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Thread: 14X17 Fire Studio

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Sep 1998
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    14X17 Fire Studio

    I’ve been lusting for a 14x17 camera and looking around at my options. Tonight I discovered a new one for sale on eBay for $2K made by Fire Studio out of Blaine, Washington. Has anyone heard of this camera or have any knowledge about the builder? A Google search didn’t show anything. It’s always been my experience that if something seems to good to be true it’s probably not that good of a deal.

  2. #2

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    Re: 14X17 Fire Studio

    Michael

    I've been following this seller for some time, cannot add anything more I'm afraid

    regards

    Andrew

  3. #3

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    Re: 14X17 Fire Studio

    Looks a bit flimsy, also, look at the weight, pretty light, I’d compare the weight to similar sized cameras. L

  4. #4

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    Re: 14X17 Fire Studio

    Are you sure the camera is made in Blaine, WA or is it simply imported in there? Blaine is basically a border/port town.

  5. #5
    Peter De Smidt's Avatar
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    Re: 14X17 Fire Studio

    I bought one of his film holders. The quality was poor. The flaps that hold the darkslide at the bottom were crooked, with one edge being over a 1mm higher than the rest of the holder. This means that the holder would not seat properly, which would lead to light leaks, the film not being on the proper plane, and the holder flap eventually breaking....When I mentioned the issue to the seller, the response was, "That won't be a problem in use!" That's total BS.
    Last edited by Peter De Smidt; 6-Mar-2020 at 13:03.
    “You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
    ― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know

  6. #6

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    Re: 14X17 Fire Studio

    Quote Originally Posted by domaz View Post
    Are you sure the camera is made in Blaine, WA or is it simply imported in there? Blaine is basically a border/port town.
    I'm in Bellingham, 15 minutes south of Blaine. They're importing from China.

    And some of their Ebay listing actually have Chinese characters in the descriptions.

  7. #7

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    Collinsville, CT USA
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    Re: 14X17 Fire Studio

    Personally would try to locate a vintage Empire State view camera if one wants to shoot 14x17. Very light, classical, and can be easily restored. The 11x17 Fire Studio has a lot of possible movements, especially with the front standard, and that makes me wonder just how sturdy the camera is. A 14x17 Chamonix lists for $5,810.00... judging by my 11x14 Chamonix, you get what you pay for.

  8. #8

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    May 2010
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    Kalamazoo, Michigan
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    Re: 14X17 Fire Studio

    I bought some of their film holders. The 4x10 ones leaked so I returned them. The 11x14 holders leaked also but I was able to fix them, it was a pain n the butt though.
    Terry

  9. #9
    Peter De Smidt's Avatar
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    Re: 14X17 Fire Studio

    I bought one of the 4x10 holders. It allows one to use 4x10 in a regular 8x10 camera. I hoped it would allow me to see if that format would work for me without having to buy a camera. Alas, the holder is unusable as is. When my workshop comes up to a bearable temperature, I'll modify/fix it, but that'll be a few months yet.
    “You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
    ― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know

  10. #10

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    Re: 14X17 Fire Studio

    I suspected as much. You get what you pay for. I contacted the seller on eBay and asked about a web site. He said they don't have one up and running yet. I find that really bizarre. Shortly after that email I got a response from the seller that he was dropping the price to $1600 for me for 48 hours! I'm sure there are people out there that jump on that deal. Not me.

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