Sands & Hunter's Improved Tourist Camera

ajmiller · Sep 6, 2009

Bought this from an antique fair this morning. From what I've managed to find on Google the company were operating in the Strand in London between 1883 and 1890. It appears to be all there except I presume there's a piece of wood missing underneath to form a tripod baseboard?
On the front of the camera it has a label which says 'The Coronet Camera' and the rear label says 'Sands & Hunter's Improved Tourist Camera'. Where the lens goes it is stamped '18' and behind the lens housing it's stamped '180'.
It seems in good condition, a bit dusty but folds up nicely.

So, where do I go from here?
Can it be adapted for 5x4?
How do I identify what size film it uses?

Any help appreciated, thanks.

- Tony

Ian Grant · Sep 6, 2009

They were still there in 1954, Bedford Street, Strand, they were a distributor & importer, not sure when they stopped trading, but I think they were still around when I started in the late 60's.

Almost the same camera was made in India and Japan, Sands & Hunter sold camera's from many manufacturers, that model is most likely made after WWI, it's not listed in their pre-War adverts.

Measure the size of the glass, it's most likely Half plate.

Ian

TheFlyingCamera · Sep 6, 2009

There's no missing piece on the bottom- these were usually sold with a matching proprietary set of tripod legs that attached to the little triangular flanges poking out into the middle of the circle. You can easily adapt it to take a modern tripod with an appropriately sized piece of plywood cut to fit. This one didn't take film, it shot glass plates, in matching proprietary plate holders. If you want to shoot this with modern film and film holders, the easiest suggestion is to find a junked modern camera like a Speed or Crown Graphic or a Shen Hao or Tachihara and remove the back from it, and attach it to a piece of wood cut to fit the back of this camera.

ajmiller · Sep 6, 2009

Thanks Ian - the glass measures 6½" x 4¾" (16.5cm x 12cm) - is that half plate?

Tony

Ian Grant · Sep 6, 2009

Yes that's Half plate.

The address, 37 Bedford Street, was also used by Thorsch & Co Ltd, the UK importers of K.W. Camera's (after WWII K.W. became part of Praktica).

Ian

Mike1234 · Sep 6, 2009

Look for the correctly sized Crown type tripod. These are designed for the three-point bases.

ajmiller · Sep 6, 2009

Great - thanks for the replies.
Good idea about the 5x4 back from another camera - I was unsure about customising it but think I'll have a go.

ajmiller · Sep 7, 2009

Ok, I'm going to add a 5x4 back on this but now I'm wondering about lenses. Apologies in advance for this beginners questions - I have been Googling like hell but haven't found the answer.
The opening for the lensboard is 85mm square. The hole in the middle has a diameter of 70mm. What size lens mount would I be looking for - I've seen some vintage brass lenses on t'bay with 37mm, 40mm, 42mm and some larger - so I'm presuming any lens that fits in the 85mm lensboard will be ok? Is there any pitfalls to look out for?
any help appreciated

Tony

werra · Sep 7, 2009

LF beginner thoughts follow. Most significant pitfall would be length of the bellows. It may not be sufficient for longer lenses. Same about the wide lenses, bellows might not compress enough and there is a little room for movements even if you get infinite focus with centered wideangle lens. Medium range should be absolutely OK. Vintage brass lenses come usually without shutter, so you have to use lens cap as shutter as the simplest solution.

ajmiller · Sep 7, 2009

Thanks Werra...the bellows fully extended are approx 350mm in length from film holder to lensboard so I presume I'm looking at somewhere about 150mm - 210mm to be ok?

Tony

KenR · Sep 7, 2009

Restoration

Looks like a great project to restore the camera. I restored an old Kodak 2D camera. I didn't try to the bellows, I sent it away to have a new one made. Enjoy.

archphoto · Sep 7, 2009

To put it simple: you can make from plywood a lens plate for the camera and mount a 150mm in it for starters.
150mm is the "standard lens" for 4x5 inch.
If you want longer have a look at a 210mm or a 240mm, but measure the bellows first: min and max extension.
If ou want more wide-angle than the 150 you might look at a 120mm or even a 90mm Super Angulon or Grandagon.
All on new lens plates 'cause...

Goog looking camera, congrads !

Peter

ajmiller · Sep 7, 2009

archphoto said:
To put it simple: you can make from plywood a lens plate for the camera and mount a 150mm in it for starters.
150mm is the "standard lens" for 4x5 inch.
If you want longer have a look at a 210mm or a 240mm, but measure the bellows first: min and max extension.
If ou want more wide-angle than the 150 you might look at a 120mm or even a 90mm Super Angulon or Grandagon.
All on new lens plates 'cause...

Goog looking camera, congrads !

Peter

Excellent - thanks for the replies - I reckon I've been trying to make it more complicated than it is.

cheers
Tony

werra · Sep 7, 2009

Yes, I'd go with some 180mm Symmar for the start as 16.5cm x 12cm original glass means you can probably adapt your camera to 5x7/13x18 format as well. 180 covers it too. Or whatever similar you manage to get hold of.
I mounted 90/8 Super-Angulon to 5x7 Seneca Improved. Works, without any movements.

Sands & Hunter's Improved Tourist Camera

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