Burke & James 5x7

[NebrGuy]

I picked up a B&J 5x7 and I'll admit I have no knowledge of this camera. From what I can tell, it is likely a <edited> Commercial View <end edit>. It is a model with a tailboard. That said I could be totally wrong on that. Battleship gray with red bellows.

It came with an old lens and shutter that gives no clue of the focal length. Rough measurement would suggest about a 200mm lens.

Now my question is this: what is the shortest and the longest lens that I can mount on it without the extension bellows and tail?

This is my first jump into 5x7. I realize that the B&J is not well liked by many, but it's what I could find and as a bundle wasn't a horrible deal. Lol

Thanks.
Robert

[Tin Can]

I like them

A picture would help

I have a Model One Rembrandt 5X7 which is non folding

I mostly use a Xenar 240mm f4.5

It has a factory Packard shutter with sync

Here is one, not mine https://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?97583-FS-Burke-amp-James-Rembrandt-Portrait-No-1-Camera-amp-Gear-125-S-H

[Drew Bedo]

I had a B&J 5x7 back in the 1990s. It was a good camera and I wish I still had it. They are a bit clunky and painted grey. But they are ruggedly built. I stripped and refinished mine. It looked nice.

They have all the movements, but some are a bit fiddly to do.

Wish I still had one.

[NebrGuy]

Sorry about that. I was on my phone when I made the original post.
212747
212746

[NebrGuy]

It didn't come with the lens board, so I had one cut. It did come with the lens and the only markings I can find on it are "5x7 rapid convertible" written on the outside of the lens barrel.

[Dugan]

Hi,
That's not a Rembrandt, they have no front movements..
That's a Commercial View.
I have two of them, they're solidly built, but a bit unwieldy compared to the newer high-dollar whiz-bang gear.
Best to test the bellows for light-tightness by extending the bellows all the way, and shining a lightbulb from inside the bellows in a darkened room. Pinholes should be obvious..I recommend doing it from front, with the lensboard removed, and from the back with film back removed to check mating surfaces.
Extension backs are available, some have one screw, others have two.
They show up here, as well as Ebay, or you can post a WTB ad here.
Have fun with it!

[Dugan]

The longest lens I have used on mine is 14", but at closer than infinity..
Hope that helps.

[NebrGuy]

Hi,
That's not a Rembrandt, they have no front movements..
That's a Commercial View.
I have two of them, they're solidly built, but a bit unwieldy compared to the newer high-dollar whiz-bang gear.
Best to test the bellows for light-tightness by extending the bellows all the way, and shining a lightbulb from inside the bellows in a darkened room. Pinholes should be obvious..I recommend doing it from front, with the lensboard removed, and from the back with film back removed to check mating surfaces.
Extension backs are available, some have one screw, others have two.
They show up here, as well as Ebay, or you can post a WTB ad here.
Have fun with it!

Like I said, I don't know anything about it. lol. My LF experience up until now is with a SpeedGraphic 4x5. I edited the original post to say the Commercial View. Thanks for clarifying the model. I'm still seeing very little information when I google it. Camera-Wiki doesn't even list the Commercial View in a 5x7.

I've already looked at the bellows and they are in really good shape, no pinholes whatsoever.

[NebrGuy]

The longest lens I have used on mine is 14", but at closer than infinity..
Hope that helps.

Thank you.

[Greg]

The camera is very easy to frefinish. Make sure that you use the correct sized screwdriver(s) to take it apart. I actually labeled each screw and the corresponding place/hole where it came out of. Old "trick" a very talented camera restorer told me back then. Also told me to reuse the original screws in that replacing them with newer screws might weaken the integrity of the camera. Lastly he told me to put the slightest drop of something in the hole before re-inserting the screw, unfortunately that was 50+ years ago and I don't remember what the liquid? was. Once apart it is very easy to strip the wood, and you will undoubtedly find furniture grade quality wood under that gray paint. The ones that I refinished preferred stain to paint. As a favor a friend refurbished the metal parts for me. Maybe another forum member could post info on this. When putting everything back together just take your time and not force anything. In the 1970s hiked many a gorge south of Rochester, New York with an 8x10 B&J Commercial View, holders, and more in a surplus backpack. The camera never failed me, and that's after taking a fair amount of falls on iced over streams. Lately I have been toying with the idea of acquiring a B&J Commercial View, restoring it, and then displaying it in our living room. Yes I would also take it outside and use it....

[NebrGuy]

The camera is very easy to frefinish. Make sure that you use the correct sized screwdriver(s) to take it apart. I actually labeled each screw and the corresponding place/hole where it came out of. ... In the 1970s hiked many a gorge south of Rochester, New York with an 8x10 B&J Commercial View, holders, and more in a surplus backpack. The camera never failed me, and that's after taking a fair amount of falls on iced over streams. Lately I have been toying with the idea of acquiring a B&J Commercial View, restoring it, and then displaying it in our living room. Yes I would also take it outside and use it....

Thanks for sharing. I would like to refinish it at some point. I've heard that they can be quite beautiful when stripped of the gray paint.

I love hearing the history you have with the camera. That's incredible.

[MIke Sherck]

Mine looks just like yours but says "Grover" on top of the rear standard. I'm told these sorts of differences are common between otherwise similar/almost identical examples. I have read that B&J farmed out production to several small shops in the Chicago area and minor variations are not unheard of. Mine will just focus a 90mm Super Angulon at infinity on a flat lensboard and without a rear extension rail will focus a 360mm a bit closer than infinity. A rear extension rail just about doubles the length of the camera but the bellows stops 2 or 3 inches short of that.

