I haven't a clue what type this camera is

[Tobychrome]

Hi all, I own a bellows camera with the name vario above the lens, I think it's a European camera, it has a ground glass focusing screen in the back.
could someone tell me how old it is, what type of film it takes and where I could get a film back for it or glass plate?

 

[Cybertrash]

Hard to tell without a picture, but it's probably a 9x12cm plate camera, you can use them with film if you get adapters for the plate holder casettes.

 

[Tobychrome]

This is a picture of it

 

[Tobychrome]

How do I add pictures?

 

[darkosaric]

Go to "Adv Reply" - there you have attach option.

 

[Tobychrome]

 

[baachitraka]

That should be 9x12 plate cameras. I presume it can also take Roll-film back. Great for macros...

 

[Tobychrome]

The problem is, I don't have a roll film back or know what model or type this camera is.

 

[Tobychrome]

Also where would I put the plate, the back that's on it has the focusing screen firmly attached to it

 

[baachitraka]

That should go where is focus screen assembly is.

- First focus with focus screen.
- Remove the assembly.
- Put the roll-film back.
- Expose.

Something like this you may need, http://www.ebay.de/itm/Rollfilm-Hol...=DE_Photographica_Zubehör&hash=item485fc4dd0c

 

[Tobychrome]

Could I use a glass plate in it?

 

[summicron1]

9 by 12 plate cameras like that were pretty common 100 years ago, not so much now. GIs brought a lot of them back from Germany after World War II.

The biggest problem you would have if you wanted to shoot with it would be finding plate/sheet film backs -- or a roll back -- to fit it. Every maker of those cameras had different measurements of backs and roll film holders, while available, don't fit interchangeably either. I have an early camera similar to that that had a roll back on it and it doesn't fit on any other plate camera I've come across.

Vario is the type of shutter, probably made by Agfa. It is not the name of the camera's maker, which might be impressed into the leather on the camera body somewhere, or might not. There's a lot of pretty generic cameras like that floating around. Could be anyone -- Zeiss, Voigtlander, someone else.

It takes a certain amount of dedication to use one of those -- finding plates, cutting your own film if need be, etc -- and from the looks of it, that camera is pretty rough. Bellows leak light?

Assuming all is well and you can find plate holders (originally made for glass plates, often with inserts to hold film) your best bet might be to use it to make paper negatives, using standard photo paper, which you can then print from or scan and reverse in photoshop.

Cameras like that make wonderful bookends, too. Just saying ...

 

[Ian Grant]

Vario shutters were made by Alfred Gauthier in Calmbach, they also made Prontors, it a bottom of the range 3 speed shutter and the lens is probably similar. There were well over 30 manufacturers of very similar cameras so unless it's marked it'll take time identifying it,.

Plate holders are easy to find as are 6x9 backs but there wasn't a standard fit so you need to find the right ones, film inserts to use sheet film in plate holders can be picked up as well. There's plenty of options for 9x12 film as it's still a standard European size.

These camera are quite useable.

Ian

 

[swchris]

I've also got a similar 9x12 plate camera. I used it with sheet film by putting a piece of cardboard behind the film to account for the different thickness.

Are there generic adapters available to use sheet film in glass plate cameras?

And another question, are there still new 9x12 glass plates available? I'd like to try them, there should be no problems with uneven film planes.

 

[dwross]

And another question, are there still new 9x12 glass plates available? I'd like to try them, there should be no problems with uneven film planes.

As new as the day they dry in your darkroom .
d

 

[Ian Grant]

I've also got a similar 9x12 plate camera. I used it with sheet film by putting a piece of cardboard behind the film to account for the different thickness.

Are there generic adapters available to use sheet film in glass plate cameras?

I have quite a few in different sizes, quarter plate, 9x12, 5x4 the first two sizes are Kodak and unbranded, the 5x4 Graflex & MPP. You need to keep an eye open for them on Ebay but I also go to camera fairs. Best place is in job lots.

Ian

 

[summicron1]

I have quite a few in different sizes, quarter plate, 9x12, 5x4 the first two sizes are Kodak and unbranded, the 5x4 Graflex & MPP. You need to keep an eye open for them on Ebay but I also go to camera fairs. Best place is in job lots.

Ian

but as I said -- none of the sizes ever seem to match. The only hope you have of finding plate backs for your camera is to take it with you and try them out.

I had a lovely plate back camera a while ago (sold it here) that had the plates that fit it because the original purchaser bought the whole mess at once. I also had a big box of misc. plate backs, all the same size, none of which fit.

 

[ntenny]

but as I said -- none of the sizes ever seem to match. The only hope you have of finding plate backs for your camera is to take it with you and try them out.

It really depends on the camera. In my experience, most of the "generics" have had the same back dimensions as Voigtlaender, Kodak AG/Nagel, usw. Ian has a really extensive list of the various specs, and it should be possible to measure everything carefully and match up against that list. I can't tell anything from the pictures of this camera---it would be helpful to see some clear images of what the edges of the ground glass back look like.

