I forgot I still had this camera. Upon organizing and re-shuffling things around, I came upon a dusty black bag. I vaguely remembered what was inside, but confirmed it was my very first 4x5 camera. I remember buying it in a neighborhood camera store in Bucktown in the mid to late 80's. The shop had that distinct smell of all things old. Even back then, it felt the shop had been there for 60+ years. Things were all over the place, without any distinct organization to it. I was specifically looking for a 4x5, but honestly had no idea what to look for. The Busch was the first to grab my attention and the one I eventually walked out with for a mere $50 with lens!
The camera always had those awful looking bellows, but did not leak any light. I'm not sure about that now, but will test them soon. The lens appears to be in good shape, but does not open for viewing. I'm sure a CLA will get it back to new condition. For aesthetic purposes, I bought another Busch and that ended up the camera I used until the Chamonix. I recently traded a light box with ring for that camera. I am extremely pleased to have found the original still in my possession.
I'd love to get the bellows replaced along with having the lens gone thru as well. A good cleaning is necessary to be sure. I'm guessing I have had that camera for 27 years! Would be very nice to keep shooting with it!
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