Help needed with my new press camera

[Bob Barber]

Hi,

Just got my first large format camera today, a Burke and James 4x5, and I have a couple questions.

What kind of film holders do I need to buy for it?

Does anybody know if the back rotates, and/or how to do it?

I'm sure I'll have lots more questions as I actually try to use the thing.

Thanks,

Bob

[Jim Ewins]

Bob, my B&J is a mono-rail so couldn't say however my back detaches and can be rotated 90 deg at a time. Suggest you post some pictures, and visit the Graflex.org(?) website. I'd guess that regular 4x5 holders would work. Jim

[Bob Barber]

I guess my question was naiive. So there is no difference between all of the different brands of 4x5 holders?

I'm also looking at the Calumet 120 roll film holder that slides in front of the ground glass, but according to some of the other posts on this forum it's a dog. Does anybody have anything good to say about it?

I'll post some pictures of my camera shortly.

[Jim Noel]

If yours is a B&J Press camera, there is no need to rotate the back, jut rotate the camera. Of course this complicates the use of movements.

[Bob Barber]

Here is what it looks like. Thank you for helping.

[curtis roberts]

If I remember right on upper back corner is a littal bar press that in the back will rotatat .ther is one on ebay that shows the back rotated

[Bob Barber]

I found the little bar and pushed it down, but I can't pull the back away from the body even with the little bar depressed. I don't want to force it.

I see the metal piece attached to the bar moving inside of the camera, and it looks like it should be freeing up the back, but it isn't.

Maybe it hasn't been done in a while and it is just frozen.

[Brian Ellis]

[QUOTE=Bob Barber;320460] . . . .I'm also looking at the Calumet 120 roll film holder that slides in front of the ground glass, but according to some of the other posts on this forum it's a dog. Does anybody have anything good to say about it? . . . ./QUOTE]

It's a dog? I know some people have complained about film flatness but didn't realize it was considered to be a dog. I had no problems with mine, it worked fine. My only complaint was that loading it was kind of complicated, which would be o.k. if it was used all the time but I used it only sporadically and so had to check the instructions each time. I don't know anything about your camera but if it doesn't have a Graflok/International back you don't have a lot of choice in roll film holders, I think the Calumet is pretty much it when it comes to holders that slide under a spring back.

[Kuzano]

If I remember right on upper back corner is a littal bar press that in the back will rotatat .ther is one on ebay that shows the back rotated

The back rotates.. it does not pull away from the camera. If you pust that little tab in to the slot the plate you see on the back of the camera simply rotates. You push the tab in and push downward or sideways on the back plate... not away from the camera. The whole back turns a full 360 degrees with catches at 90 degree intervals. I have about 2 and 1/2 of those cameras in pieces.

Rotate... rotate. turn the back.

[Dave Moeller]

[QUOTE=Bob Barber;320476]I found the little bar and pushed it down, but I can't pull the back away from the body even with the little bar depressed. I don't want to force it.[QUOTE]

Try pressing the bar and just spinning the back. That's the way the one B&J that I saw worked.

Best of luck.