[LargeFormat] Horseman or Gandolfi? ...or...

[Jim Brick]

My first view camera was a Graphic View II, which I bought in 1959 for my 
stint at Brooks Institute of Photography (59-61.) A great camera. After 
Brooks, I became a commercial photographer, sold the Graphic View II and 
bought a 4x5 Sinar and an 8x10 Deardorf. Both nice cameras and served me well.

After nearly two decades of commercial photography, I switched to 
engineering (my first schooling at Oregon State - 55-59) and sold the Sinar 
and Deardorf. A decade after that, I longed for a 4x5 and bought a Linhof 
Master Technika field camera. Very nice camera, which I used for five 
years, but I found it difficult to use with very wide lenses. So I sold it 
and bought a Linhof Technikardan 45S. The 45S folds-up and packs away in my 
backpack, in the exact same slot that my Technika used. To me, this is the 
best 4x5 camera I've ever owned or used. It packs-up small for field 
carrying and use and unfolds into a monorail that will easily take both my 
55 Apo-Grandagon and my 75mm Grandagon-N lenses (unusable on the Technika 
field camera) as well as my Nikkor 720mm Telephoto (also unusable on the 
field camera.)

The Technikardan unfolds and set-up very quickly as well as folding-up and 
packing away just as quickly. I've read reports of folks who couldn't 
master the unfolding and folding technique. All I can say is... well, I 
won't say it! It is simply dirt simple and very quick.

Here's a review with pictures:

http://www.butzi.net/reviews/linhoftk45s.htm

Jim


At 10:22 PM 5/29/2003 -0400, Dan Kalish wrote:
>I'm new with Large Format and have been setting up a Graphic View II
>(monorail) with a 210mm Rodenstock lens.  I'm already tired of it: its
>enormously cumbersome and somewhat sloppy.  It's also lacking some
>movements, in particular, front fall (is that the right term?) and rear rise
>and fall.
>
>I imagine it would be a real pain to take the Graphic to an outdoor site.
>Therefore, I've been looking at field cameras.  I can get what I think are
>good prices on a Horseman 45HD and a Gandolfi Variant 3.
>
>Any comments and comparisons of these cameras would be appreciated.  I've
>handled the Horseman and it feels light and easy to use.  It has limited
>movements.  The Gandolfi appears to be a more professional camera and has
>all movements, but I'd have to buy it sight unseen.
>
>I don't know what kind of pictures I'll be taking.  I imagine all amateur,
>urban landscapes.
>
>Thanks in advance.
>
>Dan (in NYC).