Nice antique 5X7 field camera

[Wakuta]

I'm trying to find out any info on this fine old camera. Make , year made or anythng would be helpful. The base doesn't have a place to attach a trypod. Instead the matchng legs attach to the bottom by compressing the legs togeather. Click on my link to see pictures. http://s685.photobucket.com/albums/vv217/rw_wakuta/

 

[Ian Grant]

I identified a very similar camera on the LFPinfo Forum about a year ago, I think is was made in Japan.

Will have to see if I can find my post there, at the time I'd just been looking at an identical camera on Ebay. It's the chromed parts that mean it's not British, but it isn't a US made camera.

Ian

 

[Ian Grant]

Same camera, made by Okuhara Camera MFG of Osaka, see this page and Dead Link Removed. There are no dates but most likely 1920's/30's, the design is English style rather than American.

Unfortunately the original photo is no longer there but it was the same model. Oh & welcome to APUG BTW.

Ian

 

[Uncle Jim]

Hi wakuta,

I have the big brother to your camera. It's 8 x 15. The metal work and catches that lock the back and front standard are the same. Mine came from India. There is a very small decal on the back that reads 'Vageeswari Camera Works, Alleepiy, India. There was a very similar 5 x 7 in ebay. It sold a few days ago. Hope this helps.

uncle jim

 

[Ian Grant]

Jim, there are some slight subtle differences between the Vageeswari Camera's and the Okuhara's, but as they are both copied from an earlier British camera they are remarkably similar.

However the Vageeswari's usually have brass plates on the front/top corners of the focus rail, the ones on this camera appear to be set into the wood. It's not easy to be 100% conclusive, it's nice when you can trace a camera's history back to it's original owner.

Ian

 

[studiocarter]

Wakuta, thanks for posting that link to photobucket. That was my task for today, find a free place to host my images instead of hosting them myself and paying fees. Cool.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/studiocarter/ see my camera here
http://s822.photobucket.com/albums/zz148/studiocarter/ That is of my studio art; photographs and cameras will be added; this was just a start to see if it a good service for me.

I have the big BIG brother the the 8x15, a 12x15. Woo, Woo. Still needs work though. Lens board wood is 5/16 and my Baltic Birch plywood isn't that thick. Cardboard? Felt? Bellows needs to be checked.
Any information on the Vageeswari Camera Company would be welcome here.

 

[studiocarter]

The following is a quoted email from the man in India on ebay who sold me my Vageeswary cameras:

Dear studiocarter,

Hi Michael.
Vageeswari Camera Works were very successful in their field camera production and sales. They started their camera business in the early 1900 or late 19c, due to the abundant supply of teak wood they could meet the demand, it is said that there was a waiting period of 6 months to order a camera. VCW had technical collaboration with a British camera mfgs unsure of which. Unfortunately due to the advent of 35mm slr from the 1960's they slowly reduced their business drastically ultimately to close down for good in the 1970's.
Please let me know if you require any other details where I can help.
Thanks and regards
John


- alx.pk

 

[r_a_feldman]

There was a name plate on the back of yours, but it is missing. Your camera could be an Okuhara, as it is very similar to the 4 Okuhara cameras that I have seen pictured on the Web and the one that I own. However, it is not identical, although all of the Okuharas I have seen pictured are different. The main difference is that none of the others has the wooden ground glass protector.

Your camera is probably half-plate (4.75 x 6.5 inches ), not 5x7.

I do not know how old the cameras are. I emailed the library in Osaka, and they searched a number of business directories from the early 20th century for me, but they could not find any information on the Okuhara Camera Mfg. Co., Ltd. There were a number of companies that made similar cameras, including Chartan and Tanakaichi Seisakujo (Tokyo Daito). It looks like someone was making and wholesaling the metal fittings (supports, clips, tripod turntable, etc.) and a number of small shops (possibly woodworkers) were building the cameras with these parts and putting their own label on them. The same parts could have been making it to India, also.

My camera is pictured at http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showpost.php?p=463550&postcount=475 and at http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showpost.php?p=475856&postcount=6 .

Please let us know if you can find more information about the Okuhara cameras.

Bob

Edit -- Your camera has a metal "arrow" plate on the side of the back, like the Chartan pictured in a camera history book from the George Eastman House (I don't have the reference handy, unfortunately). None of the Okuharas I have seen have this arrow.