Should I take the wallet out for a 8x10 Burke and James field camera ?

[chopsteeks]

Run into a vintage Burke and James 8x10 field camera. Asking price is $100.00. Bellows looks great, has the 8x10 ground glass. No lens board though. Is this an ok buy ?

Any advice on what else to inspect with this camera as I have very little knowledge of this model.

Thanks.

[Brian Ellis]

Either the seller is ignorant or there are some problems with the camera. B&J cameras weren't the best made but an 8x10 field in good shape should sell for much more than $100, I'd guess $600 at a minimum.

[Alan Gales]

If it's in good shape it's a steal like Brian says.

[cdholden]

Check the corners and folds in the bellows to look for pinholes. Take it in a darkroom and run a bright flashlight all around, pointing out, to find the holes easier.
Make sure everything locks down tight as it should, and everything moves as it should.

[Ari]

Buy! Buy!
Why don't I ever find deals like this?
If you can try before you buy, that would be preferable.
It's only $100, but still, it's $100.

[ic-racer]

Could be an excellent deal. However, keep your wallet out. Your first batch of film is likely to cost as much as the camera :)

[MIke Sherck]

That's a very good price for a working 8x10 B&J. If the bellows aren't falling apart, that is! (Hint: they make duct tape in red... that's held my 5x7 B&J's bellows together for the past couple of years. I'll get around to making a new bellows one of these decades...)

Oh, and lens boards for this camera are very easy to make.

Mike

[evan clarke]

More than the camera..and holders!

[IanG]

If you don't want it at $100 then someone else will :D I would except potsge to the UK would add rather a lot.

Lens boards are easy to make, in fact I'm about to make some later today for a LF reflex camera.

Ian

[John Kasaian]

If you want to shoot 8x10 and the camera is in good condition, it sounds like a heck of a deal. Does it come with any film holders?

[Jim Jones]

Even if the bellows has leaks in the corners, a little liquid acrylic artist's paint thoroughly scrubbed into the inside fabric should cure that. As Mike says, lens boards are easy to make. They can be cut and milled on a table saw, or cut with any saw and glued up. Film, holders, lenses, and a good tripod can be expensive, though.

[sumo]

For $100, buy it. I don't think there could be anything seriously wrong with it that you couldn't fix. They're simple things and as long as most of the weird/custom hardware is there, you should be good to go.

[chopsteeks]

Thanks for the advices...

The person selling this camera is a widow. She stated that all the stuff in their darkroom belonged to her late husband who passed away a couple of years back. She was finally getting around getting rid of his stuff.

There are lots of vintage camera stuff, from pinhole camera, to old enlargers....large format lenses that the lady and I had no idea what they were. I will be coming back to her place tomorrow evening to look at the 8x10 again.

Will bring a flashlight to check for holes....but from just visually looking at the belows including the corners....it looked pristine. From storage, there were dust on top of it but seemed quite supple.

All the movements felt good...though some needs to be 'greased up' ...but nothing rough.

Will let you know....thanks.

[Old-N-Feeble]

I'm a stupid man and the older I get the more this is apparent to me. I am really really dumb. I'd go over there and tell the old lady what all that stuff is really worth. I might offer to sell some of it for her for small fees. OTOH, if she was financially well-off and just wanted the stuff out of her way the easiest/fastest way possible then I'd get it as cheaply as I could.

Whatever your adventure brings, good luck. :)

[chopsteeks]

Well, if my guess is correct, she was financially set....She lived in a nice 'old' neighborhood in town....in a well kept, expensive decor home....drove a Volvo....so 99% sure money was no longer an issue.

She had something to sell, she gave me a price for an item her and I were not familiar with....

She also offered me to take 'for free' all the boards/lenses and pinhole stuff she had over there....but told her I myself was not familiar with them...I told her will think about it as I did not want to take something that will end up in a box somewhere in the house...

You are welcome to go over there to offer her advice ONLY AFTER I purchased the B&J 8x10..:p




I'm a stupid man and the older I get the more this is apparent to me. I am really really dumb. I'd go over there and tell the old lady what all that stuff is really worth. I might offer to sell some of it for her for small fees. OTOH, if she was financially well-off and just wanted the stuff out of her way the easiest/fastest way possible then I'd get it as cheaply as I could.

Whatever your adventure brings, good luck. :)

[Old-N-Feeble]

LOL!! Okay, she sounds like a nice old lady. Hopefully she can easily afford to be generous and, if so, I hope she's quite generous to you.:)

[Brian Ellis]

What's her address?

[John Kasaian]

I'd make certain that she knows she is being very generous with pricing, and promise to give her late husband's gear would be put to good use.
I think that would mean quite a bit to her.

[goamules]

My gosh, I see old cameras in this price range all the time. You guys are acting like it's something rare, or somehow a great, quality camera. It's neither. It's an old, dusty piece of wood to 99.8% of the world. About as useful as a 1950s typewriter. It's all the heavy breathing talk that makes the next widow think their ratty 5x7 is worth $800. I found a Deardorff this weekend that I passed on because the owner hunted around on the net for a while and decided it was worth the super-high buy it now prices he saw.

[Jim Jones]

A 1950s Underwood is a far better typewriter than Mark Twain used. The B&J should be far better than some of the cameras that Atget used. Go for it. Also, if there are accessories like lenses and lens boards that fit it, get them too, even if you aren't familiar with them now.

