Originally Posted by
Robert A. Zeichner
If what you were looking at and holding was an actual "Baby" Deardorff, then the maximum size holder you could ever use with it is 4x5. This is not to be confused with the 45 Special or the 5x7, which were essentially the same camera, just offered with either a 4x5 or 5x7 back and with different nameplates. As I understand it, the "Baby" got created as a special consignment by an individual who wanted to shoot with the largest sheet film allowed at the World's Fair many decades ago. There was a rule in place that only professional photographers who paid some fee or were connected with the fair could use 4x5 and larger formats at this event (or some such restriction, as I recall) and so this fellow wanted the Deardorffs to make him a slightly smaller camera (3-1/4 x 4-1/4?). It was never finished in time for the Fair and since it made more sense to sell this as a 4x5 camera, they did so. Not that many were made in comparison to the 45 Special and hence, the rarity. I got a chance to see one that was very nicely restored and it was kind of neat, but for a working photographer, $4500 could buy you any number of very lightweight, compact cameras and much of what else you would require to make pictures. It think this is pretty much collector fare.
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