need early camera photography gurus, experts, or amateurs.

[dobro1956]

I have acquired a new camera. Im wondering if it is period correct for my late teens to 1930s era camping equipment. It is a Korona, wood box bellows type camera. Im pretty sure it is dry plate 5x7. The rear focusing glass is 5x7. It sits on a Korona tripod. The lens is an auto timer type. The pipe for the pneumatic bulb type shutter is there but capped off. You can see three holes where a pneumatic shutter may have been originally but there are no threads that I can see in the screw holes. I know there were roll film snapshot cameras by then but Im hoping this may be correct for landscapes and professional types of camping photos of the 20s - 30s.

[dobro1956]

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[dobro1956]

[John E. Guitar]

Lens needs a clean but looks good otherwise.

http://www.piercevaubel.com/cam/gundlach/view.htm

[Pep C Strebeck]

Mark Osterman, I am looking in your general direction. He may be able to offer you some advice/info.

[John kuehn]

Is that an old time camera that you would use a cover or drape over the see thru lens to get the shot?

[dobro1956]

John. Yes . You need the drape over your head to see the image on the glass pane in the rear of the camera. You watch the image as you focus the camera by extending or shortening the bellows length. The image on the glass will be backwards and upside down. I'm no expert by no means but that is how I think it works.

[Distagon2]

Ansel Adams used a Korona view camera, much like the one you show in the pictures. His was not a dry-plate camera and I believe he used his in the 30's and 40's but I have no idea how old his camera was at that point. Here is some information on his equipment:

https://alexgubski.com/ansel-adams-photography

[Mark Osterman]

Sure, I can help you with this camera. We use view cameras all the time in our business. It’s actually a newer camera than what we generally use. Can even teach you how to make the gelatin emulsion on glass plates that were used in that camera. See our website www.collodion.org

[dobro1956]

Hi Mark. Was hoping you would chime in. I'm mostly wanting to know if the camera is period correct for landscapes and camping type photos. For now I probably will be using the camara as a prop, and stage my photos using my modern DSLR camera , or my go-pro to actually take the photos.. Then convert to black and white for digital use or print in black and white. I do think everything works and may even have a new bellows. ?? What type of photo was being produced with these in 1920s thu the 1930s? For example, cabinet cards, simple photo in a display folio/folder, or just photo. I have the focus screen.. but think I still need the plate holders. Since my lens/shutter is a timer type, is it posible a photogropher replaced the pneumatic shutter with the timer type? Maybe making a custom "hot rod" camera . Thanks for any help you may give.

[Mark Osterman]

It’s a nice view camera and that type was made from the model T era up to the 1950s in most cases. It would be an advanced amateur to professional grade. In the model T era both sheet (flexible) film and glass plates were used for that type camera and there were film/plate holders specific to either film or plate.

The camera was used for both indoor and landscape shooting. The lens is fine. It does have different shutter speeds but also the B and T settings. The T setting means time, and you would push the shutter button once to open the diaphragm … and then push it again to close the diaphragm at the end of the exposure. This is for time exposures like building interiors or night photography. The B setting is for flash. When you push the shutter release button the diaphragm opens and stays open and as long as you have the button pushed it would stay open. As soon as you release the button the diaphragm closes. It is called “B” because generally you would use a length of rubber tubing connected to the shutter release and a rubber squeeze bulb. The B setting is what you see in the 1920s movies with flash powder. You squeeze the bulb to open the lens …. pop the flash while it’s open … and then release the bulb to close the diaphragm.

There were different reducing backs for these cameras but roll film wasn’t as popular since there were already large folding roll film cameras.

[dobro1956]

Thanks Mark. I was hoping it was of the era. It was one of those deals that was so low priced there was no way to pass it up. I may need some help trying to get the correct plate or film holders if I want to actually try to use it.

[Wayne Sheldon]

Neat stuff!

[jiminbartow]

There is probably a “Pat’d.” date stamped on one of the nickeled metal parts. Take a close look in a good light. I would guess 1890’s or early 1900’s. Jim Patrick