The new Chinese 5x4 camera (and 10x8)

Ian Grant

Ian Grant

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The New Munewca Teak Wood Field Folding 4”X5” Large Format Film Camera. At £399 it's a very direct competitor for the Intrepid, with higher grade materials/parts and no 3D printing.

I had a special offer to buy one a few weeks ago, at an introductory price, but my PC had died, having just bought a Contax IIIa, and I made a decision to have major upgrade. I have no idea how good these cameras are, but I've been buying from the seller for a few years. I'll see I get two state pension payments in a month fairly soon :D Unlike monthly bills state pensions are paid every 4 weeks so 13 time in a year - sometimes a bonus.

Ian
 
Very interesting. Looks nice from the pictures. There's a 10x8 model too. I wonder if they will offer a 5x7. Hopefully some video reviews will be out on YouTube for a closer look. They seem to be selling quite well.
 
I have heard from someone who had the 10x8 that they are pretty good. Materials and finish apparently not up to Chamonix levels, but it's supposed to be leagues above the Intrepid. For the money it should be a winner.
 
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The 350mm bellows extension on the 5x4 makes a 300mm lens practical without a top hat. Not that I need another 5x4 camera :cool:
 
The STN2 810 looks very interesting, so i've dropped them an email to find out what the supply situation is.

Mike
 
mpirie said:
The STN2 810 looks very interesting, so i've dropped them an email to find out what the supply situation is.

Mike
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I've struggled to find much english language info online, where are you guys seeing these different models?
 
Graham Patterson said:
The 350mm bellows extension on the 5x4 makes a 300mm lens practical without a top hat. Not that I need another 5x4 camera :cool:
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I definitely don't need another 5x4 camera but it was tempting at the introductory price. I remember when Shen Hao cameras were introduced the prices were low, newer improved models were added and prices rose. A friends wife has one and I was very impressed with the quality, it was the more traditional field camera design.

This camera is based on the Dick Phillips approach, initially copied by Ebony, & then Chamonix, and later Shen Hao.

See the eBay listing for the 10x8.

Ian
 
Ian Grant said:
This camera is based on the Dick Phillips approach, initially copied by Ebony, & then Chamonix, and later Shen Hao
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Unless you know something I don't (quite possible, granted ;)) I don't think Ebony ever made a Philips-style camera unless they kept it very quiet.

Nas said:
Ebay
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OK ta. I know they definitely also make some other 10x8" models in a more conventional field camera style too, plus I have seen a 5x4" of theirs in the non-folding Ebony style, maybe they are just sold to the domestic chinese market at present.
 
They have been occasionally listed on eBay for months , the 4x5 looks reasonable and is keenly priced , they do look more polished than the Intrepid but for 4x5 the used market is very healthy for choice and significantly better quality.
The 8x10 is not that cheap especially if you get a vat bill with shipping, but 8x10 choices are really limited if you don’t want a monorail.
I had not seen any reviews of these so its difficult to comment much , the 8x10 front std looks as flimsy as the intrepid , but I think we all understand that once you scale up a field camera it’s not going to be like a studio monorail and you have to adapt and be more careful, mindful of the camera.
 
Dave_P said:
Unless you know something I don't (quite possible, granted ;)) I don't think Ebony ever made a Philips-style camera unless they kept it very quiet.
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The Ebony SV45 TW, quite different to their other cameras, not very common though. I remember a comment by Dick Phillips that he found it a compliment his ideas had been copied, as he was winding down a retiring completely. Might have been on a Forum, or in View Camera magazine.

Ian
 
I must admit i'm not holding my breath for a response to my question of availability in the UK.

I don't fancy having to pay import/handling fees for a unit from China, when i could buy a used Deardorff from Japan for around the same price.

munewca，照相机,大画幅相机,木牛相机,Large format camera，,munewca

munewca，照相机,大画幅相机,木牛相机,camera,Large frame camera,munewca
www.munewca.com

Mike
 
Ian Grant said:
The Ebony SV45 TW, quite different to their other cameras, not very common though. I remember a comment by Dick Phillips that he found it a compliment his ideas had been copied, as he was winding down a retiring completely. Might have been on a Forum, or in View Camera magazine.

Ian
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Just looking at the SV45Te and SV45Ti on their archived website, and that's a normal folding field camera design (albeit their top of the range one with all the bells and whistles). Can't find any reference online to a SV45TW. There's no Philips design cameras on their archived website either, under any name. The "Te" and "Ti" suffix indicates the wood used, so it would be odd if they used SV45TW to denote an entirely different design. As far as I know Chamonix were the first outfit to create a Philips-style camera after Philips himself (with his blessing, apparently), sure you're not just thinking of that?
 

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Ian Grant said:
The Ebony SV45 TW, quite different to their other cameras, not very common though. I remember a comment by Dick Phillips that he found it a compliment his ideas had been copied, as he was winding down a retiring completely. Might have been on a Forum, or in View Camera magazine.

Ian
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Moot now that the non-Ebony Ebony has been revealed, but FYI Dick's comment about the copying being a compliment was something he said about Chamonix.
 
Sal Santamaura said:
Moot now that the non-Ebony Ebony has been revealed, but FYI Dick's comment about the copying being a compliment was something he said about Chamonix.
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That's what I'd thought. I'm not sure I'd take to the focusing, or the need to have to unscrew and remove a thumb-nut to reposition the front standard for different FL lenses., of these new Chinese cameras or an Intrepid.

Owning and more particularly restoring, UK, US, and European, LF cameras, I see the strengths and weaknesses of different designs, which largely went in three different directions.

You have the British field cameras, with early US copies, ;later made by Wisner, Deardorff, etc. The clunky British tailboard cameras. Then the European, French & German, Reisekakera/Chambre de Voyage (or Touriste), tailboard cameras with a 3 piece tongue & groove base that allows built in extension. (Copied by the Russians). Finally the quite different US tail-board LF cameras, some with extension rails.

I have some images somewhere of the last Gilles Faller field cameras, made in the 1960s, the only ones they made with International backs, to me they were the ultimate taking the best from all older designs.

Ian
 
mpirie said:
I must admit i'm not holding my breath for a response to my question of availability in the UK.

I don't fancy having to pay import/handling fees for a unit from China, when i could buy a used Deardorff from Japan for around the same price.

munewca，照相机,大画幅相机,木牛相机,Large format camera，,munewca

munewca，照相机,大画幅相机,木牛相机,camera,Large frame camera,munewca
www.munewca.com

Mike
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Nik & Trick seem to be the UK agents for them, and have some details on them.
ntphotoworks.com/munewca-4x5-large-format-field-camera/
 
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