A De Golden Busch 11x14 Monster!

[Vaughn]

I was recently in Philadelphia and gave a carbon printing workshop. I had dinner a couple times with the professor of the the class who I was giving the workshop for and her partner had a camera I had only heard the name of, but never have seen.

A nice looking camera. Definitely not a field camera -- lifting it up it seemed to be around 40 pounds. I asked him to send me a photo pf the camera and I have attached it below. The bellows go out about 48 inches -- a heck of a lot longer than my arms! It does not seem to fold up. I think I will stick with my Empire View #1 11x14 -- at least I can carry that out into the field! It would be nice to have the movements it has, though.

Has anyone used such a beast? I looked online and found some photos of some ULF De Golden Busch cameras, but since they were hand made, the design seems to have be changable.

Vaughn

[C. D. Keth]

Those extensions look really flimsy. Look how they sag without a lens on the camera!

[Vaughn]

I noticed that, too. I should have asked him to put a beer can or something in the photo for scale! It is not a flimsy as it appears.

The front standard is pretty heavy (as is the rest of the camera), so adding a lens may not deflect the extensions much more than without the lens! I was not there when the photo was taken, so I never saw it extended to the max like it is in the photo. My longest lens is 24", so it would only use half of the possible extension!

With the location of the tripod screws in the middle of the main body, using a 700mm to 1000mm lens would probably require a second tripod for the end of the extension. I did not look under the block that is the base for the front standard -- I'll ask him if there is a tripod socket there. That would make sense for a camera with 4 feet of extension.

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

I borrowed a 8x10 de Golden Busch many years back, and was not particularly taken with it. It was nearly twice the weight of my Deardorff, and wasn't as rigid. As I recall it was made out of plywood and aluminum. I also played with a 20x24 or perhaps 16x20 de Golden Busch at Photogizmo in NYC many years back.

[Kerik Kouklis]

I've seen one but not used it. Designed (and built, I think) by Doug Busch. Poor design and silly heavy. He also made holders that were also an odd (ie crummy) design. He also had some ULF lenses manufactured my Melles Griot, I believe. Here's (http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost-classifieds/showproduct.php/product/28135/title/ultra-large-format-20x24-de-golden-busch-21-very-rare/cat/10)an add from RF forum for a 20x24.

[Vaughn]

Thanks Kerik, Jason.

Jason, was the 8x10 a folding camera, or non-folding like the 11x14 I have pictured? The back seemed rigid -- I guess I should have taken the opportunity to set the camera up and play with it a little. The weight would be beyond the capability of my Ries A100 -- looks like an A100-2 could handle it (60 pound capacity, compared to the 25lb of the A100).

Vaughn

[John Schneider]

http://web.archive.org/web/20120106161008/http://www.superlarge.com/deGoldenBusch/index.html

[Alan Gales]

Anything with weight beyond the capability of my Ries A100 is beyond the capability of my back! ;)

[Vaughn]

Thanks Kerik, Jason.

Jason, was the 8x10 a folding camera, or non-folding like the 11x14 I have pictured? The back seemed rigid -- I guess I should have taken the opportunity to set the camera up and play with it a little. The weight would be beyond the capability of my Ries A100 -- looks like an A100-2 could handle it (60 pound capacity, compared to the 25lb of the A100).

Vaughn

[Louis Pacilla]

And who does Doug look like in this photo? Any guesses Elane, George or Cosmos?:)

[Vaughn]

Thanks, John, for the link! I found it once, but lately I have been getting error messages with the direct link.

Totally agree, Alan! But I am still looking for a way to easily get my 11x14 Empire View #1 out into the field. Right now I have it in a suitcase (military-issue, holders in a lap-top case over one shoulder), which is far from optimal. There are several options out there, from a bigger pack to baby buggies to meat (hunter's) carts. I tend to get off the trails, so a pack works better than a cart.

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

...was the 8x10 a folding camera...

Yes, it was a folder, sort of. It did make a nice protected package when folded, but completely overwhelmed my Series 3 Gitzo. It weighed about 20lbs without lens, so I would guess that a A100 might be ok...

[C. D. Keth]

And who does Doug look like in this photo? Any guesses Elane, George or Cosmos?:)

What's the deal with socks with sandals?!

[Dan Fromm]

What's the deal with socks with sandals?!If you haven't tried it, don't knock it.

[E. von Hoegh]

If you haven't tried it, don't knock it.

I think this particular sartorial practice has been raised before...

[C. D. Keth]

If you haven't tried it, don't knock it.

I didn't see anything else there to put in a Jerry Seinfeld-esque "what's the deal..." joke. If people want to look dorky, that's their prerogative.

[E. von Hoegh]

I didn't see anything else there to put in a Jerry Seinfeld-esque "what's the deal..." joke. If people want to look dorky, that's their prerogative.

Warm, comfortable = dorky?? O.K. :)

Nevermind, I just realised you live in L.A.;)

[Sal Santamaura]

...was the 8x10 a folding camera, or non-folding like the 11x14 I have pictured?...Here's a 2-1/2 year old thread with pictures:


http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?67048-Golden-bush-camera-Anyone

Post #6 in it is an assessment by Frank P., who owned one in the past.

By the way Frank's last visit here was today at 8:28 AM EDT. :D

[Vaughn]

Warm, comfortable = dorky?? O.K. :)

Nevermind, I just realised you live in L.A.;)

Guilty of socks and sandals, but then I live in Northern CA -- hippydippyland! But when it rains, I leave the socks at home...bare feet dry out faster than socks!

