon 120 SW is apparently aimed more at 5x7 and 10x8 users, and I can see why. I only use it for architectural photography. I use the Schneider 120 Apo-Symmar for landscape, but it has very limited movements (however it is almost as light and small as my Schneider 120 HM Macro lens) You might like to consider the Schneider 120/5.6 HM MC Super Symmar, which is lighter but has more movements than the Apo.

Teamwork are currently selling one secondhand:
http://www.teamworkphoto.com/index.php? ... s_id=14375

Steve

PS: With the 45SU you can use lenses in the range os 58mm (on an ordinary flat lens board) to a 300mm long lens, with adjustments. There is one currently on sale of £2.6K I recently paid almost double that, new!

[Marc Wilson]

Hi steve,

Interesting stuff.
I guess I had not really factored in the 120 sw's huge rear element as well, bearing in mind the type of field camera I will be using.

It's an odd one for me as my work, which I class as 'documentary landscapes' falls between pure landscape and pure architectural work in terms of what my lenses need to do.
It's all location work, and generally in the landscape as opposed to built up urban environments, but often includes buildings or shooting from non perfect positioning in the shots so I almost invariably find myself using rise + shift quite a lot.

So, for the lens I will be using for as many of my images as possible (in the 120 - 135mm range) it's a case of trying to find a lens with enough movements for my needs yet not going overboard in terms of size/weight and also preferring the larger apertures (5.6 etc) for viewing purposes.
The wider (90) and longer (210/240, etc) are really just for those occasions where its just not possible to get to the shooting distance I want!

Inevitably, with these very varied needs, compromises are made...and then you can not completely ignore cost as well!

The ideal lens...a 125mm version of the 110SSxl!
The best solution...the 120 SSHM, the fuji 125cm-w,the fuji 135mm cm-w...??

Marc

[dave_whatever]

Your problem will be that most 120-135mms of the usual design (plasmats etc) tend to be slim on coverage for your needs, so it really leaves you with huge heavy expensive lenses for 5x7 or 8x10 (like the nikon thing, 110mm XL or the 121mm f/8 super angulon). You could try an old 120mm angulon instead, or maybe the 125mm f5.6 Fuji will have enough coverage. Or just put up with using a 150mm.

[Marc Wilson]

I'm sure it will come down to what crops up and then go with that...it will all work in the end!

Marc

[Charles Twist]

I have the Fujinon version of the Nikon 120mm and it's a great lens for architecture. The colour of the results is different to Nikon lenses, with the colours, especially green, being more vivid for some reason (not sure if it's just mine, either). It's only really worth getting a huge image circle if you have the camera to exploit it (which is why I sold my beloved Toyo). I had an old Symmar 135mm and it did a fine job, even with the 6x17 RFH back; in fact, the fall-off at the far edges was similar to the present Fujinon 120mm.
Best regards,
Charles

[Thingy]

Marc

The Nikon 90/f8 is well worth getting. It offers the same coverage as the f4.5 version that I use, but is not as bright for low light work/architectural photography. Of course if you get yourself one of Bill Maxwell's excellent screens, that will be much less of an issue. I have his HI-LUX Ultra Brilliant Matt 4.7 screen which even allows me to use my Schneider 120mm Macro HM without a focussing cloth, except in low light indoors!

Steve