Century 7 - my newest friend

[Kimberly Anderson]

I picked this up tonight from an old friend of mine. He also had this cool Conley portrait lens on it and a Packard shutter. It'll take some work to make it usable. The bellows need some help, the 5x7 back needs a ground glass, the 8x10 back has been shaved down and won't work at all, and I will need a stand to put it on.

The price was right and I couldn't say no.

:D

http://www.tawayama.com/Century7/_SLD8679.jpg

http://www.tawayama.com/Century7/_SLD8681.jpg

I am sure I will be doing some searching and learning about this camera and lens. :)

[jcoldslabs]

As a recent Century 8x10 owner (10A) it's nice to see another one! Looks great and I'm sure it will prove fun and useful.

I can't stop petting mine!

Jonathan

[cdholden]

Is the lens a rebadged Vitax? I knew they did it for the Vesta line, but I've never seen a f3.8 Conley.

[Louis Pacilla]

Oh Yea they sold just about every Wollensak lenses manufactured at the time re- branded as Conley .

Here is a 1910 Sears catalog listing

[Kimberly Anderson]

Yeah, I spent all weekend while LFF was down (made me very sad....), researching this camera and the lens. The lens is indeed a Vitax that's re-badged as a Conley. I even have the knob for the defocus, but it has broken off and left the threads stuck in the shaft. I am going to try to remove the threads and put the knob back into place. The lens cleaned up AMAZINGLY well. I was able to get all of the elements out and clean them up and verified that it has a cemented doublet in front and two elements in the back separated by an air gap.

The camera itself works remarkably well. I have a 5x7 back for it that is missing the ground-glass. The 8x10 back that I have has been cut down flush with the leaf springs so that there is no way to attach it to the back. It does have the slider section, but I am unclear if I am missing some parts or how it will work with an 8x10 back. I am looking for an 8x10 back to use on this camera. My goal with it is to do wet plate or dags at some point.

The Packard shutter actually works too, once Robert Hall showed me how important it is to cover up the hole in the bulb with my thumb. What an amazing contraption!

I am thinking of cobbling up a ground glass this week and shooting some 5x7 negs to see how the lens fares.

I am wondering what folks do with these things if they are missing the stand for them? I am sure I can rig something, but was wondering what others are doing.

[Jon Shiu]

Can you screw the remains of the 8x10 back onto a board that attaches to the back of the camera?

Jon

[Kimberly Anderson]

An interesting thought. I probably could. I am just picky enough to keep looking for a back that will actually work as designed, but I could probably cobble up something in the meanwhile...


Can you screw the remains of the 8x10 back onto a board that attaches to the back of the camera?

Jon

[Kimberly Anderson]

Hey Century fans, do you guys have any ideas how I can start to shoot this thing? I have a very large/heavy Gitzo studio tripod and I could insert a tripod bushing. I'm just wondering i it's really going to be the best thing for it. I have seen videos of people using sawhorses and a platform, which is kind of what I'm leaning towards. Is there anything that will work well in a studio environment short of that studio stand? How about a rolling cart for a kitchen? Just thinking out loud...

[jp]

That looks pretty nice (except for the mdf lensboard). A rolling cart for a kitchen/workshop would be fine if it has a way to immobilize/chock the wheels when you're ready to shoot. A book under the front or back will tilt it up for down for you.

[Kimberly Anderson]

Some pics...

http://www.tawayama.com/Century7/_SLD8717.jpg

http://www.tawayama.com/Century7/_SLD8722.jpg

http://www.tawayama.com/Century7/_SLD8724.jpg

http://www.tawayama.com/Century7/_SLD8726.jpg

[Steven Tribe]

I think a platform style stand is the only way to go because of the extension system.
I have a classic stand for my Century, but (regretably) have 2 other studio cameras without stands!
I am in the process of making a modification to the cross arm of a pedestal type modern studio stand (pole with 3 flat feet). These have a heavy duty clamp for large (Sinar) 8x10 cameras. Extra clamps are difficult to get hold of (and expensive) and perhaps not up the the weight of these wooden cameras anyway.
What I am planning is to do is to bore a hole through both edges of the round side arm and mount an Al/Mg plate and a wooden platform. This is rather like the later Deardorff camera base design. The other side of the arm can still be used at the same time for the original clamp. The removable table can also be used for computer and future technological marvels for large and medium format. Up and down is easy, but tilt would have to a system of inserting wooden distance pieces.
These cameras sit very nicely on the back seat of a car and I am looking for a collapsable (perhaps not the right word!) hobby work table which can allow me to "go walkabout/driveabout" with these cameras ( and, more importantly) their associated lenses.

