I'm looking at the Ebony 8 X 10 camera. I've used and liked the Wisner Expedition, but found it not very rigid, and not very user-friendly for wide-angle (eg 150 mm) lenses. Any personal experience with the Ebony in any size, particulary with regard to these two areas? I will be wanting to carry it around quite a lot, shooting portraits, landscape, some architecture, travel stuff. Thanks in advance for your help.

Nathan Congdon

-- Nathan Congdon (ncongdon@jhmi.edu), October 20, 1999

Answers

Nice cheap camera as opposed to a good Wisner. A Wisner not solid? James

-- james (james_mickelson@hotmail.com), October 21, 1999.

James, an Ebony may be many things, but cheap, it ain't!

-- Sean yates (yatescats@yahoo.com), October 21, 1999.

I believe James' response was intended with a subtle air of sarcasm!

Nathan

-- Nathan Congdon (ncongdon@jhmi.edu), October 21, 1999.

Have you visited www. ebonycamera.com. I fall immediatly in love with Ebonys functional, simple and rigid design. It really would be very interesting to hear some personal experiences of this camera, specially the 8x10. Anyone know about a dealer in Europe?

-- Jan... (jan.eerala@itameri.net), October 22, 1999.

In UK, TEAMWORK Robert White are Ebony dealers.

-- Masayoshi Hayashi (mhayashi@phys.ufl.edu), October 22, 1999.

I too have been seriously considering an Ebony 8X10 camera. Like you I have found no information from actual users. This is probably both due to cost and availability (and demand) issues in North America. I e-mailed Ebony and learned several interesting things: (1): they build the 8X10 in either mahogany or ebony (5.5 vs. 7 kg). (2): ebony is stronger, heavier (denser) and more rigid than mahogany and less prone to showing scratches as it is treated and maintained with just the odd coat of linseed oil (as opposed to mahogany which has a polished finish applied to it). (3): they custom build 11X14 cameras in either mahogany or ebony and will add any of the movements available on any of their cameras...

-- Mark Nowaczynski (archivalprints@home.com), October 24, 1999.

Someone is selling an Ebony SU45 at photo.net classifieds (LF category). You might want to ask him his experience with the camera. Good luck.

-- Masayoshi Hayashi (mhayashi@phys.ufl.edu), October 27, 1999.