RIP...
Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2026 10:27 am
TL/DR: Seneca Improved 8x10 is not longer.
'Morning, all -
When the kids were home over Christmas, I wanted to shoot some LF of them. Cold, dark, ugly the whole time. Day before everyone left, I dragged them out, late, at fading light. Brought all three LF cameras - 4x5, 5x7, 8x10. Started with the 8x10. By the time I was set up, light had changed; the one sheet I got fired is way WAY underexposed (still haven't scanned it). By then, no light. Fail.
Noticed on setting up, the ground glass had broken. Awesome. Was one of my nicest, too. Add it to the list. Brought the camera in and set it, open, on the dining room table. Fast forward to yesterday, and was cleaning. Collapsed the bellows and was folding it, and it wouldn't compress all the way. Hmmm - weird. Investigating further, found the bellows had completely blown apart on the bottom seam. This is a fatal failure. Can't repair it reasonably. And it was band aided together (though not there) anyway. The camera is so completely cobbled together that I'm not paying ecbuyonline $200 for a new set. At some point, I'll make a new set myself. But no time soon. Camera is going under a bench in the garage. Will update y'all in a few years when I find it and still don't have time. Until then, 5x7 and 4x5.
Drat.
'Morning, all -
When the kids were home over Christmas, I wanted to shoot some LF of them. Cold, dark, ugly the whole time. Day before everyone left, I dragged them out, late, at fading light. Brought all three LF cameras - 4x5, 5x7, 8x10. Started with the 8x10. By the time I was set up, light had changed; the one sheet I got fired is way WAY underexposed (still haven't scanned it). By then, no light. Fail.
Noticed on setting up, the ground glass had broken. Awesome. Was one of my nicest, too. Add it to the list. Brought the camera in and set it, open, on the dining room table. Fast forward to yesterday, and was cleaning. Collapsed the bellows and was folding it, and it wouldn't compress all the way. Hmmm - weird. Investigating further, found the bellows had completely blown apart on the bottom seam. This is a fatal failure. Can't repair it reasonably. And it was band aided together (though not there) anyway. The camera is so completely cobbled together that I'm not paying ecbuyonline $200 for a new set. At some point, I'll make a new set myself. But no time soon. Camera is going under a bench in the garage. Will update y'all in a few years when I find it and still don't have time. Until then, 5x7 and 4x5.
Drat.