Eastman Kodak view no.1

[Peterf]

Hello

I'm new to the LF world, fell in love with MF and testing the LF waters.

I got my hands on a Eastman Kodak view no.1 8x10 camera someone was selling local. Has a brass Taylor and Hobson 13.2inch process lens f.8-64 on it. Very beautiful camera, just a bit stiff.

The film holder back is detachable from the camera and can be rotated from portrait to landscape but the glass is actually mounted infront of the slot for the film cassette so shooting with film the glass is between the film and the lens. Any idea why this is the case? The back is notched to allow the glass to fit and has a pressure plate to ensure it stays put so it doesn't seem to be a hack job. Any insight would be appreciated.

Aside, I cannot find any info on the Kodak view no.1 I'm 8x10 online. If anyone has any resources about it is be interested to check it out.

Thanks

Peter

[Jim Galli]

Peter, the bottom line is the ground surface of the glass must be in perfect register with where the film will be when the holders are put in and film is exposed. No idea how yours got con-booger-ated. But that's how this deal works. Backs that aren't tampered with do a pretty good job. I suggest you mount the ground glass in the back like is standard in all the pictures. Then what you do is lay a straight edge across the flat surfaces that make contact with the camera and measure down to first the ground glass, and then put in a holder with a piece of junk film in it and measure down to the film. They must be identical. I wrote a page about doing this check some years ago. Maybe pictures will help a bit. Here's (http://tonopahpictures.0catch.com/ULF%20Back%20Measure/ULFMeasuring.html) the link.

http://tonopahpictures.0catch.com/ULF%20Back%20Measure/ULFMeasuring.html

No telling what reason people did stuff over a hundred years the camera has been around. If you want to make pics, Get your ground surface in register with where the film will be when the holders are in and have at it.

You can read a bit about your Eastman View #1 in this 1917 catalog (https://www.piercevaubel.com/cam/catalogs/1917ekcproflp695.htm). https://www.piercevaubel.com/cam/catalogs/1917ekcproflp695.htm

[Leszek Vogt]

It would help if you show us some photos....in order to give you some assistance.

Hope you checked the bellows for holes.

Les

[Peterf]

It would help if you show us some photos....in order to give you some assistance.

Hope you checked the bellows for holes.

Les

Hey Les see attached. Ran a frame of x-ray film through to test and it looks light tight. Will take a peek tonight with a flashlight to see if I see any spots. Thanks

You can see from the photos that the glass sits infront of the film plane when loaded. It was a semi permanent thing as mentioned. There is still the old attachment brackets for the proper position of the viewing glass. Could the idea be to switch it out with a different back for plate shooting?

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[Peterf]

Thanks for the info and the product page! I'll make some measurements tonight to make sure it's aligned cheers

[Roger Thoms]

Well looking at the third photo of the back of the camera you can see the recess were the ground glass should go. The nice thing is that the four clips that hold the ground glass in are present. Should be easy to re-install the ground glass in the proper position. The frosted side should face the inside of the camera.

Roger

[Leszek Vogt]

With exception of the lens, my 5x7 (also EK #1) looks quite similar. Indeed, that's very strange that someone would install the gg on the inside > never seen it done. No idea what would have been the purpose. Nice camera, by the way.

Les