Calumet 8x10 Tripod Mount??

bill schwab · Mar 20, 2006

I just got one of those green monster Calumet 8x10s and a bunch of xtras in excellent condition.. only problem is the camera came without the tripod mount that slides along the bottom of the rails. I can undoubtedly make a replacement, but I'd like to have the actual part. Anyone out there point me in the right direction?

Thanks in advance,

Bill

JackGreen · Mar 21, 2006

Bill,
You might try contacting Calumet in Chicago 312-440-4920. It may be a long shot on something so old but they do stock replacement parts. I believe the person I've dealt with was Jose.. Good luck
Jack

bill schwab · Mar 21, 2006

JackGreen said:
I believe the person I've dealt with was Jose.. Good luck
Jack

Thanks Jack. I already spoke with Jose. No parts, but he did say to send it in and he would make something for me. Nice guy. I'm pretty good with metal and wood and will mill something myself I guess. From the looks, it is a very simple part. Would be nice to have the real thing though.

Thanks again,

Bill

Jim McD · Mar 21, 2006

Try a Bogen Super Clamp.

TheFlyingCamera · Mar 21, 2006

Bill- if you are going to make your own, here's a tip. Make something with a solid, flat bottom. Don't try and copy the original which was designed as an open form, to save weight. The open structure and the resulting minimal contact patch with the tripod head means that unless you're using a Majestic head with a 9" wide platform, your camera will suffer from "the wigglies". It is stable enough once you have the film holder loaded and the darkslide pulled, but working with it will scare you unnecessarily.

Jim Chinn · Mar 21, 2006

Try calling Midwest Photo Exchange. I know a couple of people who found some odds and ends peices for old Koronas and vintage calumet 4x5 rail cameras there.

bill schwab · Mar 21, 2006

TheFlyingCamera said:
Make something with a solid, flat bottom.

Thanks FC... that't the plan. It will slide along the rails like the original, but be solid. Hopefully that will take a little of the spring out of things. Although a bit cumbersome, this is a very well designed camera from what I can see. Wish the 8x10 bale had the wheel like the 4x5 back. Wonder why they skipped that step on the 8x10 back? So it goes. Until then, I will give Jim's suggestion a try.

Thanks again,

Bill

bobfowler · Mar 21, 2006

I can make measurements and shoot some digi's of mine if it will help you out...

Ray Bidegain · Mar 21, 2006

Hi Bill:

I have had a couple of the green monsters over the years and they are great cameras. I used the mounting plate as sort of a quick release for my camera, I would leave it on the tripod and slide the camera on and off the tray. I am surprised that someone would have the camera but not the plate, making one may not be all that easy. I have seen beat up versions of these cameras sell for less than 100.00 so you might have to go that route. I do still have a lens board or two including a recessed one if you are interested and maybe a compendium shade. Good luck with your platinum adventure.

Ray Bidegain

TheFlyingCamera · Mar 21, 2006

Ray Bidegain said:
Hi Bill:

I have had a couple of the green monsters over the years and they are great cameras. I used the mounting plate as sort of a quick release for my camera, I would leave it on the tripod and slide the camera on and off the tray. I am surprised that someone would have the camera but not the plate, making one may not be all that easy. I have seen beat up versions of these cameras sell for less than 100.00 so you might have to go that route. I do still have a lens board or two including a recessed one if you are interested and maybe a compendium shade. Good luck with your platinum adventure.

Ray Bidegain

Ray- surprisingly enough, I've seen at least a half-dozen of these show up on the auction site in the last two years or so missing the bottom mounting block. I don't know how you could lose it either. Even more distressing is seeing one of the old Kodak magnesium Professional 8x10s without the mounting block. That, unfortunately, is even more common.

bill schwab · Mar 21, 2006

bobfowler said:
I can make measurements and shoot some digi's of mine if it will help you out...

Thanks Bob! Just a snap or 2 of what you did would be great. Can you post it here? I can also PM you with an address.

