[LargeFormat] about to take the jump

[William Wiseman]

> Let me suggest one more item... the stability of the camera.  Old
> Koronas/B+J/Kodak can be bought cheap.  But are they sturdy?  A lot of 
> them
> ( and others like Deardorff, Linhof, Sinar, etc. )are not stable, they
> jiggle and move all by themselves.  This is specific to a specific 
> item...
> get a return policy, try the thing out, and be sure of what you buy,
>
> My best suggestion is to wait to buy the best camera you can afford.  
> Ikeda,
> Tachihara, Nagaoka all made reasonable field cameras.  They would sell 
> for
> around $300.  Calumet sells a model they call a Cadet for around $300
> new....
>
> I also suggest buying NEW cut film holders.  While they seem to be more
> expensive, once you test them out with real film, they cost almost the 
> same
> as new  ones...
>
> Overall, the body is a black box.  The lens handles the exposure and 
> creates
> distortion, YOUR EYES and YOUR Brain creates the images.  Buy the best
> optics, and be in the best mood you can be when you go out to shoot.  
> Then
> you get the best images you can produce.
>
> Frank Filippone

OK, If I remember correctly, all these mentioned are folding field 
cameras rather than monorails, correct? I would expect stability to be 
a larger problem when you are dealing with materials (wood, thin brass) 
that inherently more flexible and made lighter/thinner to reduce 
weight. However, wouldn't most of these, if in good condition, be 
stable enough under normal conditions and given a few seconds to settle 
down after all the adjustments and film loading?

JeffW.