Show off your Large Format camera!

[Alan7140]

That’s fantastic, Alan. Congrats!

What’s up with the gears on front—a curtain shutter?

Yes, however the shutter as it was was beyond saving easily - the curtain was completely perished and the spring was broken. When I got the camera the shutter was removed and in pieces and the lens had been screwed directly onto the lens-board. With the shutter removed the camera didn't open at infinity focus but required being focused first before framing was possible - no big deal, but not what the maker's design intended. Now the camera is roughly focused on infinity when unfolded (so it's possible to roughly compose before setting up properly), and as I'm using paper negatives at 3 ISO the lack of a working shutter is not a problem as exposures are almost always longer than a second. The shot I posted above was taken in lifting autumn fog with clear skies above, and still required 16 seconds at f/32 to expose correctly.

Here's what the camera looked like after I bought it, followed by a pic showing the adaptor plate I made for a modern tripod before restoring the camera itself. The original legs that came with the camera were hopelessly flimsy and unable to hold the camera steady in even the slightest breeze.

[Michael Roberts]

Mahogany and brass 7x11 DIY camera: https://www.largeformatphotography.i...=1#post1495465

Weight: 4 1/2 pounds
Max bellows extension: 30+"

[jcowles3sinar]

Norma is running! Stoked to have film flowing after 15+ years!

[CreationBear]

Norma is running!

Very cool, I've just got my version about ready to go as well. A couple of things I've learned:

1.) if you're looking for a low-cost means of transport, the Husky brand 18-quart storage container fits the camera almost perfectly, at least if you're running the standard bellows. (I got mine at Lowes.)

2.) if you value set-up time, Neil Poulsen's mod of the 6" extension rail is ingenious:

https://www.largeformatphotography.i...ma-8x10-Camera

FWIW, I leave the clamp bushing on the 6" rail, so all I have to do is screw in a 12" rail, extend the bellows a bit so the rail clamp will clear, then drop the bushing into the clamp.

[stawastawa]

I always wanted a Thornton Pickard Imperial ½ plate camera.

I finally found one (circa 1908), brought it back to being nice and bright and serviceable again, adapted it to an Arca plate mount for my Gitzo Tripod And RRS ball-head (without altering the camera itself in any way), and am now having fun with it such as I haven't had since the digital nonsense forced my Toyo Field 45A from my bag 15 years ago.

Attachment 191213

Attachment 191215

...and it works a treat (using Ilford MG IV for a paper neg)

Attachment 191214

I'd love to see more of it's work alan.

[neil poulsen]

Very cool, I've just got my version about ready to go as well. A couple of things I've learned:

1.) if you're looking for a low-cost means of transport, the Husky brand 18-quart storage container fits the camera almost perfectly, at least if you're running the standard bellows. (I got mine at Lowes.)

2.) if you value set-up time, Neil Poulsen's mod of the 6" extension rail is ingenious:

https://www.largeformatphotography.i...ma-8x10-Camera

FWIW, I leave the clamp bushing on the 6" rail, so all I have to do is screw in a 12" rail, extend the bellows a bit so the rail clamp will clear, then drop the bushing into the clamp.

Thanks; this works out really well. The basic idea is to immobilize the red knob at the end, so that it won't turn. As CreationBear describes, other rails can be attached to that knob in succession.

I have two versions of this rail for my Sinar/Norma 8x10, 5x7, and 4x5. The link shows a longer one that works well for 8x10.

Alternatively, I had just the black cap that fits into the metal tube for the 2 inch end cap. So, I made this shorter base rail without the 2" metal tube, immobilized the red knob, and inserted just the 1/2 inch black cap into the end opposite the red knob. Since there's no 2" metal tube, there's no need for the wood piece whose purpose is to support the 2" metal tube. This works for 4x5 or 5x7 cameras; given the larger standard, it won't work for 8x10.

You can see photos of both versions in the link. At the time, I was playing around with an F rear standard and a Norma front standard. But, it should still work with both standards being Norma, even though the latter uses a little more of the rail. You won't see the red knob with the two Norma standards, since it's receded into the front Norma standard. But, it's still possible to add extensions to this shorter base rail.

Note that these 1/2 black end caps that I used are hard to find. Another possibility is to make the wood dowel as shown in the photo, but make it only 1/2" or 3/8" long, and then glue a painted, black, wood disk onto the end. (So, make your own, 1/2 black end cap.)

I see that you have a 5x7. If you ever get the feeling that you're running out of vertical rise, Glenn at www.glennview.com makes 6" riser extensions that can be screwed into the top of the front Norma standard for virtually unlimited rise. I bought mine a couple of years ago from him for $150 for the pair.

Normas are a beautfully machined, precision camera. Talk about elegance! Have fun with your new acquisition.

[Niels PC]

After using my Technika Kardan Master GTL in a stop-motion video I decided to show off in the office too. I took a nice panoramic picture of the camera and had it printed on a coffee mug:



For motion-sickness resistant viewers an animated version is available.

[stray_227]

So I just got this beast finally setup today - Hunter Penrose with 1320mm Cooke lens for Infra Red - 5x7.



shawn

[Tin Can]

Looks almost real!

Is that a DSLR capture...

Spill !

So I just got this beast finally setup today - Hunter Penrose with 1320mm Cooke lens for Infra Red - 5x7.



shawn

[stray_227]

Hi Randy - I'm not sure what you mean?

It's actually one of the original SLR's on this camera.



Patent No. 62318.12

shawn