BOLO alert: Stolen 8x10 Master view

[blaze-on]

My beloved KMV 8x10 was stolen from my truck yesterday (Sat, 6/22/13) parked out front of my gallery and studio.

No serial number recorded (do they have one?) but had a new (i installed) bellows from Western bellows, a thin page magnifier fresnel over the GG on back, and a custom KMV to Teknika adaptor panel on front. The top of the adaptor lensboard had a simple aluminum piece, about 3/4" long and 1/2"wide with a brass tight down screw (looked like a table lamp piece). A not too good of a mock up photo attached.

No straps on bellows, a few chips on bottom base..

It was also in a Photobackpacker case for 8x10. The RPT embossed logo on case.
So, I have a police report, have handed out fliers to some local antique and pawn stores and notified a few local guys who are out at camera shows and looking for treasures.

So, since they rarely come up for sale, please notify me if you become aware of one anywhere, anytime. Reward offered. Thanks

Oh, and pretty sure whomever snatched it knows nothing about large format as they left the case of three lenses I had..worth more than the camera.

That's it...
Thanks
951 204 1451

 

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Matt, this really sucks. I get so angry when I hear this shit! Sorry man.

 

[Dr Croubie]

Oh, and pretty sure whomever snatched it knows nothing about large format as they left the case of three lenses I had..worth more than the camera.

Wow, that blows. I certainly hope that they're not complete idiots who don't know one end of a camera from another. If they try to sell it and get nabbed at least there's a chance you'll get it back. They probably just grabbed the bag because it looked like a laptop bag, or were expecting an expensive digital. Let's just hope they don't open the bag, think "what is this old crap?" and throw it in a river, that would be the worst thing I could think of...

(Also, if they do know what they've got, we can all keep an eye out for it on the 'bay, KEH, FredMiranda and all those places...)

 

[BrianShaw]

Sorry to hear about the theft. That stinks.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

What a nuisance. The thief surely doesn't even know what it is or how to sell it.

 

[summicron1]

call the pawn shops and check your local dumpsters and garbage cans .. say, for a mile around. Whoever has it will likely realize it's not super-cool electronics and dump it.

might even put some signs out offering reward for return, no questions asked...make it sweet, coupla hundred dollars. ya never know.

 

[blaze-on]

Am hitting more pawn and antique shops today with flyers. Probably too late for dumpster diving but worth a shot, but I did think of that...someone opening it and going" WTF?" and tossing...I hope not.
I do have a reward listed on my flyers. Thanks to all for the support and for keeping your eyes open.

 

[blaze-on]

HAPPY ENDING! KODAK MASTER VIEW !!!! My friend Peter Geo who has several ads on craigslist for buying photo stuff received a voice call today about 3:00 pm. Message said "I have a Kodak Master 8x10 camera for sale"...

He called me and I said set up a meeting. Then I called the cops, relayed whats happening. So we drove over to the area where this guy/thief lived (In Riverside...what are the odds it isn't mine right?). Called dispatch again and waited for at least a half hour.

Finally, Peter decided to go up and check it out. Parked in the drive, the dude came out with the camera and I received a text "It's yours". The guy wanted $300 so Peter said he needed to go to the ATM..came back to where I was waiting and we called the police again. They had a domestic violence to attend to so by now, the thief/tweaker was calling and getting anxious. So I decided lets just buy it back for the $300.

Peter went back, paid the $300 for the camera (no case), dark cloth and returned. Just then a squad car came and we relayed the events. As I was talking to the officer, Peter noticed the dude and a girl walking down the block behind us so the cop went to check it out. Another squad arrived and we told him we have the camera but no case. He left, came back and said the guy had $300 on him, what do we want to do?

I said if the case (a nice photo backpacker one) and the $300 was returned, we won't press charges. The cop said they still might arrest him, and were going to arrest his GF as she had a warrant out.

10 minutes later, the case and $300 were handed over.

Pretty awesome on the timing of things. Many thanks to Peter for calling me right away. The network works!

Missing the Ground Glass. For some reason it was removed or maybe broke. All in all, it looked good! Glad it's back and in just a little over 48 hours!

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Amazing.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

Utterly mind-blowing. So glad you got it back in a timely fashion.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Utterly mind-blowing. So glad you got it back in a timely fashion.

Touché! Loved the story! A really happy ending that is so very rare these days.

 

[clayne]

Fuck that guy! But I'm damn glad you got your gear back!

I'm dismayed (but not surprised) that the cops took so long on such a slam-dunk case, but I understand the various issues that create that.

 

[summicron1]

you should press charges anyway--the guy is obviously a repeat offender. Do society a favor.

Your experience reminds me of the joke about the guy who calls the cops, says "there's a burglar in my garage, come quick," but dispatch says they don't have anyone free at the moment.

Guy calls back, says "OK about that thief. I shot him." Ten seconds later there's 3 cop cars in his front drive and they arrest the burglar.

Cop says "I thought you said you shot him." Guy says to the cop, "I thought you said you didn't have anyone available to send."

 

[Newt_on_Swings]

That's really great detective work. Your friend is a good guy for sticking his neck out in a situation like that.

 

[Curt]

It's a one of a kind experience Matt, luck was on your side!

 

[clayne]

I'm just so glad you got your camera back. Ground glass can be replaced. The camera is a different story.

 

[PeterB]

Incredible. Well done. When I read your introductory post, I thought you had little hope of getting it back.

 

[blaze-on]

Thank you all. I was a bit nervous about my friend going up to the house but it worked out almost like it was planned!

I had little hope as well and after spending hours distributing flyers to stores and pawn shops, as well as an hour dumpster searching the area, I was giving up hope.

 

[Rick A]

You should have pressed charges any way. You would still have gotten the case back plus restitution for damages and expenditures for trying to recover it.