Another exotic 8x10 beauty on eBay for bargain prices

medform-norm · May 15, 2005

Exclusively found for the APUG-community by Norm himself:

exotic 8x10 design classic

I just loooovve these orange knobs. Looks like real Lego! Retro design with a modern feel. Goes well with the new high-tech boy-toy ultrawides from Linhof, Horseman, Cambo etc. (We always call those gadgets LEGO - like the toy company) But for an affordable price (still, w/ 3 days to go).

C'mon, you too can hop on the 8x10 bus with this baby tucked under your dark cloth...

Cheers, medform-norm

Nick Zentena · May 15, 2005

It's a 13x18 plus a 6x9 reducing back. Not sure how much use the reducing back is.

Won't lose it in the dark.

Mongo · May 15, 2005

I've always loved the look of the Fatif cameras (even the ones with black knobs), but I can't imagine what those bellows would cost to replace.

medform-norm · May 15, 2005

Mongo said:
I've always loved the look of the Fatif cameras (even the ones with black knobs), but I can't imagine what those bellows would cost to replace.

well, all you need is some craft, the right fabric and a good sewing machine...and maybe a bit of glue.

PS I take it you don't drive an oldtimer car for the same reason?

roy · May 15, 2005

To me it looks more like a 7x5 rather than a 10x8 but I have no idea what the text means.

medform-norm · May 15, 2005

roy said:
To me it looks more like a 7x5 rather than a 10x8 but I have no idea what the text means.

you are right, wrong conversion of cm - inch. It's a 13 x18 cm film size. But the company did make an 8x 10 if I remember.

Did you try babelfish to translate the text? I haven't, but I can sort of figure out what's going on, although unable to translate fast. Neither English nor Italian are my mother tongue.

BradS · May 15, 2005

That is so cool!

User Removed · May 15, 2005

Sorry, but that is one terribly hidious camera. I am glad I cannot read what it says, because the pictures explains enought. Why would anyone even want that?! The real question is...why would a company have ever MADE that!?

removed account4 · May 15, 2005

i almost bought the 8x10 version of this camera a few years ago. ep levine (cameras.com) in boston had it --- wow what a work of art. the only problem i found was that there was only one place that had lensboards (round ones) in chicago i think ... and they might not have any left

-john

Mongo · May 15, 2005

medform-norm said:
well, all you need is some craft, the right fabric and a good sewing machine...and maybe a bit of glue.

PS I take it you don't drive an oldtimer car for the same reason?

That's an interesting leap, Norm, from my comment about the bellows being expensive to replace to why I'd drive a newer car. But I'll go with it...in fact, I do drive a newer car. I rebuilt my share of cars in my youth, but nowadays I'm definately a "write the check" kind of guy when it comes to cars. Lumbar spine issues preclude any serious work on cars for me

When it comes to cameras, however, I do almost all of my own work. One of my two 8x10 field cameras is a Korona Pictorial View came to me in a state that could most charitably be called "trashed", and I spent about six months rebuilding it from the ground up. Rectangular bellows are pretty easy; a little geometry, a little glue, and a lot of cutting and folding...not much to it.

But I think there's more to the Fatif bellows than just simple card stock and fabric...in fact I'd love to know how they're made. Those rounded-corner bellows have always fascinated me. I've not seen any in person, but I've always assumed that their either made with some sort of reinforcements around the folding points or the fabric has somehow been formed to the final shape. Perhaps someone who owns bellows like these can chime in with more information.

I originally meant that it'd probably be expensive to purchase a new set of those bellows...but not knowing how they're made, I have no idea how expensive or difficult it would be to make a new set.

Be well.
Dave

MarcoF · May 16, 2005

medform-norm said:
you are right, wrong conversion of cm - inch. It's a 13 x18 cm film size. But the company did make an 8x 10 if I remember.

Did you try babelfish to translate the text? I haven't, but I can sort of figure out what's going on, although unable to translate fast. Neither English nor Italian are my mother tongue.

