View Cameras

When it comes to view cameras, the name Deardorff should automatically come to mind. Laben F. Deardorff of Chicago was a camera repairman for Rochester Camera Company for some 30 years before creating the very first 8 X 10 Deardorff in the 1920s.

Taking his influence from the English Folding Field camera, Deardorff designed a view camera called the V8 with rear swing and tilt, triple extension bed, front tilt and a rising panel for changing the image position without refocusing or changing the tilt settings. In 1926, this handmade camera went commercial with brass and metal parts. A feature of these first Deardorff’s was the special gold paint, which was used so there would be less work preparing the metal.

The Deardorff was obviously a heavy camera that was used on a tripod. Its creator felt that unlike other cameras of the time such as Agfas, Anscos, Kodak and Carlton, a camera should have less limited movement when it came to its optical properties. A sliding lens board panel served to adjust the image on the ground glass without readjusting the front tilt.

A lens board consists of a flat board in a square shape made of either metal or wood. It is designed to lock securely into the front standard of the view camera. While most in Deardorff’s day were square, he introduced ones with rounded corners.

From 1936 to 1948, the Baby featured a flexible mid-section or bellows attached to a device that held a sheet of film, a photo plate at one end and a similar plate at the other to hold the lens. Initially, two wooden strips attached to the top of the bed of the camera to support the front and rear extensions and took 3 ½ X 3 ½-inch round cornered lens boards, which allowed for up to a 4 X 5 inch negative.

Since the center was flexible, a photographer could move the front and rear standards to move the lens and film plate independently for more precise control of focus, depth of field and perspective. About 500 Baby Deardorffs were made during that time.

While some people mistake the old Deardorffs as antiques, they are still used today by both amateur and professional photographers who want full control over their images. To use this type of camera, you open the shutter on the lens to compose and focus the image on a ground glass plate on the rear standard. We’ve all seen those old movies where a photographer uses a dark cloth over this type of camera. That’s because viewing can be difficult in bright light. Today, you can get a Fresnel lens to decrease the brightness or a loupe for critical focus.

In order to take a photograph, the ground glass with a metal frame is displaced via springs and a film holder is inserted. The shutter is then closed, the shutter speed and aperture set. Then the darkslide of the film holder is removed to reveal the sheet of film. The shutter is then triggered to make the exposure.

Users find that most sheet film holders are interchangeable between brands and models of view cameras. However, you can get special film holders and accessories as well. A standard sheet film allows for one exposure and can be anywhere from 4 X 5 inches to 30 X 40 inches.

A variety of view cameras are now available including the Monorail camera made by Toyo, ARCA-Swiss and Sinar, which are most often used in photo studios. Its design allows for maximum movement, with both front and rear standards that can tilt, shift, rise, fall and swing.

Landscape photographers can still use a field view camera, like a Wisner or Tachihara. They are more compact and lightweight than the Monorail, but offer less movement. However, these cameras can use 11 X 14-inch film or larger and even panoramic film sizes such as 8 X 20 inches. Some people referred to them as the Banquet camera, as they were used to take shots of large, posed groups of people.

News photographers used to use the Press and Technical cameras. These more portable models were designed to fold up. Some were equipped with rangefinders and viewfinders as well. While these cameras are very sturdy, they are also quite heavy. During the old Hollywood days and World War 2, the Speed Graphic was the camera of choice for the American photojournalist.

Both telephoto and wide-angle lenses can be used with the view cameras, such as those offered by Schneider Kreuznach, Nikon, Rodenstock, Fuginon and Wisner. However, very long telephoto lenses or extra short wide angles may require that the camera be fitted with special “bag bellows” to get the subject into proper focus.

While view cameras generally use sheet film, they can be modified for using roll film as well by installing roll film holders. Just remember that the larger film format gives you a more detailed picture with less grain or loss of quality. They are also easier to print, as you don’t have to worry about enlarged negatives. As well, using the sheet film eliminates converging lines when the camera is angled.

If you prefer point-and-shoot capability, a view camera is definitely not what you’re looking for. View cameras are fully manual and require that you know exactly what you want in your shot before you take it. They are also much