Help with old 5x7

[Steven Tribe]

Some examples of book holders for German "reisekameras". Usually sold with just 3 double holders.

The majority shown here are for the 18x24cm which is between full plate and 8x10".

[Jimi]

I disagree with lottery analogy!

There are some different plate holder designs - but (For Germany cameras, not French!) these are variations on a very similar theme! I have acquired something like 30 plate holders for 13x18cm (and the bigger sisters: 18x24, 24x30 and 30x40cm) without too much difficulty on ebay.de.

I defer to your greater knowledge in this ... I can only refer to my own limited experiences in trying to find metal plate holder for things like a 1930-ish Zeiss Ikon or a no-name wooden camera from the turn of last century.

That one can acquire stuff on the *bay I do know, but that the different holders would actually fit too - that was a new one.

[n61870]

Does your "standard holder" have the same size like the real standard holders?

I "simply" connected a standard back from a Plaubel rail camera to my russian 13x18cm Reisekamera.
Filling the room with a wooden adapter, and screwing the Plaubel back to the adapter has been the job, and I am able to use standard filmholders.


I a case of a 9x12 Plattencamera I builded a simple back which holds standard 4x5" fidelities with strings of gum.
In this case I also had to remove the septum from such a fidelity holder and to bring in a grounglass instead.
A fiddling job overall´.

Ritchie

Yes my film holder is the standard size. Can you post some pictures of your modifications? Thanks

[n61870]

I disagree with lottery analogy!

There are some different plate holder designs - but (For Germany cameras, not French!) these are variations on a very similar theme! I have acquired something like 30 plate holders for 13x18cm (and the bigger sisters: 18x24, 24x30 and 30x40cm) without too much difficulty on ebay.de.

It is a fact of life that 13x18cm is a very good approximation to 5x7" and dear old Kodak cut film sheaths made for 5x7 fit perfectly in book type plate holders. In fact, it is not necessary with film sheath - all you need is a stiff plate between the spring(s) and the cut film. I find this second method to be the easiest in a changing bag.

Steven, I just logged onto ebay.de and couldn’t find an English version. Can you tell me what to search for, I tried typing english terms but got all kinds of crazy results. Thanks for taking the time to help me out with this

[Steven Tribe]

I would advise against modifying the back! you will have GG/film plane problems. you will not be able to find a suitable back out of walnut ( or, perhaps, teak) and the wood mix will be obvious. And originality, which may not be important for you, could be important for later owners!

Later:

German "mahogany" is MAHAGONI!!
Other key searches should include 13x18 and Reisekamera. I found a couple an hour ago.
It is best to buy a full set of 3 identical as small modifications (Sandpaper type!) would be a lot easier. I noted that one of the listers gave the external measurements as well. Depth is unimportant, as the plate holder "hangs" on the surface facing the camera.
Make sure your ebay.com search is ticked for the EU. I'll send a PM with a link.
Note that this camera design was continued in the Eastern Block aft WWII. They are basically OK, but not with the quality wood and finish of the earlier ones!

[n61870]

I would advise against modifying the back! you will have GG/film plane problems. you will not be able to find a suitable back out of walnut ( or, perhaps, teak) and the wood mix will be obvious. And originality, which may not be important for you, could be important for later owners!

Later:

German "mahogany" is MAHAGONI!!
Other key searches should include 13x18 and Reisekamera. I found a couple an hour ago.
It is best to buy a full set of 3 identical as small modifications (Sandpaper type!) would be a lot easier. I noted that one of the listers gave the external measurements as well. Depth is unimportant, as the plate holder "hangs" on the surface facing the camera.

I have no intention of modifying the camera unless it becomes a matter of using it versus sitting on a shelf. Thanks for the search help, I’m gonna need it haha

[plaubel]

[QUOTE=n61870;1411144]Yes my film holder is the standard size. Can you post some pictures of your modifications? Thanks[/QUOTE

Yes, I have some pics, but they don't well.
Steven is going an different way than me; He wants to keep the originality.

I love to use this old cameras, but I don't like fiddeling with ancient filmholders, so I mostly change the back into a newer one - which I can rebuilt in some cases, if a seller would come across :-)


The easiest thing to do is building an adapter of a wooden plate, and to add a newer back.
Imagine a wooden plate which covers the opening of your camera, cut off the center and screw the back onto this adapter. That's all.
If you want it interchangeable from horizontal to vertical,you have to find solutions which agree with your camera.
If you want to use both, 4x5" and 5x7", you will need two adapters and two backs.
Using original screw holes would be fine, to Steven, maybe you, and later sellers of course.

Groundglass plane is the same as the filmplane in this case, there is nothing more to do, except some light tight sealing.

Building an own back means that you have to engeneer both planes together, around 1/10mm is required.

Meanwhile I made a few pics of my russian lady:







Here I'm showing a 13x18cm camera with an selfmade adapter, a Plaubel Adapter 5x7"/4x5", and a 4x5" back.
Same to my studio camera - adapter,unscrewed at this time, and a 5x7" back .
I can use both backs on both cameras.
Ritchie

[plaubel]

Front adapters work fine, too: