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Thread: Bender 8x10 Camera

  1. #1

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    Bender 8x10 Camera

    I just purchased a Bender 8x10 camera, and I'm favorably impressed. For being a simple build, it's quite sturdy and not given to vibration. The one that I purchased is made from cherry, and the rails are brass or "gold" anodized. So, it has a nice appearance. It's also light-weight.

    Of course, for the price of these cameras, there are some compromises.

    >> The camera's rear standard attaches directly to the rail via two (not one) bolts with black knobs on the end. But, attaching the rear standard in this way makes it more sturdy. This camera has greater stability, and is tighter, than a Kodak 2D that I once owned.

    >> There's very little rise built in to the front standard. That's OK; the front and rear standards tilt.

    >> There's definitely no RACK AND PINION focusing. Focusing is accomplished by sliding the front standard back and forth on the rail. (Recall, the rear standard is locked in place.) But, the wood function carrier against the rail moves very smoothly, so I don't see this as a problem. I think this will be sufficient for 8x10, but I'm not sure that I would want this kind of manual focus for 4x5.

    >> The ground glass carrier "locks" into place using twist locks like one finds on film holders to keep the darkslides in. But, this seems to work well enough.

    >> The same is true for "locking" in the lensboards. If I were using this camera, I would probably "permanently" mount a reduction lensboard.

    On the positive side, there're multiple raiis of different lengths, and the bellows can easily accommodate a 24" lens. But, the weight of my 610mm Repro Claron might be a little too much for the rails. I'll have to check this out.

    If anyone has experience using an 8x10 Bender, I would be interested in your observations and impressions using this camera.
    Last edited by neil poulsen; 30-Jan-2021 at 20:09.

  2. #2

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    Re: Bender 8x10 Camera

    I built and used the 4X5 Bender back in 1996 when it was one of the only options to get into LF for little money. The 8X10 version appears to be an "upsized" version of the 4X5. Although you are looking for 8X10 observations, I think there are some important things to consider when working with ANY Bender.

    These were sold as kit cameras, so you basically got a box of cherry wood sticks and brass hardware from Jay Bender. There were careful instructions and I remember the measurements and testing required to make sure the ground glass and film plane were accurate so you could get accurate focus. As you can probably imagine, the quality, accuracy and build of your Bender is almost entirely based on WHO bought the box of cherry wood sticks and how careful they were about sanding, finishing, and aligning the camera. It sounds like you got a good one so that is great - I would be very careful about purchasing a used Bender if you did not know anything about the skills of the original builder.

    It sounds from your description that the previous owner did some improvements. Many believed the standard to rail clamping mechanism developed by Bender was not very robust and there were various ideas about how to make them more stable. That is the other thing about a wood kit camera: as long as you can keep the lens plane, film plane, and ground glass in alignment you can do whatever customization you desire. I upgraded some of the hardware on my 4X5 and built a custom recessed lens board and bag bellows so I could do ultra wide angle work.

    I loved my Bender and took it throughout the West USA, Southwest USA, and Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Laos, Thailand). It took great photos and it was so light and easy to backpack along with everything else when traveling as a backpacker. Since it was cheap to buy/build and I got a lot of use out of it I didn't really worry about it being lost/stolen.

    I still own the Bender although I have not used it lately because I suffer from GAS and have a bunch of Speed Graphic cameras for the 4X5 format. I do think I would do more 8X10 work if I had something less cumbersome than the HUGE B&J 8X10 camera and the almost as massive Kodak 2D.

    It is great you found a good copy of the Bender 8X10.

  3. #3
    Maris Rusis's Avatar
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    Re: Bender 8x10 Camera

    I built and used a Bender 8x10 after my Nagaoka 8x10 was stolen and I was too poor to buy a finished camera. Here's an example:



    Australian Icon: from the Biloela road.
    Gelatin-silver photograph on Agfa Classic MCC111 FB VC, image area 24.7cm X 19.5cm, from a 8x10 Tri-X negative
    exposed in a home-made Bender 8x10 view camera fitted with a Schneider Symmar 300mm f5.6 lens and a #25 red filter.

    neil poulson's comments are right on. My Bender camera was built as carefully as I could do and it worked well EXCEPT the back springs Jay Bender supplied in the kit were just lengths of thin wire and too weak for the job. If the camera was pointed up even a little bit the weight of the film holder would open the back a crack and a light leak would result. A couple of spring clamps solved the problem but it was a nuisance.
    Photography:first utterance. Sir John Herschel, 14 March 1839 at the Royal Society. "...Photography or the application of the Chemical rays of light to the purpose of pictorial representation,..".

  4. #4

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    Re: Bender 8x10 Camera

    Quote Originally Posted by Doug Herta View Post
    I built and used the 4X5 Bender back in 1996 . . .
    Thank you for your comments.

    The importance of the quality of build by the original owner hand't occurred to me. It's interesting, I'm the second owner. The camera has a small brass name plate on the front that includes the date of completion, "Completed 3-3-95", and the name of the seller. It speaks both of pride of workmanship and pride of ownership.

