SHENHAO wooden field cameras (4"x5" and 8"x10")

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Dear friends and contributors, I went to the Fotokina this year and while wondering around I saw a very interesting field camera, a chinese born product. The stand wasn't large or particularly actractive and was crowded by 3 company representatives who spoke little or no English. However, I found their cameras to be very good, I was especially attracted to the vertical and horizontal shift of the camera back (very rare on field cameras), the back standard focus capabilities (not as rare, but uncommon), the wideangle bellows (on their top model) ,the teak wood, and last but not least, the metal parts which could be Titanium nitride coated. Now I am in the process to import these cameras into the Netherlands and I wonder if other contributors have had the same impressions and even if someone might know the cameras first hand and might want to share his/her impressions. I know this isn't the right place to do so but if anybody would want to get in touch with me for purchasing these cameras he or she will be more than welcome to do so. Regards

-- Andrea Milano (milandro@multiweb.nl), November 11, 2000

Answers

Andrea, I was at the fotokina too and I was impressed by these cameras as well as you did. Unfortunately I couldn't buy it then and there and had the same experience with the people there who spoke no English or German (I am German..). So if you will import these cameras , I'll be glad to buy it from you, let me know about it. To the rest of the forum, I second Andrea's description, the chinese made cameras arose some suspition in my western eyes but after a long , good look. The cameras looked like a good honest product, I'll go for the 8"x10" but the 4"x5" was even better!

-- John Reuter (john59@hotmail.com), November 13, 2000.

Hi I am very curious to know something about these chinese cameras, I have never heard of them, I an not very happy with chinese products, I owned a Iston camera and I must say that the quality of the metal work is much lower that anything else I've ever seen. Are these Shenahao anything like the Iston and I would like to hear more from people who have bought and used the cameras. Greetings

-- Knut Larsen (samsam@mailcity.com), November 14, 2000.

According to Luong's website, Shenhao makes the Iston cameras. Maybe they improved their manufacturing process and designs?

-- K H Tan (kahheng@pacific.net.sg), November 20, 2000.

The shenahao camera has little to do with the Iston camera (anymore?) , I mean I do not know if the factory is the same but I can assure that their new product which I will be importing soon has nothing of the poor craftsmanship of the Iston cameras. Again , I would like to exchange my views on this camera with users or people who, like me , were so impressed about it at the Fotokina. Greetings to all who wrote me privately to ask about the camera or order.

-- Andrea Milano (milandro@multiweb.nl), November 25, 2000.

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