Anybody interested in this camera on eBay?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=360071033854&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=023

I was interested, but have decided to pass.

It's a 5x7 R.O.C. View (variation 4), according to this guy: http://www.fiberq.com/cam/roc/viewlate.htm

But, on to the purpose of the post: I *have* seen the camera in person. The I Sold It store is local, so I went in and messed with it. So if anyone is interested and has any questions, I will do my best to answer them, either here or in a PM.

The camera was listed originally with an incorrect shipping charge, so they took it down and relisted it. In between the auctions, I went in and saw it, and told them what everything was. (They were actually quite nice, and it turns out I went to high school with the lady who was working behind the counter.) I also told them that the Pentax stuff has nothing to do with the rest of the equipment. However, aside from the addition that the lens is "not clear" and has no shutter, they kept their original description. They didn't even use the most basic and important piece of info: it's a 5x7 field camera that is about 90 years old.

Are they plate holders or film holders

Film holders. All pretty crusty. Two 8x10, one 4x5, and the rest 5x7.

One of the 8x10 holders is thicker than the other, but I looked inside and it is for film.

One of the 8x10 holders has a broken bottom flap.

How are the bellows? Any leaking at all?

Thanks, Richard

The bellows don't look very good, but they are not entirely trashed. I could not test them for leaks in a dark room, but they did look at the very least tapeable, and possibly usable as is. I am pretty sure they are original, or a direct replacement of the original ones, as they have the same wide-pleat design as shown in that original catalog drawing of the camera. They are strangely glossy, though, whatever that means. They either came like that or someone coated them with something at some point.

It is no collectible, but it looks OK, and wouldn't need all that much to be used. A lens, a shutter, and a darkroom check/possible taping of the bellows. The movements are tight and the camera is solid.

No swing on this model; only rear tilt and front vertical shift.

The lens is definitely pretty far gone. It would probably make for some interesting soft focus pix. It's a 209mm f/4.5 Raptar.

The cool part is the tripod and the tilt plate. This stuff was all wrapped up, so I didn't look at it in detail, but they would probably be able to tell you something about it.