Yes, this is a 13x18cm. camera, i.e. roughly a 5x7".
Fatif is a first class products italian company, founded in 1944 in Milan (where I live), its large format cameras are all state of the art products, incredible quality, as good as other much more "sought after" brands, their only "fault" is that they're located in Italy and so they never had the visibility and the market they deserved.
Sadly they discontinued the 8x10" and the 5x7" lines in recent years due to the "collapase" of the LF market here in Italy, but they still produce a 4x5":

http://www.fatif.com/fotografia_professionale/ds2.php

Ciao
Marco

Jeff Dyck · May 16, 2005

de Golden Busch

Speaking of Exotic 8x10s -

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7514722039

and not a single bid with only 2 hrs left and no reserve! Someone please put him out of his misery...

David A. Goldfarb · May 16, 2005

At $500 that de Golden Busch 8x10" is a steal. These are really beautifully made cameras, with extensive movements for a field camera. (Is that Petronio in there, bidding on it?) But at 23.5 lbs, it's heavier than my 11x14" camera.

Fatif--beautiful cameras, but heaven forbid you should need a lensboard.

David A. Goldfarb · May 16, 2005

Whoa, sold for $500! Frank, when you need to pay for the back surgery from lugging that thing around, you should be able to get $1500-2300 for it.

Frank Petronio · May 16, 2005

I'm going to give the guy an option to back out, as I've been the victim of having an expensive camera sell for a silly low-ball. But if he wants to sell it to me for only $500 then I'll gladly pay up. They are beautiful cameras - I don't have a proper lens or holders for it, but I might just admire it for a year or two. Until my wife makes me flip it! She can be tough... it's hard to hide an 8x10 (Leicas are easier).

Frank Petronio · May 16, 2005

Of course, I can dream... 8x10 chromes are sweet and my friend's lab has an 8x10 Durst. Any idea where to find Golden Busch lensboards?

I sold my giant Gitzo last year, as well as my 300 Sironar - both of which would have been the nuts for it. But in keeping with the wooden theme, I guess I should start looking for a Ries and a vintage Dagor...

Kerik · May 16, 2005

David A. Goldfarb said:
Whoa, sold for $500! Frank, when you need to pay for the back surgery from lugging that thing around,

23.5 lbs for an 8x10???? My Lotus 12x20 weighs that much...

No wonder there weren't more bids.

Kerik
www.kerik.com

medform-norm · May 17, 2005

Mongo said:
That's an interesting leap, Norm, from my comment about the bellows being expensive to replace to why I'd drive a newer car.

uhmm, well to me at the time it seems logical. In both cases you're talking about hard to get replacement parts. We love oldtimers, (ever seen the Maserati Mexico? e.g. Verrrry sleek) but shrink back immediately when thinking about the hell you go through when something breaks down.

Mongo said:
But I think there's more to the Fatif bellows than just simple card stock and fabric...in fact I'd love to know how they're made. Those rounded-corner bellows have always fascinated me. I've not seen any in person, but I've always assumed that their either made with some sort of reinforcements around the folding points or the fabric has somehow been formed to the final shape. Perhaps someone who owns bellows like these can chime in with more information.

Well, all I meant was that once you actually owned a Fatif, you would have its bellows at your hands to study, take apart and copy. From just seeing it on the web, it will be nearly impossible to reconstruct. But if somebody made them before, it should in theory be possible to copy the product. It would be much harder to re-think and re-invent the whole design.

And when in doubt, you can always send it to China, the country of master copiers! Did you know they copied a complete car by taking it apart to its last screw and reproduced every single thing? I think it was some French car, Peugeot, Citroên?

Best, Norm

Dan Fromm · May 17, 2005

Um, Norm, about that there Maserati Mexico. A while ago I was schmoozing with Charlie Barringer about cars we'd owned. It came out that at one time he commuted across Philadelphia -- up and down the dread Schuylkill Expressway -- in a Mexico. He told me that even though he drove it for a couple of years he regarded it as very unsafe. If the windows were open while the car was in motion, exhaust fumes were sucked in through the trunk, and the driver was slowly, um, gassed.

medform-norm · May 17, 2005

Dan Fromm said:
Um, Norm, about that there Maserati Mexico. A while ago I was schmoozing with Charlie Barringer about cars we'd owned. It came out that at one time he commuted across Philadelphia -- up and down the dread Schuylkill Expressway -- in a Mexico. He told me that even though he drove it for a couple of years he regarded it as very unsafe. If the windows were open while the car was in motion, exhaust fumes were sucked in through the trunk, and the driver was slowly, um, gassed.