[welly]

You know the saying "they don't make 'em like they used to"? It's so true and despite the knocks here and there, that is a wonderful looking piece of kit. It'll scrub up great!

[jcoldslabs]

Whenever I use my studio cameras I can't help but think: here I am using a 90+ year-old piece of gear that for all intents and purposes works as well as the day it was made; try THAT with your digital camera in 90 years!

Jonathan

[dsphotog]

My question is, is it possible to determine production date from the ser, number? I have a Century 4 # 70320.

[dsphotog]

On Michael's camera, the metal plate on the lower left side of the front standard, is the mount for a Photogenic vignette holder. Mine has it also.

[Kimberly Anderson]

I have seen that on a few cameras and wondered what it was. I am guessing that it is factory original?

[jcoldslabs]

I am curious about the "vignette holder" metal mounting plate as well. My camera has this exact thing and I have wondered for quite a while was it was for.

Does anyone have a photo of this vignetting device attached to the camera?

Jonathan

[dsphotog]

I have seen that on a few cameras and wondered what it was. I am guessing that it is factory original?

It's an aftermarket add-on, likely installed by the camera dealer.
Kinda like undercoating & floormats at the car dealer.
Mine has a box of vignette cards too!
I'll shoot some pics of it. (after I clean it up)

[Kimberly Anderson]

Mine has a box of vignette cards too!

Somehow that makes me jealous. ;)

[Louis Pacilla]

My question is, is it possible to determine production date from the ser, number? I have a Century 4 # 70320.

Hi david


I would say your camera was made in or around 1907-08. Keep in mind this is not from an " official serial # list" but this is how I came to this date.

1st) Century Camera Co was bought out by Eastman Kodak in 1907 so if your camera has Eastman Kodak / Folmer & Schwing or any mention of Eastmans Kodak Co. name it can be narrowed down to after 1907.

Take a look at the last year Century was it's own man. The Century Professional Catalog of 1906 ..

http://www.piercevaubel.com/cam/catalogs/1906centurylp253.htm

Just for the fun here is the 2nd or 3rd 1909 Professional Eastman Catalog featuring Century Professional Cameras and accessories.

http://www.piercevaubel.com/cam/catalogs/1906centurylp253.htm

And here's a link to all the catalogs on the site"Wooden Field Cameras of the United States: 1870's-1930's". A terrific resource!

http://www.piercevaubel.com/cam/catalogsall.htm

2nd) My Century #7 Camera/Stand have a serial #68.709 and it has the Tag on the stand That reads { Century "Made by" Eastman Kodak Co "Successor to" The Century Camera Co. Rochester N.Y.}. So it was probably made in towards the end of 1907 or the beginning of 1908. So your being less than 2000 cameras behind mine puts it in the same range.

As well as that, my 8a/2a (w/ serial #72.232) has the ID Tags on both camera and stand that look like all the tags after the takeover. I would guess this one was made in 1908-09. The ID tag on the stand reads{2a Semi-Centennial Stand "made by' Eastman Kodak Co. Folmer & Schwing Dept. Rochester N.Y.}.

Hope this helps

[dsphotog]

Thanks, my problem is, at some point, the camera name plate was removed to install a flash synch socket (connected to the internal Packard shutter) that's why I had such a hard time id'ing the camera.
The 1A stand is marked Folmer & Schwing Dept of EK. so your data does narrow it down alot.

[dsphotog]

So, my No 1 Semi Centennial stand, labeled Folmer & Schwing Dept Eastman Kodak, was made between 1917-25. The camera could have been used to shoot my parents wedding portraits in 1938!

[dsphotog]

The latest issue of View Camera Magazine, (Jan- Feb 2012) has an article about a new book by Jay Allen, on the Century Studio cameras.

[bob carnie]

I am using the same type of camera, I have disabled the shutter and using a lens cap for time as most of my work is 2 steamboats or longer, I really like this type of camera.
Right now I have one lens but see getting more and maybe upgrading some time to a shutter for portraits.