Rochester Optical Co

Rochester Optical Co. – Brand Review & Overview

Rochester Optical Co. was one of the dominant American camera makers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, famed for its Premo and Pony Premo lines of folding and view cameras. Working from Rochester, New York, the company produced leather‑covered folding “hand and stand” cameras and wooden field/view cameras in formats from small plates up through 5×7, 6½×8½, 8×10 and larger, serving both serious amateurs and commercial photographers before eventually being absorbed into Eastman Kodak.

Signature Rochester Optical products such as the Premo View, Long Focus Premo, and various reversible‑back Premo field cameras offered triple‑extension bellows, reversible (or rotating) backs, rising fronts, and other movements that made them capable tools for studio and location work. Today, Rochester Optical Co. cameras are prized as functional antiques: beautifully built wood-and-brass instruments that can still be used with modern sheet film, while also standing out as highly collectible examples of early American camera craftsmanship.

As you explore this brand on a vintage large-format site, think about whether you want a Premo or similar Rochester Optical Co. field camera as a fully restored user, an “as-is” project, or a display piece that brings 19th‑century photographic history into your home or studio. Choosing the right Rochester Optical Co. model gives you a tangible link to the pre‑Kodak era—combining classic looks, thoughtful design, and the ability to create large, richly detailed negatives more than a century after these cameras were first built.