PDA

View Full Version : Canham 8x20 Camera...



Capocheny
19-Jan-2007, 22:46
Greetings,

Anyone interested in an 8x20 Canham camera?

Here's one on the bay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/K-B-Canham-8x20-Large-Format-View-Camera_W0QQitemZ300072621168QQihZ020QQcategoryZ15248QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

BTW, I have nothing to do with the seller of this camera... I'm posting this just fyi.

Looks like a nice camera! :)

Cheers

Sheldon N
19-Jan-2007, 22:54
Did you see what else he is selling?

alec4444
19-Jan-2007, 23:06
Wow, what is this guy thinking? I'd dump the Hassy stuff and buy some film... Really, though, this week is a large format "bonanza"... did you catch the Wisner listing?

--A

Capocheny
19-Jan-2007, 23:24
Wow, what is this guy thinking? I'd dump the Hassy stuff and buy some film... Really, though, this week is a large format "bonanza"... did you catch the Wisner listing?

--A

Alec,

Are you talking about that 10x20?

All these little guys coming out of the woodwork! :)

Time to start interviewing Sherpas!


Sheldon,

Mostly Hasselblad gear, The Canham, and R.H. Phillips...

Nice list of goodies! :)

Cheers

Terence McDonagh
20-Jan-2007, 13:54
Estate sale. Someone's death is your (possible) gain. Damn, they are beautiful cameras.

Sheldon N
20-Jan-2007, 16:01
Yes, that is quite an estate. It makes me wonder if the original owner ever posted here...

It appears the seller is still adding listings today - some of the goodies include the two 11x14 Phillips Cameras, the 8x10 Phillips, a 30cm Heliar, a 19 inch Dagor, 16x20 Protar Series IV, a 480mm APO Artar, as well as 185mm and 210mm Protars in Copal 1 (looks like something Grimes did).

I guess it just goes to show that you can't take it with you. I hope he made beautiful photographs that someone is enjoying.

alec4444
20-Jan-2007, 17:03
A 14x17 Wisner just came up. This is insane. As a sidenote, who the hell shoots 14x17? Bit of an odd format I'd think.

The "10x20" Wisner looks a lot more like an 8x20 Wisner.

What I am just DYING to know is what the guy (who through self-proclamation doesn't know anything about view cameras) paid for the Canham & Phillips cameras. I bet nobody else at the estate auction knew anything about them either....

--A

Oren Grad
20-Jan-2007, 17:25
As a sidenote, who the hell shoots 14x17?

Kerik Kouklis (http://www.kerik.com/img197.htm), among others.


What I am just DYING to know is what the guy (who through self-proclamation doesn't know anything about view cameras) paid for the Canham & Phillips cameras.

The language in the Phillips 11x14 listing is also consistent with the eBay listing itself being the estate sale. The seller could be an agent for the estate, working on commission.

Brian Ellis
20-Jan-2007, 21:44
I have a very vague recollection that some famous collector was in Brookline, where this seller is located. I seem to recall reading an article a couple years ago about a sale of the collector's collection for many millions of dollars while he was still alive. Maybe he died and this is the leftovers. Or maybe it's all just my imagination and/or deteriorating memory.

Oren Grad
20-Jan-2007, 21:56
I have a very vague recollection that some famous collector was in Brookline, where this seller is located. I seem to recall reading an article a couple years ago about a sale of the collector's collection for many millions of dollars while he was still alive. Maybe he died and this is the leftovers. Or maybe it's all just my imagination and/or deteriorating memory.

You're probably thinking of Thurman (Jack) Naylor (http://www.communicationsforlearning.com/pr/Naylor.pdf). But these aren't the sort of camera that he collected.

wfwhitaker
20-Jan-2007, 22:18
Few are aware of the little-known eighth sign of the second coming:
"There will descend great hordes of large format cameras upon the land by th'E bay."

I say get your bids in now, then repent like hell!

Brian Ellis
20-Jan-2007, 22:35
You're probably thinking of Thurman (Jack) Naylor (http://www.communicationsforlearning.com/pr/Naylor.pdf). But these aren't the sort of camera that he collected.

Thanks Oren, that's the guy I was thinking of. I know he didn't generally collect this type of stuff, few collectors do, but you never know. Take a look at the camera he's standing next to on the second or third page of the web site you cited. Someone who would collect that camera would collect anything. : - )

Oren Grad
20-Jan-2007, 23:05
Someone who would collect that camera would collect anything. : - )

Cameras of Michigan origin. ;) I wonder whether there have been any others...

Frank Petronio
20-Jan-2007, 23:12
I hate to be bring this up, but inspite of the seller having 100% positive feeback over more than 400 transactions, the only items that are still clickable are inexpensive things they've bought, not sold. So it doesn't jive that the seller is a professional estate dealer. The photos look legit, and probably someone would have recognized them from a previous auction if they were hijacked, but I would still be extremely careful with one of these deals.

If I had that kind of money I'd probably bid with the expectation that I would hope a plane and pay for the gear after inspection.

