Adapting B&J 8x10 back to Agfa Studio Camera

[Tim Meisburger]

I'm with Michael. Just cut it to fit. And with Ian, take the same amount off both sides so it remains centred. Easy job; you'll be done in ten minutes. Measure twice, cut once.

[Robert Oliver]

You have to make sure the back is thick enough to be grabbed by the bottom fittings. The Ansco back has two sides with square metal corners and two sides with pins for the top fittings. The thickness of the metal corners is very important.

Depending on the shortest lens you use, an adapter may not be viable.

The back that came with my camera... (aftermarket) doesn't have any metal corners and fits just fine. Here is are some detail shots of my sliding back where the back meets.

[Robert Oliver]

I'm not at work right now to measure, but one way to do it would be to take a piece of 6mm hardwood plywood (from The Art Store) cut to fit the camera. Cut a hole in that big enough for the film behind, face the side facing the back, and then screw the old back on the adapter from the adapter side. That way you'd only have a few small screw holes on the original.

But I'd just cut the back to fit, myself. The Ansco is a better camera than the B&J, so it would be an upgrade for the back., not destruction. In fact I've got an eye out for a certain B&J back for my 8x10 Ansco, and that's what's going to happen to it if I ever find one.

Any chance you can take a photo of your adapter and post? I would be very curious to see if I should travel that path