Resources list

Compiled by Q.-Tuan Luong for the Large Format Page

Manufacturers

Cameras

• Arca-Swiss: Field, Studio and R-line technical cameras. Also tripod heads. Rod Klukas (Tempe, AZ. 480-755-3364, Rod.Klukas@Arca-Swiss.com) is the USA representative/distributor.
• Bender Photographic: wooden monorail field camera kits that you assemble yourself.
• Calumet: monorail cameras and many accessories, has acquired Zone VI studios, which manufactures wood field cameras.
• Cambo: monorail cameras
• Canham: wood and metal field cameras. +1(480)964-8624
• Ebony: large choice of premium wood field cameras in several sizes and models
• Fotoman Camera: "point and shoot" LF cameras designed for hand-held use, similar to the Linhof Technar.
• Gandolfi: wood field cameras since 1885
• GranView Camera 4 x 5 and 8 x 10 wide angle camera hand-holdable with helical focusing.
• Horseman: field and monorail cameras
• Linhof: field and monorail cameras. In the US, inquiries can be directed to Bob Salomon (bobsalomon@mindspring.com)
• Lotus: Austrian
• Peter Gowland: Hand held 4x5, 5x7 & 8x10 twin lens cameras as well as many other rare cameras and products. There is also plenty of Peter's glamour work from the past and present to look at.
• R. H. Phillips & Sons: lightweight field cameras. 2283 Old Pine Trail Midland, MI 48642-8840, USA tel 517-835-7897 fax 517-839-9745. rhphill@concentric.net
• Silvestri: specialty cameras
• Sinar: monorail cameras
• Tachihara Professional Camera Works LTD. 3-17-8, Toshima, Kita-ku, Tokyo 114, Japan. Phone: (03)911-1794/(03)914-0911 Midwest Photo or Badger Graphics can handle most requests about these wood field cameras.
• Toho: ultralight monorails, the site is in Japanese but you can always look at the pictures of the cameras. The US importer is Badger Graphics.
• Toyo: metal field and monorail cameras
• Wehman Camera: a homemade 8x10 field camera
• Wisner: wood field cameras. Warning: several people have complained about delays in getting cameras which have been fully paid for.
• Wista: wood and metal field cameras

Lenses - vendors information - compiled by Oren Grad

(Current LF and "digital" lenses) http://www.linos.de/pdf/en/prod/rodenstock_photo_optics_e.pdf

Schneider:

(Current LF lenses) http://www.schneideroptics.com/photography/large_format_lenses/

(Current "digital" lenses) http://www.schneideroptics.com/photography/digital_photography/

(Discontinued lenses) http://www.schneideroptics.com/info/vintage_lens_data/large_format_lenses/

(Schneider Apo-Helvetar for Alpa 12 cameras) http://www.alpa.ch/alpa/helvetar.htm

Fujinon:

(Current LF lenses) http://www.thalmann.com/largeformat/mar-1997.htm

On this page Kerry Thalmann has kindly provided scans of specification tables from a Fujinon lens brochure dated March 1997. For non-Japanese readers, these are easier to read than the tables on the Fujifilm site in Japan. I have reviewed the Japanese web site today and verified that Kerry's scanned tables are still up-to-date for the current product line.

Nikkor:

(Current LF lenses) http://www.europe-nikon.com/category.aspx?countryid=20&languageid=22&catId=149

This link leads to the Nikkor-W page; there are links to the other lens series on the left side of the page.

Caltar:

(Current LF and "digital" lenses) http://www.calumetphoto.com

No direct link - need to go to Calumet home page and enter "Caltar" into search engine in upper right corner, then click on individual product links. Caltar II-N lenses are Apo-Sironar-Ns and Grandagon-Ns; Caltar II-E lenses are Geronars. Caltar-D (digital) lenses are listed without specifications, but the focal lengths offered appear to match the Schneider Digitars.

Sinaron:

(Current LF and "digital" lenses) http://www.sinar.ch/down/sup/prka_objekt_e.pdf

Sinaron LF lenses are Apo-Sironar-N, Apo-Sironar-S, Apo-Grandagon, Grandagon-N, Apo-Ronar and Apo-Macro-Sironar lenses made by Rodenstock. By specifications, the Sinaron Digital lenses appear to be a mix of Rodenstock- and Schneider-sourced lenses.

Congo:

(Current LF lenses) http://www.cosmonet.org/congo/spec_e.htm

Osaka:

(Current LF lenses) http://www.bromwellmarketing.com/lenses.htm

Comparing specifications, Osaka lenses appear to be mostly Congo lenses, except for the 150 and 210 6-element lenses. The specifications for these two lenses appear to match those for the corresponding Wistar W lenses, a series offered by Wista only in Japan, and which I've never seen in the US.

