14x17 back for Studio 8A

[imagedowser]

Has anyone seen a 14x17 back fitted to a studio 8A? My guess it would have to be extended somewhat and widened an inch and a half on all sides. I seem to remember someone doing a similar expansion on an 8x10 to 11x14. Sounds like something Jim Fitzgerald may have some knowledge of.... Thanks all, Bill

[36cm2]

I'd be interested in hearing thoughts on this too. I'm trying to figure out how to build a nested series of backs for a 16x16 camera i'm restoring.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

I have not thought about something like this at all. I have a 14x17 that can hold my largest Voigtlander Portrait Euryscope on its 9 inch lens board so I do not have a need. It could be done but I would have to look at my 8A and figure it out. Working out the math etc and matching the wood would be the challenge.

[eddie]

all you have to do is push the back, back an inch or two from where it is already. pretty simple really. it is already set for 14 inches so making it stretch another 3 inches is very easy to do. remember 3 inches only translates to 1.5 inches per side.

i have a friend that has done this many times with great success.

the key here to remember is that the light rays CROSS as they go through the lens. so in reality the opening that the back snaps onto can be the film size OR slightly smaller and it still works fine.

i have a long conversation with a "camera" builder about this phenomenon when i was trying to get him to build me wet plat backs for studio cameras. i sent him the back of my century studio 10a camera. he insisted that it was a whole plate camera as the back opening of the rear standard is only 9 1/2 inches square. so the long and short of it is that century did not make any mistakes....it is an 8x10 camera and it works.

as a matter of fact the back i was building was a 10x10 inch back. i just snapped my back and my ground glass to the EXISTING frame that is used to hold teh sliding carriage! and yes, i was able to get full 10x10 inch images with zero issues. see here:

http://photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=881842

http://photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=939186

http://photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=882586

[imagedowser]

Thanks Eddie, your a fountain of knowledge and experience....