Compiled by Q.-Tuan Luong for the Large Format Page
The brand name in Chinese is Shenhao. They make both 4x5 and 8x10 and are available in China. The 8x10 costs about $500. The 4x5 price is about half of that, or you can get a 4x5 with a 210F3.5 (yes, F3.5) lens for about $500. Never actually used them but played them for a while in store. They are not sturdy, in particular the 8x10, and the focusing is kind of rough. The store owner told me that everyone bought these had to rebuild them in someway. After that they are usable. Yangbo Ye (yey@math.uiowa.edu)
The Iston is distributed & sold in Canada (for about $400 CDN). It's a little rough overall but it is still very usable - plus it's cheap. I'm sure it's probably equivalent to the Indian made Rajah that's sold in the US. Roger Hein (rogein@interlog.com)
I own a "spruce goose" and they are not a bad little camera. There is no comparison to the Wisner's or others in that bracket, but they are a very useable, no frills camera. I tired of lugging my Cambo around and wanted a field camera, but rebelled at the prices of many of them. I am sure they are superb instruments, but $2000 plus for a couple of wooden standards and a bellows seemed (and still does) a bit much. I photograph mainly statuary and cemetery landscapes. I needed the large negative and front and rear tilts. The Iston has those. They also have a rising front and a crude rear swing. The rear standard also slides forward to accomodate a 90mm lens. The bellows draw is about 12". Again it is very basic, but basic was what I needed. If I am doing an architectural shoot I'll use the Cambo, but for everything else I need the Iston is fine. It has generous size knobs, easy to use with gloves. I did change the small set screws that set the infinity position as they were too small for my hands and replaced the ground glass with a finer one from Calumet. Other than that no other modification was necessary. The importer was (is) MC Photographic out of Cleveland, TN. I purchased the camera from Ken Hanson's in NYC. It cost about $500. That plus the price of a lens, loupe, film holders, and bag totalled around $1400. Less than the cost of one of the fancier body only outfits around. I realize it is not a precision studio camera, but I don't look for that in a field camera anyway. It serves me very well. I would not hesitate to recommend it as a good working field camera. Frank J. Calidonna (frank.calidonna@worldnet.att.net)
Argraph carries them. Ask your retailer. (Argraph is a US photo supply vendor like Dotline or BKA and these vemdors are used by just about every photo retailer). James Baker (jbaker@email.unc.edu)
Rajah Wood Fields
Cub Field A JRF B
Lensboard 3 7/8 x 3 3/4 4 1/4 x 4 1/4 4 1/4 x 4 1/4
Back (below) 1 2 3
Bellows Draw 13" 23" 23"
Max Ext w Std Bellows 300 mm 580 mm 580 mm
Min Ext w Std Bellows 47 mm 65 mm 65 mm
Front Swing 30 30 30
Front Tilt 90 360? 360?
Front Rise/Fall 2.5" 1 5/8" 1 5/8"
Front Shift 3/4" 0 0
Rear Swing 30 30 30
Rear Tilt 15 15 15
Rear Rise/Fall 0 0 0
Rear Shift 0 0 0
Folds w Lens No Yes Yes
Price US$ in 1984 $300 $300 $250
Back 1: Reversible International
Back 2: Revolving International
Back 3: Reversible Spring
Michael Gudzinowicz (bg174@FreeNet.Carleton.CA)
At one time Rajah view cameras were distributed in the US by Jack Callahan of Kyvyx Korporation in New Jersey. They look like a copy of a Deardorff but they are made out of teak instead of mahogony. Rajah made 4x5, 5x7 and 8x10 wood field cameras and accessories. The 8x10 had 33 inches of bellows extension and was originally priced at $795. Gary Shank (gshank@why.net)
I've used a Rajah 8x10. Gearing was rough, and I had to use a C-clamp to keep the front standard from tilting forward with a heavy lens (45cm Voitlander APO-Skopar process lens - no shutter). However, it did allow me to start making photographs in 8x10 and for that, I loved it. I think I paid $600.00 from NY Lens and Repro about two years ago. If you are already into LF and think that this will be a cheap Deardorff copy...the emphasis is on "cheap." Save your $500.00 towards a higher quality 8x10 at some point down the road. But if it is a choice between starting to make photographs now and waiting a year....put your money down on the counter and dive right in, the water's fine. Benjamin Marks (bm4f@virginia.edu)
The one I have is labeled as an Anba Wood Field Ikeda Factory Tokyo. Other than appearance (brass plated hardware and red bellows) the only difference between it and my friend's Nagaoka (chrome hardware and black bellows) is movements for sliding the back forward for wide angle use on mine are geared. Not a big functional difference IMHO. Kerry Thalmann (K.Thalmann@worldnet.att.net)