Identify 11x14 camera?

[cyrus]

Got this baby with an 11x14 plate holder for a decent price. There's no makers plaque on it. The rear tilt mechanism is a bit unique but I've seen this with different brand names, I think. Any tips/ suggestions as to the brand of this camera is welcome.

[cyrus]

Was just informed by a reliable source it is a Rochester Co. "Empire State."
Thanks all. Now if I can only find more plate holders . . .

[akfreak]

Nice Camera, lets hear of this find, where, how, price, ect... I want the fine details. A huge field camera. I would love to afford to feed one of those. From what I see it is very nice. How's the back?

[cyrus]

Surprisingly - just under $700 including the plate holder.

It is in perfect shape - light tight, etc. Just dusted and vacuumed it, and a touch of furniture polish needed.
The only problems I've found so far:

1- one of the D-rings on one side of the bellows fell off because the leather holding it crumbled - but the bellows itself is just fine and dandy. Not sure what the D-rings are doing on the side of the bellows the first place. If it was for sagging, shouldn't they be on the top?

2- The top right brass thingy that snaps down on the little pins on the rotating back and holds it in place was kinda insufficiently snappy. Fixed it by tightening the screw. It works but I'd like to find a more secure way to hold the back. The pins are not aligned very well so you can't really rotate the back 360 degrees - just 90 degrees (so you're SOL if you're left handed)

The lensboard is an odd size: 6 and 7/8th of an inch square.

[TheDeardorffGuy]

Read between your questions for my answers.



Surprisingly - just under $700 including the plate holder.

It is in perfect shape - light tight, etc. Just dusted and vacuumed it, and a touch of furniture polish needed.
The only problems I've found so far:

1- one of the D-rings on one side of the bellows fell off because the leather holding it crumbled - but the bellows itself is just fine and dandy. Not sure what the D-rings are doing on the side of the bellows the first place. If it was for sagging, shouldn't they be on the top?\

No. Lots of cameras had them on the sides.


2- The top right brass thingy that snaps down on the little pins on the rotating back and holds it in place was kinda insufficiently snappy. Fixed it by tightening the screw. It works but I'd like to find a more secure way to hold the back. The pins are not aligned very well so you can't really rotate the back 360 degrees - just 90 degrees (so you're SOL if you're left handed)


The top "thingy " are called top left or right corners. You remove it, bend it gently down to retension it and replace. You may have to file a pin to make it fit the hole better. Usually these would rotate all around. But age and shrinkage of the wood has caused mis alignment. You may have to repin it. You fill the holes with a wood dowel, (glueing it in. and re drill the holes.

The lensboard is an odd size: 6 and 7/8th of an inch square.

Not odd if you were made by ROCO!!

[cyrus]

Thanks Ken.
Can you make me a couple of lens boards? I'd be ever so appreciative. So would my fingers since I won't be chopping them off in horrible bloody power tool accidents that are likely to result.

[cyrus]

What are these things for?

[TheDeardorffGuy]

What are these things for?

little brass bumps? Can you get a close up photo?

[cyrus]

Figured it out - I think they're the screw heads for the screws that hold the rear bellows frame in place. There are a few odd things here and there . . .