Fit of film holders 5x7 for ~120 year old camera

[mikkelangaju]

Hi everyone,
I'm very new to large format, but made the plunge because I fell in love with a beautiful Korona Royal 5x7 that I found for what I thought was a good price.

I have separately bought a couple of 5x7 (actually 13x18 cm, because I'm in Europe and I thought it would be easier to find paper and film) film holders, but I can't seem to fit them in the actual camera. The holders are Lisco and Linhof. It seems the holder in the camera is just a millimeter or two too narrow.

Since it is my first time handling a large format camera I don't know if I am doing something wrong or if holder size has slightly changed since year 1900?

[Steven Tribe]

The standardisation of 5x7” ( and metric sizes, too) was well after the production date of your Korona.
You Will be able to see what the right plate holders for your model Korona here.

http://www.piercevaubel.com/cam/gund.htm

Or here.

http://www.piercevaubel.com/cam/catalogsgundman.htm

This is not an uncommon model or size, so you could probably get hold of the right wooden holders here. We have both for sale and wanted sections which become available to new members after 4 weeks.

Fortunately, early US makers often had excellent identification on their plate holders!

[RichardRitter]

Cameras made around the time your was came with holders. Each camera maker had their own way of making the holders.

You can try to find holders that fit. This may take time. The other option is to have the camera back modified to take modern holders.

[Tin Can]

I think you have the long focus http://www.piercevaubel.com/cam/nonv...onaviroyal.htm

I have a short focus (normal Bicycle type self containing box} 1902 with non spec plate holder

I will be documenting the 4 Bicycle cameras I have soon, pictures and measurements combining 4X5 and 5X7 as they are very similar

I also think they are beautiful, very well made and lightweight!

[mikkelangaju]

That is indeed the camera that I have. Considering that I would have to find original plate holders and convert them to film holders I wonder whether it would be easier to try to modify the camera to fit newer holders.

[Steven Tribe]

I have a few of these cycle (lightweight, boxed and leather finish over the mahogany frame) cameras. They have sometimes been misused - weakening the box frame- and bellows are also subject to decay as they are thinner than corresponding field cameras.
I have converted a backless full plate model to an 8x10” spring back version. Not particularly attractive and cycle camera’s timber structure and dimensions are not very suitable for major adaption projects.

Stick to the original 5x7” back - plate holders will turn up.
Conversion of glass plate holders to film holders is achieved through mounting film metal sheaths ( made by Kodak and Agfa etc.) which, when loading with film, go in where the glass plates would have been.

Posting some photos would be a good idea. I Can see that the later Royal models had the more modern spring back.