4x5" motor drive

[David A. Goldfarb]

So did anyone here buy this thing?--

http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-4x5-Motordrive-FILM-HOLDER_W0QQitemZ370084751353QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item370084751353&_trkparms=39%3A1|66%3A2|65%3A13|240%3A1308&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14

I assume its main use is for copy work in libraries, but I could imagine some interesting unconventional uses for it, if it can run on batteries.

[Peter K]

So did anyone here buy this thing?--
"Bidding has ended for this item"

Aerial film is aviable on rolls of 5" x 50 feet. And is used e. g. with the Linhof Aero-Technika to get 150 exposures 4x5". Or with manual film transport. This filmholder can also be used with a "normal" Technika 4x5".

[David A. Goldfarb]

Yes, I know bidding is ended. I'm curious as to whether the buyer might be a member of the forum and could report on it, who made it and how it works. If the link isn't working, it is a motor drive that can feed up to 50 sheets of film automatically.

[Peter Lewitt]

David

Its called a Load 50 4x5 Motor Drive. I have a 1991 brochure that gives it's list price as $1875. It was sold by Apeiron, Inc. in Mission Viejo California. It runs on a 9v battery.

It was promoted for catalog and copywork as well as fashion and action. It took a full 50 sheet box in one swallow. I don't know if they sold many, but I stopped seeing ads after a year or so. It seemed like a way to overcome the (pre-photoshop) dust problems plaguing me at the time. I was loading piles of holders for every job. I asked another photographer about it and he laughed at me. He had assistants to load his piles of holders. Anyway, the price was pretty steep, the more so if you needed a couple for negs and chromes.

If you'd like me to scan the brochure I can do it tonight.

[David A. Goldfarb]

Thanks, Peter. I was just curious, so don't go to too much trouble, but I bet the brochure would be of general interest, if you wanted to upload it as an attachment here.

[Ivan J. Eberle]

Seller would not say whether it actually still worked when asked... with a $500 minimum bid, I took a pass.

[Michael Jones]

There was a "review" or an announcement in View Camera when it originally came out. The photo, as I recall, showed it inserted behind the gg ready for use. It was a pretty impressive looking and a neat idea if you could afford $1800 and the cost of hundreds of sheets of film in 1991. Of course your assistant then had to process all that film and you had to view it to find the one or two transparencies to show to a client. Glad that can't happen as easily anymore...

Mike

[Brian_A]

If you'd like me to scan the brochure I can do it tonight.

Peter,

If you ended up scanning it, I'd love to see it.

Thank You,

-Brian

[Ash]

The seller probably couldn't work it out, or gave up on the project 'too difficult' so the motor back looked like 'rocket science'? :)

[David A. Goldfarb]

I suspect the seller was having one of his gallery assistants deal with the auction.

[Joseph O'Neil]

Twisted thought time - wouldn't it be cool to adapt one of these to something like my old Crown Graphic and go hand held shooting some day?
:)

[David A. Goldfarb]

I don't think you would need to adapt it. Just slip it under the groundglass and shoot away. If you've got a press shutter, you can really burn through the sheets.

[Ivan J. Eberle]

Anyone ever actually use one to know whether these units were reliable? Is the advance triggered via the PC sync, or was there some separate control unit? How many decibels?

[Alan Curtis]

In the 50's my father was a photographer at Holloman AFB in New Mexico. He shot high speed photographs of rockets and a rocket sled using a motor driven 4x5. It had a giant spool of B&W 4x5 film. Sort of a Nikon on steroids.

[wfwhitaker]

Did anyone ask the seller about fire or smoke damage?