Jody_S
15-Aug-2017, 17:54
Help identifying an unusual French (?) museum (?) copy camera setup, please.
I recently obtained a large batch of gear from a local collector who had to downsize before a move. One of the more interesting pieces I got was this copy camera setup, comes in a machined aluminum box that has fittings to mount the camera on a stand made of what looks like plumbing pipes. My kit also has a 35mm camera with a rotary pneumatic shutter that appears to take 100' rolls; I do not have any lights. The collector thought it was unique and hand-made, but I was pretty sure I had seen something similar before.
Lo and behold, on fleabay, I found the twin tonight. This kit (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-camera-photography-set-H-Roussel-Lens-/332337661260) has lights and no small-format camera. The lens is identical, the iris in the lens has been replaced with (IIRC) a 3-blade shutter mechanism that opens and closes as you turn the aperture ring. My small-format camera has (again IIRC) a tiny B&L approx. 40mm lens; hard to tell because the hand-constructed metal lens cap left deep scratches all around the lens barrel and all I could make out was the B&L part. My kit is in storage at the moment but I can dig it out and take pics if anyone wants to see it.
Does anyone have any idea what this is or who made it? Is my guess correct, that this is a copy camera kit either for duplicating documents or artwork?
Pics are from the fleabay camera, as I said mine is in storage but the actual camera looks identical, as does the storage case / stand base.
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I recently obtained a large batch of gear from a local collector who had to downsize before a move. One of the more interesting pieces I got was this copy camera setup, comes in a machined aluminum box that has fittings to mount the camera on a stand made of what looks like plumbing pipes. My kit also has a 35mm camera with a rotary pneumatic shutter that appears to take 100' rolls; I do not have any lights. The collector thought it was unique and hand-made, but I was pretty sure I had seen something similar before.
Lo and behold, on fleabay, I found the twin tonight. This kit (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-camera-photography-set-H-Roussel-Lens-/332337661260) has lights and no small-format camera. The lens is identical, the iris in the lens has been replaced with (IIRC) a 3-blade shutter mechanism that opens and closes as you turn the aperture ring. My small-format camera has (again IIRC) a tiny B&L approx. 40mm lens; hard to tell because the hand-constructed metal lens cap left deep scratches all around the lens barrel and all I could make out was the B&L part. My kit is in storage at the moment but I can dig it out and take pics if anyone wants to see it.
Does anyone have any idea what this is or who made it? Is my guess correct, that this is a copy camera kit either for duplicating documents or artwork?
Pics are from the fleabay camera, as I said mine is in storage but the actual camera looks identical, as does the storage case / stand base.
168523
168524
168525
168526