Since I’ve sold the Hunter Penrose camera I though I might as well fix up one of the project cameras that sit on top of the darkroom.
Here’s the 12×15 inch Houghton & Sons tailboard camera. It’s had a good clean, bellows repaired with book binding tape but not replaced, and a Dallmeyer 4d attached to the front. Some of the woodwork is a little loose, if you were moving it off the camera stand often it might concern me. As it’s kept on this stand, it doesn’t.
Two of the three wooden plate holders were salvageable. The third being used for parts for the second.
Whilst packing for the Phoenix Festival I thought I’d get the larger silver tank out and put a plate through the camera quickly, to make sure the bellows are light tight. I had some old Old Workhorse collodion (12 month old) and some fresh developer. Result… A 12×15 inch ambrotype. Not bad at all.
Depth of field at f6 is still rather limited.
I still can’t see me wanting to contact print any larger than 12×15 inches so I’m happy to keep this as my largest studio camera, and I still have the Lancaster 12×15 field camera.
Next, fix up that 10×8 studio camera.