I'm happy with my Korona now :)

[Ash]

Finally! It's complete!

Well, as complete as I care for!

See here: http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=25275

That page shows the camera with the old fibreboard lens panel, with the Dagor in it's original barrel. Of course before I bought a super-cheap speed graphic, I mounted the wide-open Conley RR Convertible on the camera also, which maxed out the bellows. For a while there was also the wide-open Dogmar on a nice light hardwood lens panel but again the colour of didn't really suit the camera.

So I just about managed to fit the shuttered Dagor onto the light lens panel from the Dogmar, but it wasn't pretty.


Today I FINALLY sorted the mess out.

Below are pics from my new dark lens panel with the Dagor :D

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/second-belated/DSC00537.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/second-belated/DSC00539.jpg


I used an old broken half-plate holder, took a panel from the darkslide and cut it to fit. Although not an absolute match for the camera, I think the camera looks more complete now. All the wood compliments, rather than clashes!

Of course, the lens panel really needs sanding down and re-finishing, but to be fair it suits the camera as it is - the camera is in a bit of a rough condition, with scratches and dents.

[Lightbender]

Thats a neat idea to use the wood from an old film holder. I wonder what other things you can recycle wood from. Just last weekend I saw an armoire that someone had painted white. (all there wood items were painted white and then fake wear marks sanded in) Looking inside, I could see that the front panel was solid mohagany. I thought there must be better ways to recycle old furniture.

[Rafael Garcia]

Ash:

That is very good! To think of all the time I've spent staining my homemade boards for my Korona and AK1, just to have them come close, but not right-on! Thanks for sharing!

[ericantonio]

Sweet. I just got one of these from an apugger but it has front swing. So I"m not sure where that is on the lineage of Koronas

[Doug Howk]

The 1926 Gundlach catalog shows a banquet camera with front swing. My 8X10 Korona has it while my 7X17 Korona does not. I suspect it was an option, so hard to tell age from its existence. These cameras may be a bit rickety (I think Ed Weston complained about his); but on a sturdy tripod they're good enough for me. As far as lensboard, I've made a few with plywood; but plan to get some matching wood next time I'm at local woodworker shop.

[Caroline Matthews]

Your garden looks very nice too.

[Vaughn]

Well, I must say that your lens boards look better than mine...and probably more durable! The two I made for my shorter lenses are made from a piece of 8-ply white matboard drymounted to a piece of 4-ply black matboard and the hole cut out with an exacto blade. (I have a Zone VI 8x10 with an odd-sized 5.5"x5.5" lensboard.)

Nice work!

Vaughn

[Ash]

The hole I cut isn't the nicest, that doesn't matter so long as the lens is held tight. For the sides I scored the wood a few times and then took a junior hacksaw to it. I'm not sure of the age of the half-plate holder, but it survived this long with a lot of usage, so it should last a while longer being a lens-panel :)

The garden only looks nice because we had a professional gardener sort it out a few days ago!! :D :D

[Rafael Garcia]

Sweet. I just got one of these from an apugger but it has front swing. So I"m not sure where that is on the lineage of Koronas

I have the same size Korona body on two cameras, a 5x7 and a 4x5. In fact, the back is interchangeable between them. The 4x5 has front swing and front tilt, the 5x7 only front rise. The 4x5 has the Korona name in a small engraved plate screwed to the body. It's wood is mahogany, stained dark, and the rails are much heavier than my 5x7's. The 5x7 camera is cherry wood, stained lighter, has thinner rails, and the camera nameplate is a decal reading "Korona View" and "Gundlach Korona Optical Co., Rochester, N.Y". It is in almost new condition, while the 4x5 is clearly much older. From this I conclude that my 4x5 with full front movements was Verison I, while my newer 5x7 is Version II. Version II is lighter and lacks the full movements.

I find them absolutely solid (not rickety as claimed in another post) even when used with an antique wooden tripod. They are great cameras!

