Need help with new olde field camera

I've just inherited a nice old 5x7 field camera, in need of some attention,
but soon to be functional. The nameplate (on the front standard, white
ivoroid) says "Universal Manufactured by Rochester Optical Co. Rochester
N.Y.". I'm not positive, but the wood looks to be mahogany (possibly Honduran).

Interestingly, it's stamped, on the bottom, with another name: "WG Phipps",
along with Rochester Optical. "WG Phipps" is also stamped into the top of the
tripod mount bushing on the drop bed.

My main question about this camera, apart from any historical notes which I'd
be interested to hear, concerns film holders. The camera came with none, and
I'm wondering what I'll need to get in order to use it. It comes with a very
nice spring ground-glass back (the glass is broken, but it's otherwise
intact). Did this camera take any kind of "standard" holders? Where would I be
likely to find some? Anybody out there got any they don't need?

Then, of course, there's the question of lenses. There's no lensboard (but
that's a total no-brainer with this camera). I suppose I ought to at least
find out which old-tyme lenses were used with this guy, in case I want to
outfit it in vintage glass. Otherwise, I figure any good lens circa 210mm
ought to do for starters.


--
.... but never have I encountered a guy who could not be bothered
to make his own case on his own show.

- Eric Alterman on his appearance on Dennis Miller's bomb of a show
on CNBC (3/17/04)

Best I can do, antique camera sites:

http://members.aol.com/dcolucci/
(Links galore, best resource)
http://www.antiquewoodcameras.com/
http://classic-camera.com/indexE.html
http://www.phsc.ca/ (The Photographic
Historical Society of Canada)
http://www.cosmonet.org/ (The Classic
Camera)
http://www.photoethnography.com/
http://www.historiccamera.com/index.html
http://www.eastman.org/

Hope this helps,

Alex

On 3/23/2004 9:08 PM David Nebenzahl spake thus:

I've just inherited a nice old 5x7 field camera, in need of some attention,
but soon to be functional. The nameplate (on the front standard, white
ivoroid) says "Universal Manufactured by Rochester Optical Co. Rochester
N.Y.". I'm not positive, but the wood looks to be mahogany (possibly Honduran).

Apparently it's a "Universal" model; I just found one on *bay just like mine
(but in better condition):

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=3806085003

(this one has a Prosch Duplex shutter).


--
.... but never have I encountered a guy who could not be bothered
to make his own case on his own show.

- Eric Alterman on his appearance on Dennis Miller's bomb of a show
on CNBC (3/17/04)

In article , David Nebenzahl
wrote:

On 3/23/2004 9:08 PM David Nebenzahl spake thus:

I've just inherited a nice old 5x7 field camera, in need of some attention,
but soon to be functional. The nameplate (on the front standard, white
ivoroid) says "Universal Manufactured by Rochester Optical Co. Rochester
N.Y.". I'm not positive, but the wood looks to be mahogany (possibly
Honduran).

An aside - Mahogany is nothing special to most North American photograhers
needs. There are harder, better woods for sure. Earlier wood might indeed
be a mahogany, but in a camera to be used here - who cares?

If you want to look at the 'better idea' to come out of Rochester New
York, look to the Connelley (sp) Cameras. The founders of that group left
Rochester NY to join friends in Minnesota (the Mayo (clinic) Brothers
family) and ironically (not) to establish their factory in Rochester,
Minnesota.

On 3/25/2004 9:29 AM jjs spake thus:

In article , David Nebenzahl
wrote:

On 3/23/2004 9:08 PM David Nebenzahl spake thus:

I've just inherited a nice old 5x7 field camera, in need of some attention,
but soon to be functional. The nameplate (on the front standard, white
ivoroid) says "Universal Manufactured by Rochester Optical Co. Rochester
N.Y.". I'm not positive, but the wood looks to be mahogany (possibly
Honduran).

An aside - Mahogany is nothing special to most North American photograhers
needs. There are harder, better woods for sure. Earlier wood might indeed
be a mahogany, but in a camera to be used here - who cares?

Harder, sure; mahogony is about midway on the scale of hardwood hardnesses.
But better? I don't think so. Mahogony's one of the most stable woods there
is. I know this from a previous life where I was a guitar repairperson:
there's a good reason most good-quality guitar necks are made from this wood
(Honduran mahogony in the better instruments, Phillipine in lesser ones): it's
the best stuff to resist the more than hundred pounds tension (in a
steel-string guitar, anyhow) without warping, twisting or bowing.

