My primary camera for the past ten years has been a Rochester Optical Company King 8x10 view camera. These cameras were made between 1893 and 1903, before Rochester Optical was bought and merged into Eastman Kodak.
What I like about the King model (made in 5x7, 5x8, 6½x8½, 8x10, and 11x14 sizes) is its light weight (5lb 4oz for the 8x10, 10lb for the 11x14), folding clam-shell design, slim profile, and ease of use—once on the tripod, the back opens to 90 degrees (with a notch on one side), the front standard comes up with two knobs to tighten plus two knobs to control front rise/fall and tilt (same knobs for both of the latter controls).
The rear of the camera can be moved all the way forward as well as extend back about three inches. The 8x10 has 24 inches of bellows extension. Outside dimensions are 11 5/8 x 11 5/8 x 3 1/4 inches. The camera has sufficient movements (for me) for landscapes, but it does not have front swing or shift or rear rise/fall or shift. A very limited amount of rear swing is possible, and it has both front and rear forward/back tilt and front rise/fall.
During the past few years, I have been transitioning to the 7x11 format. I like the 63% aspect ratio better than 80% for printing landscapes, and I have a stash of 11x14 film that I can cut to 7x11. With my 8x10 King, I have been using a DIY 7x11 expansion back. The expansion back works fine, but it is a bit awkward to carry in the same backpack. In any event, for several reasons I decided to try to make my own 7x11 dedicated camera mostly inspired by the King design, but with a few modifications. I want the new 7x11 to be light weight, easy to use, as simple as possible in design and fabrication.
Here are some photos of two of the King models—a 5x7 I am restoring/modifying (no bellows) and my 8x10—to show the jumping off point for my 7x11 design.
My initial intentions for design modifications for my DIY 7x11 include:
1. A horizontal-only design instead of a reversible back (for lighter weight and minimal height for landscape orientation; I don't shoot that many verticals)
2. Friction focusing instead of rack-and-pinion (sourcing hardware is easier if the rack and pinion is not included; as long as the focusing rails slide easily and the camera locks down tight after focusing, that's all I require)
3. Rear rails that allow enough extension for a 30” bellows instead of the 24” max of the King 8x10
4. By necessity, I need to design around the lack of easy-to-source hardware that was proprietary to the King model—in particular, the rear standard and front standard brass brackets and locks
A few years ago, there was some discussion of a DIY Open Source Field Camera Design (https://www.largeformatphotography.i...-Camera-Design), so I thought other forum members might have some interest in this project—not necessarily to build a 7x11, but for relevance to 8x10 or other sizes.
Bookmarks