Film Holder for 5x7 Korona View

[Mark_5366]

I just came into my first LF camera an old 5x7 Korona View (a friend had it in his garage for a few years) Its in outstanding shape except it has no film holders (or lens/lensboard). I am brand new to this and my question is where can I get film holders? Are modern holders compatible? I have spent hours on line and in this, and other, forums without finding my answer. Thanks in advance! (and if someone could tell me where to get a lens board as well that would also be nice)

[brook]

Modern holders should be fine, as well as older wood holders. I had a korona 5x7 I use to shoot, one thing I found I needed to do was cover the back with the dark cloth when the dark slide was removed. On mine there was more hole than bellows, so the dark cloth went over the whole affair.
I bet you can make lens boards pretty easily, do a search for ideas.

[Mark_5366]

Thanks Brook, another question I had is what would I need to do to step it down to 4x5? Seems there are more lens/film options at that size....thanks.

[brook]

You would need to get a 4x5 back. I had a couple of korona/gundlach cameras at one time and the backs I had were the same size, but the pins to hold them on to the camera were not in thte same place. I just use to tape them on if I wanted to switch them around. If you are going to go shopping, take very carefull measurements to be sure that what you get will fit, or better yet bring the camera with you if you are visiting the backs in person.

Let me make a case for 5x7! It is a fantastic format! An awfull lot of 4x5 lenses will cover just fine. A 203 f7.7 Kodak Ektar is cheap and will get you in the game, albeit with out room for movement. I keep seeing JLM 210mm/ 8 1/4" process lenses on feebay for less that 50$, this will give all the room to move you could want. And as far as film goes, unless you are set on shooting color, there are pleanty of great films in 5x7 avaliable. And if you need to, cutting down 8x10 film is really not that hard.
A 5x7 image is almost twice the size as 4x5, yet the camera and accessories pack up and travel like 4x5, this is something you can only appreciate after you shlep an 8x10 around. If you want to enlarge, you should be able to find an Elwood enlarger for not alot of dough that will work just fine. But forget the enlarger, you dont need it, you can contact print with the best of 'em. Maby the best thing about 5x7 is that it is a great size to learn alt processes/Azo ect. Nobody will say a 5x7 contact print is too small (well, maby someone..).

And then there is the really important thing, when your out shooting and someone of the desireable persuasion approaches you as your under the dark cloth, asking "is that a 4x5?", you come out from under the cloth, smile , and say, "nope , its a 5x7". Can you say instant date?

Enjoy you new find!

[Bob Fowler]

"And then there is the really important thing, when your out shooting and someone of the desireable persuasion approaches you as your under the dark cloth, asking "is that a 4x5?", you come out from under the cloth, smile , and say, "nope , its a 5x7"."

I can say, from personal experience, that a wood & brass 5X7 classic field camera, is indeed a chick magnet! :-) This is yet another thing that I learned far too late in life...

Seriously, the 5X7 format offers tremendous possibilities and has so much more image real estate than 4X5 that I wouldn't bother with a reducing back. I should qualify that though, I do have a 2-up sliding split back that I use on occasion with my Eastman #2 when shooting portraits.

[steve simmons]

I too am a fan of the 5x7 format. There is an article about 5x7 on our web site in the Free Articles section and a lens focal length comparison chart in that section as well

www.viewcamera.com

steve simmons

[Mark_3632]

Lens boards can be made very easily for these camera. Watch ebay for a lens board or maybe buy one that is made for it from-Ah heck I can't remember the guy's name who makes the really pretty lens boards- From there you will be able to make the lens boards real easily out of birch plywood or masonite. I prefer masonite, because every piece of birch plywood I have bought warped into a half circle before I got the time to cut it. Masonite may not be pretty but it is not going to warp.

I too love the 5x7 format and it is big enough to contact print. This is good news because, if you are like me and do not have a darkroom, you can still print those big negs. I did not purdyfiy my camera since I am married. if my wife saw me using it as a chick magnet I'ld probably get a tripod enema. But it does have the possiblilty, Darkcloth hair might set you back a few notches in the cool department though.

[Terence McDonagh]

I make my Korona lens boards out of the tempered hardboard clipboards from CVS. One 99 cent clibpoard gives me two boards for my 5x7. A handsaw cuts them down to size. Draw lines between the opposite corners to find the center of the board. Draw a proper size circle with a 79 cent compass, also from CVS. Using a cordless drill, drill a series of holes just inside the line until the center falls away. Clean up the rough edge with a rasp, file or very rough sandpaper to get to the pencil line. For my Korona this gives me a board a little too thin to seat properly in the camera, but just about right for mounting the lens. To fix this I cut out a frame (or two) of cheap black mat board the same size as the board and with a hole slightly larger than the lens and flange in the middle. I then glue it to the hardboard. Sand the hardboard a little to give the glue a better grip. Voila, a cheap lensboard, that may look a little ghetto, but is certainly cheap. The whole process takes me about 45 minutes and $2-3. Some may want to paint the back side black but I find that the black mat board works just fine on its own.