Nice story, didn't know that. There used to be a minty superbly restored Mexico parked near where we lived in our last studio. I never saw it in motion. Maybe this is a car just to park in front of your house because it looks so cool?!

About the fumes: would it have helped to open the windows a little wider so the fumes were sucked out again?

But lets not start to talk about cars - people here might get bored....

eclarke · May 17, 2005

Fatif 8X10

" But the company did make an 8x 10 if I remember. "

Yes, I have the 8x10 and it is a well made camera but primarily for studio..it is pretty bulky..Evan

removed account4 · May 17, 2005

SNIP

Dan Fromm said:
If the windows were open while the car was in motion, exhaust fumes were sucked in through the trunk, and the driver was slowly, um, gassed.

that sounds like a 73' bmw bavaria i used to drive - except that the exhaust fumes didn't get sucked through the trunk they came out of the ac/vent ducts on the dashboard!

Mongo · May 17, 2005

Dan Fromm said:
Um, Norm, about that there Maserati Mexico. A while ago I was schmoozing with Charlie Barringer about cars we'd owned. It came out that at one time he commuted across Philadelphia -- up and down the dread Schuylkill Expressway -- in a Mexico. He told me that even though he drove it for a couple of years he regarded it as very unsafe. If the windows were open while the car was in motion, exhaust fumes were sucked in through the trunk, and the driver was slowly, um, gassed.

I think it'd be easy to get hurt on the "Sure-Kill" Expressway regardless of what you're driving!

Mongo · May 17, 2005

medform-norm said:
And when in doubt, you can always send it to China, the country of master copiers! Did you know they copied a complete car by taking it apart to its last screw and reproduced every single thing? I think it was some French car, Peugeot, Citroên?

Best, Norm

I think that's how they came up with the Shen-Hao...just got ahold of an Ebony and went to town copying it.

Seriously...I'd love to get my hands on a set of rounded bellows for a while to see how they're made. In my mind, every structure I can think of is pretty hard to imagine making without the aid of some sophisticated machinery...but I may just be missing something obvious.

(I'm working on 2 6x18 cameras right now. One will use bellows and the other will use a hand-made helical focusing mount. I think the rounded bellows would look cool as all hell on the one with bellows, if I could just figure out an easy way to make them.)

Be well.
Dave

medform-norm · May 18, 2005

Mongo said:
I think that's how they came up with the Shen-Hao...just got ahold of an Ebony and went to town copying it.

Seriously...I'd love to get my hands on a set of rounded bellows for a while to see how they're made. In my mind, every structure I can think of is pretty hard to imagine making without the aid of some sophisticated machinery...but I may just be missing something obvious.

(I'm working on 2 6x18 cameras right now. One will use bellows and the other will use a hand-made helical focusing mount. I think the rounded bellows would look cool as all hell on the one with bellows, if I could just figure out an easy way to make them.)

Be well.
Dave

Well, if you wanna spend 300 euros you can take a close look at the Fatif's bellows. Round bellows are indeed very nice. These look like some Japanese origami master made them up...

Another exotic 8x10 beauty on eBay for bargain prices

medform-norm

Nick Zentena

Mongo

medform-norm

roy

medform-norm

BradS

User Removed

removed account4

Mongo

MarcoF

Jeff Dyck

David A. Goldfarb

Moderator

David A. Goldfarb

Moderator

Frank Petronio

Frank Petronio

Kerik

medform-norm

Dan Fromm

medform-norm

eclarke

removed account4

Mongo

Mongo

medform-norm

Another exotic 8x10 beauty on eBay for bargain prices

Moderator

Moderator

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency