Age of Typical B&J 5x7

**Pete Oakley** · 28-Sep-2018, 13:15

In just over a week I'm off to a local narrow gauge railway where they are holding a WW2 re-enactment weekend. If the weather is OK I will be taking a 5x7camera. I have two 5x7's that I would consider, a 5x7 Ansco from 1926 (heavy) and a typical B&J 5x7 (with a 4x5 back as well). Has anybody got any idea when the 5x7 B&J's started in manufacture? If it's post WW2 do you think that I would get away with using it? I have a 203 Kodak Ektar and a 7 1/2 Bauche & Lombe RR lens so these should be OK.
Thanks,
Pete.

**Liquid Artist** · 28-Sep-2018, 16:27

I don't know about the age, but I would think that cameras from the war erra would have been painted that ugly grey colour. So it should blend in.

I wouldn't be too concerned about the weather.
I had my B&J out in one nasty storm, just left it air dry and it turned out fine.
Although my dark cloth was covering it up too.

**Mark Sawyer** · 28-Sep-2018, 17:00

From the catalogs I've seen, late '40s to about 1960. The "battleship gray" paint was war surplus, and almost certainly full of lead.

**Pete Oakley** · 29-Sep-2018, 00:40

Thanks for your answers, and yes it is one of the "battleship grey" models. I think that it's great and as my other options are the Ansco and a Sinar Norma it's relatively light.