Much appreciated. My thought is to start with a block of oak that I will route a grove into the sides to run along the bottom lip of the rail. I'll counter-sink a 1/4 x 20 Tee Nut into the center and back it with a metal plate to keep it secure. Then I'll fashion some sort of thumb screw/plate locking device to keep it in place. It just might work. For the long run, I may mill the parts out of Aluminum... we'll see how this works fiirst.

Seeing what you did will be a big help.

Thanks, Bill

bill schwab · Mar 21, 2006

Ray Bidegain said:
I have seen beat up versions of these cameras sell for less than 100.00 so you might have to go that route.

If all else fails, I will most likely go that way Ray. Isn't this how it goes? A month ago I was blissfully going my way with MF, now I own a 2-D a Green Monster and I'm actually thinking of another for parts! One of these days I may actually expose some film again!

Thanks again Ray!

Bill

bobfowler · Mar 21, 2006

OK, mine is not a homegrown, it's the stock plate. Here are some pix with dimensions indicated. Any questions, drop me a PM.

I should add, mine stays on the tripod head...

billschwab said:
Thanks Bob! Just a snap or 2 of what you did would be great. Can you post it here? I can also PM you with an address.

Much appreciated. My thought is to start with a block of oak that I will route a grove into the sides to run along the bottom lip of the rail. I'll counter-sink a 1/4 x 20 Tee Nut into the center and back it with a metal plate to keep it secure. Then I'll fashion some sort of thumb screw/plate locking device to keep it in place. It just might work. For the long run, I may mill the parts out of Aluminum... we'll see how this works fiirst.

Seeing what you did will be a big help.

Thanks, Bill

JHannon · Mar 21, 2006

TheFlyingCamera said:
Make something with a solid, flat bottom. Don't try and copy the original which was designed as an open form, to save weight. The open structure and the resulting minimal contact patch with the tripod head means that unless you're using a Majestic head with a 9" wide platform, your camera will suffer from "the wigglies". It is stable enough once you have the film holder loaded and the darkslide pulled, but working with it will scare you unnecessarily.

That may be why some of them are missing..I am experiencing that right now with the Berlebach 3032 and the C-1. If only they added another brace support like an "X".

df cardwell · Mar 21, 2006

EP Levine, Boston

http://www.cameras.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=contact

Lens & Repro, NYC

http://www.lensrepro.com/

bill schwab · Mar 21, 2006

Thank you Bob! These will really help a lot. I very much appreciate your time.

I love this place,

Bill

donbga · Mar 21, 2006

TheFlyingCamera said:
Bill- if you are going to make your own, here's a tip. Make something with a solid, flat bottom. Don't try and copy the original which was designed as an open form, to save weight. The open structure and the resulting minimal contact patch with the tripod head means that unless you're using a Majestic head with a 9" wide platform, your camera will suffer from "the wigglies". It is stable enough once you have the film holder loaded and the darkslide pulled, but working with it will scare you unnecessarily.

I solved this problem by attaching a 1/8 inch sheet of aluminum across the base. Calumet conveniently put 4 1/4 - 20 threaded holes at each corner of the open grid which allowed me to bolt the plate on. After that no more wiggles. Of course you'll need to drill a hole in the center of the plate to allow the tri-pod screw or quick disconnect plate to thread into the grid.

Don Bryant

Amund · Mar 22, 2006

billschwab said:
If all else fails, I will most likely go that way Ray. Isn't this how it goes? A month ago I was blissfully going my way with MF, now I own a 2-D a Green Monster and I'm actually thinking of another for parts! One of these days I may actually expose some film again!

Thanks again Ray!

Bill

LOL, this seems to happen with anyone who becomes a member here. Young or old, experienced or not, we all get drawn in

bill schwab · Mar 22, 2006

B&H Comes Through!

Aha!!!! B&H comes through!

