Good Used Monorail 8x10 Camera?

[Ron Whitaker]

I am in the market for a good used monorail 8x10 camera. Does anyone have any suggestions for a good brand? I don't have a ton of money to spend, bu t I do want to get the best that I can afford for now.

Also, where's a good place to get one?

Thanks for any suggestions/help.

[mark lindsey]

I have a horseman 8x10 for sale if you are interested, please e-mail me if you a re. thanks mark lindsey

[Alan Spears]

I too am in the market for a used 8x10. If you have any luck in finding a source please let me know

[azdream]

I was in the market, and then I thought I would build one. Here are 3 sites for that if you are interested. You might have already been there.

http://www.enteric.org/810.html

http://www.philsan.com/Default.htm

http://www.cyberbeach.net/~dbardell/bellows.html

[rob]

I've been using a horseman 8x10 LX-C, it is very stable, lots of movement adjustments, and l love its "variable axis tilt" feature. I was lucky that I got it from that site for $700. I often saw cambo 8x10 went for about $400 at that e*ay site.

[Jack Flesher]

Personally, I use an older style Arca A/B. Most 8x10 monorails are big and not very portable, but these weigh about 12 pounds and store easily in an f64 backpack. Can usually be found used for around $1200.

Alternatively, the Toyo G is a very good camera for the money now, usually complete cameras around $800. Sinar is also very good, an F for about the same price as the Toyo or the more elaborate P for maybe $1000 or so.

Cheers,

[Frank Petronio]

Second what Jack said. I really enjoyed the older 8x10 Arca I had, they are compact, light, solid, rigid, really just about perfect except for a much more expensive newer Arca. And I found mine for under $500 ;) It just took a year to find, they are rare.

The Horseman/Toyos and Sinar P are a lot of camera for the money too, but they are heavier/bulkier/more studio orientated.

[naturephoto1]

Gee, this another one of bringing back one of those really old threads. Ron posed this question on December 31, 1997 and hasn't been to this site since November 7, 2000. :rolleyes: :eek:

Rich

[Jack Flesher]

Gee, this another one of bringing back one of those really old threads. Ron posed this question on December 31, 1997 and hasn't been to this site since November 7, 2000. :rolleyes: :eek:

Rich

Duh... Good catch. Count me as a forum-board lemming...

[Ralph Barker]

Duh... Good catch. Count me as a forum-board lemming...

Lemming? I thought you were responding to azdream's "me-too" question, which was posted yesterday, Jack, making your post both timely and appropriate. ;)

FWIW, I use a Toyo 810G, purchased used four or five years ago at a good price (about $500 at that time). The Toyo made snese for me because I also have their 45C monorail and their 45AX 4x5 field camera. Due to the modular design of the Toyo line, various bits are interchangeable between the cameras. The Toyo isn't as elegant in design as the high-end Sinars, but it is well made and a practical workhorse.

[Jack Flesher]

Thanks Ralph!

BTW, another bit of info on the Toyo G line you might find interesting... The folks at Betterlight have several rail cameras set up on studio stands to do testing of their cameras as well as some art-repro studio sessions for showing off the quality of the BL file as well as demo-ing their continuous lighting. For these purposes they tested MANY different models of cameras and settled on what they found to be the most rigid. Obviously they did this so as to eliminate camera motion and transfer of scanning head vibration as mcuh as possible as a potential image destructing variable. The cameras they found most suitable were the standard Toyo G. A few other rail cameras were acceptable, but in general, cameras with base tilts like the more deluxe GX version Toyo did not fare as well as the plain old G.

[archivue]

Norma 8x10 !

[Ernest Purdum]

While I agree with archivue that a Norma (that's a Sinar) would be great since you can never outgrow the Sinar family, because you said you don't have a ton of money to spend, maybe you might consider a non-monorail, the Calumet C-1. It isn't modular, it isn't very fashionable, but it is an awful lot of 8" X 10" for the money.