Deardorff
Deardorff 4x5 Cameras
When most people familiar with large format photography hear the name Deardorff, 4x5 isn't usually the first thing that comes to mind. Deardorff is famous for it's line of 8x10 and even larger cameras such as the ultra-large format 8x20, 11x14 and 12x20 models. These are truly gargantuan cameras that few hobbyists have the patience, budget or physical prowess to take on.
A lesser known fact is that Deardorff did indeed manufacture smaller cameras around the 4x5 format. They did not produce nearly as many as their larger camera lines however, so they are a bit harder to come by and, in fact, quite sought after due to the company's reputation for turning out high quality products.
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 Deardorff 4x4 wood lens board for 4x5 5x7 view cameras  US $.99
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 Deardorff Strap with logo Loops Rivets for 4x5 5x7 US $22.50
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 Original Deardorff Strap Loops Rivets for 4x5 5x7 NOS US $30.00
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 Deardorff 4x5 Sliding Lensboard Strip Friction Spring US $27.50
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 Deardorff 4x5 Medium Knurled Nuts one Pair NOS US $12.50
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 Deardorff 4x5 Large Knurled Knobs one Pair NOS US $12.50
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 Deardorff Extra Long Springs for 4x5 backs NOS US $32.50
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Deardorff was one of the first camera makers in the 20th century to build a view camera in what is now familiarly known as the field camera design. L.F Deardorff based this design on the old wooden English cameras from the mid-late 19th century. Instead of constructing them from metal as most modern cameras of the time were(a href="http://the4x5camera.com/graflex/">early Graflex models for example, he made them from high quality, hard wood which in most cases proved to be far more resilient and come away with a better longevity than their wooden counter parts.
The a Deardorff 4x5 camera was made in a few different models, the most recent of which being called the "special." The earlier models are refferred to as "baby Deardorff's" and are often of a more used nature since they were frequently employed in commercial studios.
