Eastman View No. 1 Acquired & Looking to Refurbish it but I'm A Newbie to Lg Format

[HoopsMcGee]

Custom Bellows in the UK.
You need to send them the old bellows, preferably in the frames.
They made a replacement bellows for my Eastman 33A 5x7, and it's beautiful.
My bellows cost about $250 + shipping (both ways)... I imagine yours would be about the same, maybe a bit more.

I will look them up. I'm guessing you send the old ones for measurement purposes? I will contact them and see where we go from here. Good to know there is someone still doing it.

Agree w/above. If your bellows are toast, you can get them done while you are doing other tweaks. Also, if the lens is in the shutter, I'd have that CLA'd appropriately....you probably could deliver it to Carol in Whittier (if you have the time) - she does excellent work.

I have no idea if it's worth repairing the broken base piece....I'd probably would spring to create a new one (more reliable). Would you tackle that or rather farm out and have someone else do this ? Indeed, patience is one thing, but having the appropriate tools (+ knowing how to use them well) to accomplish such, it's something else again.

Wish I had the time to do my #1 (5x7). It's all in pieces :>). My Front SDT (for rise) has different gearing.


Les

Thanks for teh info about Carol. Do have contact info? Funny enough, I picked this up in Whittier. Would definitely swing by if it works out.

As far as the lower rail, I have no skills in this regard. The damage does make me nervous I will admit but I can't fabricate fro shit so a repair seems like the easiest solution.

Extension rails with the same number (same batch?) will fit this camera, other numbers might (will) need adjustments.

Thanks very much! Good to know.

An update. The camera is fully disassembled. It was easy to do but I did damage the lower rail gear as in it snapped when trying to remove it. Thems the breaks of a soft metal piece that needed prying. It's a clean break though so I'm hoping it gears smoothly once put back together.

For now, I'll inquire about the various thinsg I need done. I think I'm going to levae the finish as is because it is actually quite nice. The metal pieces will be cleaned up but I'm going to leave the non-corrosive patina. Especially where the copper is concerned as I don't like the look of naked copper. For now it looks like the biggest barrier to continuing is the shutter repair, a replacement lens board with a more solid metal threaded mount (any advice on where to source this?), and having the bellows manufactured.

[Leszek Vogt]

Here is email contact for Carol. Check with her on time line....she's been busy + I hear about health issues in family (?).

carolmiller@flutotscamerarepair.com

Les

[Dugan]

Flutot's is currently closed until further notice.
I have been on the waiting list since last November.
S.K. Grimes makes excellent lens mounting flanges.
Custom Bellows needs your old bellows to use as a guide/sample/ pattern.

[HoopsMcGee]

Here is email contact for Carol. Check with her on time line....she's been busy + I hear about health issues in family (?).

carolmiller@flutotscamerarepair.com

Les

Thanks very much!

Flutot's is currently closed until further notice.
I have been on the waiting list since last November.
S.K. Grimes makes excellent lens mounting flanges.
Custom Bellows needs your old bellows to use as a guide/sample/ pattern.

Thanks for the info, I will look into these options.

Here are the photos of it almost completely disassembled:



I say almost, as the side arms are riveted into place and the strap bars are stapled. No need to go crazy I think and they are fine still attached.



Here is the damaged gear rail:



Like I said, a clean break so it shouldn't affect the function hopefully.

The lens baord was definitely modified. Here is an image of the interior behind the fiberboard plate the previous owner installed:



Not the cleanest cut there but that's easy enough to find a board or have one made I hope.

I think I will clean the grime off of the various metal pieces and not get them super shiny. I'll then reassemble and proceed with the things I need. I'll definitely check the gear rail that broke first to make sure it still works otherwise no need to spend more money on a faulty device.

Next to do is glue the arm.

[Dugan]

I have found eBay seller "zbima1" to be a good source for lens boards. Nice quality, reasonable prices, and custom hole sizes.

[Two23]

I have found eBay seller "zbima1" to be a good source for lens boards. Nice quality, reasonable prices, and custom hole sizes.

He is excellent. I've had him make a number of "standard" and custom lens boards for my Gundlach Korona. Don't know how he can do such a great job for the price. UK Bellows is also excellent--they've now made two for me. As for the lens, I think you'd be better off just snagging another on ebay from that period. The Aero Ektar doesn't have a shutter and is very fast. Not sure how you'll be able to use it on this camera unless you are shooting dry plates or even wet collodion.


Kent in SD

[HoopsMcGee]

I have found eBay seller "zbima1" to be a good source for lens boards. Nice quality, reasonable prices, and custom hole sizes.

I'll give them a look.

He is excellent. I've had him make a number of "standard" and custom lens boards for my Gundlach Korona. Don't know how he can do such a great job for the price. UK Bellows is also excellent--they've now made two for me. As for the lens, I think you'd be better off just snagging another on ebay from that period. The Aero Ektar doesn't have a shutter and is very fast. Not sure how you'll be able to use it on this camera unless you are shooting dry plates or even wet collodion.


Kent in SD

yeah, I realized after posting the Ektar isn't a good choice. Is the Wollensak it came with an okay option? Not much info on it that I can find.

[Two23]

yeah, I realized after posting the Ektar isn't a good choice. Is the Wollensak it came with an okay option? Not much info on it that I can find.

My favorite lens from that period is either a Dagor or a Velostigmat.


Kent in SD

[Dugan]

Lens choice is dependent on what you plan on shooting, and your approach.
You can use anything from old brass portrait lenses to modern sharp plasmats..
What I personally would do would be to get the camera together and working, and try out the lens you have, working around the sluggish shutter issue, before going further down the rabbit hole. ...but that's me.
There are lots of options...you could get a modern lens in a modern, accurate shutter to reduce variables in your process, you could go old-school low tech and get one of Roland's Wollaston lenses.
LF is a process, a journey.

[HoopsMcGee]

Bellows will be off to Custom Bellows so thanks for that! Funny enough, I'm traveling to England today for a short trip so I will just box it up here and ship it while in country there easy peasy! I've already started to reassemble some of the bits and it is going well. I'll update as it goes but there will be a bit of a hold as I want to get the bellows back for easier assembly once in hand.