Black CC402 Calumet?

[John Conway]

Jim,

I could very well be off on this, but I think the history went from Kodak, to Orbit and then to Calumet. Essentially the same camera except for some wild red knobs (and bellows?) in one iteration, but my oh my is it a great one for architecture.

I have an original Orbit by Burke and James with the red knobs and bellows.I certainly didn't need it when I bought it since I already had several monorails, but the unique look to the camera, with it's art deco red knob's and bellows,funky B&J flat gray paint, fine period chrome, and the fact that it was in gorgeous condition in it's case, I had to have it.

[Kirk Gittings]

Yes I bought a couple of them for parts-switching them out with my older widefield parts to make it look cooler....

[BTMarcais]

I used to own one of these in black, so I know they exist. I had two calumet's at the same time, and the normal version was in grey, while the wide was in black. Kinda miss the wide one actually...

-Brian

[lenser]

Somebody won the one offered on ebay for only $72.00. Wish it had been me. Don't know why the heck I wold the gray one I had.......dumb!

[Sal Santamaura]

...I guess Lynn Jones is probably the best person to chime in on this...

He won't be doing that:

http://obits.dignitymemorial.com/dig...1&locale=en-US

[Merg Ross]

He won't be doing that:

http://obits.dignitymemorial.com/dig...1&locale=en-US

Sorry to hear. Lynn had a tremendous knowledge of photography, and was always generous in sharing.

[Mark Sampson]

Here's how I understand it: The camera was was designed and introduced by Kodak post-WWII. Calumet bought the design rights c.1956 and, per the late Mr. Jones, made some improvements, then sold it under their own name. Calumet and Burke&James were somehow affiliated, thus the similar (or functionally identical?) B&J Orbit. B&J went under in the mid-70s and Calumet continued to sell the CC-series cameras until about 1990; by the mid-'80s they were painted black. Probably the most popular view camera ever made, they were advertised in Pop Photo through the '70s for $149.00. After Calumet bought Cambo, it was replaced by the Cambo-made NX.

[George E. Sheils]

He won't be doing that:

http://obits.dignitymemorial.com/dig...1&locale=en-US

Oh no !

I had no idea that Lynn had passed away.

Between Lynn, Per Volquartz and Ernest Purdum the forum has lost an awful lot of LF knowledge and experience in recent years.

May they RIP.