Deardorff 5x7 back

[Matthew Lea]

Okay, I know these are hard to find. How I will keep my eyes open for one on the internet. In the meantime, I would like to look into having one made. Any thought about where to have this done? How much it will run? How tough it is to do myself?

Also, are there any other 5x7 back that are more readily available and will fit the deardorff?

Thanks for your help.

[Ralph Barker]

Making a precision back, while not terribly complex, requires fairly good cabinet-making skills and the proper wood-working equipment. It's not something I would recommend for the "average" home carpenter. I made an 8x10 to 4x5 reducing back for my Tachihara, but took the easy way out by adapting my Toyo reducing back. Still, the interface between the adapter and the back of the camera was reasonably complex, as shown below.

That said, I'd also question why 5x7 vs. 4x5. If you already have a 5x7 enlarger, the reason is fairly obvious - larger film size. But, if you don't have an enlarger, you may find a 4x5 reducing back to be considerably more practical. Used 4x5 enlargers are pretty common, and reasonably inexpensive, while used 5x7 enlargers are usually more difficult to find, and generally more expensive. Plus, there are far more films available in 4x5, including QuickLoads/ReadyLoads and Polaroids, neither of which are available in 5x7.


http://www.rbarkerphoto.com/misc/Photo-gear/ReducingBack06-550bw.jpg

[Jim Galli]

Matt, Did you know that the 810 to 5X7 conversion back for the V8 is just a regular 5X7 back screwed onto a board for the 8X10? All you do is unscrew and I think you'll have to add the brass pins that locate it to a 4X5 special. That's what my special has on it. Granted the 810 to 57 reducing backs are a bit pricey but still a lot cheaper than having something fabricated, and also the real thing made by 'dorff.

[Hans Berkhout]

I have one in classified section .

[Hans Berkhout]

Should read: classified on photo.net, under Deardorff.

[jnantz]

hi there

keep an eye on dagor77's auctions on FEEbay as well. he just sold a 5x7 back for a 8x10 yesterday :)

[Chad Jarvis]

Ralph, did you REALLY copyright a photograph of your camera?

I got a 5x7 back for my 8x10 about 6 years ago in perfect condition for just over $100. It didn't have the original ground glass.

[Ernest Purdum]

Making, or having made, the entire back seems to me to be an unnecessarily difficult procedure. Cutting an 8X10 to 5X7 reducing back of another make down to size ahould be easier, though if not done very precisely you could wind up with a junk part.



Making a frame on which to fasten a metal back would be easier than making a back from scratch and would avoid the problems which can show up with a worn or warped wooden back. I made a frame on which to mount a Graflok back onto a 5X7 Deardorff. I used thin mahogany from www.micromark.com laminated to the needed thicknesses. Their mahogany comes in 1/32" to 1/4" thickness by 3" X 24". The result is very strong and most unlikely to warp. Getting the table saw fence set just right was the only difficult part. Fortunately, I had a friend with a good saw and lots of patience.



I think having more than one format size available is a good way to get the most benefit from your expensive lenses.

[RICHRRD ILOMAKI]

5 x 7 vs 4 x 5

I like 5 x 7 because a 5 x 7 contact print on 8 x 10 paper, such as AZO is a jewel. That size and ratio of sides is much more pleasing to my eyes than a 4 x 5 contact. For enlargements, yes, 4 x 5 is more practical, but contacts have that special appeal for me.

Cheers