Thanks, Sal. That 8x10 does fold -- the ones on his old website look like they don't. I like the idea of the non-folding Shen-Hai TFC8x10 -- if it at least had back tilt:

https://www.badgergraphic.com/store/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=3146

[Michael Cienfuegos]

What's the deal with socks with sandals?!

I don't like cold feet, I'm nearly 70 years old, I don't care who calls me dorky, I WANT warm feet! :mad:

[Keith Fleming]

My Seattle daughter says that in the airport boarding lines for flights from the East Coast you can identify the Seattle people because they are wearing socks with their sandals. A Seattle business (I think it was a bank) even had a series of commercials about what Northwest people do, and one of the things was wearing socks with sandals. But remember that the Northwest normally has cool temperatures even in the summer. We start whining if the temperature tops 80 degrees F, and above 90 the TV stations warn people about taking precautions against dying from the heat. There's even a classic joke that a summer shirt in Seattle is a lighter-weight flannel. I'm out on the northern Olympic Peninsula, and to keep my darkroom at 68 degrees I have to keep the thermostat-controlled heating unit on all year round--except for maybe 3-4 days every summer. We start closing windows around 3:00 PM most summer afternoons to keep the house from getting too cool. In short, we have to dress a bit differently than the rest of the country.

Keith

[C. D. Keth]

I don't like cold feet, I'm nearly 70 years old, I don't care who calls me dorky, I WANT warm feet! :mad:

If you want warm feet, why don't you wear real shoes?:confused:

[Scott Davis]

I haven't checked lately but I THINK the 20x24 De Golden Busch is still for sale on Ebay. It's a total pig of a camera that requires its own custom tripod, and despite being a field-camera design is absolutely useless anywhere other than a studio. On the upside, I think it came with a lens and a couple holders in addition to the custom tripod. Which looked like a Saltzman on steroids.

[sun of sand]

I'm from Santa Monica and wear socks with sandals
I also wear knee high socks with shorts
I like socks

I also don't like it when girls go barefoot. Some it works for ..but when the bottom of their feet get dirty
No thanks




Big camera

[Alan Gales]

I also don't like it when girls go barefoot. Some it works for ..but when the bottom of their feet get dirty
No thanks




Big camera

How about when little Japanese girls walk barefoot on your back like in the movies? :)

[Dan Fromm]

How about when little Japanese girls walk barefoot on your back like in the movies? :)

Their feet get dirty.

[Alan Gales]

Their feet get dirty.

Yeah, but sometimes you can look past things. ;)

[C. D. Keth]

I also wear knee high socks with shorts

Based on this statement alone I shall now assume your age begins with no less than a 6.

[Vaughn]

Originally Posted by sun of sand View Post
I also wear knee high socks with shorts
Based on this statement alone I shall now assume your age begins with no less than a 6.

Dang, I do that occasionally too, even when my age started with a 4...it will be another year and a few months before my age starts with a 6. Very nice on cold mornings when I commute to work on my bicycle. And I often saw it in the cities of New Zealand...only with the addition of a jacket and a tie. LA is not the world, Christopher! It only seems that way when trapped in a big basin between the mountains and the sea... :) (He says from behind the Redwood Curtain...)

[C. D. Keth]

Dang, I do that occasionally too, even when my age started with a 4...it will be another year and a few months before my age starts with a 6. Very nice on cold mornings when I commute to work on my bicycle. And I often saw it in the cities of New Zealand...only with the addition of a jacket and a tie. LA is not the world, Christopher! It only seems that way when trapped in a big basin between the mountains and the sea... :) (He says from behind the Redwood Curtain...)

Ah, so I was close with the 6! I live in LA now but I haven't always been here. I grew up in Utah and Pennsylvania. I really just like giving guys flack. :D

[Vaughn]

All in good fun! Occasionally I get caught by the fashion police (often in the form of one of my 16 yr old boys). When I do, I say, "Dang! Busted again by the Fashion Police. It's tough to escape them when they go undercover!"

And yes, right now I am wearing white socks and sandals...waiting for a phone call to pick up my three boys who are volunteering for a community event.

[Alan Gales]

You know in the last socks with sandals debate I was in Chris's position.

To each their own.

[Andrew Plume]

a few years back, maybe longer a guy by the name of Emile [ ? ] used to offer these de B Cameras FS plus some ULF Wisner's too and some other non-Camera stuff

just my few cents worth

andrew

[Oren Grad]

a few years back, maybe longer a guy by the name of Emile [ ? ] used to offer these de B Cameras FS plus some ULF Wisner's too and some other non-Camera stuff

http://templesounds.homestead.com/lfcameras.html

[Sal Santamaura]

http://templesounds.homestead.com/lfcameras.htmlHow reassuring to read the note that says:


"There is a lifetime guarantee on this camera from the Wisner manufacturing company against defects."

:D:D

[Andrew Plume]

http://templesounds.homestead.com/lfcameras.html

thanks Oren

yes that was the guy that I had in mind

andrew

[Andrew Plume]

How reassuring to read the note that says:


"There is a lifetime guarantee on this camera from the Wisner manufacturing company against defects."

:D:D

Sol, yes indeed, err....................maybe enough said

best

andrew

[sanking]

thanks Oren

yes that was the guy that I had in mind

andrew

That site has most likely not been updated in a long time!! Many of the items listed on the site are no longer for sale, to say nothing of the lifetime guarantee for Wisner products.

Sandy