Ebony cameras
Encyclopedia
The Ebony camera company was founded by Japan
ese photographer Hiromi Sakanashi in 1981. The Sakanashi family has been in the photographic business since 1871, when Hiromi Sakanashi's great grandfather founded one of Japan's first photographic equipment stores in the town of Kumamoto, Kyūshū
.
Sakanashi is a graduate of Tokyo Photographic University. In the 1970s, he worked as a professional photographer, doing architectural and studio work. He also ran the family business, which by then had evolved into a store specializing in professional photographic equipment. He also led workshops for Japanese photographers in various European countries.
In the course of his work, he became dissatisfied with the view camera
s that were then available. He began to conceive of a camera that would have the functions and rigidity of a metal monorail camera
, while being as lightweight and portable as a wooden field camera
. The resulting 4x5 camera, made for his own use from ebony
and stainless steel, eventually became the prototype for the SV45-series cameras that are still made by Ebony today.
Sakanashi then saw the need for another type of camera designed for use with wide-angle lenses. The resulting WIDE45 was the first wooden field camera with the radical nonfolding design, although it has been superseded by the SW45. Shortly thereafter, Sakanashi founded a company to manufacture these cameras, called Ebony. He quickly switched from using stainless steel for the metal parts to titanium, and introduced the option of mahogany for some models. In the early days, almost all the cameras were built to the customers' specifications, and Sakanashi is still asked to build custom cameras for various specialized applications.
Ebony currently makes about 40 models of camera, in formats ranging from 6x9 through 4x5, 5x7, 8x10, and up to 20x24. They are available in both the traditional folding versions and the non-folding versions, and are made either from Honduran mahogany
or Indonesian ebony. In both cases, the timber is quartersawn heartwood, aged over 20 years (bellows are made of leather). The larger models tend to be made from mahogany to reduce weight. Some models are available with asymmetrical back movements, which allow easier and faster focusing.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese photographer Hiromi Sakanashi in 1981. The Sakanashi family has been in the photographic business since 1871, when Hiromi Sakanashi's great grandfather founded one of Japan's first photographic equipment stores in the town of Kumamoto, Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
.
Sakanashi is a graduate of Tokyo Photographic University. In the 1970s, he worked as a professional photographer, doing architectural and studio work. He also ran the family business, which by then had evolved into a store specializing in professional photographic equipment. He also led workshops for Japanese photographers in various European countries.
In the course of his work, he became dissatisfied with the view camera
View camera
The view camera is a type of camera first developed in the era of the Daguerreotype and still in use today, though with many refinements. It comprises a flexible bellows which forms a light-tight seal between two adjustable standards, one of which holds a lens, and the other a viewfinder or a...
s that were then available. He began to conceive of a camera that would have the functions and rigidity of a metal monorail camera
Monorail camera
Monorail cameras are the studio workhorses that are still used today in the digital photography age to make many of the images for catalogs, magazines, and advertising around the world....
, while being as lightweight and portable as a wooden field camera
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...
. The resulting 4x5 camera, made for his own use from ebony
Ebony
Ebony is a dense black wood, most commonly yielded by several species in the genus Diospyros, but ebony may also refer to other heavy, black woods from unrelated species. Ebony is dense enough to sink in water. Its fine texture, and very smooth finish when polished, make it valuable as an...
and stainless steel, eventually became the prototype for the SV45-series cameras that are still made by Ebony today.
Sakanashi then saw the need for another type of camera designed for use with wide-angle lenses. The resulting WIDE45 was the first wooden field camera with the radical nonfolding design, although it has been superseded by the SW45. Shortly thereafter, Sakanashi founded a company to manufacture these cameras, called Ebony. He quickly switched from using stainless steel for the metal parts to titanium, and introduced the option of mahogany for some models. In the early days, almost all the cameras were built to the customers' specifications, and Sakanashi is still asked to build custom cameras for various specialized applications.
Ebony currently makes about 40 models of camera, in formats ranging from 6x9 through 4x5, 5x7, 8x10, and up to 20x24. They are available in both the traditional folding versions and the non-folding versions, and are made either from Honduran mahogany
Mahogany
The name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany....
or Indonesian ebony. In both cases, the timber is quartersawn heartwood, aged over 20 years (bellows are made of leather). The larger models tend to be made from mahogany to reduce weight. Some models are available with asymmetrical back movements, which allow easier and faster focusing.