Toronto Camera show - report

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

An interesting report. I like to go to the shows which come to Florida in the Winter, but there is less and less stuff of interest to me. I even feel sorry for some of the venders, wondering how they are even breaking even (but they do get a deductable vacation).

Hi Joe

We must have past each other today. It was a pretty mixed bag of stuff today. I saw one 8x10, a very tired Calumet. One that I had a hard time passing up was a 13cm x 18cm Goertz Tenax, working with three holders for $150. In the past there has been alot more LF stuff. There where a couple of 8x10 enlargers that went unsold at $2000 cdn last fall. Wish I had the cash that day. My find was three Kodak 4x5 hard rubber developing tanks with two hangers for $20. Still all in all a good day.

Michael

I went to the annual Vancouver camera swam meet today. Compared to last year, it sucked. Toronto sounds much better.

We used to have camera swap meets in South Bend, but not anymore. Is there anything like that in Kalamazoo or the Chicago metro area?

Charles, the last K'zoo Photorama swap was about 3 years ago IIRC. South Bend was always much better IMO. I can remember picking up Speed Graphics for $35-75 each only lacking ground glass, 8x10 holders for $10 each, etc. That was about 10 years ago.

Not much there last time except a table after table of weird cross-star filters and moldy Peterson Photo books from the 70s.

One dealer had some nice Rollei stuff, another with some Minox, but that's about it. No LF to speak of. A lot of the dealers I spoke to were upset because the swap wasn't advertised very well and the turnout was low. Most said they wouldn't be back so I doubt there will be another swap in this town. Maybe the Grand Rapids show will continue.

I believe the Chicago Historical Society also holds a yearly swap but I've only been to a Photorama one, which was not anything great IMO. Ebay has really killed these things.

Joe

Hey Andrew , speak for yourself!!! You know I got lucky with some 8x10 film holders and a sweet shutter for my barrel lenses..which actually works great with my 210/9 on the 8x10.

But yea vancouver camera show did suck this year.. maybe it will be better in the spring..