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dsphotog
11-Dec-2011, 15:48
I have a half plate Lewis style camera, with a CC Harrison radial drive lens.
I'm thinking about making an adapter to use 4x5 film holders.
Is anyone using something like this?

Jason Greenberg Motamedi
11-Dec-2011, 16:26
I have used a sliding box camera with Petzval and 5x7 film, but with no movements and limited bellows draw I eventually adapted the lens to a modern camera.

goamules
11-Dec-2011, 18:34
My Lewis daguerreotype camera will fit a 4x5 holder, with a little work. But dag cameras are pretty hard to find and valuable, I'd look for another camera to do 4x5. It's kind of like using an original 1906 Wright Flyer to crop dust.

dsphotog
11-Dec-2011, 22:15
True, but I'm thinking that using a camera and lens from the 1800's might be just the niche I need.
I might even explore using the Daguerreotype process.

goamules
12-Dec-2011, 11:42
I certainly agree there. I don't have a single camera or lens more recent than the 1950s. Yesterday I shot with two lenses from 1861 and the 1880s.

banjo
12-Dec-2011, 11:53
if you can take off the ground glass I would look for soming like a burke & james
4x5 sliding back they were made to adapt to all most anything

dsphotog
12-Dec-2011, 16:54
Here is pic's of camera

dsphotog
2-Jan-2012, 15:47
I started design of a non evasive adapter, to use standard 4x5 film holders.

Drew Bedo
5-Jan-2012, 08:09
Check out:

http://starcameracompany.com/index.html

dsphotog
7-Jan-2012, 13:36
Thanks Drew, I will likely get one of those to use, when I get past the financial challenge that forced me to sell the original camera.

Drew Bedo
8-Jan-2012, 07:51
Another thought:

I looked into making Daguerreotypes a number of years ago; took a workshop from Jerry Spagnoli at the Photographer’s formulary in Montana that was great. The process tends to dominate the creative flow. Its my opinion that when learning the Dag process, the camera itself should be a non-issue . . . .while learning. We were all using relatively modern gear and exposing 2x3 inch plates by taping them into a 4x5 sheet film holder. Worked well. The purist will be’horrified, I’m sure, but learning the process seemed more important to me and I wasn't bothered. In his personal work, Spagnoli used a vintage whole-plate camera.

By all means, restore your fine old instrument, but don't modify it—use some sort of adapter. Learn and practice the old processes, then show us what you have done!

Cheers.
Another thought:

I looked into making Daguerreotypes a number of years ago; took a workshop from Jerry Spagnoli at the Photographer’s formulary in Montana that was great. The process tends to dominate the creative flow. Its my opinion that when learning the Dag process, the camera itself should be a non-issue . . . .while learning. We were all using relatively modern gear and exposing 2x3 inch plates by taping them into a 4x5 sheet film holder. Worked well. The purist will be’horrified, I’m sure, but learning the process seemed more important to me and I wasn't bothered. In his personal work, Spagnoli used a vintage whole-plate camera.

By all means, restore your fine old instrument, but don't modify it—use some sort of adapter. Learn and practice the old processes, then show us what you have done!

Cheers.