Thanks to Phil on the other end of the phone, they set me up with a "parts" camera for 100 bucks. (only missing the 8x10 ground glass) Add that to the 200.00 I paid for the original and I'm in for 300.00. Not too bad. The parts job comes with another complete 4x5 reducing back as well... I see them go for 75 to 100 on eBay.. no need for 2 of them. Maybe that will offset the extra $.

Thanks to you all for your help and suggestions!

Bill

JHannon · Mar 22, 2006

billschwab said:
Aha!!!! B&H comes through!

Thanks to Phil on the other end of the phone, they set me up with a "parts" camera for 100 bucks. (only missing the 8x10 ground glass) Add that to the 200.00 I paid for the original and I'm in for 300.00. Not too bad. The parts job comes with another complete 4x5 reducing back as well... I see them go for 75 to 100 on eBay.. no need for 2 of them. Maybe that will offset the extra $.

Thanks to you all for your help and suggestions!

Bill

A happy ending Bill...I am going to use Don's excellent idea of adding a plate to the bottom of the triopd mount for more stability.

wilsonneal · Mar 22, 2006

Added Plate

I bought my C1 off the auction site and the previous owner had fabricated/added a metal plate as described in this thread. It added considerable stability to the rig. I really like my C1.

A question I have for veteran C1 users: how wide a lens can one use with a recessed board and still have bellows flexibility? Anyone successfully use the 165mm SA or the 155 Grandagon?

Also, another one: Carrying a C1. It's huge. I am considering a giant Halliburton suitcase that would hold the c1, some holders and my two lenses. I fear the weight would be too much too carry comfortably. Another option I am looking at: the camera gets no case, as it has a handle, and a backpack holds some holders and my lenses.

Neal Wilson

TheFlyingCamera · Mar 22, 2006

Neal- I'm still dealing with your dilemma - the problem with carrying the C-1 sans case is that the tailboard rail flops around a fair bit, and although it isn't at any great risk of doing the ground glass harm, sure worries me every time I carry it. It's also heavy enough that carrying it one-handed starts to cut off circulation to the fingers of the carrying hand after a time.
I'm still looking for a bag/case that will tote it in some kind of comfort, but haven't found one yet.

I've got a Wollensak 159mm which I have used on a flat board with the camera and can still get some rise/fall out of it when not shooting an infinity subject. Maybe I can get away with it because it's such a small lens.

bobfowler · Mar 22, 2006

wilsonneal said:
...Also, another one: Carrying a C1. It's huge. I am considering a giant Halliburton suitcase that would hold the c1, some holders and my two lenses. I fear the weight would be too much too carry comfortably. Another option I am looking at: the camera gets no case, as it has a handle, and a backpack holds some holders and my lenses.

Neal Wilson

I have an Anvil case for mine. I got it from a surplus store, but the foam was perfect and it fits REAL well. There is a bit of free space on one end, but I use one of the 8X10 film holder bags, filled with stuff, to fill the void. It travels real well with a folding hand truck.

For those who will be at the VPC LF Portraiture Workshop this weekend, it'll be there and you can see for yourself...

donbga · Mar 22, 2006

wilsonneal said:
A question I have for veteran C1 users: how wide a lens can one use with a recessed board and still have bellows flexibility? Anyone successfully use the 165mm SA or the 155 Grandagon?

I've not use those lenses woth a recessed lens board but I have used a 75 mm SA for circular images on 8x10 and an ultra wide for 5x7. My guess is that you would be all right.

wilsonneal said:
Also, another one: Carrying a C1. It's huge. I am considering a giant Halliburton suitcase that would hold the c1, some holders and my two lenses. I fear the weight would be too much too carry comfortably. Another option I am looking at: the camera gets no case, as it has a handle, and a backpack holds some holders and my lenses.

FWIW I use a LowePro Super Trekker and also have used a Jan Sport back pack successfully. I carry 8x10 or 5x7 holders in a black canvas case with shoulder strap sort of like might used for carrying a notebook computer without padding.

Where ther is a will there is a way.

Don Bryant

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