Joseph O'Neil
2-Oct-2005, 15:49
Went to see the semi-annual photo show held by the Historical Photogrpahic Society fo Canada. I only seem to make it once every 2-3 years. Anyhow, the show ran form 10 am to 3 pm, and i got there about 11:30 am. In terms of large format gear, he is breiefly what I saw:
(FYI $1.00 US = roughly $1.20, or somethign for $500 Cdn ~ $420 US)
- my "prize" purchase of the show was an Ilex Paragon Anastigmat - 6 1/2 inch. Not sure what this in mm - I have ready everythintg form 161 to 168mm, but regardless, I ahve a 135 and a 180, so whatever the exact size, it fits in the middle.
I belive it is a tessar lens - not sure of th eage - loks like fromt he 40's, Acme #3 shutter, but is is in superb shape. Well used, but the glass is clean, no marks, and the shutter appears to fire on all speeds. $50 Cdn. Oddly, one place i ahve run into these lenses being mention is they were used on the (spelling?) Folmer-Grpahic 4x5 Aerial camera - K20 I think (I have an old, old Popular mechanics showing one pictured somethering).
Not coated, but hey, for $50, it even has the retianing ring.
Okay, bragging over - back tothe LF gear I saw for sale
- lots and lots fo used 4x5 fom holders, and evern 2x3 film holders. Prices ranged form $4 each for ones needing new tape to $12.50 each for nealry new ones. There was a coupel dealers who had a pile of almost new Lisco Regal II - new model - 4x5 film holder.s They all have a serail number engraved on them on the top. Looks liek soem lab/company bought a pile fo them, engraved them all, and then never used them, or used them maybe once. These averaged $12.50 to $10 Cdn each.
Conversely, some guys were selling used Lisco film holders for $10 each, some wtih torn tape, cracked dark slides, etc. Like all trade shows, you have to shop around, and you see the whole range.
-Lenses
Some really good deals, some not so good deals. Ran across two, older, Schneider Angulons, 90mm, F8. at different tables. One was $375 Cdn, glass was good, shutter looke like ti needed a cleaning & serving. Another oen was $550 Cdn, and the shutter seemed to fire good.
Problem was, a lot of these table were very busy, and not one dealer had just large format exclusively, so while i am try ot see a lens, some guy is elbowing me going through a box of old filters. So you don't always get a good look, especially since I wasn't going to buy a 90mm.
conversely, I sawa 135mm Schenider Xenar in Compur shutter - great shape - $240 Cdn (it's a tessar - I sued to ahve one), but then I found a Komurea 210mm, F6.3, decent looking shape. and the guy wanted $500 cdn. Ugh!
The thing was though, for th emost part, excpet for LF lenes begin sold as part of an Antque camera, I didn's see any real junk. Some crazy prices, other good prices, but all the glass on the lenses looked good. Some lenses looked they had been very well used, and i figured those shutters woudl need servcing, but agina, at least what I saw, the glass was all good.
Feild Cameras - 4x5
Only saw two. A Horseman, behind glass - looked clean, but didn't get to handle it. Asking price, $12.00 Cdn.
Also, a Linhof Technika - not sure of themodel - my best guess is a Tech 5, form the early to mid 1960s. Included a 135mm Schenider / Linholf lens (didn't get to see what type), looked clean, bellows looked in good shape - asking price was $750 Cdn. I was sorely temped - but didn't have that much cash on me.
Monorails - 4x5
Many of them. I didn't get prices, but I saw at least 6 to 7 of them. everything from battered & beaten Cambos that have seen better days to - I forget the name (yes, I should of taken notes) some twin rail 4x5 that looked in great shape, but heavy! Crap - you probally would needed a tripod capable of handling 8x10 or 11x14 to handle that sucker.
I do feel however, if somebody wanted to jump into 4x5 , they probally could of gotten a decent system for a decent price - if they knew there stuff and shopped carefully.
What Was Missing (IMO)
- very little ULF.
I think I saw maybe two, 5x7 holders, and maybe 2-3 LF lens that woudl cover 8x10. I saw one 240, but behidn glass, busy crowd, so I didn't get a good look. No 8x10 canmeras, unless some fo the older, "antiques" being sold were 8x10. I don't clam to ahve seen everything,b ut if you wanted anything bigger than the 4x5 system, you probally wold nto ahve been too happy
- little LF darkroom gear.
Enlargers, matching lenses, reels, tanks - almost all for 35mm. Some MF darkroom gear, but if you wanted to setup a 4x5 or larger darkroom, slim pickings. I think I saw collectivelya bout 4-5 SS hangers (in 4x5), and a couple of rubber tanks - nothing else.
I did see this big JOBO drum that got my heart pounding, so I raced over, but not a 4x5 drum - a 2840 drum for paper. But it was in good shape and the guy wanted $5 -so what the hey, I bought it. :)
- lensboards
Almost nothing. One, new , undrilled Crown Graphic lens board for $35 Cdn. Kinda pricey I think. columbus Camera is always selling new ones for $19 on Ebay - and that's about $23 Cdn. You see, ti cost about $15 to $20 to get a hole drilled at a local machine shop. I am sure it can be done cheaper, but even with shipping, ti cheaper to buy form Stateside when you factor in the cost of dripping a hole.
Except for lenses I saw already on Cambo lens boards - these were some of the lenses I mentioned earlier that glass looked good, but well used lenses that probally needed shutter CLA, and a cloose look at the filter threads to make sure there were no dings, etc.
