Burke & James Grover 8X10

**John Conway** · 18-Oct-2011, 16:11

Yeah, I know. They say she's ugly, funky, crude and bulky. But I'll say this about her, she looks solid and built like a tank. I have been wanting another 8X10 camera but I didn't want to spend a lot. I did not even know the Grover was made in 8X10. When I saw the camera I said to myself, "thats cool". I think I will strip the wood down and refinish it natural.

**Michael Clark** · 18-Oct-2011, 16:20

I've had my 5x7 for 3years now and enjoy it.Have not striped it yet.

Mike

**John Conway** · 18-Oct-2011, 16:34

Hey Mike, I think the B&J's are great cameras. I have an early 4x5 Orbit that I picked up some time ago. That one is mint. I could not resist the red knobs and red bellows with the light gray finish. My workbench is set up for wood finishing since I have been working on an old gun stock. So I am going to get right on the Grover as soon as the postman drops her off. I've seen some very nice examples of the B&J's refinished, but not a Grover. If I am correct, only the 8X10 had wood standards.

**John Conway** · 18-Oct-2011, 16:36

Maybe I am wrong. Does your 5X7 have wood standards?

**Doug Howk** · 18-Oct-2011, 16:52

I have an 8X10 Grover that I've stripped off the grey paint. The wood is light color (ash?). Still has the original red bellows that I've patched all holes from the inside with liquid electricians tape. It's on a Majestic studio tripod and the combination is great for still-lifes and portraits.

**John Conway** · 18-Oct-2011, 17:26

Hi Doug I would very much like to see a picture of your camera .

**Michael Clark** · 19-Oct-2011, 13:51

Originally Posted by John Conway

Maybe I am wrong. Does your 5X7 have wood standards?

John, yes my 5x7 has a wood front standard and a u shaped aluminum standers holding the the wood back and ground glass, it is a wooden flat bed field camera.

Mike

**MIke Sherck** · 19-Oct-2011, 19:44

My 8x10 Grover monorail is a serviceable camera; it won't win any beauty contests but it gets the job done. Both front and rear standards are aluminum, the front and rear camera parts themselves are wood painted gray. The bellows is red, of course. Focusing along the rail is geared, with teeth along the top of the rail. When I got her she had apparently lived most of her life in a studio and is in excellent condition; she's got a couple more scratches now but nothing dishonorable. That's her, in my avatar picture.

Mike

**John Conway** · 22-Oct-2011, 06:29

Hi Mike, My Grover is still on a postal service truck somewhere on it's way to me. My return to large format has me heavily invested into 4x5 equipment. But I wanted to also return to 8x10 but without selling the house. The Grover is just right for my needs.And I must admit, the battleship construction of the B&J's appeals to me.I plan on using her in the field so I have to figure out a practical way of transporting the camera.I'm sure I can find an old B&J case somewhere. I want to keep it all together on the rail when moving her around.

**MIke Sherck** · 22-Oct-2011, 07:53

I've periodically had ambitions of building a case for mine, but it rides very well fully assembled in the trunk and I'm a lazy sod, so...

In the field I carry it screwed to the top of my tripod. The tripod legs are covered with pipe insulation foam but I also fold up the focusing cloth as additional padding for my shoulder and carry the tripod/camera combination over a shoulder. Everything else is in a soft-sided insulated carrier, which I carry over the other shoulder for balance. In the carrier are my two favorite lenses (210mm Fuji and 420mm RD Artar,) four to six film holders, meter, loupe, filters, etc. Even as an aging (ahem: 'maturing') fart, I can carry it this way for a mile or two without strain. There's room for more stuff in the bag but I've not found a need for more junk and am averse to carrying things I don't need.

My B&J was an excellent purchase from Ebay. It came with some other cruft I wasn't interested in and after selling that, I think I have somewhere between $0 and $100 in my camera (it wasn't something I bothered to remember, so...)

I'm actually pretty content with the outfit. I'd really, really like to have another Wehman 8x10 and would gladly trade the 420mm RD Artar for a nice Fuji 420mm L to recreate the outfit I had several years ago and sold to pay medical bills, but for my frankly amateur efforts this current outfit is fine.

Mike