5x7 Tailboards To Look Out For

[mdarnton]

I used to have a B&J and now have both a Korona and an Ansco. The Ansco is relatively heavier, but a really nice camera, and stays on a tripod at home or at my shop. It's my favorite for studio, etc. The Korona is the one that travels. It's lighter and has extremely long bellows with an additional track to fit on front. Mine has front movements, which is a little scarce. The Ansco will hold heavy things on front, like my 12" Verito and Packard shutter; the Korona won't. I made a deep sunken board for the Korona and it works well with my 108mm/6.8 Wollensak. If I remember right the Ansco has a round hole behind the board that prevents this type of board. On the B&J I had a similar deep board fitted with a 65mm Super Angulon which didn't fully cover but was pretty cool. I got rid of the B&J because it was like a battleship in construction but crude and stiff. I have my Korona set up as a reverse tailboard because it protects the shutter, but you can flip it all around and make it a tailboard if you want.

If I could only keep one it would be a hard choice between the Ansco and the Korona. An experiment I haven't yet tried is 75mm SA on the Korona. It's got a huge hole in the front that might work better for a deep board than the B&J did, but I think the collapsed camera is too thick.

Korona and 108mm: https://www.flickr.com/photos/michae...posted-public/
Ansco and Verito: https://www.flickr.com/photos/michae...posted-public/
B&J fitted with 65mm: https://www.flickr.com/photos/michae...posted-public/
Shot with above combo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/michae...posted-public/
and: https://www.flickr.com/photos/michae...posted-public/

5x7 rules!

[Axelwik]

Not a tailboard, but a new Intrepid is about the same price or better than a good vintage camera. I have a 5x7 and love it - also lightweight.