(some univeral rule of used shows that the grungy an item is, the higher the price? :)
that's all for now. Oh yes, my big buy at the show - 19 film holers for $134 Cdn
(don't ask, i was on a roll)
:)
joe
(FYI $1.00 US = roughly $1.20, or somethign for $500 Cdn ~ $420 US)
- my "prize" purchase of the show was an Ilex Paragon Anastigmat - 6 1/2 inch. Not sure what this in mm - I have ready everythintg form 161 to 168mm, but regardless, I ahve a 135 and a 180, so whatever the exact size, it fits in the middle.
I belive it is a tessar lens - not sure of th eage - loks like fromt he 40's, Acme #3 shutter, but is is in superb shape. Well used, but the glass is clean, no marks, and the shutter appears to fire on all speeds. $50 Cdn. Oddly, one place i ahve run into these lenses being mention is they were used on the (spelling?) Folmer-Grpahic 4x5 Aerial camera - K20 I think (I have an old, old Popular mechanics showing one pictured somethering).
Not coated, but hey, for $50, it even has the retianing ring.
Okay, bragging over - back tothe LF gear I saw for sale
- lots and lots fo used 4x5 fom holders, and evern 2x3 film holders. Prices ranged form $4 each for ones needing new tape to $12.50 each for nealry new ones. There was a coupel dealers who had a pile of almost new Lisco Regal II - new model - 4x5 film holder.s They all have a serail number engraved on them on the top. Looks liek soem lab/company bought a pile fo them, engraved them all, and then never used them, or used them maybe once. These averaged $12.50 to $10 Cdn each.
Conversely, some guys were selling used Lisco film holders for $10 each, some wtih torn tape, cracked dark slides, etc. Like all trade shows, you have to shop around, and you see the whole range.
-Lenses
Some really good deals, some not so good deals. Ran across two, older, Schneider Angulons, 90mm, F8. at different tables. One was $375 Cdn, glass was good, shutter looke like ti needed a cleaning & serving. Another oen was $550 Cdn, and the shutter seemed to fire good.
Problem was, a lot of these table were very busy, and not one dealer had just large format exclusively, so while i am try ot see a lens, some guy is elbowing me going through a box of old filters. So you don't always get a good look, especially since I wasn't going to buy a 90mm.
conversely, I sawa 135mm Schenider Xenar in Compur shutter - great shape - $240 Cdn (it's a tessar - I sued to ahve one), but then I found a Komurea 210mm, F6.3, decent looking shape. and the guy wanted $500 cdn. Ugh!
The thing was though, for th emost part, excpet for LF lenes begin sold as part of an Antque camera, I didn's see any real junk. Some crazy prices, other good prices, but all the glass on the lenses looked good. Some lenses looked they had been very well used, and i figured those shutters woudl need servcing, but agina, at least what I saw, the glass was all good.
Feild Cameras - 4x5
Only saw two. A Horseman, behind glass - looked clean, but didn't get to handle it. Asking price, $12.00 Cdn.
Also, a Linhof Technika - not sure of themodel - my best guess is a Tech 5, form the early to mid 1960s. Included a 135mm Schenider / Linholf lens (didn't get to see what type), looked clean, bellows looked in good shape - asking price was $750 Cdn. I was sorely temped - but didn't have that much cash on me.
Monorails - 4x5
Many of them. I didn't get prices, but I saw at least 6 to 7 of them. everything from battered & beaten Cambos that have seen better days to - I forget the name (yes, I should of taken notes) some twin rail 4x5 that looked in great shape, but heavy! Crap - you probally would needed a tripod capable of handling 8x10 or 11x14 to handle that sucker.
I do feel however, if somebody wanted to jump into 4x5 , they probally could of gotten a decent system for a decent price - if they knew there stuff and shopped carefully.
What Was Missing (IMO)
- very little ULF.
I think I saw maybe two, 5x7 holders, and maybe 2-3 LF lens that woudl cover 8x10. I saw one 240, but behidn glass, busy crowd, so I didn't get a good look. No 8x10 canmeras, unless some fo the older, "antiques" being sold were 8x10. I don't clam to ahve seen everything,b ut if you wanted anything bigger than the 4x5 system, you probally wold nto ahve been too happy
- little LF darkroom gear.
Enlargers, matching lenses, reels, tanks - almost all for 35mm. Some MF darkroom gear, but if you wanted to setup a 4x5 or larger darkroom, slim pickings. I think I saw collectivelya bout 4-5 SS hangers (in 4x5), and a couple of rubber tanks - nothing else.
I did see this big JOBO drum that got my heart pounding, so I raced over, but not a 4x5 drum - a 2840 drum for paper. But it was in good shape and the guy wanted $5 -so what the hey, I bought it. :)
- lensboards
Almost nothing. One, new , undrilled Crown Graphic lens board for $35 Cdn. Kinda pricey I think. columbus Camera is always selling new ones for $19 on Ebay - and that's about $23 Cdn. You see, ti cost about $15 to $20 to get a hole drilled at a local machine shop. I am sure it can be done cheaper, but even with shipping, ti cheaper to buy form Stateside when you factor in the cost of dripping a hole.
Except for lenses I saw already on Cambo lens boards - these were some of the lenses I mentioned earlier that glass looked good, but well used lenses that probally needed shutter CLA, and a cloose look at the filter threads to make sure there were no dings, etc.
(some univeral rule of used shows that the grungy an item is, the higher the price? :)
that's all for now. Oh yes, my big buy at the show - 19 film holers for $134 Cdn
(don't ask, i was on a roll)
:)
joe