Originally Posted by
Bob Salomon - HP Marketing
Tips on selling are difficult. That camera requires 24V DC to operate the backs and those battery packs are no longer made as the charger manufacturer is no longer making the charger. In addition, if you are not using the vacuum backs you need 6V cells that go into the camera body to power the shutter and they are no longer made. Nor is the charger for them.
Then there is the issue with finding the 126mm 5" roll film stock on NATO modified spools. And, once you find it, who will still process aerial roll film? Many of the aerial emulsions, black and white as well as color, required special chemestries different then that used for normal amateur or professional films.
The Aero Technikas that Oak Ridge used are the unmodified ones that were also used by NASA on the Space Shuttle missions. The modification was basically fairly minor changes (like using Teflon coated wires and a different vacuum pump) that were integrated into the later models of the camera and back. The camera was introduced in 1973 and they stopped producing it a dozen or so years ago.
6545019 was made about 1979/80. They started on the Shuttle about 1982/83 but our records that old are in storage and are not recoverable for checking. But you might check the photo site at NASA to see how old the first Aero Technika shots were. The astronaut most commonly pictured shooting with the camera from orbit was George "Pinky" Nelson on a 1983 Discovery mission.
The vacuum roll back held 150 4x5 shots on the 126mm roll film and the camera could shoot all 150 frames at 2.3 second intervals. The vacuum pulled the film flat to the pressure plate during the exposure and pushed it away between frames for film advance. Lenses from 90mm to 250mm in helical mounts were available for the camera and there were pre-set locking positions on the focusing scale on all lenses except the 90, which was fixed focus (minimum focus distance was governed by governmental flight regulations for aerial work so a focus mount was not needed on the 90mm. The aperture and shutter speed settings lock into position. All lenses had IR focus marks as IR was very commonly used in this camera.
If one did not want to lug the 24V battery pack around there was cabeling available to hook it up to 24V aircraft current directly.
The camera was supplied with a regular Linhof 45 Technika back so sheet film and roll film could also be used in it.
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