Show off your Large Format camera!

[Steve_Renwick]

Are you sure you're not the assistant? I'm pretty sure my cat considers herself to be my supervisor. She always keeps an eye on things when I'm shooting at home.

Probably; she is confident enough as a supervisor that she is content to take a nap while I'm working.

[Steve_Renwick]

Hey Steve, pretty amazing craftsmanship on the Sinar Norma ehh?

Yeah, it's like the love child of a Leica and a Bridgeport milling machine.

[Steve_Renwick]

If you´re thinking to sell the tripod set, let me know it.

Eduard, sorry, but I'll be keeping this together as a matched set.

[Curt]

Kodak no.33 Camera I got off ebay. It was more or less a basket case. One thing I didn't realize when I started was that this camera originally was designed to take two 3.5x5 pictures on a 5x7 piece of film. It had a sliding blind in the back. I pulled that out. It's working well. Bellows by kit from Sorin at diycamerakit.com

Before:



After:

It's a beautiful camera, I have a 5X7 Kodak 2D and it has the finish look that your camera does, what did you use for a finish on it?

oops: I didn't see the answer to the very question I was asking. It goes to show that the finish is somthing that can be admired even on a monitor. I have a 2D 8x10 that needs the same treatment. The bellows on it is leather and original and the former owner renewed it once a month with a leather treatment / cleaner, it proves that leather can last for decades if cared for properly. The finish needs help though with a light touch.

Curt

[sully75]

Hi Curt et al.

Just checked the brand of the finish I used. It's General Finishes.

Gel Topcoat:
http://www.generalfinishes.com/retai...base-top-coats

over
Georgian Cherry Stain:
http://www.generalfinishes.com/retai...ase-gel-stains

If you get the stain on your hands, you'll look like the boogeyman.

[sully75]

Careful surface prep though is the most important thing. Sanding with a block and moving up through grits is super important. I also had to strip off the old chippy, crappy varnish, which was a real pain.

[David Woods]

Bought this off ebay a few years ago for $100, sat in the corner since I bought it, bellows were crap, didn't seem worth it, replaced the bellows, come across the LF Forum, picked up some knowledge, basically it is the only camera I use now.

Toyoview Deluxe
4x5 and 5x7 back
I only have 1 lens at the moment, a 300mm Semmar lens

[Phil Hudson]

Finally finished my 11x14 monorail camera! Apologies for the dramatic lighting in the pictures - it was night when I finally finished!

It's a bit of a hybrid with bits from Arca-Swiss, Sinar and Walker (I don't think this makes it a W**ker, does it?)

I used a 20/30cm Arca split rail and Arca-Swiss Monolith carriers, an early Mike Walker 11x14 back (originally designed to adapt an 8x10 Sinar P to 11x14) and a Sinar front standard for using a Sinar shutter and their nifty swing in filters. Bellows by Camera Bellows, Birmingham (as it was then). A friend with some metalworking machinery helped make some parts such as the front rise extender.

It's pretty rigid and has all the movements but I have nothing similar to compare it with. It is a fair weight but packs down well and can be transported on the 20cm rail.

Lens shown is Schneider 210XL. It will easily take a Fuji-C 600mm, even focused in quite a bit.

I hope to make my first exposures soon......I hope not all the pleasure was in the "chase"!

[jb7]

I don't know why you're apologizing for the pictures, looks great, a very desirable looking thing- good luck with it-

Would be interested to know how much it weighs, when you get around to it-

I presume the Walker elements are ABS?

Altogether, the three different elements sit very well together, a very successful ménage...

I shudder to think how you might abbreviate the name, but the Arsenal manager comes to mind... or maybe that was just the asterisks...

[Phil Hudson]

Thanks for your comments. Given the European origin of its parts perhaps it should be named after the Arsenal manager after all!

Actually the Walker back is machined MDF with a SatinSnow screen. An ABS 11x14 back would be awesome but I picked up this back secondhand without having to have it made bespoke. Mike Walker was very helpful on the phone but in the end I ran with what I had at hand.

It looks to be near enough 20lbs.....still, I wasn't planning on hiking with it anyway!