Subject: Re: Zone VI 4x5 view comments ?
Reply-To: ian@rats.demon.co.uk
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Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 21:42:28 +0000

In article <parsons1-171292183256@17.5.10.191>
   parsons1@applelink.apple.COM (Don Parsons) writes:

> In article <1992Dec14.152551.6976@spectrum.xerox.com>,
> mcfarlan@aurigaxerox.com (Doug McFarland) wrote:
> > 
> > I'm thinking of moving into large format with a Zone VI 4x5 view.
> > 
> > Does anyone have any comments good or bad on this camera ?
> 
> I do not have one, but have a friend who does. From what I have seen, I
> came to the following conclusions. I hope others will either add to or
> correct anything that I have said.

I was originally going to reply to Doug McFarland's message, as I happen
to own one of these.  But, as you were hoping for some corrections, I
thought I might as well make you happy as well :-)

> Cons:
> * According to the Calumet catalog, it does not allow interchangeable
> bellows. So, you could not, for example, add bellows for wide angle lenses.
> (I am curious to know what the shortest supported focal length is for this
> camera.)

No, the Zone VI _does_ allow for a bag bellows, and Calumet (at least in
the catalogue I have, which admittedly is now a couple of years old) does
sell the bag bellows, and this is included in their catalogue.

I _needed_ (all right, wanted) to use my 65mm on my 5x4.  This was a
prime concern for me at the time.  I bought the Zone VI partly because
it _could_ use a bag bellows.  In practice, I use this much less than I
expected.  Maybe I will end up buying a 90mm after all, for which I
wouldn't have to fiddle around in the field changing the bellows.  On
the other hand, I did read an article by someone who claims to use the
new Schneider 58mm Super Angulon XL "all the time" so perhaps I'm odd.

> * It does not have fine adjustment knobs. Instead, the knobs are for
> holding current adjustments. Once you loosen a knob, you manually move the
> component (such as the front standard), and then tighten the knob to hold
> it in that position. With some view cameras, you have knobs to slowly and
> precisely Rdial-inS fine adjustments.

Very few field cameras have fine adjustments, I'm afraid.  This is
something one might expect in a studio monorail, but the Zone VI is by
no means alone amongst field cameras in not having them.  I don't find
this to be much of an issue; the camera is heavy enough without having
to pack around a couple of precision gearboxes as well...

> * Many of the adjustments do not have marked scales that allow you to make
> adjustments that are guided by numbers. This would be nice if you wanted to
> re-create specific adjustments. With the Zone VI view cameras, you go by
> rough approximation.

Ditto ditto: these are studio camera features, and are not as useful in
a field camera, which the Zone VI of course is.  With a field camera,
you schlepp the movements around until you see what you want; you are
doing right-brain creative things rather than left-brain numerical
things (at least until you have to work out the exposure :-O )

> Pros:
> * When folded, they are VERY small.
> 
> * They are very light.

I begin to wonder at this point if you are talking about the same camera
as I own.  If I didn't know better, I would think you were talking about
the Calumet wood-field 5x4, which is on the opposite page of the
Calumet catalogue (at least in the one I have).  This would also account
for the misunderstanding about the interchangeable bellows.

The Zone VI is not particularly small or light.  This seems to buy it
quite a bit of extra ruggedness, though.  It's lots of good healthy
exercise carting around one of these and a Manfrotto 075B tripod (can't
remember the US designation, it's the big black heavy Bogen one).  And
the lenses.  And the filters.  And the dark slides.

> * They are beautiful cameras. The workmanship is amazing. This is one of
> the few cases where I would say the camera itself is a work of art.

I would agree with this.  Expect to have the guys with the P&Ss want to
take your picture (this happened to me with my previous camera on
Zabriskie Point in Death Valley.  Frankly, I thought they were mad
under the circumstances.  But, as Mr Lehrer used to say, I digress...)

> * You canUt beat the guarantee.

All true, although being on another continent does make me a little nervous
about having to rely on that famous Fred P****r guarantee.  So I will
try very hard not to dent mine.  I bought the very cheap and simple
Calumet ground glass protector just to make sure.

> * They are much less expensive than most of the alternatives.

Now hold on.  This is _definitely_ not the Zone VI we are
talking about here :-)  Unless you want to compare the Zone VI with
Gandolfi wooden cameras or a really big Sinar, there are more 5x4s under
its price than over it, I think.

> When it comes down to it, the most important single component (in terms of
> making high quality images) is the lens. The lenses you will be using with
> a Zone VI view are the same as the ones you will be using with any of the
> alternatives. With good technique and composition, images you create with a
> Zone VI camera will be every bit as good as what you could create with any
> other view camera. Some of the alternative camera just have features that
> might make things easier for you.

Well, I would be a little more bullish about the camera here (although
I wouldn't go as far as Fred in believing it to be the most wonderful
camera ever produced) in that I don't regard it as a cheap compromise
(I'd hate to find out what you regarded as expensive...) but the basic
point here is sound:  as Schneider say, "the lens decides".  If you have
a price problem, buy some GOOD lenses and a cheaper camera.  Then buy
the Zone VI when you have enough spare cash to be able to rent the pack
mule to go with it.

Having said that, the Zone VI has in its favour:  beautiful, rugged,
excellent bellows range (both at the short and long end [22"]), very good
movements, above-adequate stiffness (for a field camera).

Against: high cost, relatively heavy.  But then, if these are your major
problems, I have this second-hand Olympus XA available...  It doesn't
take 5x4 film though.

Only Major Deficiency: it does _not_ have an international back.  So,
if you want to run any of that wimpy roll film through it, you need to
buy a slip-in type of roll-film holder (Calumet do a 6x7 one for about
$250, and they tell me they will be announcing a 6x9 one in the new
year at around the $300 mark) rather than the more usual kind.

Minor Deficiency: you can't close it with a lens mounted.  I used to be
able to do this with my little Linhof, and I had got used to it.  Again,
this is not an unusual restriction, although I vaguely recall that this
was an option with one of the cameras Calumet sold; oddly enough, I can
find no evidence of this now that I'm looking for it.  No doubt some
kind soul will remind me.

   -- Ian
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