Kodak made combination film/plate holders that don't require a sheath; they have a built-in pressure plate that works with both. They aren't too uncommon on eBay. As far as I know they only made them to their own standard, though.

Usually a camera with a Vario shutter is pretty low-end; I'd expect the lens is a triplet. If everything is clean and light-tight, it should be perfectly capable of good images---you might get vignetting and/or softness in the corners, which can be quite an appealing effect in some images.

The thing about plate cameras is...they're addictive. So look out.

-NT

 

[swchris]

but as I said -- none of the sizes ever seem to match. The only hope you have of finding plate backs for your camera is to take it with you and try them out.

I've got a glass plate back. I was thinking of an adapter to put sheet film into the glass plate back.

 

[swchris]

As new as the day they dry in your darkroom .

So you're suggesting I should make them myself?

If I want to do that, what type of glass should I look for? Or is any glass "good enough"?

 

[dwross]

Any good condition glass is good enough. The only trick is thickness. Some holders take glass that is thinner than is easily obtainable. Best to go to a glass shop and consult with them. The glass has to be thin enough that the dark slide closes smoothly and completely. Here is some information that might be helpful. http://thelightfarm.com/cgi-bin/htmltutgen.py?content=06Mar2013

 

[paul_c5x4]

If you can find a supplier, Pilkington Microfloat would be ideal.

Finding someone that stocks and can cut glass of the required thickness is a problem. Most glass suppliers will not have anything thinner than 3mm - I needed some 5"x4" plates, 1.2mm thick and eventually found a company by the name of Chance Glass who could supply what I needed.

 

[Ian Grant]

If you can find a supplier, Pilkington Microfloat would be ideal.

Finding someone that stocks and can cut glass of the required thickness is a problem. Most glass suppliers will not have anything thinner than 3mm - I needed some 5"x4" plates, 1.2mm thick and eventually found a company by the name of Chance Glass who could supply what I needed.

In the EU glass on sale to the general public has to be 2mm or thicker, most old style 9x12 holders taker thinner glass more typically around 1.5mm.it's the same for focus screens for these cameras as well.

Ian

 

[Tobychrome]

9 by 12 plate cameras like that were pretty common 100 years ago, not so much now. GIs brought a lot of them back from Germany after World War II.

The biggest problem you would have if you wanted to shoot with it would be finding plate/sheet film backs -- or a roll back -- to fit it. Every maker of those cameras had different measurements of backs and roll film holders, while available, don't fit interchangeably either. I have an early camera similar to that that had a roll back on it and it doesn't fit on any other plate camera I've come across.

Vario is the type of shutter, probably made by Agfa. It is not the name of the camera's maker, which might be impressed into the leather on the camera body somewhere, or might not. There's a lot of pretty generic cameras like that floating around. Could be anyone -- Zeiss, Voigtlander, someone else.

It takes a certain amount of dedication to use one of those -- finding plates, cutting your own film if need be, etc -- and from the looks of it, that camera is pretty rough. Bellows leak light?

Assuming all is well and you can find plate holders (originally made for glass plates, often with inserts to hold film) your best bet might be to use it to make paper negatives, using standard photo paper, which you can then print from or scan and reverse in photoshop.

Cameras like that make wonderful bookends, too. Just saying ...

The camera aside from a bit of the leather lifting on it, it is in perfect condition, no light leaks, the shutter fires, everything works and moves freely. Also the leather on the front as a rectangle embossed on it if that helps

 

[Ian Grant]

It really depends on the camera. In my experience, most of the "generics" have had the same back dimensions as Voigtlaender, Kodak AG/Nagel, usw. Ian has a really extensive list of the various specs, and it should be possible to measure everything carefully and match up against that list. I can't tell anything from the pictures of this camera---it would be helpful to see some clear images of what the edges of the ground glass back look like.

Kodak made combination film/plate holders that don't require a sheath; they have a built-in pressure plate that works with both. They aren't too uncommon on eBay. As far as I know they only made them to their own standard, though.

Usually a camera with a Vario shutter is pretty low-end; I'd expect the lens is a triplet. If everything is clean and light-tight, it should be perfectly capable of good images---you might get vignetting and/or softness in the corners, which can be quite an appealing effect in some images.

The thing about plate cameras is...they're addictive. So look out.

-NT

There's a lot of variation in fit the metal single dark-slides (plate holders), I have somewhere around 200+ metal plate holders as well as at least 6 or 7 9x12 cameras, I'm lucky 4 cameras can take the same holders but not perfectly, however once I get sorted (I've just moved and doing a lot of alterations) I can better match holders to cameras.

Sometime in the next months I'll be selling off spare plate holders and I've also drawn (or rather redrawn from catalogues) the different edge fittings and the list of cameras they'll fit and will post the details here and on the LF info forum.

Ian