<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: 45PSS on 2005-12-26 18:22 ]</font>

yep.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: 45PSS on 2005-12-26 18:19 ]</font>

The back sounds like a portrait back. Most of the ones I've heard about give you two 5x7s on 8x10 but I guess 4 4x5 would be even better.

While it could be a portrait back, most portrait backs slide the film side to side or up and down.

My 5x7 2D has slots for the two dividers. I always thought of using them seperately, IE panoramic or split portrait.

I think Gandolf might have confused the all metal Eastman Commercial View with the Century Commercial view made 30 years earlier.

I'm assuming this camera looks like a 2-D but made of left over B25 Mitchell parts?

I wouldn't say it looks like a 2-D. More like a metal Century Universal. I just had to check my saved pics of one to check. I'm not familiar with the Century Commercial View? Could that be the same, or similar to, the Universal? Basically, a huge Crown with triple extension rails and in 8x10...

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: 45PSS on 2005-12-26 18:20 ]</font>

Thanks for the links. I thought it had the extending focusing rails like the Century Universal. Guess not. Nice camera though.

"NO! Its a 2-D made of Pre B-25 Mitchell material. "

Actually what I meant was scrap from the manufacture of a B-25, ie magnesium/aluminum

the B-25 Mitchell went into production in '39, the same year patent # 2150703 was filed. (Well 214XXXX was in '39 and 218XXXX was in '40.)



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Les on 2003-07-10 21:38 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: 45PSS on 2005-12-26 18:21 ]</font>

Thanks Charles. It's very similar to most flat bed views. The rails I was talking about are more similar to the Crown 4x5, except there's 3 of them that continue to extend out to a triple extension. They're not supposed to be as stable, but there's something about the Universal that grabs me. And it can't be much worse than my B&J Commercial View
Here's a link to a review complete with pics showing the rails:
http://www.largeformatphotography.info/century/century_universal_8x10.html

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: 45PSS on 2005-12-26 18:21 ]</font>

If you look at a catalog of Graflex products from the late thirties through the mid 40s, there isn't a lot of machined metal in there. The all metal Super Grahic was still 20 years away.

I seriously doubt that Graflex made it. I have a '45 2D and it states clearly "made for Ekc by Graflex, Inc" so it wasn't that they got off the labeling idea by then.

I'm glad you brought this topic up. I always thought that the metal 2Ds were all post war.

There is a "war story" that's been going around about the top brass at Kodak wanting to reward the engineer employees for single handedly winning the war. Their reward was "to build the best view camera ever, designed it to YOUR standard, and YOUR cost basis."

I remember that it was of magnesium and I'm pretty sure it was the original 8x10 Master View model C? I sure would hate to find out that when given a white-paper assignment without restrictions designed an all metal 2D!

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: 45PSS on 2005-12-26 18:22 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: 45PSS on 2005-12-26 18:22 ]</font>