From: geoff@pmafire.inel.gov (Geoff Allen)
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 92 16:23:52 GMT
Organization: Roller Coaster fanatic with no hope for a cure
Subject: Re: Zone VI 4x5 view comments ?
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First off, I'll give you the disclaimer that I don't own a Zone VI
camera, so I'll be speculating on anything I say about it.  Be
forewarned.

ian@rats.demon.co.uk writes:
| In article <parsons1-171292183256@17.5.10.191>
|    parsons1@applelink.apple.COM (Don Parsons) writes:
| 
| > * 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...

Agreed.  I've never found it a problem with my Bender camera to get the
focus exactly how I want it.

Do studio photographers use wider apertures than us field types?  I'm
wondering if that's the reason for the more precise control on studio
cameras.  Or maybe it's more a case of ``Ahh, why not?  We don't have to
carry it!'' ;^)

| > * 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...)

;^)

I've never had my picture taken, but have had several people ask me what
kind of camera it is.  And a lot of people assume you can only take
black-and-white pictures with a view camera. :^)

| > * 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.

Unless by ``alternatives'' he meant the Linhof Technikardan. ;^)

The Carbon Infinity is up there in the price stratosphere too, isn't it?

| 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.

So, is ``5x4'' the way you British folks describe 4x5 film?  I always
knew you lived in a backward country, driving on the wrong side of the
road and all; perhaps this is just more evidence.  ;^)

Cheerio,

Geoff

-- 
Geoff Allen          \ The main difference between me and the student
uunet!pmafire!geoff   \  is that I have simply made more mistakes.
geoff@pauling.inel.gov \    --George Drennan on teaching photo workshops.
Newsgroups: rec.photo