NEW CAMERA!

**Calamity Jane** · 20-Jun-2005, 10:59

WAHOO!

Just received my brand new (to me) old Conely 4x5 folder (ebay #7520455821). It is in GREAT shape, came in the original case, and even had a few wooden holders thrown in. The bellows is light-tight and the shutter (Wollensak) sounds pretty close to correct speeds. The lens isn't marked but appears to be about 190mm f7.7 The only flaw in the whole thing is that the mirror in the viewfinder needs to be replaced or re-silvered.

There was even a little bag in the bottom of the case from Conley to Mr. Walter Newell in Udell Kansas with a post mark of Feb 24, 1921 - NEAT!

I guess my Seroco 4x5 folder will go on the market 'cause there's no way I'll part with this Conley.

WHAOO! (Just had to gloat!)

**Paul_5410** · 20-Jun-2005, 11:04

Hello Jane,
I refurbished a 5x7 Conley last year and found that it was a well made light weight field camera. Congratulations on your new Old Conley. Hope you have a bunch of fun shooting with it.

http://www.fiberq.com/cam/index.htm

The little info I was able to find about it was at the web link above. . .
Enjoy,
Paul

**David Luttmann** · 20-Jun-2005, 12:19

Way to go, CJ.

I guess this goes with your thread about us being a bad influence on you ;-)

Enjoy.

**Diane Maher** · 20-Jun-2005, 14:08

Congratulations, Calamity! Let's see some work done with it soon.

**Jim_5656** · 29-Jun-2005, 22:05

Calamity Jane-

Isn't one of the best things about LF photography composing and focusing the image on the ground glass? Using a viewfinder with a 5x7 would be like taking a shower with a raincoat on..... or something like that! :- 0

**Mark Sawyer** · 30-Jun-2005, 01:36

CJ- Sorry to be the one to break the news to you... but the "new camera" you bought...

Well, after extensive research... I think it's used. The note from 1921 should have been an indication.

Oh, and tintypes? I hate to tell you, but they've been done before...

**Calamity Jane** · 30-Jun-2005, 03:53

"taking a shower with a raincoat on"

Humm, I think I have heard an expression similar to that . . . now what was it? . . . oh yea . . . Isn't this "a family board"? :-)

Mark: Ya think? Used? No!

Haven't had a chance to check the shutter speeds on the Conley - been busy making Tintype plates for a major outing in late July - but will do soon. Been perfecting my plate coating technique to get uniform thickness and then running tests to determine what thickness of emulsion gives the best image quality. Got that about as good as I can get it so I am just working up my nerve to coat some 8x10 plates - assuming my NEW 8x10 camera arrives one day soon. Also been busy gettin set up to "take the show on the road" and to claim some suitable real estate at a big ag fair in July. Gonna have access to 10,000 people over 4 days 'n' hope to sell enough plates to cover some of my start-up costs. Tested the portable darkroom and the "daylight developing proceedure" so I can do on-site tintypes and everything is working fine. My 10x20 foot "photographer's tent" should be here today and I'm building a cart this weekend with counter space and drawers so everything I need to process tintypes will be all together in one spot and on wheels (everything except coating plates, which is FAR easier in a darkroom with running water!) Got the auxilliary lighting worked out and built so I can do tintypes in poor light and still keep the exposured down to 1 Second or less.

Going to set up the whole rig in the back yard over the next week or so and do a trial run to make sure there's no glitches in the process.

Wish I could afford to build a replica of a phographer's wagon . . . ;-)