So, aside from this, is there anything you can tell me about this camera? I'm
gluing pieces of it back together one at a time (the bed is in several pieces
and then I've got to rebuild the front standard).


--
.... but never have I encountered a guy who could not be bothered
to make his own case on his own show.

- Eric Alterman on his appearance on Dennis Miller's bomb of a show
on CNBC (3/17/04)

In article , David Nebenzahl
wrote:

On 3/25/2004 9:29 AM jjs spake thus:

An aside - Mahogany is nothing special to most North American photograhers
needs. There are harder, better woods for sure. Earlier wood might indeed
be a mahogany, but in a camera to be used here - who cares?

Harder, sure; mahogony is about midway on the scale of hardwood hardnesses.
But better? I don't think so. Mahogony's one of the most stable woods there
is. [...]

The difficulty of finding real Mahagany is greater than my need for its
virtues. I just don't need it that much.

On 3/26/2004 7:36 AM jjs spake thus:

In article , David Nebenzahl
wrote:

On 3/25/2004 9:29 AM jjs spake thus:

An aside - Mahogany is nothing special to most North American photograhers
needs. There are harder, better woods for sure. Earlier wood might indeed
be a mahogany, but in a camera to be used here - who cares?

Harder, sure; mahogony is about midway on the scale of hardwood hardnesses.
But better? I don't think so. Mahogony's one of the most stable woods there
is. [...]

The difficulty of finding real Mahagany is greater than my need for its
virtues. I just don't need it that much.

Well, sure; the huge old trees were all plundered in the last century. Same
goes for the mythical Brazilian rosewood, which Martin used for its high-end
guitars (D-28+) up until the 1960s, after which the supply was cut off.

But there are still plenty of good tropical hardwoods available, as I'm sure
you know: cocobolo, purpleheart, rosewood from other places.

Kind of like using ivory these days for anything; better to find a substitute
than to actually consider murdering Loxodonta Africanus for it.


--
.... but never have I encountered a guy who could not be bothered
to make his own case on his own show.

- Eric Alterman on his appearance on Dennis Miller's bomb of a show
on CNBC (3/17/04)

"David Nebenzahl" wrote in message
...
[...]
But there are still plenty of good tropical hardwoods available, as I'm
sure
you know: cocobolo, purpleheart, rosewood from other places.

Kind of like using ivory these days for anything; better to find a
substitute
than to actually consider murdering Loxodonta Africanus for it.

Whew, that statement has a real sting to it. I had best study up.

FWIW, I'm really in love with some maple I got from plundering old sofas
being thrown out. Old wood, some very nice figuring. I'm afraid that our
grandchilren will look back on these as the good old days.

"David Nebenzahl" wrote in message
...

Since I don't have an email address for you, I'll post here to sha
http://www.exoticwood.biz/exotic-woods.htm

"David Nebenzahl" wrote in message ...
On 3/25/2004 9:29 AM jjs spake thus:

In article , David Nebenzahl
wrote:

On 3/23/2004 9:08 PM David Nebenzahl spake thus:

I've just inherited a nice old 5x7 field camera, in need of some attention,
but soon to be functional. The nameplate (on the front standard, white
ivoroid) says "Universal Manufactured by Rochester Optical Co. Rochester
N.Y.". I'm not positive, but the wood looks to be mahogany (possibly
Honduran).

An aside - Mahogany is nothing special to most North American photograhers
needs. There are harder, better woods for sure. Earlier wood might indeed
be a mahogany, but in a camera to be used here - who cares?

Harder, sure; mahogony is about midway on the scale of hardwood hardnesses.
But better? I don't think so. Mahogony's one of the most stable woods there
is. I know this from a previous life where I was a guitar repairperson:
there's a good reason most good-quality guitar necks are made from this wood
(Honduran mahogony in the better instruments, Phillipine in lesser ones): it's
the best stuff to resist the more than hundred pounds tension (in a
steel-string guitar, anyhow) without warping, twisting or bowing.

So, aside from this, is there anything you can tell me about this camera? I'm
gluing pieces of it back together one at a time (the bed is in several pieces
and then I've got to rebuild the front standard).


--
... but never have I encountered a guy who could not be bothered
to make his own case on his own show.

- Eric Alterman on his appearance on Dennis Miller's bomb of a show
on CNBC (3/17/04)


I suggest, if you're going to re-use screws (or get new screws),
go to Sears or a hardware store and buy a tube of loc-tite to
fill the old screw-holes first then put in the screws. Fill about
half way, It's what the stuff is made for and works excellently.

Alex