Terminology at the front of a view camera.

[Doug Kerr]

I need some help as to proper terminology for various parts of the front of a view camera.

To avoid increasing the level of complication, let's assume a front in which the only movement is rise/fall (as for example on an Eastman 2-D).

What are the proper terms for items B and C here (it is self-evident for item A):

A. The lens board.

B. The "window frame" into which the lens board fits; it rises and falls in item C.

C. The assembly into which item B fits, within which item B rises and falls.

And (as part of this), what does the term "front standard" properly refer to? Is it item C? Is it items B and C together? Is it items A, B, and C together? Or something else?

A related question at the rear: what is the proper term for the box on which the camera back is mounted, to which the rear of the bellows is attached (just the box - not the assembly that supports it, allows it to move, etc.). (Assume we are not talking of a "double box" that is used to provide back tilt, as on some very old view cameras.)

Thanks for any help you can give.

Best regards,

Doug

[C. D. Keth]

I need some help as to proper terminology for various parts of the front of a view camera.

To avoid increasing the level of complication, let's assume a front in which the only movement is rise/fall (as for example on an Eastman 2-D).

What are the proper terms for items B and C here (it is self-evident for item A):

A. The lens board.

B. The "window frame" into which the lens board fits; it rises and falls in item C.

C. The assembly into which item B fits, within which item B rises and falls.

And (as part of this), what does the term "front standard" properly refer to? Is it item C? Is it items B and C together? Is it items A, B, and C together? Or something else?

A related question at the rear: what is the proper term for the box on which the camera back is mounted, to which the rear of the bellows is attached (just the box - not the assembly that supports it, allows it to move, etc.). (Assume we are not talking of a "double box" that is used to provide back tilt, as on some very old view cameras.)

Thanks for any help you can give.

Best regards,

Doug

I would call C the front standard, and I don't know if B properly has a name. I would also loosely call (A+B+C) the front standard in most conversations where the difference doesn't matter.

You might also see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/View_camera. I didn't read it but after a quick skim looks decent.

[Colin Graham]

I had always thought of the frame or box as the front or rear standards, the parts that actually hold the important bits, and as the hardware as guides or rails. Just what I think of them in my head, but it probably is an aggregate term.

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, Christopher,

I would call C the front standard, and I don't know if B properly has a name. I would also loosely call (A+B+C) the front standard in most conversations where the difference doesn't matter.

Makes sense to me.

You might also see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/View_camera. I didn't read it but after a quick skim looks decent.

Yes, I looked at that right after I posted my inquiry.

Note that it speaks in terms of (for example) "raising the front standard", which of course if taken extremely literally (not a good idea) would suggest that "front standard" means B or even B+A.

But in reality, the most likely proper meaning of "front standard" is "what holds up the lens", which would really mean A+B+C. Of course, to speak of "raising the front standard" actually normally really means "raising the lens", and there is little chance of misunderstanding in most contexts. We are probably being a little pretentious to speak of "raising the front standard", using a term that the average civilian doesn't know.

I suspect that there isn't really a single clear rigorous answer here. It's not really any problem, except in cases where you want to say, "do you have a spare watchamacallit for an Eastman 2-D 5x7?"! So I say, "do you have an extra of - you know, the board that the lens board fits into and that the front of the bellows is fastened to?".

Thanks for your insights.

Best regards,

Doug

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, Collin,

I had always thought of the frame or box as the front or rear standards, the parts that actually hold the important bits, and as the hardware as guides or rails. Just what I think of them in my head, but it probably is an aggregate term.

That's probably the best general view.

Thanks.

Best regards,

Doug

[Brian Ellis]

I call B "the hole where the lens goes."

[Alan Davenport]

All of the stuff at the front of the bellows, which is above the bed or rail, and which can be moved, tilted, swung, et cetera, is the front standard. All of the stuff at the back end of the bellows is the rear standard.

Both of the standards have various parts. Some have obvious names, such as "groundglass" or "lensboard." Other parts might be known by descriptive names like, "the vertical thingie that the lensboard rises and falls on" or "the part that the lensboard fits into and which tilts forward and backward."

OK, that's a bit tongue in cheek. I don't think some of those parts have what you'd call "common" names; they're just bits and pieces of the standards...

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, Brian,

I call B "the hole where the lens goes."

It's hard to put a lens in most of them - a lens board, maybe. (Maybe that's a "lens on a board".)

Best regards,

Doug

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, Alan,

Indeed.

Best regards,

Doug