Identify Large format camera

[emjo]

Hi all! First post here, it's about a large format camera so while not a folder it does have bellows.

The Xenar lens indicate a 1950-s design, if the lens is original. I don't know how many hundreds of LF cameras I have googled, but this one is not to be found. The front and back standards are made of metal. The rear side is wood and you see some of it protruding at the back.

No letters or markings on the aluminium frame at all unfortunately And I have looked everywhere!

Further there appears to be no interchangeable lens plate, the camera must have been manufactured for just one lens. The Xenar 4.5/150 has serial no 2441436 and the Press-Compur shutter has number A493309.

It has a full assortment of shift and swing and tilt: The front standard has shift up/down, tilt and swing while the rear standard has tilt and swing only.

Two ground glass backs accompanied the camera. One rotatable for 9x12 cm film (glass exactly 90x120 mm) and one fixed for 12x16 cm (glass exactly 120x165 mm). The larger one unfortunately was without the ground glass.

There was also one wooden (exquisite craft!) double sided film holder for 9x12 film measuring exactly 12 cm across. Pulling out the dark slide there is a thin metal inset, the size of the film, kept in place with a little lever at the bottom. Slide the lever and the metal inset pops out a bit. The metal inset measures 9x12 precisely.

Now, on a box containing the rotatable ground glass back there was an old scribble saying "Ka 62 Vridb. sp. a??" (question marks for unreadable letters). That /could/ be a swedish military designation indicating the camera was a "Kamera 62", ("Vridb." means "vridbar" = rotatable) it is not uncommon that numbers on military gear indicate year of acceptance or start of use. Perhaps the origin is swedish then? From 1962? Since I am located in Sweden it is not unlikely. The tripod screw is 3/8" though.


So what is it?

All tips welcome! Thank you for reading!

/Micke

[daveh]

Micke, welcome here.

I'm afraid I don't know the answer. It looks like the sort of thing MPP might have made but probably didn't. If you haven't found it after an extensive search, I doubt that I shall.

I see from the MPP Users Website that the Xenar 150mm f4.5 Compur sold for £33.25 in 1958, www.mppusers.com/lens.htm , but that's not much help.

Dave.

[Deleted]

Looks like a basic view camera. Before Photoshop you needed a view camera's swings and tilts to get the correct perspective on architectural photos.

W.

[mickeyobe]

Micke,

I just spent several enjoyable but futile hours searching through everything I could think of including Google.

The camera seems to have every imaginable movement possible for a view camera.
It looks like the bellows may also be extended if needed by adding tubular extensions to the two tracks.

I am puzzled by the semi-permanent lens mount though. One would need a screwdriver or be able to remove the retaining ring at the rear of the lens. It would be interesting to see if the retaining ring was specially made for easy removal without a special tool.
Could the lens mount which consists of two pieces allow the front disc, to which the lens is attached, be unscrewed for very fine adjustments?

I wonder if this camera is not a one off by a highly skilled craftsperson.

Mickey

[col]

Wonder if it's home made on the lines of the Jon Grepstad cameras

[daveh]

I wonder if this camera is not a one off by a highly skilled craftsperson.

I wondered about that, but as some of the parts look to be cast metal, which would mean he or she was both highly skilled and capable of all sorts of metal fabrication. Those parts look well finished off and pretty much perfect in a way that a one off usually isn't.


I beginning to think that Col might have made it!

[Deleted]

Reminds me a little of a small version of a graphic arts camera used to produce negs to make press plates.

W.

[mickeyobe]

Jul 13, 2012 17:11:05 GMT -5 @wayne said:

Reminds me a little of a small version of a graphic arts camera used to produce negs to make press plates.
W.

Wayne,

It has been decades but I seem to recall those graphic arts cameras being quite large but very rigid with no movements other than for size, focus and horizontal adjustments.

Mickey

For "horizontal" I must explain. The cameras were usually but not always mounted vertically with the lens pointed down toward a vacuum easel.
Without moving the object on the easel the lens board could be shifted back and forth or left and right for critical centering.

[emjo]

Thanks all for your efforts. I am pretty certain it is not home made by any means. For example the lens board comes off after a 1/3rd left-twist and the aluminium toothing/gears to make this possible is professionally made.

A mystery camera indeed, but quite fun to use. I am in the process of getting my feet wet in large format photography and for that it serves me very well.

Cheers, Micke
PS Some more photos can be found at my blog at jabcam.wordpress.com

[mickeyobe]

Micke,

Something about your camera was familiar. Then it dawned. That grey colour.

Burke & James Inc. of Chicago made many types of cameras. Most of their later large format cameras were that grey colour.

They made cameras under the names Rexo, Watson Ingento as well as B & J.

Could it be an unmarked prototype?

Mickey

[emjo]

Mickey,

the colour looks about right but that's about it I'm afraid. Hard nut this. I've spent yet another hour perousing www.cameramanuals.org/booklets/burk&james_1963.pdf. But found no real similarities.

I think the odd lens board could be the key. Of all the pictures I oogled in search of this camera I have not seen this kind of lens board - that is loosened with 1/3rd twist. It is locked in place by three small spring-loaded metal balls. This spring-loaded ball method is used also to keep the front swing in its neutral position.

Oh, well the search goes on...
/Micke
PS A more precise blog-link is jabcam.wordpress.com/2012/04/21/at-last-large-format-4x5-5x7/ More pictures there.

[catire]

The only camera that I know using this lensboard is the Meridian Model A. It was changed in the Model B to the usual square format.

[barbarian]

Looks like a basic view camera. Before Photoshop you needed a view camera's swings and tilts to get the correct perspective on architectural photos.

In the primitive darkroom I used in the 1960s, I just tilted the easel under the enlarger.

Worked O.K.