B&J 8X10- deal?

OP
OP

PCGraflex

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Yes, I was thinking about calling the Red Baron if I get it.

Seriously, the bidders on that camera look suspicious.
 

MikeK

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Do you think the bellows look a little too shiny/glossy to be natural? Maybe it's the lighting?

A few few years back I bought what looked like a brand spanking new 2x3 graphic. When it arrived the bellows had been painted and the paint was still wet! Had some interesting exchanges with the seller and I eventually got my money back.

Mike
 

Terence

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The bubbling on the bellows look quite odd to me.
 

pkrentz

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B&J 810

I got my B&J 810 off of E-bay for $400.00 and it is a good quality camera, no problems, except the gray paint is not to my liking. Pat
 

Jim Noel

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Pat,
Remove the paint and you will have a rather pretty natural wood camera. It is a light colored wood which looks great with a coat of shellac or urethane.
 

JLP

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Have one of those beauties to and agree that this bellow is way to shiny to look natural.
Mine cost me 265$ with extension, sliding block 2 holders and a 240mm Schulze & Billerbech lens in Alphax shutter.
Stripped the paint as Jim suggest. It is now called Blondie.

jan
 

Charles Webb

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I know that these arent exactly favorable but it looks like a nice cheaper system to get into 8x10.

I am leery about the bids that are on this. Do you think the bid price is being jacked up?[/quote]

I am somewhat confused to hear that the B&J 8x10 is not exactly favorable! This is total baloney! (My spelling) and is simply not true. The B&J is a work horse that will do any thing that the big name boxes will do! I have used them in commercial work for over fifty years and have not found a single one that could not make wonderful photographs. If the wood is good, the bellow can be replaced, I have never found one that could not be repaired and used by any photographer. If the price fits your budget, buy it! The largest complaint is the cameras weight, and it is heavy,
however with a good tripod under it and a good lense on it,
it will make as good a photograph as any camera ever made. I have three of them in mint condition that do exactly same job my two Deardorff's .

The "bad rap" is unjustified and totally supported by those who believe that if it aint a Deardorff or one of the other over priced toys in todays market it can't be any good.

Well it jus't plane ain't so! B&J made a damn strong prodcuct and I guarantee they took a big bite out of Deardorf's business back in the day that LF ruled.

My opinion based on more than fifty years experience using B&J, Kodak and Deardorff with a few other manufactures thrown in.

Charlie.............................
 
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Charles Webb

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By the Way, I hate the red painted wood, the bellows looks good enough to me. The machined Packard Shutter mount and lens adapther by them selves would cost more to have built than the price of the whole oputfit!

CW
 

walter23

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With all those lenses, a packard shutter, and film holders I'd be bidding on the thing if I had the money.

Course if I had the money I'd be telling you it was a piece of sh*t in order to keep you from bidding on it.

It sure does look like the bellows have been painted, but a new bellows can be manufactured with a bit of time and effort.
 

MikeK

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Charles Webb said:
I know that these arent exactly favorable but it looks like a nice cheaper system to get into 8x10.

I am leery about the bids that are on this. Do you think the bid price is being jacked up?
Click to expand...

I am somewhat confused to hear that the B&J 8x10 is not exactly favorable! This is total baloney! (My spelling) and is simply not true. The B&J is a work horse that will do any thing that the big name boxes will do! I have used them in commercial work for over fifty years and have not found a single one that could not make wonderful photographs. If the wood is good, the bellow can be replaced, I have never found one that could not be repaired and used by any photographer. If the price fits your budget, buy it! The largest complaint is the cameras weight, and it is heavy,
however with a good tripod under it and a good lense on it,
it will make as good a photograph as any camera ever made. I have three of them in mint condition that do exactly same job my two Deardorff's .

The "bad rap" is unjustified and totally supported by those who believe that if it aint a Deardorff or one of the other over priced toys in todays market it can't be any good.

Well it jus't plane ain't so! B&J made a damn strong prodcuct and I guarantee they took a big bite out of Deardorf's business back in the day that LF ruled.

My opinion based on more than fifty years experience using B&J, Kodak and Deardorff with a few other manufactures thrown in.

Charlie.............................[/QUOTE]

Agreed, the B&J commercial is an excellent series of camera, I have the 4x5 and 11x14 variants - well built and totally functional - even with the natural battleship grey finish

Mike
 

John Kasaian

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Nothin' wrong with B&J. For $600 it had better come with a butt load of holders and you shouldn't have to mess with refinishing it or have concerns about the bellows though!
 

Jim_in_Kyiv

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BrianShaw said:
Out of pure curiousity... approximately how many, exactly, is a "butt load"?
Click to expand...

2/3 of a bushel. I'm not sure how that converts into metric.

I had the 5x7 version in grey, and I learned a lot about LF with it that the 4x5 press camera that came with it (also B&J) couldn't about movements. If you can get your hands on either, they're great cameras and weigh enough to get you ready to move up in size, too!
 

Jersey Vic

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I can't speak highly enough of Gundlach Korona cameras. They are works of art and the bellows hold up very well. If you can find one and a triple lens like the ones Honest Jim Galli seems to produce from thin air, youre 3-4 holders away from a helluva nice kit for around $600. That being said-maybe Jim can piece together something similar for you...?
 
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