Big Xerox Plate Camera - Help?

[unkgowa]

I have recently become fascinated by the world that is large format and just sold my digital kit to buy a Speed Graphic.. I haven't yet taken my first proper 4x5 photograph (the Graflex being a Christmas present) and probably rather foolishly stumbled across this http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Large-Plate-Camera-Rank-Xerox-Serial-No.-XB48-3082_W0QQitemZ220522028984QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxq20091206?IMSfp=TL091206165001r18122 on the auction site a couple of days ago. At this point, I was already dreaming of 8x10 and beyond, and at 99p it was too good an opportunity to miss.

I have had a look through it nothing is coming up on the ground glass(?), is that to do with the lens or the glass? And the lens looks to be off of an old SLR so surely that needs replacing, I was thinking of a shuttered lens that could cover 8x10? I'm still only sixteen and don't have much money so any suggestions on the cheap side would be appreciated..

I'll try and get some more pictures up soon..

[unkgowa]

Sorry for the multiple posts of this thread, my internet was playing up and I haven't been able to delete them yet..

[Peter K]

From the picture of the inside of the camera it looks like there is a closed shutter. So remove the lens, it's either mounted with a bayonet or with a M 42 thread. If you can look through the lens there must be a shutter or something else on the camera.

Good luck
Peter

[venchka]

If the "film" holder will accomadate 10"x8" film, look around for x-ray film. It's dirt cheap in the States, hopefully not too expensive in the Old Country. It actually works well. There are examples here. Search for x-ray film.

Enjoy!

[BarryS]

You found a bargain of a studio camera! You can buy x-ray film or litho film cheaply and cut it down to size or you can use double stick tape to fix sheets of 8x10 in those holders. Is there any light hitting the ground glass or is the image just out of focus?

[unkgowa]

Thanks for the replies.. Barry, there is definitely light hitting the ground glass but i can't see an image forming there, just some blurred glass.. In the holders there is an area marked out for 8x10 film by some wooden things, so I can pop the film in there.. Any ideas on a cheap lens?

[BarryS]

Ok, it sounds like it might be a short lens as someone suggested. Buy the biggest cheapest magnifying glass you can find, and rig it on a homemade board. It will easily cover 8x10 and get you started--with some funky effects. Gundlach Radar 8x10 lenses are usually inexpensive. I think I just saw one in a shutter sell for $130. In the barrel, they sell for maybe $50. There are a lot of inexpensive barrel lenses that cover 8x10. For less than $100 there are plenty of anastigmats and rapid rectilinear lenses out there. The diagonal of 8x10 is about 13", so you want a lens at least that long. Probably anything 13-20" would work great on your monster.

[Donald Miller]

If the identification of the lens is correct than you should plan on achieving focus when the ground glass is approximately 2 inches removed from the nodal point of the lens. If you have the two standards separated as much as indicated by the photographs the lens will not achieve ground glass focus. I sincerely doubt that you will cover the desired format with that focal length when the lens is focused.

Donald Miller

[unkgowa]

The lens is a Pentacon 50mm F/1.8 and it is incredibly hard to get anything much out of it, and if i can only focus at around 2 inches it has definitely got to go.. I'll try rigging up one of those magnifying glasses as suggested above and I'll have a look for one of those Gundlachs.. Thanks again for the info..

However, I can't seem find even a hint of a shutter in the camera itself, considering I can see straight through the 50mm, do you think there must be one in there somewhere?

[BarryS]

That lens sound like it's meant for a 35mm SLR--I don't think you're going to have much luck with it. It looks like there's some sort of electrical cord on the back of the front standard along with a compartment--maybe there is/was an electrical shutter. There might not be any shutter at all.

[GPS]

If the identification of the lens is correct than you should plan on achieving focus when the ground glass is approximately 2 inches removed from the nodal point of the lens. If you have the two standards separated as much as indicated by the photographs the lens will not achieve ground glass focus. I sincerely doubt that you will cover the desired format with that focal length when the lens is focused.

Donald Miller

The lens can be used for macro photography and will then cover more. But a 50mm focal length would not be too practical for a bigger magnification as the subject distance would be quite small. On the other hand, the camera has 2 lights to deliver the light at 45° angle...

[unkgowa]

Yeah, the lights are a big plus.. I was thinking of using the whole set up as a studio portrait camera because the lights can be swung around and tilted and it's not like I'd get very far if I tried to use it on the street.. I think I'll rip out the current lens and replace it with a big one that covers 8x10 properly (and one with a shutter).. Thanks again for the advice everybody..

[GPS]

...
I think I'll rip out the current lens and replace it with a big one that covers 8x10 properly (and one with a shutter).. Thanks again for the advice everybody..

That would be a neat solution...

[venchka]

RE: Big lens for portraits that covers 8x10.

Speak to the Little Green Men or Mr. Jim Galli, their representative on Earth.

[Pete Watkins]

Just a couple of thoughts. Try to find an Escophot or a Repromaster lens, the came off industrial cameras and were very cheap in the UK at one time. I've never seen a source of x-ray film in the UK (but I haven't looked very hard, if you find one let us all know) you could try paper negatives. There are posts on this site about using RC printing paper as negatives.
Best wishes,
Pete.

[unkgowa]

Pete, I had a look for the lenses you suggested on the auction site and there isn't much to be found, I have had a little experience with paper negatives though and that's definitely the way I'm going to start with before I try and get any proper film in there.. Lens wise, I think I've decided on a Kodak Commercial Ektar in a Acme shutter, either the 10", 12" or 14".. Has anybody had any experience with these, other threads suggest they're quite highly acclaimed lenses?

[venchka]

They are. They aren't cheap. Check the coverage of the 10" Ektar. It may be tight for 8x10.
Can you cram a Packard shutter in the camera? That saves you a ton on shutters and opens the door for old brass lenses found at boot sales, trash bins, etc.

[HBDesert]

This unit is part of one of the first Xerox copier systems made. The complete systems came with the camera, and a transfer and fusing box. It's quite a system. If you go to a larger Xerox office they may have one on display.

Take Care,

Doug

[rugenius]

First off, the bellows will have to be drawn almost completely together at infinity.
For a macro shot, like a "copy" Xerographic shot, the bellows will be extended a bi.
Furthermore,... as other people indicated,... I sense the lens is only meant to cover a small format like 35mm or at most 6x6cm.
So the lens will have to go for practicality sake.
It is not meant for 8x10 inches.
That said, you can easily adapt numerous lenses to this camera.
No worries.
Looks heavy though?

Bill

[unkgowa]

I did here something about this being used as a copying machine from the guy I bought it off, I think they were phased out quite quickly though.. As to the lens, I don't have any interest in keeping it on the camera, but those Packard Shutters sound interesting, I'll have to check them out..