Representative 1930s camera

[peter ramm]

Is there a field camera that typifies what an American professional photographer would have used on location in the 1930s? Actually, I shoot MFD these days but this is for a set piece in which a rather large artifact (1937 aircraft) will be photographed with period equipment.

[BrianShaw]

Speed Graphic.

[cdholden]

Kodak 2-D or Agfa Ansco view cameras

[IanG]

Both right, a press photographer the Speed Graphic, a commercial photographer the Kodak or Agfa Ansco.

State of the art 1937, the best US made camera available was the Agfa Ansco Commercial View, with a Goerxz Am Opt 12" f6.8 Dagor lens.

Ian

[Oren Grad]

Specifically a "Pre-Anniversary" Speed Graphic if you go the press photographer route. The later models will stand out as anachronisms for the 0.002% of viewers who know anything about this.

[Bob Salomon - HP Marketing]

Linhof Technika

[Richard Wasserman]

Deardorff

[Merg Ross]

8x10 Agfa/Ansco Commercial View, possibly with a 5x7 reducing back.

[IanG]

Linhof Technika

The 1930's Linhof wasn't up to much, the first decent model was 1938, and that really was a huge improvement :D It was a typical German camera of that era, quite different to US style cameras, as were many European competitors. A Kodak Nagel Recomar though would have been a more likely possibility

The early Linhof's were also sold as Silar's in the late 20's, at least in the UK, with very minor differences. The one importer also selling it with Meyer lenses, for which he was the importer, he also sold a 35mm Multi Exposure Focal Plane Camera with an f1.5 Meyer Plasmat lens, an un-branded Leica. It was a very tough time back then.

Ian

[Bill_1856]

While I agree that the best candidates are a Speed Graphic or Kodak 2D, a great many Press photographers also used the 9x12 Voigtlander Avis. Any press camera would have been used with a Film Pack.

[IanG]

8x10 Agfa/Ansco Commercial View, possibly with a 5x7 reducing back.

In 37/38 the original owner of my Agfa Ansco Commercial View (& Dagor) went into a New York dealers and asked for the best possible View camera & lens available, he taught at the Clarence White School of Photography.

Ansel Adams used them and one photograph seems to show Brett Weston used one. (You'd probably know Merg).

They were the Roll Royce of pre-WWII US field/commercial cameras, but 2 years after the outbreak of WWII, 1941 the Agfa Ansco LF manufacture was moved from the Bingham factory, the cameras changed and were never again the same quality.

Ian

[peter ramm]

Thanks for the advice. As I am interested in commercial as opposed to press, seems a Kodak 2D or Agfa Ansco Commercial would fit the bill. I guess finding one is the next step. Oh well, no rush and finding it will probably be easier than using it.

[IanG]

Thanks for the advice. As I am interested in commercial as opposed to press, seems a Kodak 2D or Agfa Ansco Commercial would fit the bill. I guess finding one is the next step. Oh well, no rush and finding it will probably be easier than using it.

You pay the air fare and shipping I'll bring mine :D

More seriously there will be someone near you with one who would help you out, the were very common cameras, and there's a lot in use by members of this forum.

Ian

[tbeaman]

Specifically a "Pre-Anniversary" Speed Graphic if you go the press photographer route. The later models will stand out as anachronisms for the 0.002% of viewers who know anything about this.

Reminds me of the moment I realized I'd become a full-fledged Graflex nerd when I noticed a bunch of Pacemakers and Graflites in the Hell's Angels premiere scene from The Aviator.

[emileway]

A press Staff around 1928 (Top Hande Speed).
http://www.speedgraphic.fr/Images/Galerie%20de%20Photos/Staff-press-avant-1928-Speed-Top-Handle.jpg

[Mark Sampson]

3-1/4"x4-1/4" Graflex SLR.

[IanG]

A press Staff around 1928 (Top Hande Speed).
http://www.speedgraphic.fr/Images/Galerie%20de%20Photos/Staff-press-avant-1928-Speed-Top-Handle.jpg

I've a similar Continental Europe image (not UK) somewhere and all but one camera is 9x12 Avus (vertical) style, rather eerie to see these days.

Ian

[cdholden]

Thanks for the advice. As I am interested in commercial as opposed to press, seems a Kodak 2D or Agfa Ansco Commercial would fit the bill. I guess finding one is the next step. Oh well, no rush and finding it will probably be easier than using it.

Peter,
Somewhere along the way, the Agfa Ansco name was changed to just Ansco. The older ones have a larger lensboard, and lack front tilt. You see these later "standard" models much more often than the "Commercial" (longer bellows) available. There is one currently listed on the famous auction site, but after a few messages with the seller to get more details, I found it isn't a Commercial. They just refuse to change the listing description.
If you just need a photo prop, you could spend much less time and money on finding the more common model.
Chris

[peter ramm]

Actually, I do want to use the camera. I plan to include it as part of the aircraft on-board kit, taking the odd shot at aviation events. Sort of an airborne anachronism.

Went through lots of 8x10 in the 80s and 90s for scientific applications and can't say I would return to it for most things. Recreating a historical context is the exception. An LFPF member has kindly offered a 2D for sale and I am considering that.