8x10 Gundlach-- does anyone use one?

[chris_jordan3]

Hey guys. I'm thinking about buying an 8x10 camera for outdoor/street

use and came across a good deal on an 8x10 Gundlach with Super Symmar

210 HM plus, all in excellent condition. Any comments on whether this

is a good "user" setup, what its limitations are, etc.?

 

thanks,

 

~chris jordan (Seattle)

[james___]

I use a very old Gunlach Wizard and it works great. It has front and rear rails and other than a little slpo which can be taken up with shims it works great. The springs on the back were weak so I put new material on it so that the film holder was firm.

[conrad_hoffman]

Don't know beans about the cameras, but you might find this link interesting- http://www.nwmangum.com/Kodak/Rochester.html#Rudolf%20Kingslake

[paul_coppin]

If the camera is physically in good shape, it might very well be good place to start, unless you do much architecture. Many of the early cameras are limited in movements or range of movements, particularly on the front standard. My Anthony Normandie (ca 1900) only has rise and fall on the front, tilt and swing on the back, but this is not a limit for most landscape and portrait shots. These cameras tend not to be quite as rigid as newer ones - I made a wooden camera plate that mounts to my tripod screw, and the camera mounts to the plate via a standard 1/4-20 screw and insert that a former owner had put in the bottom frame. I didn't favour using that mount alone as there was a lot of overhang, and in particular, the extension rails were unsupported - the plate gives them something to rest on, which stiffens and aids the focusing track. Plate was made of oak to match the camera so it looks good too. Many of these early cameras were intended to be used on a hinged plate, rather than the typical single screw tripod mount we use today. As most of these cameras were mass produced for a burgeoning market, they can be a bit fragile. Generally tho, if its in good shape and cheap, you may basically be paying for the lens alone. 210 of course is a modest wide angle in 8x10. Since the movements on my Normandie are not as broad as a modern 8x10, a corollary benefit was that two of my 4x5 lenses, a 210 Symmar-S and a nikkor 240W give coverage - I didn't need to rush out and buy more lenses to get the camera working. I even suspect that my Fuji 90 SWD might cover the format as well - have to make a lensboard for it. The most critical area on an old camera may be the bellows - if the bellows has to be replaced, the purchase might not be cost effective, unless the seller is willing to reduce the camera price a lot (to a $100 or less, camera itself shouldn't be much more than $300 unless there is something special abt it). Having to buy a new bellows might bring the camera into the price range of a used more modern camera. Also, make sure any unique hardware is in good condition and/or servicable, as these pieces can be impossible to find and may or may not be easy to fabricate.

Still - its kinda neat taking pictures with a camera that was sold before the Wright Brothers flew, before it was possible to buy a serious car, before even many homes had electricity. A site you might look at is www.fiberq.com\cam\.