[E. von Hoegh]

My gosh, I see old cameras in this price range all the time. You guys are acting like it's something rare, or somehow a great, quality camera. It's neither. It's an old, dusty piece of wood to 99.8% of the world. About as useful as a 1950s typewriter. It's all the heavy breathing talk that makes the next widow think their ratty 5x7 is worth $800. I found a Deardorff this weekend that I passed on because the owner hunted around on the net for a while and decided it was worth the super-high buy it now prices he saw.

I'll have you know that I use, for any and all typed correspondence, a late 30s Royal. It has beveled glass windows on the sides and back of the frame.

[SpeedGraphicMan]

Not to sound lie a boy band...

But you should seriously...

Buy! Buy! Buy!

[chopsteeks]

Well I did pick it up....

The bads ....

After doing the flashlight test for pinholes. I counted 8 pinholes mostly to the front of the bellows... There might be some more,,,,but there are pinholes on the bellows,,,

The Good....

The camera comes complete....from front to back...

1. Lensboard including a Graphex Optar 135mm 4.7 lens...

2. 12 inch Ektar lens

3. 6 8x10 Kodak Film holders

4. Case for the whole set

So now I have to research what is the best option to either repair the bellows or buy a new one...the auction place has one for $185...with free shipping....

[Cor]

Far from being an expert, (for instance I do not know if that Optar covers 8*10..I guess not) but to me it sound like a hack of a deal, you've a complete kit to start shooting ! Only a tripod (and a darkcloth, can be a black T-shirt) is missing from the equation !

My advice would be to use some tape to (temporarily) fix the pin holes (search the forum for many other tips) thrown over a darkcloth or something and start shooting!

See if you like it, and that invest on better bellows..beware though it can be highly addictive, soon you'll start gathering lenses, tripod, lghtmeters, perhaps upgrading teh complete camera..;-)....enjoy!

best,

Cor

[Frank Petronio]

Having pinholes is not a sign of mistreatment as much as age.... As long as they are just small pinholes, the dark cloth thrown over the camera works really well 99% of the time. Test the various "patch" methods, some will be too sticky and more trouble than they are worth. Don't just buy any old bellows off eBay, you need to know how it attaches and what the dimensions are. Most people opt to have a custom one made but I would wait until you are sure you like shooting 8x10 before making the investment.

You're going to want a heavy-duty tripod. The 135 most certainly will not cover 8x10 but perhaps you could trade it for supplies on this forum?

The 12" Ektar is probably worth more than what you paid. Is the shutter working OK? Check that the holders aren't warped, clean and tape hinge/light trap is OK.

[Jim Jones]

If the only problems with the bellows are pinholes, fix them. It's easier and much cheaper than replacing a bellows. See post 11 in this thread or search for the topic on this site. You shouldn't use anything that builds up appreciatable thickness.

[Jim Jones]

If the only problems are pinholes in the bellows, see post 11 in this thread. Search this site for other options. It's quicker, easier, and much cheaper than replacing the bellows. Draping the darkcloth over the bellows also can cover the film holder and camera back, other sources of leaks.

[Drew Bedo]

I had a 5x7 B&J many years ago that i wish I'd never sold off. It had been disassembled and refinished in its natural wood (Beach I think). It looked pretty good that way.

Enjoy your camera and show us a few images later.

Cheers,

[E. von Hoegh]

Well I did pick it up....

The bads ....

After doing the flashlight test for pinholes. I counted 8 pinholes mostly to the front of the bellows... There might be some more,,,,but there are pinholes on the bellows,,,

The Good....

The camera comes complete....from front to back...

1. Lensboard including a Graphex Optar 135mm 4.7 lens...

2. 12 inch Ektar lens

3. 6 8x10 Kodak Film holders

4. Case for the whole set

So now I have to research what is the best option to either repair the bellows or buy a new one...the auction place has one for $185...with free shipping....

Only 8 pinholes? Wrap the dark cloth around the bellows and forget about pinholes. Those filmholders, if at all clean, are worth more than you paid. Enjoy it!

[Joseph O'Neil]

Got into this thread late. sometimes pinholes can be an easy fix. Get a small tube of high quality gasket seal in black from a local automotive supplier. It is usually silicon based and once it dries it stays flexible. A tube is under $10 last time I checked and will last you many bellows.

don't go crazy though, try ONE SMALL drop only on one pinhole only, let dry overnight, and make sure it stays on your bellows. Flex it a bit back and forth, and only then i fit works, do the rest of the pinholes. If the hole is too big for that stuff to work, you are best looking on teh net for some cloth based bookbinders tape - if it can still be found

good luck

joe

PS - B&J cameras - used to have the 4x5. Built like tanks. Weigh as much as a tank too, but where else do you get into 8x10 at this price?
:)

[John Kasaian]

What a fine entry into 8x10!

[Rod Klukas]

KB Canham just recieved a load of 8x10 Tmax and may get some TriX soon.
Rod

[Joe Smigiel]

I recently patched a 5x7 B&J Rembrandt using some red gaffers tape. Probably a lot easier than using a brush and paint and trying to find and patch all the pinholes. The tape blends well, but as Jim notes, the tape can build the bellows up to a thickness that prevents it from collapsing all the way. That could be a concern if it prevented the camera from folding correctly or if you plan to use very wideangle lenses with it. On my camera it didn't make any difference because the nonfolding bed limits the minimum extension and I tend not to use lenses so short that they would cause a problem. You might also enhance the looks of the bellows by using a contrasting tape color. I have an old camera with sort of burgundy bellows and dark green tape that makes a nice combination.

76438

[ic-racer]

Well I did pick it up....



Nice pickup.

Like many that post here I have too many lenses, but you really can do an entire life's work with just that 12" Ektar if lens and shutter are in good shape.

I'd tape up the bellows and start shooting.