This evening I finally fixed the broken focus knob and shaft on my Seneca View Camera. I was going to order new gears when upon closer inspection I found that the gears on the broken shaft were soldered on. I torched them off and replaced the plated brass shaft with a 3/16 inch brass shaft. It was easy when I got the gears aligned with the racks. It works better than my Kodak.
I have an 8x10 Improved Seneca View. It needs a new belows too, it's got lots of gaffers tape all over the corners. Took an hour to tape it up it was so bad.
It's a beast compared to my Technika IV, so it sits in the corner mostly unused. But occasionally, every few years, I haul it out. 8x10 Velvia is just beatiful!
I have a 5x7 Improved Seneca. Nice light camera, although the bellows have a few pinholes which limits it's use. I also tend to shoot most of my 5x7 on my 8x10 camera with a reduction back now that I've made an adaptor board to let me put my homemade Seneca boards onto my 2D.
This evening I finally fixed the broken focus knob and shaft on my Seneca View Camera. I was going to order new gears when upon closer inspection I found that the gears on the broken shaft were soldered on. I torched them off and replaced the plated brass shaft with a 3/16 inch brass shaft. It was easy when I got the gears aligned with the racks. It works better than my Kodak.
Curt, I have a 1904 Seneca Improved 8x10 in very good condition. I love the fact that it is light weight and reasonablly sturdy. I've had it raked all the way out (28" extension) and it is great. No wind of course.
Some how I ended up with two 2D and two Seneca cameras. That's two 5X and two 8X. The Seneca is the lighter one in both formats. Why couldn't the lens boards be the same for my 4X, 5X, 8X cameras? I should put them on small boards then make adapters for the different sizes. I have too many cameras and too many lenses! My 5X 2D has an extension rail and racks way out with no light leaks. My 8X Seneca has an extension rail also and racks way out too. The other two need new bellows or a lot of tape and don't have extension rails.