Figuring out age of a Deardorff

**jdaivpmed** · 22-Jul-2009, 11:57

I broke down and bought my self a (well used) Deardorff 8x10 this morning. Yep, I know, just what I needed. The former owner knew a little bit of the background, but had no guess on the age.

I'm just wondering if there is any way to "date" the camera, and if so how.

Thanks in advance.

John IV

**Michael Jones** · 22-Jul-2009, 13:07

Start here:

http://deardorffcameras.0catch.com/

Mike

**John Kasaian** · 22-Jul-2009, 13:19

Congratulations!

The link Michael Jones posted is the best resource on 'dorffian stuff.
Enjoy!
BTW, dosen't your adoption of a Deardorff call for passing out cigars?

**Jim Rice** · 23-Jul-2009, 12:03

And drinks?

**Craig Roberts** · 23-Jul-2009, 16:44

Single malt scotch is appropriaye. Have fun with the "dorff. Craig

**jdaivpmed** · 23-Jul-2009, 18:36

Make mine a dirty martini please...

Mike, thanks for the link - that's a pretty substantial cache of information on that site. It will take me a while to process all of it.

My Dorff does have a serial number on the lens board retainer which I believe identifies it as a post 1950 V8 (according to that site). I accidentally used the wrong address when I emailed Ken (the site owner) to see if he had the actual production date and purchaser on his list of serials and just got the "undeliverable" response back this evening so I need to re-email him at the correct address. Somehow I failed to notice the big note he has posted at the bottom of the home page giving the new email addy. Oops.

Anyway, I haven't had much time to play around with my new baby yet. I have some film on order from FreestylePhoto, as well as a mounting plate so I can put the Dorff on my existing tripod. Unfortunately there's no place locally that carries 8x10 film or I probably would have found some time to take a couple of shots with it by now. You would think that the ninth largest city in the US would have at least one shop that carried 8x10, but no such luck.

Thanks for all of your comments. I'll be sure to check back in and let you know what I find out about the camera.

John IV

**jdaivpmed** · 23-Jul-2009, 22:30

Well Ken ended up getting back to me more quickly than I had expected. It looks like my Dorff was built in 1953, probably August or September. The camera before mine went to a Eastman Kodak shop in Atlanta, GA and the camera three serial numbers after mine went to a Frye's Foto shop at the same address of the Kodak shop. Unfortunately there's a gap of three cameras between the two that I mentioned above and mine falls into that space so there's no way of really knowing who the original purchaser was for mine. It would have been fun to have known that, however I'm quite happy just to know when it was made.

Now if my film would just hurry up and arrive I could start having some real fun with this old beast! Oh well, I guess I can do a little lens shopping in the mean time... the camera came with a 8.25" "Red Dot" lens which I don't believe is the best lens for getting started with the 8x10.

John IV

**John Kasaian** · 23-Jul-2009, 23:05

Originally Posted by Craig Roberts

Single malt scotch is appropriaye. Have fun with the "dorff. Craig

Even better if the single malt was brought across the Lake Michigan by rum runners in a mahogany speed boat

I've always liked the old story about 'dorff's being made from mahogany salvaged from saloons that were put out of business by prohibition!

**John Kasaian** · 23-Jul-2009, 23:16

Originally Posted by jdaivpmed

Well Ken ended up getting back to me more quickly than I had expected. It looks like my Dorff was built in 1953, probably August or September. The camera before mine went to a Eastman Kodak shop in Atlanta, GA and the camera three serial numbers after mine went to a Frye's Foto shop at the same address of the Kodak shop. Unfortunately there's a gap of three cameras between the two that I mentioned above and mine falls into that space so there's no way of really knowing who the original purchaser was for mine. It would have been fun to have known that, however I'm quite happy just to know when it was made.

Now if my film would just hurry up and arrive I could start having some real fun with this old beast! Oh well, I guess I can do a little lens shopping in the mean time... the camera came with a 8.25" "Red Dot" lens which I don't believe is the best lens for getting started with the 8x10.

John IV

8.25"? Not nearly enough coverage for your 8x10---I'd suspect that it was probably used for macro work.
For excellent general purpose vintage glass, you might consider looking for either a 14" Commercial Ektar, 10" WF Ektar, 14" to 19" Artars, 15"/375mm Ilex Paragon (or Acuton) 12" Dagor, 12" Velostigmat (or the 1A "triple convertable") For newer lenses, any of the G-Clarons from 240mm on up are just great (I've got a 240 G Claron and it is one of my most used lenses)

You're gonna have fun!

**jdaivpmed** · 24-Jul-2009, 11:30

Good Afternoon John,

I agree... the 8.25 isn't going to cut it. Actually the former owner used the camera mainly for portraiture as I understand the story. I'm not sure however that this was his lens or if it was swapped out by the fellow that owned it for a couple of months before me. Who knows.

I was thinking about picking up something in the 240-300mm range to get started as my "normal" lens, but I have to admit that I've kind of been eying the convertibles here recently as well.

Thanks for the suggestions.

John IV

PS. I hadn't heard about the mahogany coming from prohibition era saloons, of course being a 53' I suspect that mine is too old to have any of that wood in it, but it's a neat story none-the-less!