Hi, all -
I'm looking at buying an Indian-made camera by Vageeswari Camera Works. Google turns up nothing on this maker, and I'm having trouble finding info on any makers from India at all.
Anyone have any info on the camera makers there, oh, a hundred years ago or so?
Scott
There was an inexpensive Deardorff-style camera called the Rajah made in India for some time.
I remember the Rajah from about 1982- they were made of teak. But "inexpensive" meant "rickety". I bought a Tachihara instead. Let's hope the Vageeswari products are better value.... If you find anything out, post it here, as I'm sure other people will be interested.
I purchased a Raja for one of my students to use. There's nothing rickety about them but they aren't as smooth or nicely finished as a Deardorff. I've personally used Deardorff's for nearly forty years and have owned a number of other folding cameras. My wife bought a very nice Shen Hao as a gift to me a few years ago and I can honestly say I would much rather have a Shen Hao than a Raja / Prinzdorff. I think the Shen-Hao, Tachihara and Ikeda are exceptional values and much more refined cameras.Originally Posted by Mark Sampson
A little side note, I purchased the Raja for roughly $350 which was an OK deal but nothing fantastic and advertised it on the forum for a little more with no takers. It was in very nice condition and I placed it on the auction site and got $800 (?????!)for it. OK camera but $350 is about the tops I would pay. I turned around and bought a Deardorff special from another professional who was retiring and I had known and worked with for forty five years. I paid a fair price for it at $750.
The moral to the story, if you have your heart set on a Deardorff style camera look for a Deardorff unless you can find a Raja for under $350 or better a Shen-Hao or similar at a good price.
Scott:
I bought an old Japanese English-style half plate some time ago. It had a nameplate in Japanese, which translated to Asanuma Shokai King 1. I found that Asanuma Shokai is an old Japanese distributor. My camera was made by some small manufacturer and sold to Asanuma to sell under their brand. Like you, I found nothing specific about my camera, other than knowing the distributor's name.
Indian cameras of the same period would have followed the English design, and would be very similar to mine in origin and design. I find the camera very light and solid, well thought-out. It lacks the many sophisticated geared movements of monorail designs and expensive modern wood field cameras, but I use it well and it gives me good service.
I've used the Tachihara, now the Nagaoka, and many other monorail based cameras. What I like most about these cameras built from India is they are more rigid than the Charten based one...not as light, but so close it doesn't matter. Controls are very solid..also solid on the Tach and Nag, but to me, they seem simpler for some reason. Setup, fold down, etc. etc..it all seems much more simple...but at the same time, you got some very good movement potential. I think that Deardorff thing that was sold as a 5X7? was a later concept that was very bad...as it may seem, the newer should be the better, though I think these older India cameras are fantastic and once polished up, can look as good as a $1500-$4000 camera, and have the flexibility to always do some mods here and there....
Hi,
I have collected some Indian made large format cameras. The label on one reads Vageeswari Camera Works.
The two I am interested in using are in 8x15 inch plate format. Plate holders are included. The larger of the two has a triple extension base.
It is 29 1/2 x 11 1/4 inches stretched all the way out and compressed all the way in, ground glass inside to base of lens board.
Another has a shorter base that extends 22 inches long and 4 1/2 short, inside of glass to the base of the lens board.
The lens boards are both 6 1/4 x 6 3/4 with a 4 1/2 inch hole that has 6 screw holes around it. There is no evidence of anything ever being behind them. I'd like something to fit those screw holes.
What can I use for lens/shutters? Do you have something for sale that would work? I like the idea of telephoto city landscapes of lots of buildings seen from hills and bridges.
Thanks,
Michael A Carter
That lensboard with 6 holes around the opening for the lens: are they in a circle ?
In that way the former owner had a lens in it without a shutter, just a srew-mount for the lens.
Usable lenses: for 8x15...... I gues you would be looking in the region of 480mm or there abouts.
A 300mm covers 8x10 with some movement, maybe a 360mm would fit tour camera, not shure though.
If you get a lens with shutter (I would) you will need to plug-up those holes and depending on the shutter and the opening required for it, make a new lens board with the propper hole.
Good luck !
Peter
I have a 6"x15" Vageeswari. I use a 450mm Nikkor-M lens on it for full coverage.
I love my Vag. I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun with yours.
d
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