Quarter Plate 'Klito' help

[Krisna Das]

Hi,

delighted to find a small View Camera which i have identified as a Klito Junior (c1911). it is in bad shape but i cannot see that i can't rennovate it. the smoked glass back allowed me to test the lens out before the glass dropped out of the frame, so this will be the first repair item: 1mm thickness smoked/ground glass

what i am totally stumped on however, is the negative - how does it go into the camera - inside a quarter plate or do you fold raw film into the rear compartment? can you still get film this size (3"x4") or maybe customise some 120 film?

here are some first impressions of the camera - i intend to use this repair project as a test, possibly for larger view cameras:

Klito Junior [folding plate camera; ¾ plate] c1911

Made by HOUGHTONS Ltd (London)

¾ view
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p...2007/klito.jpg

birdseye, with rear door and 'folding plate' open
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p...007/klito2.jpg

rear (door) view
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p...007/klito3.jpg

rear panel lifting out
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p...007/klito4.jpg

rear panel removed
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p...007/klito5.jpg

smoked glass detail
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p...lassdetail.jpg

help appreciated

thanks

[Glenn Thoreson]

Your camera takes single plate, metal plate holders. There are several varieties of these and they aren't interchangeable. To use the camera, you slide the ground glass back onto the camera, to focus. After you have the focus where you want it, you remove the ground glass back and slide on the plate/film holder. You then pull the dark slide from the holder, take your picture, re-insert the dark slide and remove the holder. You then re-install the ground glass back and you're ready for your next shot. Repeat the process, etc. Fiddly stuff, those cameras. Ground glass can be purchased from a number of sources. No problem there. The problem will be finding the plate holders and appropriate film sheaths to make them useable.

[Jim Galli]

As Glenn said the camera originally had light tight tin holders that each held one sheet of 9X12cm film. Film this size is still available so your big challenge is to find some of the original correct holders. You would focus on the ground glass and then slide it out. the film holder would then slide in so the film was registered in the exact place the ground glass came from. Then you would slide a darkslide out so the film was in position to be exposed and trip your shutter. Good luck with your project.

[Pete Watkins]

Ric, as it's a British built camera you might be lucky and find film holders at a camera fair. I've seen old tin/metal holders at fairs that I go to and the stall holders don't want a lot for them. Rust will be a problem though. I think you're a hero taking this on!
Pete.

[Krisna Das]

Ric, as it's a British built camera you might be lucky and find film holders at a camera fair. I've seen old tin/metal holders at fairs that I go to and the stall holders don't want a lot for them. Rust will be a problem though. I think you're a hero taking this on!
Pete.

Thanks Glenn, Jim and Pete,

more of a long wait than the heroic stuff i fear! i must look out some plates.

am wondering also if there is not some way to customise the Klito, replace the damaged ground glass with clear glass, then hold film to it - cut from a 120 roll - by sandwiching / spring-backing it with another piece of glass; that means you can swop the back glass for ground glass and still preview shots?

erk - some short-cut to view camera photography: looks like the long way round to me?

[lol]