[paulbarden]

I've got one of those. Bought it for $150 a couple years ago, and I've made some of my best work (https://www.flickr.com/photos/paulbarden/albums/72157706973218784) with it. A camera doesn't have to be "special" - it just has to be able to do good work.

[Dugan]

Here's mine "on the job" from last summer.212763

[Tin Can]

I expect a Grover catalog soon

I have a 5X7 rail Grover I had to buy from the same idiot one piece at a time, tears ago

Not Johnny Cash here and that is 2 puns

soon as...

[mdarnton]

To answer one question: when I had mine I made a recessed board for it and could fit a 65mm/5.6 Super Angulon, but the lens didn't cover. No possibility of movements with that combo. I believe the 75/5.6 Super Angulon just about does cover.

The camera:

https://live.staticflickr.com/7352/13995403977_180e2169e0_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/njJ71z)
BJ 5x7 w/65mm Super Angulon! (https://flic.kr/p/njJ71z)
by Michael Darnton (https://www.flickr.com/photos/michaeldarnton/), on Flickr


The results:

https://live.staticflickr.com/7371/14174772411_f3dec08af5_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/nAzpZM)
Adams St (https://flic.kr/p/nAzpZM)
by Michael Darnton (https://www.flickr.com/photos/michaeldarnton/), on Flickr


Another:

https://live.staticflickr.com/5112/13991411220_893bb6070f_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/njnD6W)
Federal Plaza (https://flic.kr/p/njnD6W)
by Michael Darnton (https://www.flickr.com/photos/michaeldarnton/), on Flickr

[NebrGuy]

To answer one question: when I had mine I made a recessed board for it and could fit a 65mm/5.6 Super Angulon, but the lens didn't cover. No possibility of movements with that combo. I believe the 75/5.6 Super Angulon just about does cover.

The camera:

https://live.staticflickr.com/7352/13995403977_180e2169e0_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/njJ71z)
BJ 5x7 w/65mm Super Angulon! (https://flic.kr/p/njJ71z)
by Michael Darnton (https://www.flickr.com/photos/michaeldarnton/), on Flickr


The results:

https://live.staticflickr.com/7371/14174772411_f3dec08af5_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/nAzpZM)
Adams St (https://flic.kr/p/nAzpZM)
by Michael Darnton (https://www.flickr.com/photos/michaeldarnton/), on Flickr


Another:

https://live.staticflickr.com/5112/13991411220_893bb6070f_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/njnD6W)
Federal Plaza (https://flic.kr/p/njnD6W)
by Michael Darnton (https://www.flickr.com/photos/michaeldarnton/), on Flickr

Thanks for sharing your experience and answering a question. This post makes me want to get out and shoot. Now if the weather would just warm up and spring would set in.

[Drew Bedo]

One last thing from me on this:

when I had my B&J and took it out of the house and into the field, I REVERSED the camera body on the bed so that the track folded up over the front standard. I felt that that protected the lens when packing, unpacking and generally moving around.

There was a 4x5 reducing back on it with a Grafloc GG and hood, so that end was protected too.

[Michael Roberts]

You can find a description of your camera on page 12 of the 1951 Burke and James catalog on cameraeccentric.com

https://www.cameraeccentric.com/static/img/pdfs/bj_2.pdf

[NebrGuy]

You can find a description of your camera on page 12 of the 1951 Burke and James catalog on cameraeccentric.com

https://www.cameraeccentric.com/static/img/pdfs/bj_2.pdf

Thanks for sharing the link to this and pointing out the page. Greatly appreciate it. I wonder if there was ever an instruction sheet or booklet for this camera. Not interested in the how to of using it as much as just what was printed for it.

If only we could buy lenses for the prices listed in the catalog.

[RedGreenBlue]

... Lastly he told me to put the slightest drop of something in the hole before re-inserting the screw, unfortunately that was 50+ years ago and I don't remember what the liquid? was.

I use a product called Wood Swell and Lock, bought many years ago, probably no longer on the market. Does the trick. This appears to be what's currently available, Mohawk Swel-Lock: https://www.mohawk-finishing.com/products/wood-touch-up-repair/adhesives-lubricants/swel-lock/

Scott

[Greg]

when I had my B&J and took it out of the house and into the field, I REVERSED the camera body on the bed so that the track folded up over the front standard. I felt that that protected the lens when packing

Interesting... when I acquired my NOS 8x10 B&J Commercial view camera in the mid 1970s, that's the way it came packed to me. Until now I thought that that was the way it was sold, but now looking at my 1962 B&J catalog, the extension in towards the rear of the camera. We learn something every day....

[brianentz]

Identical Burke & James. I have a 5x7 B&J Commercial View camera that was gifted me for Christmas. I’m going to replace the bellows and handle and clean it up. It came with a Goerz Dagon 210 lens in nice shape. I’m doing my research now. I’d really like to know what the years of manufacturing were for that particular model. I’d like to have a general idea of when the camera was made. Have you learned anything in that regard?


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[Willie]

A friend has stripped and refinished six or seven of the B&J gray woodies. All had beautiful wood under the paint. Some pieces not perfectly matched but when stripped and refinished they looked very nice. On the screws a wood hardener dropped into the holes can work well.
These were workhorse cameras and you should get some fine images with it.

[John Earley]

Some like to strip their cameras but I like the utilitarian grey finish on my nearly mint Grover 5x7. I need to get out more with it.

https://live.staticflickr.com/4809/46245904121_4a655cb83f_c.jpg
(https://flic.kr/p/2dsAm7v)B&J 5x7 Commercial View Camera (https://flic.kr/p/2dsAm7v) by JOHN EARLEY (https://www.flickr.com/photos/jacketch/), on Flickr