Want to Buy WTB: 5x7 film holders, reducing back.

Stephanie Brim · Oct 22, 2012

5 or so film holders for 5x7. Cosmetics don't matter. Must be light tight, but I assume we all know that.

Also might as well put my unicorn out here: I'd also like a 5x7 to 4x5 reducing back for a Burke & James view camera. If you know of one available, or have one, I'd like to know about it and how much I'd have to twist your arm to get you to part with it. It would basically give me something to do with the 100-ish sheets of 4x5 I can't use now because some kids destroyed my Speed Graphic. Yes, I cried. Yes, I yelled. No, the parents don't actually know. *sigh*

bdial · Oct 22, 2012

Speeds can survive a lot of abuse, what happened to it?

herb · Oct 22, 2012

Stephanie Brim said:
5 or so film holders for 5x7. Cosmetics don't matter. Must be light tight, but I assume we all know that.

Also might as well put my unicorn out here: I'd also like a 5x7 to 4x5 reducing back for a Burke & James view camera. If you know of one available, or have one, I'd like to know about it and how much I'd have to twist your arm to get you to part with it. It would basically give me something to do with the 100-ish sheets of 4x5 I can't use now because some kids destroyed my Speed Graphic. Yes, I cried. Yes, I yelled. No, the parents don't actually know. *sigh*

View attachment 58742

I have a lot of 5x7 holders, $10ea delivered, tell me how many and I will send em off.

Herb

rkmiec · Oct 22, 2012

A 4x5 pinhole camera would be a cheaper option than a back. Just a thought.

Vaughn · Oct 22, 2012

bdial said:
Speeds can survive a lot of abuse, what happened to it?

They can survive a lot of hard use, but not abuse. As a parent of triplet boys, I can easily imagine what they could do to a Speed -- there's glass, bellows material and all sorts of bendy metal parts that hands can 'play' with. And this does not even come close to what kids can do if they get the idea into their heads to want to destroy something. I kept my photo stuff in a different building altogether!

Stephanie -- sorry to hear about your camera.

johnielvis · Oct 22, 2012

I think I got a 4x5 adapter for that---contact me with measurements and I'll check if what I have fits

Stephanie Brim · Oct 22, 2012

johnielvis said:
I think I got a 4x5 adapter for that---contact me with measurements and I'll check if what I have fits

WOO HOO!

Lemme go get my tape measure...

8 and 3/8 inches square.

Just so you know, I checked Ebay and Igor and KEH and about everyone else who deals in used large format gear I could find, so...yeah.

...except the Large Format Photography forum. *headdesk*

If yours won't fit, I'll see if I can still login over there and ask the guys. If I can't find an original back, I'm going to build one.

Stephanie Brim · Oct 22, 2012

rkmiec said:
A 4x5 pinhole camera would be a cheaper option than a back. Just a thought.

I thought about pinhole and my daughter, who is turning 5, likes the idea. We'll be doing that, too, and I'll likely be fashioning a basic back to stick 4x5 film holders in.

Stephanie Brim · Oct 22, 2012

Vaughn said:
They can survive a lot of hard use, but not abuse. As a parent of triplet boys, I can easily imagine what they could do to a Speed -- there's glass, bellows material and all sorts of bendy metal parts that hands can 'play' with. And this does not even come close to what kids can do if they get the idea into their heads to want to destroy something. I kept my photo stuff in a different building altogether!

Stephanie -- sorry to hear about your camera.

The worst thing is that the kids who did this weren't mine. Heh.

I'll probably get another eventually, but I don't know.

Vaughn · Oct 22, 2012

If the Speed still has the back intact (no need for a GG -- just has to hold the film holder), you might be all set with what you got left of the Speed.

I think have a 4x5 back somewhere that came off a knock-off of a Deardorff Special -- if I can remember, I'll measure it tonight.

Vaughn

Stephanie Brim · Oct 22, 2012

Vaughn said:
If the Speed still has the back intact (no need for a GG -- just has to hold the film holder), you might be all set with what you got left of the Speed.

I think have a 4x5 back somewhere that came off a knock-off of a Deardorff Special -- if I can remember, I'll measure it tonight.

Vaughn

The back is half there. The spring part is gone. I could fashion something with rubber bands, but I may as well make a pinhole if I'm going to do that. If I can get the shutter working, I'm going to restore the thing, starting with the cosmetics and ending with a replacement shutter. If I can't, I'm going to make it into a really interesting pinhole camera. The shutter nob works smoothly now that I've figured out how the kids ripped the thing, but the trip lever is frozen.

I started a thread over in the LF forum about it. I took the back off and started messing with the shutter.

Old-N-Feeble · Oct 23, 2012

I've got your 4x5 back. It's adapted with a Graflex back. Recently refinished with fresh B&J gray paint and new foam light seals. Fit is excellent.

Stephanie Brim · Oct 24, 2012

Woot, taken care of!

Want to Buy WTB: 5x7 film holders, reducing back.

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency