Baynton? Field camera late 1800's early 1900's

[jamaeolus]

Hi everybody. I'm a newb. I have been working my way backwards through photography stuff, am an avid manual lens collector, have dabbled with folders and medium format SLR's. I recently got the bug to try large format so bid and won on a camera. It is incomplete as it lacks the front fold out that serves as the basis for locking the front of the bellows to the rest of the camera. My meager research gives me hints that it is a British camera by C S Baynton. I don't have a flickr or such but am a regular at manual forum lenses and have posted photos of it
here:
http://forum.mflenses.com/anybody-kn...as-t75467.html.

Just curious to see if anybody is familiar with this fine old camera. It is very finely crafted in dovetailed and biscuited dimensional mahogany with nearly all the fittings from brass. The lens board is clearly NOT original but the lens appears it may be. The one photo of a similar camera with the Baynton label that I found searching images of "field camera" is here :

http://www.collectorsweekly.com/stor...camera-1891-19

Elements of similarity that lead me to believe it is the same company include the bellows front elevation controlled by an overlapping brass plate with a groove for a knurled knob to lock, the knurled knobs also "look" the same" but the most compelling is the knurled knobs on the top of the bellows front plate that are linked to brass plates at the bottom to lock the front plate into a rail (missing on my camera). I hope to fabricate replacements for the lost pieces and make it work. I have used the lens on my Sony A7ii and it is fine. I am not familiar with the nuances of LF. Right off though it seems I'll need film holders and a "hood" (not sure of terminology). Any help or hints would, of course, be greatly appreciated.

[IanG]

An other member here asked if I could help.

Looking at your links and knowing Birmingham I can confirm the Exchange Buildings premises in New Streetl. were retail. The 1898 BJP Almanac shows C.S. Baynton was on the committee of Birmingham Photographic Society and also advertises Baynton's Backing, a specialist coloured binding tape for Lantern slides.no mention of anything else..

It's unlikely Baynton made cameras, it's most likely a retail badge which was quite common, In the UK it was possible to buy camera parts in kit form by the late 1890s, they were sold as individual parts, complete kits and finished cameras, that's wooden and brass parts to make a variety of different style cameras.

I notice a significant difference to the way the rear standrd is fiftted between the image you posted on the MF Lenses site to the CW page with the Baynton camera. It would be helpful to see more photos. I have a fairly similar un-named British halfe plate camera so it would be useful to make a better comparison.

Ian

[jamaeolus]

I will post links to more photos when I get a chance. Any idea what the drop bed may have looked like? I would like to restore it as close to original as possible. If I can't find out what that is I may just come up with my own solutions that allow more movements than most cameras of that era.

[jamaeolus]

The kit idea seems very possible. When I first started examining it I thought "this looks like its hand crafted, not manufactured" then I came across parts numbers and initials on some pieces. A kit would be consistent with both. Whoever made it did a very fine job. the joints are very tight. Thanks for any help.

[IanG]

Parts are often numbered on British field cameras, even with larger manufacturers. I did post pages from a catalogueshowing the parts, kits and complete cameras either here or APUG, I'll try and find them and post the link.

Ys I know what the bed would have looked like, as it'll be very similar to one of my cameras. I have some orpaned beds with the rack & pinion focussing but the closest is I think whole plate, I'll check though. I'll photograph my camera for you (I'd be doing it anyway).

Ian

[IanG]

Essentially these are the parts in 1898.

I checked and the two bases with rack & pinion focusing are definitely whole plate, the fittings are proportionally larger and they aren't adaptable. This is my Unknown half plate camera, I'd forgotten I'd already photographed it, you can see how the front standard fits also the back.



Hope that helps. I have a fairly similat 12"x10" camera again no name but the seller still runs his grandfathers business which is a studion and retail photographic shop in Wales, it was the grandfathers camera.

Ian

[jamaeolus]

The kit idea seems very possible. When I first started examining it I thought "this looks like its hand crafted, not manufactured" then I came across parts numbers and initials on some pieces. A kit would be consistent with both. Whoever made it did a very fine job. the joints are very tight. Thanks for any help.

[jamaeolus]

Is that the 12 x 10 in the photo? If its 8x8 its extremely similar to the one I have. The only difference I see is that the panel in the front forks is oriented differently. So I would need a bed, a rack, and side rails and tripod mount and a couple of other minor fittings. Excellent!

[jamaeolus]

Whole plate and half plate terminology is foreign to me. I am brand new to this field of endeavor, so your patience is appreciated.

[jamaeolus]

I did post a couple more images on my friends manual forum site:

http://forum.mflenses.com/viewtopic,...3.html#1478453