Field camera

A field camera is a view camera that can be folded in a compact size. Modern designs are little different from the first folding field cameras from the 19th century. In general they have more limited camera movements than the monorail cameras used in many professional studios worldwide.

Modern field cameras originate from the early interlocking box cameras of the 19th century. Rather than the wooden box used in 19th century cameras, modern models substitute bellows to reduce the bulk of the cameras and make them easier to use outside the studio.

Even if they feature less flexibility than monorail cameras, the modern field cameras tend to have most camera movements for the front standard: lens rise/fall/shift/tilt/swing but are usually more limited in back movements, sometimes having only tilt/swing.

They range in size from 6x9cm to 20x24 inches, but the most popular "standard" sizes are 4x5 and 8x10 inches. They are usually used by large format photographers who either need the portability, or the larger negative sizes.

Field Camera Makers

Modern Brands

• Argentum
• Canham
• Ebony
• Gandolfi
• Horseman
• Linhof
• Lotus View Cameras
• Shen-Hao
• Tachihara
• Toyo-View
• Walker
• Wisner
• Wista

Classic Brands

• Burke and James
• Deardorff
• Kodak

External links

• Field cameras of the United States an in depth look at field cameras from the 19th and 20th century.

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