My New 60-year old Noba

[Michael Graves]

I recently acquired a beautiful 5x7 Noba studio camera made in Mexico. Best I can determine is that it pre-1960 vintage. It came with one lens board drilled for an Ilex and I was able to mount a 10" Ektar on it and try a few shots. The camera is kind of special in several regards. Its focusing mechanism is a pair of belts run from the knob to the front standard. As complicated as that sounds, it was surprisingly easy to use. But heavy!!??!! I jerry-rigged it to my Gitzo Tele-Studex for testing, but that was a pain in the butt. The thing was designed for a studio stand of sorts. I have no delusions that I will ever be able to find the matching stand. The camera is a lovely ivory finish and what little research I've done suggests that Noba did make a matching stand. I was wondering if anyone was familiar with this camera and could tell me what other types of studio stand might work for it. Or if you DO happen to have an ivory colored Noba, I'm sure I have SOMETHING you would like.

I've never used the old vintage studio stands. I have a Cambo UST in my home studio, but that's an animal with a different skeleton. Is there a standard way of mounting the Noba onto an old wooden stand? The base does not have any tripod mounting screws. Just the surfaces of the wood? I have dreams of turning it into my portrait camera. Will that be possible? Or do I resign myself to sitting it on a shelf and gazing at it from time to time?

[cowanw]

Well here is a picture
http://www.apug.org/forums/forum379/...us-extras.html
The cameras just sit by gravity and a transverse ridge in the front of the stand platform stops the camera from sliding forward.

[Michael Graves]

That's it, all right. Too bad that was from two years ago. I WOULD drive over to Minnesota to get it.

[Tim Meisburger]

Give him a shout. He never mentioned selling it. Maybe he still has it!

[Mark Sawyer]

I have a Noba 5x7 with a 4x5 back in the Ivory finish, but alas, no matching stand. A wonderful studio camera with lots of movements front and rear. Here's an article on its maker, Eugenio Espino Barros:

http://v1.zonezero.com/exposiciones/...ino/intro.html

[Tin Can]

I admired an all white NOBA with stand a while back.

They seem very practical and the small footprint is great.

[Dockbob]

The camera was built by Mexican photographer Espino Barros who did a lot of scenic photographs and was also company photographer for Volkswagen MX. He was the first Mexican photographer admitted to Professional Photographers of America
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/Users/new-mini/Desktop/C.U.%20Nobia%20Camera.jpgfile://