4 X 5 bellows

[Jake Irving]

I am replacing the bellows on a Burke and James 4 x 5 wood field camera and would like some kind of reference on what the film plane and lens board looks like on an original. It seems to be missing some parts, flanges, or intermediate framing material between the bellows and it the "back." I do not want to just glue the bellows to the inside of the cast iron ground glass area (you can see I am a novice here, not using the correct terminology) and the back of the lens board holder. There seems to be some kind of thin spring(?) holding something and a few screw holes without screws. I don't mind it not being accurate to the original. I just want a starting point. I also don't have any reference on how to hold the rail "up" when it is folded together during transport. Usually there are some clips or something but there appears to have missing holes etc....I can easily just make something up but haven't seen many similar cameras to base it on and don't want to make something completely different. You know, I don't want to reinvent the "wheel"

Any photos of a similar camera, some suggestions, or a link would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks-

[Jake Irving]

63 views and no replies?

[Len Middleton]

Jake,

Your thread title does not appear to match your request.

I was curious regarding what information someone wanted on 4x5 bellows. I unfortunately do not have a B&J 4x5 and therefore cannot provide any information to you.

If you made your thread title "Looking for Details on B&J 4x5 Wood Field Camera", you would likely get fewer views, but maybe some information you could use.

My $0.02, and worth every penny,

Len

[Jake Irving]

Thanks. I don't think I can change the title?

[Peter K]

Jake, I'm not familiar with B&J cameras too, but from the pictures shown in the catalogue from 1954 at http://www.cameraeccentric.com/html/info/bj_2.html it looks like the bellows is not changable. As with other cameras the bellows is glued to the standards to get light-tightness. But also two thin metal stripes at top and bottom are fixed with two screws from inside the bellows to the standards.

Possible this helps.

Peter K

[Len Middleton]

I do not know if you can change the title yourself or if you need a moderator to do it.

The alternate is to start a new thread.

[rfesk]

The bellows is glued to the back of the frame/body. Nothing in between. The front has is a little different. The bellows is glued to a piece of black felt and screwed to the back of the front standard.