William Barnett-Lewis
27-Dec-2012, 16:08
After a remarkable turn of events, I find myself gifted with the long term loan of a Mentor folding bed 13x18 camera. It's so typically DDR in it's big hulking heavy way. I've read the wee bit that's on Camerapedia but was wondering if anyone knows anything else about it?
Pluses: Full movements, even on the back. Focal plane shutter.
Minuses: Heavy. Slow focal plane shutter :)
It's like a T34 tank mated with a Speed Graphic ... :p
86108
In this image you can see the controls for the limited focal plane shutter (1/30th, 1/15th, 1/8th, B & Z) As well as my 1912 B&L Tessar 5x8 with a Polaroid MP-4 shutter on it's back & then attached to a homebrew cardboard lens board. I doubt I'll find any additional lens boards for this & can't afford the $$$ to have one made. This works for now though.
86109
This image shows the lenses that came with it - both are Carl Zeiss Jenna. No T but I think they date from after that as the glass looks coated. 210/4.5 Tessar & 300/4.5 Tessar. The little 101 Optar is a relic from a Baby Speed that I use as my loupe.
86110
It's got a strange kind of popup hood similar to my Crown Graphic but made of leather and not as useable. I'm thinking of seeing if I can detach it at use a dark cloth instead.
86111
Last image, you can see the rather unusual film holder. The dark slide does not come fully out and inside of the holder is a secondary holder that actually holds the sheet of film. These were custom made in 5x7 size for use in the US. Three sides of the two holders I got with it were set up with 2x3 sheet holders. That seems, odd, to me but hey, there you go.
I've got a box of Arista.Edu Ultra ISO100 ready to go once it warms up a bit this coming weekend :cool:
Any further information or comments on this old beast would be greatly appreciated.
Pluses: Full movements, even on the back. Focal plane shutter.
Minuses: Heavy. Slow focal plane shutter :)
It's like a T34 tank mated with a Speed Graphic ... :p
86108
In this image you can see the controls for the limited focal plane shutter (1/30th, 1/15th, 1/8th, B & Z) As well as my 1912 B&L Tessar 5x8 with a Polaroid MP-4 shutter on it's back & then attached to a homebrew cardboard lens board. I doubt I'll find any additional lens boards for this & can't afford the $$$ to have one made. This works for now though.
86109
This image shows the lenses that came with it - both are Carl Zeiss Jenna. No T but I think they date from after that as the glass looks coated. 210/4.5 Tessar & 300/4.5 Tessar. The little 101 Optar is a relic from a Baby Speed that I use as my loupe.
86110
It's got a strange kind of popup hood similar to my Crown Graphic but made of leather and not as useable. I'm thinking of seeing if I can detach it at use a dark cloth instead.
86111
Last image, you can see the rather unusual film holder. The dark slide does not come fully out and inside of the holder is a secondary holder that actually holds the sheet of film. These were custom made in 5x7 size for use in the US. Three sides of the two holders I got with it were set up with 2x3 sheet holders. That seems, odd, to me but hey, there you go.
I've got a box of Arista.Edu Ultra ISO100 ready to go once it warms up a bit this coming weekend :cool:
Any further information or comments on this old beast would be greatly appreciated.