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bjsmith7474
25-Jun-2017, 11:09
I just acquired a Scovill & Adams Co. studio camera w/ it's original stand. Not sure I'm going to keep it yet, but I'm trying to figure out a few things about the camera. When measuring size on these do you measure the entire back itself? This one has an 8x10 back that can use modern holders, luckily. However, the back itself is much larger, measuring about 17x18inches. Does this mean I could possibly have a larger back made? I'm not sure how that fits in with the available formats of the day. Also, when measuring extension do you simply measure the length of the rails? This one has a double bellows extension, with one being about 32in, and the other being 31 inches.

Thanks in advance!

Jim Noel
25-Jun-2017, 14:46
I suspect it originally had an 11x14 back also.

LabRat
25-Jun-2017, 21:48
Yes, you can shoot larger formats, as you can adapt larger backs to fit...

The issue (limiting factor) will be the bellows extension when using longer FL lenses, as you (probably) will not shoot the camera on location where you could focus at infinity (with minimum extension), but you would be using it in the studio shooting close, and probably a slightly longer FL for portraits, still lifes, etc where you would need all of those bellows, or even more for a frame filling shot... That would start to be a problem with the larger the format you would go... (Remember at 1:1, you format size would be your shooting frame size, too, with longer and longer extensions (+ bellows factors) with the longer FL's...)

Larger holders will ring the $$$ bell, and there are different styles that might/might not work with the back you get...

Your "happy medium" with that camera might be 8X10, so mess with that first... ;-)

Steve K