- Joined
- Aug 29, 2020
- Messages
- 1,383
I'd always wanted to scratch the 8x10 itch, but I didn't want to pay the high prices for Wisner, Tachihara, Deardorff et al (let alone Chamonix or Ebony!). I just wanted a camera with ample movements to fiddle around with.
A few months ago, I came into possession of a fairly tattered Ansco 8x10 Commercial View Camera. This wasn't surprising. I did a little digging, the newest this camera could be would be from 1939 and it's quite possibly older. I believe this model camera was used by both Edward Weston and Ansel Adams at one point or another. According to the old catalogs, these were $85 when new!
The camera was fairly dusty and dirty, the brass was dull, and everything needed a good cleaning and lubrication. More significantly, the bellows were completely done and needed to be replaced.
My goal here was not to create a pristine as-new version of the camera. I wanted to retain its patina and scars, but just clean everything up and make it shine a little bit.
I also wanted a 6x6 to 4x4 lensboard adapter. All my Wisner 4x5 Technical Field boards are 4x4 and a couple of them cover 8x10. I wanted to be able to use any of these on either camera, with a view toward some day building a 4x5 reduction back to be used with other lenses in my Wisner kit.
So, I got a new-old-stock Deardorff adapter without hardware, added a commercially machined brass top slide, and made the bottom brass retaining bar from hardware store brass stock, screws, and nylon spacers. The Deardorff needed a little encouragement on the router table to fit nicely into the Ansco lensboard slot.
I also put some foam pieces on both the 6x6 and 4x4 lens board openings to that any board installed fits tightly once locked down. The handles slight board-to-board thickness variability.
I sent the bellows frames to Richard Ritter in Vermont who fixed them up and sent them off to - I believe - Custom Bellows in the UK for the actual bellows fitting. They came in today and I've just completed reinstalling them to complete the project.
I thought some of you might enjoy seeing how "the sausage got made". So, here is a small album in chronological order:
A few months ago, I came into possession of a fairly tattered Ansco 8x10 Commercial View Camera. This wasn't surprising. I did a little digging, the newest this camera could be would be from 1939 and it's quite possibly older. I believe this model camera was used by both Edward Weston and Ansel Adams at one point or another. According to the old catalogs, these were $85 when new!
The camera was fairly dusty and dirty, the brass was dull, and everything needed a good cleaning and lubrication. More significantly, the bellows were completely done and needed to be replaced.
My goal here was not to create a pristine as-new version of the camera. I wanted to retain its patina and scars, but just clean everything up and make it shine a little bit.
I also wanted a 6x6 to 4x4 lensboard adapter. All my Wisner 4x5 Technical Field boards are 4x4 and a couple of them cover 8x10. I wanted to be able to use any of these on either camera, with a view toward some day building a 4x5 reduction back to be used with other lenses in my Wisner kit.
So, I got a new-old-stock Deardorff adapter without hardware, added a commercially machined brass top slide, and made the bottom brass retaining bar from hardware store brass stock, screws, and nylon spacers. The Deardorff needed a little encouragement on the router table to fit nicely into the Ansco lensboard slot.
I also put some foam pieces on both the 6x6 and 4x4 lens board openings to that any board installed fits tightly once locked down. The handles slight board-to-board thickness variability.
I sent the bellows frames to Richard Ritter in Vermont who fixed them up and sent them off to - I believe - Custom Bellows in the UK for the actual bellows fitting. They came in today and I've just completed reinstalling them to complete the project.
I thought some of you might enjoy seeing how "the sausage got made". So, here is a small album in chronological order:
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