Vintage Rochester Optical Standard Wooden 8x10 Camera W 5x7 Back & Kodak Lens

Vintage Rochester Optical Standard Wood & Brass 8x10 Camera 5x7 Back. Lens is a Bausch and Lomb Rapid Rectilinear lens in Kodak ball bearing shutter. I think it is a 6 or 6 1/2 inch lens. Lens - Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. 3¼×4¼, 4x5, 4¼6½, 5x7, 5x8, 6½x8½, or 8x10'' plates, field view camera. There is a defect in the clamping system that holds the camera open. Does not affect its use for Display purposes but would need to be repaired to use the camera. I can provide other detailed images if youre interested.

Standard View Camera, Wood& Brass, 6½x8½, 1890s A classic-looking back-focusing view camera from 125 years ago. Model History: The Rochester Optical Co. Started manufacturing view cameras in 1883. The Standard View is their only offering of a back-focus, tapered bellows view camera.

In 1899, Rochester Optical Co. Merged with 4 other camera manufacturers to form the Rochester Optical & Camera Co. The Standard View model was dropped in favor of the almost identical Favorite (a product of one of the other merging companies).

And, within a few years, all back focus only cameras would become extinct, in favor of cameras capable of both front and back focusing. Configuration: This camera is rear focus only via a push-pull arrangement and locked by a thumbscrew on the right of the base rail.

The back is double swing, the front to back swing controlled by a thumbscrew on the right side of the rear standard, and the side to side swing controlled by thumbscrews on the underside of the rear standard. There is a rising front, controlled with a small thumbscrew on each side of the front standard. The rear track hinges up for compact storage.

The back is square and clips off so that the format can be changed from horizontal or vertical. The plate holder is inserted under the spring-held ground glass frame just like more modern view cameras, but modern film holders will not fit this camera exactly (and therefore leak light around their edges). You have to have a Rochester Optical-type holder, and none comes with this camera. There is a tripod screw on the bottom that does fit modern tripods.

Materials and Condition: The base of this camera is cherry. The remainder is fine-grained, plain mahogany, as befits this simple, workhorse camera.