Hello all,
Just my 2 cents here but I have been shooting with the Silvestri Bicam II for three months now. It is an amazing camera. Before purchasing this camera, I had shot with the Cambo Wide DS, the Alpa camera and looked at the Horseman version. I came out with choosing the Silvestri for these reasons:
1. Up to 47mm, the helical mount lenses working quickly and perfectly. Although I did have to send my camera with my 35mm back to the retailer for calibrations. So be tenacious about testing your lenses when you get them to make sure everything has been calibrated correctly.
2. Larger than 47mm lenses, you can obtain a bayonet mount and use the maxi bellows attachment and use the camera as if it were a true view camera. The only thing is that you do not have rear standard tilts and swings, but I don't recall really ever using them when I was shooting film. The precision of focus on the maxi bellows is far superior to any traditional monorail view camera. I shot with that camera and also with a toyo view camera and found a significant difference in focus from the toyo to the Silvestri. So the ability to utilize the precision of large format optics to its fullest is possible with this camera system.
3. The camera is compact and yet it's all metal. The machining appears to be precise and feels solid.
4. This system has single shot and double shot sliding adapter for use. I am currently using the single shot (the double shot is being made for H mount phase system). It works very nice and if you have ever used the phase one adapter, you will be relieved at it's size and functionality.
5. I have an analogue nikor 75mm that was okay to shoot with on my toyo. Just to check it, I mounted it to my Slivestri. Even that lens became an acceptable lens to shoot digitally with. The ability of the camera to find the exact focus point was evident by this test. Now, shooting with analogue lenses is not ideal, but if you have them, it at least saves some money in the short run with a precise camera system like this. Which speaks to the value of this system. If you already have lenses, you do not have to ditch them for helical mounted lenses. You simply purchase the bayonet adapters, and you save some money.
So from my perspective, I would go for the Silvestri. I think it is a great solution to update large format photography in a digital world. I really cannot describe the joy I experienced to finally have moved beyond my traditional view camera that I shot film to a camera system that is precisely engineered and thus made for digital photography.
David
