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Deardorff Camera

dave massolo

New member
Looking at buying a 4x5 Special Deardorff with possibly the 5x7 back. Are there any issues I should be aware of with this camera?
Thanks
 

Lars

Active member
Just the regular caveats for any old view camera - watch out for excessive flex when extended, and light leaks in bellows.
 

DDudenbostel

Active member
I've used 8x10 and 4x5 commercially since 1969 and still use one for pleasure. Fabulous cameras and if taken care of will withstand the heaviest of professional use for a lifetime. I recently bought a 4x5 special from s longtime commercial photog friend who bought it new in 1960. It has one tiny pinhole in the corner of the bellows that has been fixed but otherwise it works like new. I shows use but it had probably seen a couple hundred thousand sheets of film through it. My 8x10 that I used commercially since 1972 was built in the early 30's. I updated to front swings in the mid 70's and put a new bellows on it and shot probably 10,000 sheets through it doing catalogs. It wasn't pretty but worked great.
 
S

sully75

Guest
I just bought and then sold a 5x7 special (same camera). I found it to be pretty heavy and clunky. Of course they are great cameras, but I'm glad to not be slinging that over my shoulder anymore.
 
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