Show off your ULF camera

[Steven Tribe]

Thought this might be a useful thread - a parallel thread to that in LF cameras.

I have had this for some time but this is the first time I have taken it out and put it to use.

It is a German made reisekamera 24x30 cm. It is the "turn the bellows" type. This means that the rear standard is not square and is therefore significantly slimmer that the usual type. Which makes it ideally suited as cabin baggage as it matches the dimension restrictions of airlines. I usually have an square 18x24cm camera on my winter search for warmth, light and motives, but this has proved just as convenient for transport and use. The sliding lens boards is big enough to permanently mount a sinar/copal shutter on the front, along with an extra panel with a universal iris mount for a selection of lenses.

The front standard has a small flap at the bottom which enables the lens board to come lower down to centralise the optical path.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Steven, I always love to see different ULF cameras and their designs. The front flap is very interesting. Thanks.

[plaubel]

Hi, Steven,

in my opinion, your camera isn't a typical "Reisekamera", which have always a square back, so I do believe..

Let me show my Reisekamera next time ( have to make some pics first), where I believe that this is a so called Reisekamera.

Here is my 30x40 cm russian FKP lady again; the bellows looks scary, but it works:



It is a nonfolding version; One can move the back standard by a knob, and the frame can be extended with this "Philips wheel".
Shifting up/down, and left/right is possible:



The back standard has some tilt function, also in four directions.
The back is turnable, and my GG is surprisingly good.
In this pic I adapted the back to my Reisekamera, because she misses her GG.



I only have one double-filmholder for the FKP, but it seems to be enough to me.



Inside I use two aluminium plates, and I always tape the filmsheets onto the plate.

[plaubel]

The camera once came with some russian, orthochromatic and technical stuff which works not so bad today.
It's from a company called Tacma, which still produces film.



I have someold russian cameras and some german cameras; a comparison shows the very better quality of the german models, concerning materials and hand work.

Ritchie

[plaubel]

First picture of my 30x40cm german Reisekamera onto her selfmade Staffette:



Yes, nothing to see there, other pics are following soon.
Meanwhile I can only show my lovely 420mm Dagor:

[Tin Can]

First picture of my 30x40cm german Reisekamera onto her selfmade Staffette:



Yes, nothing to see there, other pics are following soon.
Meanwhile I can only show my lovely 420mm Dagor:

A few more detail images of the Staffette would be nice.

Thank you!

[Steven Tribe]

Yes, most reisekameras are square with the rear tilt with heavy brass fitments. The French were fond of the oblong back with fixed brass catches which makes rear tilt impossible but included front tilt sometimes and the wood is most often walnut. I have a trad. 30x40cm of the usual German type which is certainly not suitable for air travel.

The 24x30cm I illustrated earlier differs in a few other ways. The plate holders are not book type, so I had to make proper metal sheaths to hold film (Fuji green x-ray at present). The focussing (moving the rear standard back and forth) is by a large central knob underneath the base working on a long toothed track - and which worked quite well to-day. Unusually, it has not the brass reinforcements at the corners. This is quite common with cameras (including studio cameras) before about 1890. Later on, these extra brass fitments seem to have become a symbol of quality rather functionally necesary.

I can't garantee it is German, but it bears the plate of the biggest Copenhagen phototgraphic shop and they are known to have sourced their cameras in Germany.

[plaubel]

Randy, here are some more details of my Staffette:



At the bottom, I can fill in some lenses...

I love the double bellows, supported by a wooden plate with rollers on the bottom, on this old german or russian cameras, and in stretching up to nearly 100cm it may become necessary to support the bellows in any way.

The extra brass fitments shows a bit of the quality of the given camera: my russian versions wear the brass onto the wood, and the brass is into the wood of the the german cameras. Solid work there, really...

[Emil Schildt]

new member of the family.
24x30cm reisekamera with tripod case and three cassettes.
Suter lens and shutter..


ready to go...

[Tin Can]

Randy, here are some more details of my Staffette:



At the bottom, I can fill in some lenses...

I love the double bellows, supported by a wooden plate with rollers on the bottom, on this old german or russian cameras, and in stretching up to nearly 100cm it may become necessary to support the bellows in any way.

The extra brass fitments shows a bit of the quality of the given camera: my russian versions wear the brass onto the wood, and the brass is into the wood of the the german cameras. Solid work there, really...

Just caught up with this thread.

Your Staffette is a model of simplicity and flexibility.

I may work on a collapsible one, for street usage. Or a way to pack a camera inside it for travel.

Thanks for the clarification.