mikedlt
21-Dec-2012, 10:34
I picked up a well used Burke and James 4x5 press camera at auction - My first large format camera.
After getting my first negatives back, I realized with a sinking feeling - On No! I have light leaks!
Hunting around with a LED flashlight inside the camera late at night, I realized because this is a spring back camera,
and it came with a film holder with a spring back (possibly in there for years) the springs have taken a set and don't quite hold with enough force to seal completely light tight against the bakelite camera back. Now the good news. The bellows are in remarkably good tight shape!
I also noticed that some of the rivets protruded just enough to possibly cause a problem, so I did some careful surgery with a very fine Dremel bit to slightly file them down, just enough so a depth micrometer (or other precision flat) would not snag on them. This seems to have helped, but did not completely solve the light leaks without more spring pressure.
So my question is: Did Burke and James use anything else on this camera, like foam or felt, to seal the film holder?
I don't appear to have any on this camera. Also, does anyone out there have a Burke and James press that has a bad bellows with good spring that would be willing to sell or trade for?
After getting my first negatives back, I realized with a sinking feeling - On No! I have light leaks!
Hunting around with a LED flashlight inside the camera late at night, I realized because this is a spring back camera,
and it came with a film holder with a spring back (possibly in there for years) the springs have taken a set and don't quite hold with enough force to seal completely light tight against the bakelite camera back. Now the good news. The bellows are in remarkably good tight shape!
I also noticed that some of the rivets protruded just enough to possibly cause a problem, so I did some careful surgery with a very fine Dremel bit to slightly file them down, just enough so a depth micrometer (or other precision flat) would not snag on them. This seems to have helped, but did not completely solve the light leaks without more spring pressure.
So my question is: Did Burke and James use anything else on this camera, like foam or felt, to seal the film holder?
I don't appear to have any on this camera. Also, does anyone out there have a Burke and James press that has a bad bellows with good spring that would be willing to sell or trade for?