Hi, I'm thinking about purchasing a Deardorff 5x7/4x5 and am wondering if Deardorff or anybody else ever made a back for this camera that would accept grafloc type roll film backs (like the horseman 6x9)? I haven't seen one listed on ebay yet, so it makes me wonder if they exist! While I'm here, are there any other major drawbacks to this system?

Thanks, DL

-- Dennis Lee (Captdennislee@earthlink.net), March 25, 2001

Answers

Deardorff was in business from 1923 to 1988.

In that time, there is very little they DIDN't make. Revolving, not just rotating Graflock backs exist, but yeah, they're hard to come by and they go for a pretty penny. Well, actually, not a pretty penny, just a WHOLE BUNCH of ugly ones.

-- Sean yates (yatescats@yahoo.com), March 25, 2001.

Dennis: Take your pick. There is a non-revolving graflock (grafloc?) back for the "4X5 Special" Deardorff, and a neat but heavy revolving 4X5 back as well. Lens & Repro seems to have these perpetually listed on their website, $600 for the revolving one in like new condition, $300-$325 for the non-revolving one or something like that. They do occasionally show up on eBay. I have the 4X5 special and like it a lot. The only drawback I can see to putting a roll film back on there is that you are working up to quite a bit of weight to shoot a medium format negative.

-- Kevin Crisp (krcrisp@aol.com), March 25, 2001.

Thanks for the info guys! I love this site!

This makes me feel a lot better about getting into this camera. I've got a couple nice roll film backs that I'd like to use for both variations and backing up larger format portraits. Guess I'll start saving those penneys again!

DL

-- Dennis Lee (Captdennislee@earthlink.net), March 26, 2001.

I had a Deardorff for about ten years, and the widest lens the camera could accomodate was a 90mm. (Due to a compressed bellows.) There's a possibility you could fashion some sort of recessed lensboard, but then you could no longer use the rising front.

-- neil poulsen (neil.fg@att.net), March 26, 2001.