Oren Grad
20-Jan-2007, 23:26
I hate to be bring this up, but inspite of the seller having 100% positive feeback over more than 400 transactions, the only items that are still clickable are inexpensive things they've bought, not sold. So it doesn't jive that the seller is a professional estate dealer. The photos look legit, and probably someone would have recognized them from a previous auction if they were hijacked, but I would still be extremely careful with one of these deals.

Point well taken - caution is always in order when a highly specialized, ultra-expensive item shows up at a seller not known for such.

Sal Santamaura
21-Jan-2007, 08:24
...the only items that are still clickable are inexpensive things they've bought, not sold. So it doesn't jive that the seller is a professional estate dealer...Just because the numbers aren't links doesn't mean one can't check out completed auctions. Copy the numbers one at a time, paste each in the "Search" field above and find out what was bought/sold up to a year ago.

I did that for a couple of feedback pages and discovered that most of the sold items were computer equipment, LPs and laser discs. Not completely inconsistent with an estate dealer.

John Bowen
21-Jan-2007, 10:13
I inquired if there were any lensboards, film holders or tripod available for the 8x20. The answer was yes for lensboards, but no film holders or tripod available. That seems a little odd. There is a Ries tripod shown in one of the photos of the 8x20.

Jason Greenberg Motamedi
21-Jan-2007, 10:24
If you get the serial number from the seller, it would be an easy thing to call Keith Canham and ask if he thinks the auction is legit.

Michael Jones
21-Jan-2007, 12:36
There was a fellow named Bob Lewis in that area who "amassed" -collected is the wrong word- amazing large format equipment. I was fortunate enough to buy several interesting lenses from him. He died about two or so years ago and these may be items from the estate. And it can take this much time to probate an estate under certain circumstances.

If you call Dick Phillips, he can tell you who bought 2 11x14 and 1 8x10 and lived in Boston. BTW, these are early 1990's models if my vision serves me correctly.

Mike

John Powers
21-Jan-2007, 16:00
BTW, these are early 1990's models if my vision serves me correctly.

Mike

To confirm that statement my RH Phillips, 8x10, Advantage is #145. He makes about 45 cameras a year. The listed one is #104. Dick Phillips said mine was early 1990s.

One of the beautiful things about RH Phillips cameras is that Dick is still taking care of them. I got mine on eBay three years ago. Dick looked it over last spring. He tightened up a few things, put a new strap on, replaced a level that had gone dry, put new stiffer springs on the reversing back, added a bail like the new ones, and it was that, just like a new one.

One very happy camper.

John

gregstidham
21-Jan-2007, 16:11
Few are aware of the little-known eighth sign of the second coming:
"There will descend great hordes of large format cameras upon the land by th'E bay."

I say get your bids in now, then repent like hell!
lmao

MIke Sherck
21-Jan-2007, 17:57
First bid! I gotta admit, I'm the dork who started the bidding on the Canham with a $100 bid. No, I had no illusions; I just wanted to be hi bidder for awhile on something I can't. It was fun. Heck, I can't even afford film for that thing!

Mike

alec4444
22-Jan-2007, 07:57
Wow, the Phillips are up to $4300 per camera, and the Canham's not doing too badly either.

You know what's noticeably absent are film holders....probably got sold off in another lot. What a shame! Those bidding on these cameras are gonna spend a lot to get the film holders for them. I suppose if you're dropping $4300 on a camera, though, what the hell is a few hundred bucks more...

--A

John Powers
22-Jan-2007, 08:58
Alec,

That really isn't unreasonable for the Phillips. The last year the 7x17 Explorer was sold, 2005, it was $4200 new. The 11x14 was finished in 2004 and I believe it sold for the same as the 7x17. The Advantage series which is the model offered is older, but has a revolving back for verticals. I don't think that is an unreasonable price and my guess is it will go higher before the close.

John

Jim Galli
22-Jan-2007, 09:22
The lenses are a virtual who's who of dream about but can never have ULF lenses. All I can do is watch while the big boys play. This stuff has become such a world market that many of those rare Protar's in pretty new shutters will find themselves in China and Japan next month. There's some ordinary stuff too but a lot of the lenses in this lot look to be superb.

Renee Galang
23-Jan-2007, 12:39
Am sure I, amongst others need more infos on those lenses because they are just so rare! I need one for my 11x14 and I can't really decide which one to bid!

Sheldon N
23-Jan-2007, 20:44
The lenses are a virtual who's who of dream about but can never have ULF lenses. All I can do is watch while the big boys play. This stuff has become such a world market that many of those rare Protar's in pretty new shutters will find themselves in China and Japan next month. There's some ordinary stuff too but a lot of the lenses in this lot look to be superb.

Jim, I'd keep in the game if I were you. Many of those auctions are not well labeled (including one for a second 19 inch dagor that's not even listed in the title). A few well placed snipe bids could lead to a veritable windfall.

If the auctions were marketed a little more thoroughly with some information about the capabilities of the lenses, I'd bet they would fetch double the price.

So - all you need to do is buy a couple of lenses, post a series of 8x10 portraits and rave about how great the lenses are, then sell them a couple months later.

You'd make a killing! :)