LOOKING TO "GET BACK INTO LF PHOTOGRAPHY",MAIN SUBJECT WILL BE LANDSCAPE BLACK AND WHITE. I HAVE MANAGED TO HANG ON TO THE DARKROOM OVER THE YEARS BUT NEED A CAMERA. THIS TIME AROUND I'M THINKING A FIELD(DRAGGED A MONORAIL OVER THE ROCKS IN THE OLD DAYS). GENERAL QUESTION: ADVICE ON A CAMERA WITH ENOUGH MOVEMENTS FOR LANDSCAPE USING A 90MM LENSE WITHOUT THE AID OF BAG BELLOWS? ALSO BASED ON SOME OF THE GREAT STUFF I HAVE READ ON THIS SITE I'M LOOKING INTO A TOYO FIELD,I HAVE COME ACROSS A USED 45A,HOW DOES THIS CAMERA COMPARE TO THE 45AX, AND WHAT'S A FAIR PRICE? THANK'S IN ADVANCE TO ALL, THIS MAY NOT BE LAST YOU HERE FROM ME! LARRY

-- larry shearer (rlrajls@yahoo.com), November 20, 1999

Answers

Third key from the bottom on the left, just above the Shift key.

-- Bill Mitchell (bmitch@home.com), November 20, 1999.

Larry:

Toyo 45As are excellent field cameras. Rugged as tanks. Enough bellows for a 300M Nikkor or 300C Fujinon lens. Reasonable movements with a 90 mounted on the new, shallow, recessed board. Front swing and shift are small and awkward, but rear swing is very smooth. Both front and rear tilts, the important stuff in most field shots, work very well, with positive stops at vertical.

The AX and older A's are basically identical except for the knobs, flat black paint on the newer models, and some teflon coatings. The main thing to check out is which of 3 backs the camera has:

1. Original non-Graflock, non-rotating back, has permenant leaf springs, very light, not very versatile

2. Current, non-rotating back, still pretty light but has removable ground glass and graflock fittings. This is what comes on the new AX.

3. Revolving back. About 6 ozs heavier than above, but convienent. This is what comes on the AII.

If it has a non-rotating back, you need to check if it has the fresnel and acid-etched screen (lines are clear) or the regular ground glass screen (lines are painted on).

Hope that helps... I have used mine for many years with great pleasure and success.

Glenn

-- Glenn C. Kroeger (gkroeger@trinity.edu), November 20, 1999.

Check out the Canham DLC45. It fits the needs you have described. I love mine. You probably won't find a used one and if you do it will cost almost as much as a new one, about $2150.

-- J.L. Kennedy (jlkennedy@qnet.com), November 20, 1999.

Can you explain what the difference is between the acid etched and regular ground glass? Is one better or what's wrong with the other?

-- Dave Schneider (dschneider@arjaynet.com), November 22, 1999.