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Sold Burke & James 4x5 Monorail Camera, Wollensak IIIa 90mm & Ilex Paragon 140mm

Trader history for indy_kid (12)

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indy_kid

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May 10, 2013
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332
Location
Bloomington, Indiana
Format
Medium Format
Burke and James Saturn 75 4x5 Monorail Camera Outfit

One of the earlier 4x5 monorail cameras, this model includes a 24" bellows extension, and the view can change from portrait to landscape by removing and rotating the back.

Includes a tripod mount, and eight (8) 4x5 cut film holders. The holders alone are a $50 value!

I've added a Wollensak IIIa 90mm lens in a Kodak Supermatic shutter and an Ilex Paragon 140mm in an Ilex No. 3 Acme Synchro shutter. Lens glass is reasonably clean and shutter speeds sound good.

No case with this camera.

$125 + S/H (28x14x14, 16 lbs, from zip code 47401)
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NOTE: S/H can be high because small sellers like myself don't qualify for the discounts that large companies can get.
 

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Last edited:
Ok, this is actually the deal of the week.
 
For shipping bulky items cheaply, one could try pirateship.com-- their reviews are generally positive. They achieved really low rates the one time I checked, but I chose not to use them out of convenience (an eBay buyer wanted me to use his pirateship account, but my eBay shipping discounts matched it). I'm definitely keeping them in mind, though.
 
I love these 4x5 monorail cameras like the Cambo, the Graphic View and this Burke & James. The amount of experimentation that is possible with them is seemingly limitless. Every two or three months it seems I am trying out different lenses on mine.

Right now I have a little Bausch and Lomb 210mm Rapid Rectilinear off of an old folder that nicely covers 4x5. One instant shutter speed, bulb and time along with a handful of aperture choices using the old Uniform Aperture System.

I keep the camera and a few film holders ready to go in a hard case and just toss it and the tripod in the trunk of the car every other week. It is almost as easy as medium format. I can burn some sheet film and practice my technique, which always seems to need practice.
 
The 5X7 back from a B&J Grover or Commercial models fits this camera as well as the 4X5.
 
Seriously. Anyone even thinking about dabbling in 4x5 should be all over this, especially folks in the middle of the US where shipping wouldn't be too crazy. I'm still going to throw out a guess of $50 for ground rates to either coast.
 
True that. This camera shares many parts with the common Calumet CC-400 series of cameras and is a spectacular bargain at the current ask.
 
For at least three decades B&J 4x5 and 5x7 cameras were almost the only large format cameras I used. For a few things a Speed Graphic was more convenient. Never once was there a subject that required a better camera than one of those B&Js. The Graphic View I camera I eventually bought was more elegant, but photography is more craft than performing art. How well a tool works is far more important than how it looks.
 
Another shipping option to consider is Greyhound. You have to drop off and pick up at a terminal, but might be worth it.
 
I used Fastenal to ship a motorcycle engine from Oregon to Maryland. $150 but took a couple weeks. No problems I knew it would take awhile. Worthwhile option.
 
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