Does Anyone Recognize this 10x12 Deardorff?

**karl french** · 18-Nov-2014, 09:10

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It's definitely from the wrong side of the tracks. Hardware from just about every generation of Deardorff, black painted rear turntable and ugly but apparently light tight bellows that are about 5 inches shorter than they should be. Complete with a bed plate and latches from the Deardorff banquet camera parts bin.

I sent some pictures to Ken Hough. He thought it might be a wartime camera as it seems to be made out of Spanish Cedar rather than Honduran Mahogany. But then again, it has a fair bit of gold hardware and a few 30's style narrow knobs. At some point the front standard was modified to take standard round cornered 6x6 boards.

I talked to Jeff at Quality Camera, based on that conversation it's not Nick Nixon's old 10x12 Deardorff.

Taking it for a spin today.

**Jim Galli** · 18-Nov-2014, 09:44

Congrats! You should actively start a Deardorff 10X12 "registry". I'll bet there would only be 2 or 3 members. The big 'dorff's are lovely machines!

**karl french** · 18-Nov-2014, 09:48

Yes they are. And 14 pounds lighter than a 11x14 Deardorff.

I was thinking a registry might interesting. Ken said he had refinished 4 10x12 Deardorffs. He didn't recognize this one and there was that very original one on eBay a couple years ago. So that makes at least 6 survivors. Of the 35 cameras originally made I would think at least 10-15 cameras survived.

**Luis-F-S** · 18-Nov-2014, 10:29

Nice Camera. Can we see a few more pics of it? L

**karl french** · 18-Nov-2014, 16:22

Well, that was fun. First time out with the 10x12 Deardorff. First time shooting ULF. Took a 355 G Claron, 450 Fujinon C, and 600 Fujinon C. End up using the Fuji 600 for all three exposures. The light along the San Mateo coast was quite lovely today.

**Tracy Storer** · 18-Nov-2014, 17:47

Nice. Hey Karl !

**John Kasaian** · 18-Nov-2014, 18:26

That is a beauty! I wonder what stories it could tell? I have an 10x12 contact print of an orchestra my dad played in. I've no idea who made the camera that was used (stamped on the back of the print is the name of a local, at the time, studio) but a lovely format one the less.

**karl french** · 20-Nov-2014, 16:05

I suspect it's been around the block.

Happy to report the camera, bellows, and both Hoffman holders that came with it are light tight. Woo hoo.
Film is drying now.

It was pretty amazing to pull that first 10x12 negative out of the drum and take a look.