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View Full Version : Rittreck 5 x 7 technical View- 8 X 10 back ?



Barrie B.
23-Oct-2012, 13:12
The Rittreck View ( 5 x 7 Technical compact ) was made from 1972-75 by the Musashino Optics , but later changed the Company name to RittrechTrading Co. Later on again the Wista 4 X 5 was developed and the trading name became - The Wista Company Ltd. a cameras that is still sold today .
On page 55 of the American - Modern Photography-agazine " View from Kramer " in an article headed -I`ve always wanted a 35mm camera with an 8X10 back" it says in part :- But the Rittreck also offers an enlarging back for 8 X 10 . This back is not a complex mirror device and it incooporates no eloborate optical system IT IS SIMPLY A STANDARD 8 X 10 back built on a 3 1/2" extension cone that flares outward so as not to interfere with the light path. It works ... and it works perfectly. (snip ) The 8 X 10 back on it`s long extension cone attaches easily to the back of the camera and weighs a mere 3Lbs and 4 Ozs.

(in Sept,1975 ) The basic camera with any one back-4X5 ,5X7, or 8X10 costs $ 450.00 , each back seperately costs $ 145 , regular lens-boards $ 15.56 , Lensboard adaptor to take Linhof Tecknica boards cost $ 45.76 , and the Compendium hood costs $ 82.37 .

Does any member have an 8 X 10 BACK ? hOW WELL DOES IT WORK ? OR HAS ANYONE MADE A d i y ADAPTOR ?
........................................................... CHEERS BARRIE B. AUSTRALIA .

Chauncey Walden
23-Oct-2012, 14:06
Barrie, I don't have the 8x10 back but I do have the 6.5x8.5 back which would be about two thirds as thick as the 8x10 one. It works perfectly. As the "cone" part of it is light aluminum, it might be difficult to fabricate and since the 8x10 backs keep showing up on eBay for as little as they do, especially from Japan, it would not really be worth it to try to make your own.

VishalMathur
23-Oct-2012, 16:27
Barrie, I used to have one many years ago. It worked well and was fairly light weight, although bulky. It could be used with a 450mm lense on the Rittrek, but it did vignette about 1/8" from each side of the 10" dimension; for shorter lenses it was OK.

Simon Benton
27-Oct-2012, 14:53
I have the whole plate back and as Chauncey says it works perfectly. I am making an 8X10 back using a parts whole plate back I picked up on ebay for a few dollars. When it is finished I will report back on how it works and include some photos.

jose angel
29-Oct-2012, 05:02
I have the original 8x10" back, it works perfectly. As Chauncey says, it`s made half in aluminum, and the other half in very lightweight wood.

I don`t have mine here but I think the problematic thing on a homemade adapter could be on the part who connect to the camera. I try to remember that it is a thin aluminum profile (well, the same as the standard back). If you have to made that back, I think it could be much easier to made a whole new camera, or to buy a cheap russian 5x7" wooden one and to modify it for 8x10" sheets.

Personally, I prefer to shoot a "real" 8x10" to the Rittreck with adapter. Or simply to shoot 5x7", I find this camera great in this format. BTW, the adapter, althought very light weight, is too bulky in comparison.