using vintage equipment

[altb44]

I thought it was rather high

[altb44]

Hi Kent,

I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner...instead I went haring off on tangents...but since you have four field cameras maybe you can tell me if you have seen fittings like this. It's the back of my camera. The next pic is the ground glass back.

[Two23]

Have not seen fittings/corner braces like that. I suspect this was a more expensive camera.


Kent in SD

[altb44]

It certainly seems very nicely made.

I want to thank everyone who has answered this thread...and my others. I feel like I'm asking a lot of questions. The LF world is very new to me and very exciting. Just made a tripod easel thingy for the camera temporarily until I can source a proper one (Probably in Britain) and I am looking forward to getting my camera out taking pictures. So far, I'm amazed at the test still lifes that I've been doing with paper negatives. The quality of image is good even with that, a lot better than my little cameras. Now I'm looking at sheet film. I don't know why it took me so long to discover large format.

anyway I wanted to let you all know that I'm impressed with the friendliness and generosity with your knowledge in this forum. I'm enjoying learning more as I go through the threads.

[Steven Tribe]

The 4 brass corners holding the ground glass have a tongue pointing inwards which I have only seen on a few cameras.
One of these was american (later: not the ROC design I was thinking about) and, I think, the others were Indian/Japanese.

In preparation to placing a wanted add here in September, you can measure up the diameter of the hole and plot the mounting screw holes in the mahogany base.

[B.S.Kumar]

Hi Kent,

I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner...instead I went haring off on tangents...but since you have four field cameras maybe you can tell me if you have seen fittings like this. It's the back of my camera. The next pic is the ground glass back.

These fittings were common with Japanese cameras until the late 1950's. The back held single- or double-sided plate or film holders. Fuji also used to make film sheaths in 4x5 and half-plate and perhaps other sizes as well. Slik used to make steel or aluminum tripod adapters that fitted into the round hole at the base of the camera.

Kumar

[Jim Galli]

My first thought was India. There were thousands of these no name cameras made there, British in style, the result of the long influence of the British there. I have a very similar 10X20 inch camera from India. Hugo Zhang had the craftsmen at Chamonix make film holders to fit it. Some 8X20 and some 9.5 X 20"

Next time perhaps buy an older American camera. Everything fits and is still in wide use. Makes it magnitudes easier. I have some old Eastman tripod legs that might work. But an adapter to fit standard tripods is probably the best advice.

[altb44]

Thanks.
The camera obviously had a nameplate at one time. There are holes in the back that correspond to where a plate would go, and another two holes on the bottom of the back that are filled in, which look like a plate belonged there at one time.
I'm glad it came with three double film holders, because I don't have to worry about that. But next time...and I'm sure there will be a next time :-) I'll look for something with more available parts.

[altb44]

Interesting...do you know when they started making these kind of fittings in both India and Japan?

[Mark Sawyer]

"Re: using vintage equipment "

Hell, I'm vintage. What am I supposed to use?