Big Bertha's new john says Hello!

[Dan Schwartz]

By the way, as this thread turns into a mini blog, today I went shopping in the Photo District for a tripod head for Bertha, since I already have a nice 6 foot Eastman video tripod.

B&H was a total bust, as they didn't even have any heads for a Speed Graphic... And downstairs in the video department they wanted to sell me a $7000 video head... Yes, that's a 7 followed by 3 zeroes.

Then, it was over to FotoCare where Bertha's cousin is sitting in the window. There, at least they had a couple items heavy enough to hold her. One was the Gitzo 1570 (barely capable), and the other was a geared head that was just the ticket... At $800.

So, off to eBay, where I grabbed this Majestic tripod & geared head for $150; so if it works, great; and if not, at least I can still use it for my Speed Graphics...

[Andrew O'Neill]

Too cool! Dan, is that the same type of camera that a sports photographer used many years ago to capture boxing matches?

[Glenn Thoreson]

Most boxing and wrestling matches were photographed from ringside. Graflex made a camera for that, too. Oddly enough, it was called the ringside camera. It was made for fast focusing and close work. Look it up on graflex.org

[David A. Goldfarb]

B&H has a Davis and Sanford head for large cameras that's not absurdly expensive--

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...nier_Head.html

Right now, they're in the middle of a big renovation, so there's a lot of stock that isn't on display. When I was there a couple of weeks ago, it looked like about 1/3 of their floor space was blocked off.

The Majestic head is great for big cameras and should work. Get it with the big plate if you can for Bertha. I had one for a few years that I used on my studio stand with my 8x10" Sinar P. I also had a Gitzo G1570M, which was more practical in the field, but not as solid as the Majestic.

The Arca-Swiss B2, if you can find one, is even more solid than a Majestic. I bought one second hand for around $400 and sold the Majestic and the Gitzo. I don't think they are making it anymore, which is unfortunate, because it's a great head combining the strength of a large ball head (rated 150 lbs), the control of a pan-tilt head by using two nested balls rather than one, and the smooth panning of a fluid head. Maybe they'll offer a redesign along the lines of the their other new tripod heads. Anytime you want to bring Bertha into Manhattan for a night on the town, you're welcome to try it out.

[David A. Goldfarb]

Too cool! Dan, is that the same type of camera that a sports photographer used many years ago to capture boxing matches?

Baseball games. You could set the focus stops for home plate and first base and always be ready to catch the action.

[Dan Schwartz]

Andrew, that's a question I don't know the answer to offhand. As I understand it, these were more for baseball than anything else. They had lenses from about 500mm up to about 1600mm. I guess a 500mm f/4 or f/5.6 would be quite useable indoors.

I'll be using mine with the 1000mm f/8 for daytime oval track auto racing.

Too cool! Dan, is that the same type of camera that a sports photographer used many years ago to capture boxing matches?

[SamReeves]

"Big Bertha" is definitely cooler than a woodfield Dan! Looks like a rocket launcher from a distance I bet.

[Dan Schwartz]

If you go to Graflex.Org and then dig down, you'll find this reference which basically sais the Graphic Combat camera is the successor to the Ringside Camera.

Most boxing and wrestling matches were photographed from ringside. Graflex made a camera for that, too. Oddly enough, it was called the ringside camera. It was made for fast focusing and close work. Look it up on graflex.org

[Neal Shields]

Congratulations. I am glad it is you and not me. If they came up regularly, I would probably have one but they become available so infrequently that I am usually not flush at the same time.

I consider them the holy grail of Graflex collecting. (That or the Naturalist.)

I can't imagine how many famious sports photos were taken with a Big Bertha.

The last one I saw on Ebay was out of a photographer's estate in San Antonio.

Neal

[Dan Schwartz]

Uh oh... What is a ``Naturalist?"

Congratulations. I am glad it is you and not me. If they came up regularly, I would probably have one but they become available so infrequently that I am usually not flush at the same time.

I consider them the holy grail of Graflex collecting. (That or the Naturalist.)

I can't imagine how many famious sports photos were taken with a Big Bertha.

The last one I saw on Ebay was out of a photographer's estate in San Antonio.

Neal