gg protector

[Curt]

This is prompted by an experience I had the other day with an 8x10 to 5x7 reducing back. I had a book covering it as it was out and laying on a case. I must have picked the book up to read it and left the gg exposed. I dropped a lens board, wood, and heard a clunk sound. I immediately thought the gg had been cracked but in actuality it was just the noise of the impact and no glass was broken. Got luck but it was a wake up call.

So I ask, what are you using for a gg protector and / or what method to you use to protect it if you don't use a gg protector. If you have a photo of the one you use could you please show us what it looks like?

Thank you,
Curt

 

[pgomena]

I cut a scrap piece of 1/8-inch mahogany plywood to size, glued felt to one side of it, and attached it to the ground glass surround frame with 4 small pieces of velcro. The plywood is thin enough to cut with a utility knife and very light. It can be found at many lumber/plywood stores, and sometimes is referred to as a "door skin" or "lauan" plywood. If you don't want to go buy a sheet of 4x8' plywood, hobby and craft shops often carry very thin birch plywood. The birch is more rigid and comes in smaller sheets. The felt and velcro are probably on the next aisle over.

Peter Gomena

 

[Curt]

Peter, the Velcro is one way I've seen to attach the protector to the camera, the other is a folded piece of plexi but the plexi holds the back out a bit and the springs are sprung so I wonder if the plexi is for temporary or for storage too. The Velcro adapter doesn't do that so that's a plus. Thanks for the input.

Curt

 

[Uncle Jim]

Curt,

My 8.5 x 15 camera from India has a wood GG protector. There are two small wood screws at the bottom of the GG frame that hold pieces of metal on the protector there, and a slide lock at the top. Check the big bay site for pictures of the large Indian cameras. My 6.5 x 8.5 camera also has this feature.

uncle jim

 

[frednewman]

Hi Curt - I've always used the gg protectors made by K B Canham Cameras. They are U shaped plexiglass and fit around both sides of the gg frame. They come in all sizes from 4x5 and up. I especially like them because they protect the inside and I use fresnels that easily scratch.

Fred Newman

 

[konakoa]

Not sure if something like this is out there for a 5x7 or 8x10, but I have a couple of pop-up focusing hoods on my 4x5's. They fold flat on the camera and have a hard cover that protects the outside of the ground glass. Very handy even with a dark cloth when focusing in bright sunlight. They also swing open to the side to expose the ground glass entirely--for fine checking focus with a loupe.

The bigger threat I think would be my dropping the entire ground glass assembly--I have to take the whole frame off--while switching from vertical to horizontal framing. (Knock on wood).

 

[BenZucker]

Hi Curt - I've always used the gg protectors made by K B Canham Cameras. They are U shaped plexiglass and fit around both sides of the gg frame. They come in all sizes from 4x5 and up. I especially like them because they protect the inside and I use fresnels that easily scratch.

I second this, they are really good.

 

[Curt]

I'll look at them as soon as I can and I think revolving backs are great and should be on all cameras. Once you use one you will see.