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Is there a forum member who is using this particular camera? with its original lens, a Bausch & Lomb Victor, and using a Scovill tripod??
I ask because I am using a functional camera, & lens and would like to share notes.
Thank you
Raymond in Colorado
Raymond,
Looks like you've been waiting a long time for no answer.
I picked up Scoville Albion from ebay a few months back. It has a 4x5 reducing back installed, and the inside layer of the non-original bellows is separated and sagging. I'm looking into getting a new bellows made to replace it.
I can't really say that I'm actively using the camera as of yet. It came with no lens. I have a CZ Jena which I'm going to try to mount, but thanks to your post I'll now shop around for a B&L Victor, as well as a Scovill Tripod.
I am curious about the size that you state. The entire back frame of mine measures 8 1/2" on the outside edges. I could see getting a half-plate exposure with it (4 3/4" x 6 1/2") but certianly nothing much larger. Do you get full-plate exposures from yours? If so, that would indicate that Scoville made the Albions in different sizes. I haven't been able to unearth very much documentation on them.
The Albion cameras were indeed made in several different formats. You can find some information about them here - scroll down for links to pages on three different variations of the camera:
http://www.piercevaubel.com/cam/am.o...phabetical.htm
not the same camera but maybe some interesting info in this thread for you..
https://www.largeformatphotography.i...te+experiences
Greg
Greg et al---Re: Scoviil Albion 6.5 x 8.5 Field camera------------Another Scovill-----first note the spelling on my unit----"Scovill Manufacturing Co, New York"
I have jury rigged up a tripod base plate with an Swiss quick release plate---this "makes do for the time being. It does at weight to the camera and necessitates the removal of the original B & L lens in order to fold up the camera. But even thought I have had the BL cleaned & looked into, I do not use this lens as it does not produce a "good negative" with all the work involved.
Re: Scovill Albion tripod---I do not have one but of recent, I saw one on EBay for over $300----I'm not going there at this stage of my life and photo life. What I got is what I got.
I have had to get a ground glass as the original did not exist. Some, one or two, brass thread screws are missing and there are substitutes---the original threading is a bit different than current threading on screws.
Greg---do you have original Scovill 6.5 x 8.5 film holders???? I have not seen one on Ebay of this size. I have looked to no avail, but this is what I have done for film holders.
I purchased 2 old Rochester 6.5 x 8.5 film holders----I had a local woodsmith route the sides of the film holders in order to fit into the Scovill back----not perfect but doable.
I had also purchased 2 Rochester 5x7 film inserts to adapt to the old film holders------This works as I'm now processing and developing 5x7 film----not ideal but workable.
The film holders presently are not totally "light tight" when exposed to light. I haven't figured this out as yet.
The lens & lens board have been adapted--I created a lens board to fit---then I settled on using a n old Kodak Extra 152mm lens---This of course works, but not totally ideal. The camera offers vertical and horizontal positioning, so composition, et al is open to interpretation.
Let me know your feedback.
Raymond
Greg et al--Scovill 6.5 x 8.5 Field Camera---In my previous post, I failed to mention the following which is critical. Since I had 2 Rochester film holders routed to fit the Scovill camera back, I also had to solve this problem. The problem: The original camera has a wooden "rail" and two brass screws to hold the original Scovill film holders in place. This I had to do away with as the Rochester holders were perhaps too "thick" to accommodate this rail with its 2 brass screws--the supportive rail is not used. So what I did was to get 2 compatible "screw gizzmos" to hold the film holder in place rather than use the wooden rail.
I can send you photos if needed--email???
Raymond, that 152 Ektar would be ideal for 4x5 but since it is a Tessar formula probably won't stretch well to 5x7 except at very close distances. The vintage normal lens for a 5x7 would be more like 210mm, and for whole plate, 270mm.