    But the quality of the build also speaks to the quality of design, and the precision of the parts that Bender included in the kit.

    I weighed this camera with the middle length rail (I received all three sizes) installed. It weighed 6 lbs, 1 oz. So, I have a hunch this camera is light-weight compared to your current 8x10's.

    Quote Originally Posted by Maris Rusis View Post
    I built and used a Bender 8x10 after my Nagaoka 8x10 was stolen and I was too poor to buy a finished camera. Here's an example: . . .
    What a beautiful image! It's evidence that it's not so much cost or sophistication of the camera that makes an image; it's the capability of the photographer. But at the same time, the camera didn't appear to get in the way, either. Very nice indeed.

    I must have the original springs, which compare with other Bender photos that I've seen. Musing about the back, I've been wondering if I should have a custom back fabricated for this camera.

    Quote Originally Posted by neil poulsen View Post
    I just purchased a Bender 8x10 camera. . .
    While I didn't assemble this camera, my carpentry skills will still be put to the test. I just purchased a "for parts" 4x5 Bender camera made with the same type of rail and many of the same cherry parts. (There's at least one other type of rail that Bender produced.) I plan to use these parts to lift the front standard to be on axis with the rear, and to have about 4.5" of rise above that.

    I will also double up on the clamp. Frankly, the current 8x10 clamp, which has a larger base than the 4x5 clamp, appears to work fine. It's seems stable. But, I like the idea of the additional support.

    With respect to support, I like the way the rear standard connects to the rail, using two knobs to screw the two tightly together. There are two tension nuts inside the rail to keep the two knobs from falling out of their holes. So, this is all an easy operation. Unlike so may cameras, one never has to worry about the the back being out of place.

    As I say, I pondered about this camera's 8x10 back. But, it seems to work well, and it holds a film holder firmly enough against the back of the camera. So, I will see how this back works in practice, before deciding on something else.

    One neat thing, the camera takes the large Toyo lensboards. In fact, I happened to have a reduction lensboard made for Toyo cameras that accepts the "MC" lensboards on which my lenses are mounted. That is, except for my 610mm Repro Claron , which is too large. I can use a Toyo sized board for that lens.

    This will be an interesting project, and I'll add posts as it progresses. This camera may seem a bit homespun, but it's as tight and stable, and as lightweight, as any 8x10 wood camera that I've seen. I don't do a lot of 8x10 photography. When I'm done, I suspect that it will be all the camera that I'll need.

    Again, thanks for all the comments.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Camera.jpg   Clamp.jpg   RearConnect.jpg   BenderRear.jpg  
    Last edited by neil poulsen; 1-Feb-2021 at 21:36.

  5. #5

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    Re: Bender 8x10 Camera

    Ha! There's a good reason for the relative simplicity of such a "kit" camera...that, due to the tremendous variable of carpentry skills, there would otherwise be a great risk of customer complaints and possibly lawsuits, with which I actually have a (thankfully brief) bit of experience.

    Years ago...I taught a "Camera Builders Workshop" as an elective at a local, well known Ivy League college, and while for the most part the enrolled students succeeded in creating cameras that actually worked...there was a case of one which, unfortunately, was only workable with great effort. Well, after a few days had passed after the end of the course...I received a very irate letter from this student's very upset mother - who threatened to take me to court! I wrote back immediately, explaining that the class was meant to be a process of learning and not so much about creating a flawless camera, also reminding her that I had also explained as much to the class before it began. Fortunately, the mother backed down - but for me...never again!

    Edit: Maris - my apologies...stunning image! And yes, its totally about the person behind the camera!

  6. #6

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    Re: Bender 8x10 Camera

    Quote Originally Posted by Maris Rusis View Post
    I



    Australian Icon: from the Biloela road.
    Gelatin-silver photograph on Agfa Classic MCC111 FB VC, image area 24.7cm X 19.5cm, from a 8x10 Tri-X negative
    exposed in a home-made Bender 8x10 view camera fitted with a Schneider Symmar 300mm f5.6 lens and a #25 red filter.
    Looking at this photograph, I wonder if I wouldn't have seen this in landscape orientation. But, ti's the portrait orientation that really makes this image.

  7. #7

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    Re: Bender 8x10 Camera

    actually I'm seeing this a a bit closer to square...cropping a bit from both bottom and top - keeping the bottoms of tree trunks and top of cloud roughly equidistant from the margins.

  8. #8
    Maris Rusis's Avatar
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    Re: Bender 8x10 Camera

    I drove past this scene of a ploughed field and bottle trees and continued about 20 kilometres down the road but the picture possibility kept nagging at me and I had to turn back. Then the cloud was slow in moving into position ... but eventually ... yes! And I was late for my engineering appointment at the Callide B power station. Told them I had to stop the car for a while.
    Photography:first utterance. Sir John Herschel, 14 March 1839 at the Royal Society. "...Photography or the application of the Chemical rays of light to the purpose of pictorial representation,..".

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