Meridian 45b?

nikongod · Oct 8, 2011

I just bought this camera, it looks neat.

Does anyone here know anything about them?

Pupfish · Oct 9, 2011

Jerevan · Oct 9, 2011

Here is a write-up for the camera, maybe it'll get you some more insights into the camera you just bought: http://www.largeformatphotography.info/meridian/meridian.html

nikongod · Oct 9, 2011

Thanks guys, very nice!

Pupfish · Oct 10, 2011

Nikongod, did you happen to score the museum-quality Meridian 45B that was on eBay in the past week?

The Dhananjay article was written, unfortunately, by someone writing their first impressions of the Meridian 45B, not all that familiar with the camera and perhaps not all that familiar with LF in general. It references a replacement GG that is no longer available. There's really very little about what lenses fit.

A Google search will turn up a number of other articles and a lot of APUG, Graflex.org, and LFF threads on the Meridian.

I have a pair of Meridians, one of them quite unique.

nikongod · Oct 11, 2011

Pupfish said:
Nikongod, did you happen to score the museum-quality Meridian 45B that was on eBay in the past week?

Nope. CraigsList is good to me.

Mine is far from mint, with the leatherette peeling up in pretty much all places. The longer focusing track was jammed up realllllllllllly tight, but I got it moving after cleaning gummed-up grease off of the tracks & gears. The little aluminum button-catch to open the barn-door over the ground glass is corroded shut, but thankfully the whole mess comes off so I can at least use the ground glass.

I kind of preffer it this way, I'd never be able to shoot a mint/50year old camera in good conscience. If i ever find something worth a 4X5" piece of film I will have no qualms busting this out.

Pupfish · Oct 11, 2011

Even a mint (or extremely rare) Meridian isn't so valuable that I've had any conscience problems! The museum-quality one was only bid up to slightly more than what I recently got for a less-than-mint Nikon F5...

If yours is really, really trashed the bellows might need some repairs-- Plasti-Dip applied sparingly would be the first choice for pinholes (netiher of mine has ever pin-holed). A couple of other challenges to your old Meridian 45B may be the friction locks on the back posts (getting them to lock securely) and disassembly to free up the rotating back if it's stuck (don't just spray it with lube).

Jim Noel · Oct 11, 2011

Pupfish said:
Even a mint (or extremely rare) Meridian isn't so valuable that I've had any conscience problems! The museum-quality one was only bid up to slightly more than what I recently got for a less-than-mint Nikon F5...

If yours is really, really trashed the bellows might need some repairs-- Plasti-Dip applied sparingly would be the first choice for pinholes (netiher of mine has ever pin-holed). A couple of other challenges to your old Meridian 45B may be the friction locks on the back posts (getting them to lock securely) and disassembly to free up the rotating back if it's stuck (don't just spray it with lube).

Artists black acrylic paint works even better than Plastidip. It can be applied thinner and it stays elastic. Also easier to obtain in a lot of communities.

Pupfish · Oct 13, 2011

Jim, could be but I haven't had occasion to know better--my two 60+ year old Meridians have never been patched and don't leak light. FWIW, it may have occurred but I've yet to hear of a Meridian bellows that isn't still light-tight.

Meridians had what were among the earliest synthetic bellows. They were made from DuPont Fabrikoid, as was the nauga-like body covering. It's an early plastic fabric coating made from nitrocellulose (akin early celluloid, non-safety film). Also used on Model T roofs, so I've heard.

Meridian 45b?

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