Wisner:

(Convertible plasmat) http://www.wisner.com/Page14.html

(120 and 210 compact lenses offered with Flight 4x5 model; minimal info; also made by Congo?) http://www.wisner.com/flight.htm

Cooke:

(Links to pages for both XVa Triple Convertible and PS945 Portrait from home page - scroll down) http://www.cookeoptics.com/

Accessories

• AWB: custom wooden filmholders and contact printing frames, repairs of cameras and film holders.
• Camera Essentials: makers of the Harrison film changing tents
• Photoflex: pro photography lighting equipment and accessories: lights, reflectors, diffusers, stands, equipment cases and an on-line photo school!
• Darkroom Innovations: BTZS Focus cloth, film tubes, and software.
• Cress Photo - Flashbulb Web Site
• Meggaflash Technologies: Manufacturer of photographic flashbulbs for high speed photography, large format and special effects.
• Sync cords: Manufacturer of heavy duty "Sync Cords"
• Kinesis Photo Gear: Manufacturer of a complete modular belt system for photographers. Includes special pouches for medium and large formats. Special bean bag/sand bag product available as a tripod ballast. Other accessories include modular pack for carrying tripod on your back.
• Better Light: digital backs
• Phase One: digital backs
• Mega Vision: digital backs
• Edwards Engineered Products: equipment for platinium printing
• Stabitech (formerly known as Stabilix), makers of the Bosscreen in the Netherlands.
• Beattie Intenscreen: bright focussing screen.
• Satin Snow Ground Glass: affordable brighter and finer grained glasses than traditional sand blasted glass.
• Photobackpacker: Cases - Large format lens and camera cases for backpacking and general equipment protection.

Repairmen/machinists

• Alan W. Brubaker repairs old and new wooden filmholders and restoration of cameras.
• Jim Galvin: 2800 Riverside Blvd Sacramento CA 95818 jgalvin@cwo.com (916)441-5841. machine work.
• Lotus View Camera: Refurnishing and repair of vintage and modern large-format-cameras and wooden cameras. Adapter lensboards (wood and metal) for multiple use of your lenses and special lensboards. Mounting of classic and modern lenses in classic and modern shutters. Service and repair for vintage shutters Copy boards for print-out-paper in all sizes. Equipment and accessories for the large and superlarge format photographer.
• Steve K Grimes: Large Format Lens and Shutter services, including repair and complex machine work. Steve Grimes himself passed away a couple of years ago, but the business continues to be operated by the machinists he has trained. Feedback continues to be positive (although I have reservations about my own experience).
• Flutot's Camera Repair: Said to be reliable, and more affordable than SKG, especially for simpler jobs such as CLA.
• Bob Watkins used to work for Sinar and now does Arca Swiss service work in North America. He works on all the brands, but not on wooden cameras.
• Paul Ebel S200 Glade Ave. Box 86 Spring Valley, Wisconsin 54767 ,(715) 778-4372
• Patrick Alt 1324 South Figueroa #101 LA, CA 90015, 213-784-3087: refurbishes classic cameras
• Ken Hough: an expert at repairing Deardorff cameras. Warning: several people have complained about unreliable and/or unethical business practices.

Misc services

• Craig Camera Manuals: Stocks close to 10000 different booklets. He even seems to be willing to trade a manual that you need in exchange for the loan of a manual he does not yet have, so that he can make copies!
• Superior Archival MatsArtCare mats and computerized custom cutting.
• Freestyle Photographic Supplies: carries, among other things, a large inventory of new and cold-stored expired film at discount prices.
• JaincoTech: company with US (Ohio) and India (Mumbai) offices, offers economical scans on Imacon 949 and Creo flatbed scanners.

Retailers

• In the US, the largest New York mail-order stores (B&H and Adorama) are reliable, have a large inventory, and competitive prices. They can ship anywhere in the world. Calumet is more expensive but offer better service.
• Specialty stores (such as Photomark, The View Camera Store, Badger Graphics, and plenty of others I haven't dealt with personally) carry difficult-to-find items, and can sometimes offer significantly lower prices than the large stores thanks to alternative supplying schemes.
• There are also a number of used camera stores which stock lots of LF equipment, and are your best bet to find old and/or inexpensive lenses and cameras.
• Last, don't forget to look overseas, for some items, the savings can be dramatic, and the delivery as fast as from within the US. Robert White in the UK is a highly rated European dealer, and very easy to deal with. Christoph Greiner (chr.greiner.photo@t-online.de) in Germany can have better prices on some German-made items. Several readers have had a good experience with New Sankyo Camera Co in Hong Kong (newsanky@hkstar.com), however the payment has to be made by wire transfer. The duty fees are less than 5% and if you're lucky, you won't even be charged.