L.F. Deardorff & Sons Inc. was a

manufacturer Manufacturing is the creation or Production (economics), production of goods with the help of equipment, Work (human activity), labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of the secondary se ...

of wooden-construction, large-format 4"x5" and larger bellows view camera from 1923 through 1988. They were used by professional photographic studios.

Company history

Laban F. Deardorff repaired cameras for nearly 30 years before building the first 8x10 Deardorff. He had been employed by Rochester Camera Company in

Rochester, New York Rochester is a city in and the county seat, seat of government of Monroe County, New York, United States. It is the List of municipalities in New York, fourth-most populous city and 10th most-populated municipality in New York, with a populati ...

, during the 1890s.

Model history

Almost all Deardorff cameras were made of

mahogany Mahogany is a straight- grained, reddish-brown timber of three tropical hardwood species of the genus ''Swietenia'', indigenous to the AmericasBridgewater, Samuel (2012). ''A Natural History of Belize: Inside the Maya Forest''. Austin: Universit ...

. * 1923 saw the first model, the V8 (or VO8) built in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

. 15 models were built. * 1924 V8 – 50 units built * 1925 V8 – 175 units built * 1926 – the first batch production. Reference to a 5x7 Deardorff * 1937 – started

nickel Nickel is a chemical element; it has symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel is a hard and ductile transition metal. Pure nickel is chemically reactive, but large pieces are slo ...

plating and changed to

wood. * 1938 –

stainless steel Stainless steel, also known as inox, corrosion-resistant steel (CRES), or rustless steel, is an iron-based alloy that contains chromium, making it resistant to rust and corrosion. Stainless steel's resistance to corrosion comes from its chromi ...

first used * 1942 – rounded corners for the lens boards * 1944 – Spanish cedar used in some cameras * 1950 – front swing capability first introduced; 8"x10" camera serial numbers begin at "500" in May 1950 * 1952 – round metal bed plate * 1967 – knobs changed to

aluminum Aluminium (or aluminum in North American English) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Al and atomic number 13. It has a density lower than that of other common metals, about one-third that of steel. Aluminium has ...

from nickel-plated brass * 1988 – last year of production * Present – cameras are still in production today, in small quantities, but built to original Chicago specifications

General features

All of the Deardorff view cameras featured swing and tilt movements, and there were optional accessories such as stands and cases. The 8x20, 12x20, 11x14 All Deardorff model featured: * Vertical swing of the back * Lateral swing of the back * Vertical swing of the front 30 degrees each side of center

Photographers' experiences in using the camera

Photographer David Munson has related his experiences in restoring and using a Deardorff 8x10. Kevin Klazek also related his experience in restoring a Deardorff V8 in ''''View Camera'' magazine''.

Publications showing Deardorffs

The February 1998 25th anniversary edition of ''

Texas Monthly ''Texas Monthly'' (stylized as ''TexasMonthly'') is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Downtown Austin, Texas. Founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy, ''Texas Monthly'' chronicles life in contemporary Texas, writing on politics, the Natura ...

'' featured a Deardorff on the cover and said:

The cover shot with the lens in the shape of the state of
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
, mounted on an 8x10 Deardorff, was shot by Pete McArthur. The lens itself was designed by Rick Elden. The work of over 75 photographers was included in their "100 best", including
Richard Avedon Richard Avedon (May 15, 1923 – October 1, 2004) was an American fashion and portrait photographer. He worked for ''Harper's Bazaar'', '' Vogue'' and '' Elle'' specializing in capturing movement in still pictures of fashion, theater and ...
,
Annie Leibovitz Anna-Lou Leibovitz ( ; born October 2, 1949) is an American Portrait photography, portrait photographer best known for her portraits, particularly of celebrities, which often feature subjects in intimate settings and poses. Leibovitz's Polaroid ...
,
Helmut Newton Helmut Newton (né Neustädter; 31 October 192023 January 2004) was a German-Australian photographer. The ''The New York Times, New York Times'' described him as a "prolific, widely imitated fashion photographer whose provocative, erotically ch ...
, Jim Myers, Kent Kirkley, Mary Ellen Mark,
Larry Fink Laurence Douglas Fink (born November 2, 1952) is an American billionaire businessman. He is a co-founder, chairman and CEO of BlackRock, an American multinational investment management corporation. BlackRock is the largest money-management firm ...
and many others.

References

External links

"Large Format Field Camera Guide"
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070910152740/http://reviews.ebay.com/LARGE-FORMAT-FIELD-CAMERA-GUIDE_W0QQugidZ10000000000097462 , date=2007-09-10

This site is good for parts.
"Firmware update for Deardorff V8?"
Note: This is a parody on digital!
Deardorff on Camerapedia

The View Camera Store - Deardorff 8x10 Lensboard

Jack Deardorff Dead in November 2007

Light Stalkers

Precision Camera & Video Equipment: Rental Large Format Equipment

* ttp://www.satinsnowglass.com/html/cameras.html Ground Glass Specialties featuring Satin Snow Groundglass
Camera History Links
Deardorff