History: I always loved the Burke & James cameras, actually my own 8x10 studio camera that i have been using for the last 6 years is a 8x10 Burke & James. They offered a wide range of movements (tilt/shift/rise/fall...) but most US made cameras made in that era offered those too. What made their cameras so special was their stability and reliability, compared to their competitors. The only part of their marketing that i (and nobody else actually) really understood was the grey paint with which they laquered their beautifull cameras. That is the reason why i usually do paint them in a glossy black finish, when i restore them (like my own 8x10). A couple of months ago i did find out that the wood they used for those cameras back then was actually a hight quality maple wood. Since that moment i had the idea to strip one of those from this greyish goo, that they applied back then and let the original wood shine once again.

Well, it was quite an ordeal. I also did document this project in one of my latest videos on my Youtube chanel, be sure to check it out.


I can only assure you that i wont be doint this kind of project anytime soon! Stripping the paint is a pain in the a.. but in the end i think it turned out quite nice. And i would put a bet out, that you wont find a nice cleaned Burke & James 8x10 camera in such a condition anytime soon!

Condition: The camera you see here was fully refurbished by me in the last 3 weeks or so. I spent more then 30h and alot of money on that project. Taking off almost every metall part, polish it including each and every screw, replace missing parts, strip the wood from the grey goo color, sand it, apply severall layours of wood finish to the parts, replace the leather strap, clean the ground glass, reassemble everything and voila!

Right now the camera offers almost every movement you can imagine. It is very sturdy (for a field camera), it offers stability and reliability. It comes with a rotating 8x10 international back, so you can use standard Fidelity and Lisco holders. The camera offers about 50cm  (or 20") of bellows draw.


Camera comes with two undrilled lensboards. If you buy a lens form my collection for this camera i can adapt the lens to it for free and combine shipping costs.

Insured and tracked shipping cost:

Germany - 20 eur
EU* - 50 eur
Worldwide - 120 eur

*(the site offers only 2 shipping variations, DE and worldwide. buyers from EU please either contact me beforehand for a reduced EU cost, or after buying so i can send a refund over the difference)

Importent Note: This item comes from my private collection and is around 100 years old (antique). I try my best to describe all the faults and major damage which are relevant for the function of this item. But the actuall item can show signs of wear and also some cosmetic blemishes/damage which is not described in the auction text! When buying this item the buyer agrees to this terms.