[ericantonio]

I have the same size Korona body on two cameras, a 5x7 and a 4x5. In fact, the back is interchangeable between them.

Would you know if the 8x10 ever made a 5x7 back? I have a 4x5 back that came with it (as well as, of course, an 8x10 back).

[Rafael Garcia]

They very well might. I'm not at home now, so my dimensions are approximate, but I remember the backs for my cameras are about 10" square (?). It may be that the body was standard for the non ULF and banquet sizes and that all backs are interchangeable... I'll verify my dimensions whan I get home. If you measure yours when you get it we can determine if they are the same, in which case you can look for a 5x7 back from any Korona.

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h285/ragc01/Dsc_1741.jpg

My two Koronas are in the middle of this "family portrait"

[Terence McDonagh]

I have an 8x10 (Pictorial View), two 5x7 (Criterion and a Variation 2) and a 4x5 (Variation 2) Korona. All are different sizes. I have the 8x10 and 5x7 backs for the 8x10, the 4x5 and 5x7 back for the 5x7, and 4x5 and 2x3 back for the 4x5.

Unfortunately, I don't have the extension rails for the 5x7 or 4x5. My 8x10 is the Pictorial View model with the integral, rack-and-pinion extension rail, thankfully. I'm only limited by the bellows length on that one.

[ericantonio]

I have the 8x10 and 5x7 backs for the 8x10,

Ahh, so they do make a 5x7 back. I'll keep an eye out for one.

[Terence McDonagh]

I lucked out when I got mine on eBay. The ad didn't even mention the second back, so I got quite a bargain.

A similar thing happened when I got my 8x20 Korona. The ad didn't list an extension rail. I only found it a year later when I went to throw out the huge box the guy shipped the camera in. Still not sure what made me empty out the foam peanuts before dumping the box.

And I usually consider myself unlucky . . .

[Rafael Garcia]

I have an 8x10 (Pictorial View), two 5x7 (Criterion and a Variation 2) and a 4x5 (Variation 2) Korona. All are different sizes. I have the 8x10 and 5x7 backs for the 8x10, the 4x5 and 5x7 back for the 5x7, and 4x5 and 2x3 back for the 4x5.

Unfortunately, I don't have the extension rails for the 5x7 or 4x5. My 8x10 is the Pictorial View model with the integral, rack-and-pinion extension rail, thankfully. I'm only limited by the bellows length on that one.

So my two Koronas may be both 5x7s, one with a 4x5 reduction back then...

[Terence McDonagh]

That would be my guess, assuming it's a Variation 2 model. My 4x5 is definitely smaller, but strangely, not much lighter. The bed length is a couple of inches shorter too.

[Rafael Garcia]

As you see from my photo in the previous post, one is a variation 1, the other is a variation 2. The backs are 8 1/8" square (out to out, lid) on both. The extensions are the same length. Therefore they are both 5x7s, the variation 1 with a 4x5 back. The backs are interchangeable between cameras, so either is capable of shooting both formats as it is! The variation 1 camera is heavier and sturdier, with full front standard movements.

[Donald Qualls]

Hey, I recognize that shutter... ;)

Looks nice, Ash. Any results from it yet?

[Ash]

Hey Donald :)

I need to take the camera out and take some photo's, unfortunately I've spent a lot of time indoors due to the torrential rain here in England. Fortunately, most of that time has been with my better half :D :D

I'll be taking some photo's with the camera at the earliest opportunity. I'm a little bored of Lydiard, so I'm waiting for the chance to take the camera out somewhere nicer, or else photograph a friend.

[Haapalahti]

Looking for missing parts for Gundlach Korona 7x17" Panoramic View Camera.

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?109041-WTB-Parts-for-Gundlach-Korona-7x17-quot-Panoramic-View-Camera

[David Schaller]

You might want to start a new thread with that title. This one is six years old.
Good luck,
Dave