I want to sincerely thank you guys for helping me consider this beast...much appreciated. I even learned a little!
I want to sincerely thank you guys for helping me consider this beast...much appreciated. I even learned a little!
Hello. I have a 20x24 R. R. Robertson in excellent condition but it is missing the back with the ground glass. I was wondering if you still have this or if you can point me in the direction of the owner so that I can see if I might purchase the back (if it is the same size)? Thank you.
Drop one zero and it's worth the price.
Garrett
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That's a spectacular deal - for them. For you it's a funny joke.Originally Posted by efdalby
Brian Ellis
Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you do criticize them you'll be
a mile away and you'll have their shoes.
I guess no luck on the back... on the other point which everyone seems to be commenting on even though the original post is over a year old... My suspicion is that everyone's comments on the price that the original poster spoke of as being too high is based on the condition of the specific camera that was discussed. If the camera is a 20x24, which it appears to be from the images, then that is a very desirable size camera that very few people have access to. The particular camera the original poster was inquiring about is clearly in very poor condition so I would agree that it's not worth much but these R. R. Roberts cameras go for very good prices in the rare circumstances when they are found in mint or very good condition (the fact is there are very few left). If it were in EX condition $800 would be a steal approaching grand larceny considering how much the typical 20x24 camera will cost you for either a vintage/antique in good condition or new one which can cost as much as a new car. The fact is that these camera, which were originally designed as graphic cameras intended to photograph high end art work and important historic documents, were often converted (by simply building a movable cart that served as a tripod) to studio portrait cameras and were sometimes used outdoors in the field as landscape cameras. People did this because they were well made, functioned smoothly, and provided a massive negative for contact printing. The lack of movements was typically not a concern for the studio portrait photographer using this camera and for those using it for landscape the lack of movements is not an issue if the scene is carefully selected and if you can stop down i.e. a vast landscape with no dominant foreground objects. The bottom line is that this camera is an excellent option for those interested in entering the world of ultra large format (although you'll still need to worry about film!). The extreme movements that modern cameras are often engineered to be capable of are rarely ever necessary in the field except for a small percentage of photographers who tackle extreme subject matter. The key is knowing how to use your camera. Learn the machine and make it an extension of yourself and you will find that lack of movements or gargantuan size will have little consequence on your ability to expose what you see and create something beautiful. By the way, I have one of these cameras (a 20x24) which I am currently restoring and I can honestly say I can't wait to photograph with it! There is nothing like a HUGE negative!
I stumbled across this thread while trying to do some research on a very large Robertson process camera that is located in the basement of a property that I just purchased. I am trying to find out if this thing is worth anything or if there is a collector out there somewhere. There is a serious lack of information regarding this camera so I am hopeful someone out there can help me. I believe this is a 30x40 format but have not measured it myself. The model is the Robertson 480 and it is still intact with the rail system, light setup, timers, etc. The camera was still in use in the 90's.
Pictures and location would be a good start. Many will poke fun at something like this, while others as Fragomeni see a useful tool.
I am restoring a huge, but not this big, studio Deardorff that many scorn.
Each to his own misery, I say.
These photos aren't great but you can get the idea.
As long as you don't expect a BIG pay day you "may" find someone willing to rent a flat bed or U-Haul and cart it off for you. The chances are also good you wont find a taker in your part of the world and you may have to pay to have it hauled off for scrap. That's the sad truth of such beasties when no longer used or needed for there original purpose.
Not that there are not folks out there who want to take on such dreams and haul them off for you, they're just not the ones who pay big bucks for process cameras like the one you have to get rid of.
I think the trick is holding the lenses ransom, they may be desirable, and the person that wants the lenses only gets them if they take the whole mess.
This is far different from my studio Deardorff which is way smaller and is easily used for portraits and studio work. It only takes up 12 sq ft of floor space. It was once 20 ft tall, and now it is only 9 ft tall after I gelded it.
Good luck!
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