Deardorff Portrait Studio 8x10 - transport question

[Jim_4482]

I may need to pick up and move an 8x10 Deardorff soon. It's similar to this one; http://www.f32.net/Services/Equipment/Cameras/deardorff810.html

I believe it's called a P8. It's an 8x10 on a big metal studio stand. I'm trying to determine what kind of vehicle to rent to move this. I assume I'll need a small van. Does this come apart? There's no way it will fit in a car, right?

Also: does anyone know the dimensions of the stand?

Thanks,

Jim

[John Cook]

The standards and intermediate bellows each slide off the base. You can break the camera down into perhaps a dozen pieces. It is not the challenge.

I have worked with these cameras in various studios since the 1960's. I have never seen such a tiny, dinky stand. They are usually ten feet tall or more. Make sure in advance just what you will be dealing with.

The stand is steel pipe, castings and counterweights. Hope you have a beefy friend whose knuckles drag. Even if you can get it apart, the parts are extremely heavy.

This job calls for a small U-Haul box truck with a ramp. Don’t forget your truss.

And enjoy the camera. These are a joy and a delight to own.

[Jeffrey Scott]

From a Deardorff brochure that I have on the 8x10 Studio camera it lists the height of the columns as 4'3", hope this helps.

[Jeffrey Scott]

BTW, From a October 1, 1963 pricelist I have, it sold for $560.00!

[Ernest Purdum]

John, I think Jim may have had in mind the Deardorff "Commercial Studio Camera", because of his mention of "intermediate bellows" and the comments about the stand. The larger Commercial Studio model had a 75" bellows in three sections, and as Jim indicates was associated with a very tall stand made op of a cast-iron (or possibly steel) base with two tubular uprights. In this stand, the uprights unbolt from the base.



The stand shown with the "Portrait" camera is much more modern, and as such conceals any indication of how it might come apart. You will probably have to figure worst case be prepared to carry it all in one piece. Given 22" as the height dimension of the camera, the stand would appear to be about 4' tall, so a small van would get the job done as far as space is concerned, but getting it in and out might be a different matter. It looks like aluminum rather than iron, but could be very heavy even so.



I am sure you will find the camera well worth the trouble. (Forget all about backpacking, though.)

[Jim_4482]

Thanks for the help, gentleman. I think this is the model:
link

Not this one:
link