After going through my share of cameras, I decided some time ago that I needed to find an 8x10 that I might hopefully stick with the rest of my camera-toting days. But there are a lot of cameras to choose from. And there's no such thing as a perfect camera. Each one is its own set of compromises.
Based on earlier experience, I'm very fond of the Kodak Master, aka Kodak Master View or KMV. The ergonomics of the Master suit me. It sets up quickly. The front extensions are simple slide-and-lock. It uses rear focus (which I prefer) with rack & pinion gearing. Movements are adequate. In fact, this camera has very generous front rise at 4 1/2 inches. Weight is reasonable (about like a Deardorff). And it has enough vintage-ness to it to keep the romantic in me happy.
Kodak Master in its original configuration
The Kodak Master has a few drawbacks as any camera does. Most objectionably it uses those odd, difficult-to-find lens boards. Modern CNC replacement lens boards are available, but they're very expensive. And besides, I've pretty much standardized on Sinar and Technika lens boards. So I decided to look into having a KMV modified to accept Sinar lens boards.
But I wanted more. I wanted this camera to not only take Sinar lens boards, but to take a Sinar/Copal shutter as well. And I wanted the shutter to mount behind the front standard as it does on the Sinar camera. This would require not only fabrication of new parts, but a new bellows as well. The bellows would have to utilize a Sinar bellows frame at the front to be compatible with the shutter.
After some hunting around I found a clean KMV with a tired bellows that needed to be replaced anyway. As it turns out, the KMV is a really good camera for what I wanted. The design and the dimensions of the front standard allow for a Sinar shutter to mount behind the standard so that it does not interfere with the operation of the standard. And because the front standard uses base tilt, the shutter doesn't inhibit that, either.
The metal parts were very straightforward. The original Master uses a lens panel which rides in a groove in the front standard. This panel allows the lensboard to attach to the front and the bellows to the rear. A new panel was made which was slightly thicker to accommodate the deeper light trap design of the Sinar board. The new panel is a direct replacement for the original.
Wanting to retain as much of the character of the original camera as possible and all the function, the bellows hooks were transplanted from the original. But the lens board retaining hardware, intended for those thin-lipped Kodak boards, did not provide a secure grip on the Sinar boards (which have a slightly chamfered front edge). So new retaining hardware was made. And a new bellows was ordered from Custom Bellows utilizing the Kodak rear bellows frame and a Sinar front bellows frame.
Kodak Master with Sinar shutter and 270mm ƒ/3.5 Cooke series IIa lens
The result is a solid, functional 8x10 camera with enough vintage appeal to keep the romantic in me happy. My Sinar-mounted lenses fit directly. Technika-mounted lenses fit with an adapter board. Unmounted lenses can sit in a lens chuck. And barrel lenses now have a reliable, accurate shutter. Even some lenses with funky shutters now have an accurate shutter.
The Kodak Master isn't the lightest 8x10 around. It's roughly the same weight as an 8x10 Deardorff. And the shutter adds weight to the kit. But the camera works in the normal fashion without the shutter, of course. It's still a KMV, after all. The camera folds just as before, but with the shutter removed; it won't fold up inside the camera.
Overall the camera is exactly as I hoped it would be. It's very versatile. The biggest problem is probably going to be deciding which lenses to leave at home.
Side view of front standard showing shutter attached
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