Identifying camera

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Steve Finan

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GND65 1964-08-03_11 Rangers FC - Bob Wilson (C)DCT.jpg

GND65 1964-08-03_11 Rangers FC - Bob Wilson (C)DCT.jpg


GND65 1964-08-03_05 Rangers FC - Bob Wilson (C)DCT.jpg

GND65 1964-08-03_05 Rangers FC - Bob Wilson (C)DCT.jpg


GND65 1964-08-03_01 Rangers FC - Bob Wilson (C)DCT.jpg

GND65 1964-08-03_01 Rangers FC - Bob Wilson (C)DCT.jpg


Good day folks. I have no photographic knowledge — none at all. But I compile books of sports nostalgia photos, which sometimes throws up questions. Here are three photos of Rangers FC's official photographer in 1964, his name is Bob Wilson and he is about to do the classic "team line-up" photo for the season.
Can anyone tell me what kind of camera he is using?
Further, from the marks at the side, is it possible to glean the type of camera used to take these photos?
Many thanks in advance. Stay safe. All the best.
 
The size of the camera would suggest whole plate format.
As for the actual make, that is much more difficult to identify but I’ll do some more studying. ;)
 
The base board appears to show a triple extension affair.
I used to own a Lancaster half plate triple extension hence why it looks a little familiar. The lens too , although not exactly the same, does resemble the version that I possessed.

I could well be miles off but it offers a starting point if you want to look the Lancaster up and assess for yourself
 
Also tagging @StephenM

Looks to me to be bigger than 5x4 so possibly a 10x8 view camera. (Edit cross posted with @Asha )

Steve Finan said:
Further, from the marks at the side, is it possible to glean the type of camera used to take these photos?
Click to expand...
The photos look to have been taken on 120 roll film which is the film size that the other photographers in the fist image are using, On the grass is what looks like a 5x4 view camera (left) and a 35mm camera (right)
 
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sirch said:
Also tagging @StephenM

Looks to me to be bigger than 5x4 so possibly a 10x8 view camera. (Edit cross posted with @Asha )


The photos look to have been taken on 120 roll film which is the film size that the other photographers in the fist image are using, On the grass is what looks like a 5x4 view camera (left) and a 35mm camera (right)
Click to expand...
Thé 5x4 on the grass is some kind of press camera crown graphic or similar
 
gramps said:
Better in F&C but...
@RaglanSurf @Asha @stevelmx5 @Mr Badger et al
Click to expand...
Sorry, I don't know anything about those big plate cameras and prefer to keep it that way... if I'd have been there I'd have been like all the others, using a nice sensible Rollieflex twin lens reflex camera, not lugging a big wooden contraption about like he's doing! ;) I wonder if the season had finished by the time he'd got set up and taken that team shot? :giggle:

Joking aside, it's nice to see some historic photos of photographers like that, and interesting to see a large plate camera being used for that sort of photo in the mid 1960s.
 
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Steve Finan said:
Further, from the marks at the side, is it possible to glean the type of camera used to take these photos?
Click to expand...
Not as far as I'm aware. You could have a guess though.

The counter indicates roll film, and the square format and angle of view suggests waist level finder type camera. My guess would be either some form of Rolleiflex similar to the ones shown in the 2nd image. If you know what size the negative is (6x6 or 4x4cm) that would tell you whether it was a baby Rollei or not, but that's not really narrowing it down much.
 
Asha said:
Tagging @Peter B
Click to expand...
It would be nice to think it was a good old Gandolfi, but probably not. My halfplate is an old Kodak Model 2, but the rear adjustment looks substantially different to the one in the 3rd photo, so definitely not that.
 
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Thought I'd mention the air release in the first two pics and the light meter in its case in the second image ( man on left with the half plate camera at his feet).
In the third image there is a man walking behind the photographer with a large bag - was this his plates? It looks like that kind of bag, my Grandad had a similar one which he used in the sixties.
Edit: Just noticed the bag is in the other two pics...
 
kendo1 said:
Thought I'd mention the air release in the first two pics and the light meter in its case in the second image ( man on left with the half plate camera at his feet).
In the third image there is a man walking behind the photographer with a large bag - was this his plates? It looks like that kind of bag, my Grandad had a similar one which he used in the sixties.
Edit: Just noticed the bag is in the other two pics...
Click to expand...
Yes the likelihood is that bag housed plate holders.
The light meter is a Weston model..... very distinctive by its shape and the complimentary incident diffuser housed in the smaller square leather case
Édit the meter being silver in colour would I believe have been a Weston V
A rather good selenium meter tbh.
 
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I'm not able to make a stab at the camera, but to my eyes it's clearly bigger than 5x4, but looks less square than 10x8, so my guess is whole plate. I used to make prints that size, so I can estimate the proportions.
 
Now on a big computer ( instead of an iphone screen), I've taken a closer look to try assertain the shutter mechanism as i reckon it is of the design that sits on the front of the lens.
Clearly it is not a Thornton Pickard ( which could, depending on lens, be located behind or infront of the lens.
If my thoughts of the camera being Lancster, it could be possible that a Rotary shutter is attached to the lens in the photos.
It most certainly isn't a Lancaster See Saw shutter, not even the oval version as it is too round.
 
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