Free 8x10 Eastman!

[Kirk Gittings]

I am downsizing, getting rid of stuff I never use. I have an Eastman Commercial View camera 8x10. I paid 175.00 for it a few years ago in Chicago. All aluminum (magnezium?), movements (except rear rise and fall and front tilt and swing), very sturdy (only about 17 inches of belows draw, is there an extension missing?), everything works, belows is original and probably very leaky, 8x10 and a 5x7 reducing back, one lens board and one adapter lens board (down to about 4x4). No lens. This is a picture of the basic camera.

http://www.geh.org/fm/toronto/htmlsr...00102_ful.html

I am going to give this away to the most deserving person who respondes to this thread. "Deserving" is by my definition. You have a couple of weeks to respond.

This should be fun.

[Neal Shields]

You are going to give one of us what we deserve??!!!!

LORD POLONIUS
My lord, I will use them according to their desert.

HAMLET
God's bodykins, man, much better: use every man
after his desert, and who should 'scape whipping?
Use them after your own honour and dignity: the less
they deserve, the more merit is in your bounty.
Take them in.

[Kirk Gittings]

I am very moved. I have been receiving some very heartfelt appeals and offers on my email. I would prefer to see them here though if possible. If you are embarrassed to do so I understand. I will consider all replies equally whether in private email or posted here, but I would like to keep the process as public as possible.

Thanks

[J. P. Mose]

And to think Neal is from Fort Worth, Texas!

I don't deserve or need this fine camera. However, I would like everyone to think of a deserving college student or young artist who would be trilled with this treasure. Unfortunately, I can't think of anyone at the moment.

[Jim Galli]

Kirk, I'm the least deserving SOB so we may as well get that out of the way. If you give it to me I'll plug up the bellows holes with goo, use it twice, and sell it on Ebay. You would do this when I've got an entry level 2D on Ebay wouldn't you. There goes all my bids. OTOH whoever gets it can contact me for a great G-Claron to use with it.

[Jim Galli]

Actually, I do have an idea for you. Donate this to Deep Springs College and I'll go spend some time getting the kids there up to speed with it. Their school is just at the bottom of the hill on the road that goes up to the Ancient Bristlecone Forest, and about 60 miles from me. Take the doation slip for $2500 and use against your tax bill next year. Hey maybe I'll give them the 2D also!

[Mark_3632]

Sort of curious about what you mean by deserving. Are you looking for sobstories, pleas of need (lets face it people can live without an 8x10 so there goes the need), or desire? Just looking for clarification.

[Kirk Gittings]

Wow,

I've even had offers to kick in a couple of more 8x10 cameras for second and third prizes. This is sweet. You guys are great.

Kirk

[Kirk Gittings]

I guess I mean who needs it the most. Who is going to use it the most. Its been sitting in a case in the corner of my studio for 5 or 6 years. I would like to see it out there making images. If I am not going to use it I would like to see it go to somoene who has the desire and not the funds or someone who needs this for a specific project or maybe some student with a burning desire. etc. I would like to make a contribution to the real developement of someones art.

This isn't science and there is no formal review committee to review the proposals. Its just me and my love of the genre.

[Randy_5067]

I'll bite.
I am a second year Photography student at Oklahoma Community College.(51 year old photo-journalism student, actually) I am attending full time, working 40 hours in a shop till I get through, and putting three daughters through college as well. My school camera is a Canon AE-1P I am currently shooting LF with a refurbed whole-plate London Stereo that came off that E-place for a whopping 36 dollars. (It was listed as "some kind of camera accessory") I home-built one butt-ugly (heavy on the ugly) 5x7 back for it, and have been bidding as much as I can possibly afford for an 8x10 to 5x7 reducing back to rework for it. Three months and I am still shooting with the ugly-duck back. Bellows are about 30 percent photo tape, lensboard is masonite, ground glass is garage-made. I unfortunately and stupidly sold a 5x7 Jap field camera for pennies of value out of necessity. I had painstakingly refinished and refurbed it, new plating, bellows, etc and "gave" it away. I would dearly love an 8x10 ANYTHING. (Ultimate goal is 8x10) However, on a very limited income, very high output, my purchases are often those that are listed in wrong places as unknowns. I do not have any "collectables" only "daily drivers". Send it this way, and I will reciprocate in kind, and pass on another to someone else. My LF shooting is landscape and historical architecture. Done on weekends with youngest(15 yr old). AND since it was brought up, my wife is from the home town of Gilley's (Pasadena TX). Can't beat those Texas women!