Criterion

[david_l3]

<p>Time to show my adventures with an old camera, a Criterion, made about 100 years ago, by Gundlach-Manhattan Optical Company in Rochester, NY. It came with a Wollensack lens with a non-functioning shutter and aperture, approximately 8 inches focal length, but it will cover 8X10. And also came with a Computar 180mm Symmetrigon that will not cover 8X10 at infinity. It also came with numerous quirks and light leaks, but she's all I have in 8X10. It took a major mount of cleaning and the lenses were looking bad until cleaned. Also had to vacuum lots of cobwebs and dust bunnies inside the bellows. This is my cat, Mercedes, checking for any stray mice that may have stowed away in the bellows.</p><div></div>

[david_l3]

<p>Taken with the 180mm Computar lens. Cypress Creek in NW Houston, Texas.</p><div></div>

[david_l3]

<p>Another with the Computar, at more than 1:1 magnification it doesn't vignette. </p><div></div>

[david_l3]

<p>last one, with my modern 210mm Nikon lens which just barely covers 8x10. All these were digitized with my Nikon D40 DSLR because my Epson 2450 scanner cannot scan 8x10. This project has more work-arounds than I ever thought possible. </p><div></div>

[JDMvW]

<p>Very nice even with the workarounds. Congratulations.</p>

[john_wiegerink1]

<p>David,<br>

Great job and its really fun playing with something like the old Gundlach. My very first view camera was the little brother to yours. A Gundlach 4x5 in very near mint condition. I had a Turner-Reich triple convertible for it and thought I had the world by the tail. I then traded up to a 4x5 Grapic View II, but I still think that I liked using the old Gundlach better. Both are gone now, but not forgotten. I still have 4x5 and 8x10 cameras, but just don't feel like lugging them around anymore. Maybe I should start taking vitamins and load some film holders and I might be ready by spring. Digital is neat, but LF film is perfection. JohnW</p>

[roseberry guitars]

<p>Very cool!</p>

<p>I like the first photo. I was thumbing through a book of Civil War photos the other day and that reminds me of the shots in that book.</p>

<p>"Lilies" is excellent too.</p>

[Rick_van_Nooij]

<p>Simply wonderful! It's always great to see one of these oldies brought back to life. And that first image really has that 100-year-old feel to it. The Lilly is very nice too.</p>

<p>Great Job!</p>

[User_503771]

<p>Ahhhh, large format! You've got some beautiful work there, both on the camera and the images.</p>

<p>Funny isn't it, that cameras of this style and similar were the "normal" camera not so long ago. Rochester was "Camera City" with lots of companies competing for the camera dollar. And the craftsmanship that went into them is first rate, so it really is worth the effort to press one of these old cameras back into service.</p>

<p>Well done, and hope to see more photos!</p>

[chuck_foreman1]

Indeed. Lovely camera and excellent work That Lily is spectacular as is that Computar! I've never had the opportunity to try such a LF. I think restoring this camera to wroking condition was a real challenge.

The results are great! I hope you have some more film and more experiments to post in the near future!

[rick_drawbridge]

<p>Beautiful, <strong>David</strong> , there really isn't a substitute for large negative size, especially when it comes to flowers. Your lilies are superb...I don't know if you're familiar with the work of the late Robert Mapplethorpe, but your photograph is reminiscent of much of his work. The Mapplethorp Foundation is worth a visit: http://www.mapplethorpe.org/</p>