[Leica] FS: ultralight LF camera and an enlarging lens

[Ken Iisaka <kiisaka@pacbell.net>]

As I recently posted on rec.photo.marketplace.large-format, I have a
ultralight 4x5 camera for sale.
This remarkable camera is lighter than R8 with a lens.

Toho (not Toyo) was a high-end turntable tone arm manufacturer.  When
the
market for their products started to dry up, the company president
Harutada
Shimoda, an avid outdoor LF photographer decided to use his extensive
machine shop to crank out ultralight LF cameras.  Dissatisfied with his
fragile, limited wooden field camera, he decided to create a
full-featured
all-metal monorail that weighs less than his field camera.  The result
was
this Toho FC-45A monorail camera.

It is a full-featured monorail camera that weighs less than many 35mm
cameras.  Its specifications are as follows:

Shift: 30mm
Rise/fall: 35mm
Tilt: 25 degrees
Swing: 360 degrees, limited by the bellow
Bellow extention: 58-270mm
Rack&Pinion focussing
Weight: 1.1kg
Yaw-free movements
Uses Toho or Linhof lens board

Compared to the newer FC-45X, this camera is lighter by 200g, and does
not
require a separate short rail for wide angle lenses.  The movements are
arranged in the (tilt, rise/fall, swing, shift) sequence instead of
(rise/fall, tilt, swing, shift) sequence.  The rail is a simple drilled
aluminium rectangular bar with several 1/4" tripod sockets.  Because of
the
lightness, you can use a lightweight tripod for 35mm cameras.  Compared
to a
2.5kg field camera and a tripod, your overall weight savings may be as
much
as 3kg or more.  This camera with two lenses easily fits inside a waist
bag.
I usually used a Gitzo 1227 carbon-fibre tripod with Leitz ball head for
support.

Along the camera, I am including 2 #0 lensboard and a #1 lensboard as a
part of the package.  Additional boards are available from Badger
Graphic
Saless in the U.S., or Yodobashi Camera in Japan.  You can also use
Linhof
lens board as well.

This camera was reviewed favourably by Shutterbug several years ago.
Also,
there are the following reviews on the web as follows of FC-45A itself,
and
its successor FC-45X.

http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/~qtluong/photography/lf/toho.html
http://largeformat.homepage.com/toho.htm
http://www.badgergraphic.com/photography/large/toho/fc45x.html

I agree that this is not the most rugged, solid monorail camera out
there.
On a windy day, you would need an umbrella to provide some shield.
Still, I
have found stability to be no worse than field cameras which weigh twice
as
much.  I have used a 90mm/1:8 lens, as well as the heavy, big,
Nikkor-T*ED
270mm 1:6.3, with the older all-metal Polaroid 545 holder with no
problem.

I am selling this camera to finance a future purchase of Elmarit-M 24mm
ASPH.
I still have much to unload before I can afford one, but this sale would
bring me one step closer.

I am asking $750 plus shipping for the camera and three lens boards.  On
rec.photo.marketplace.large-format, I asked for $800, but I figure I
would give
you guys a break.  The camera is in fine working condition, and has no
damages.  It may have a few scratches from normal use, so I wouldn't
call it Like New or Mint, but would be a strong EX+.

5 days money back guarantee minus the shipping cost.  Currently located
in
the San Francisco Bay Area.

- -----
Ken Iisaka kiisaka@pacbell.net
Lost in Mill Valley in Marin County, California