Carbon Infinity on Ebay

From what I can tell the Infinity has all the usability of a sinar P and the portability of a wooden field camera. This is a pretty rare combination. According to one who actually owns the camera they are the bar by which others are measured. Is this sweet lemons? Considering the source I doubt it. If I had 5k laying around and or a steady stream of Photography work here in Vancouver I'd be tempted.

jd callow said:

Icescapes/Pete
Welcome to APUG and congratulations on an excellent win.

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Thanks, JD.

Unfortunately, I'll have to move this discussion over to the Large Format forum at some point as my plans for the camera are not entirely analog, and hence, not entirely APUG kosher. I felt though, that I owed to you guys to know what happened with the auction, and provide a bit of insight in to why I purchased it (not explaining non-analog reasons in respect of your forum rules and intent).

jd callow said:

From what I can tell the Infinity has all the usability of a sinar P and the portability of a wooden field camera. This is a pretty rare combination. According to one who actually owns the camera they are the bar by which others are measured. Is this sweet lemons? Considering the source I doubt it. If I had 5k laying around and or a steady stream of Photography work here in Vancouver I'd be tempted.

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Pretty much on the money. I need, for my purposes, lots of movement on the rear standard, not something easy to come by in a field-camera, but I don't want to use a relatively shaky monorail in the field (been there with the wonderful, but sensitive Horseman LE). The Carbon Infinity seemed to fit the bill. Plus, I've been shooting in Iceland the last four summers, and the weather can get pretty crappy. The clamshell on this thing is awesome in that regard.



Pete.

Forgive me for seeming like a killjoy. It's not my intention. I am really surprised at the value that camera has held. It is a great tool. Congratulations on the new tool, and I, of course, would have no problems with using it myself! Also, If you consider the value of the guitar I traded for my Sinar, I have nearly $3,000 into the system, not $1,500. I did not think to count it because I inherited the guitar.

2F/2F said:

Forgive me for seeming like a killjoy. It's not my intention. I am really surprised at the value that camera has held. It is a great tool. Congratulations on the new tool, and I, of course, would have no problems with using it myself! Also, If you consider the value of the guitar I traded for my Sinar, I have nearly $3,000 into the system, not $1,500. I did not think to count it because I inherited the guitar.

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Well, I guess I can put it this way then. I wonder how much it would cost me to have a camera commissioned with the same specs? If Sinar or Toyo took the request, maybe they'd be kind enough to do it for under $50K? Could they do it without the patent? Maybe S.K.Grimes could work one up for me?

I know I'm being silly here (and I mean it in jest, not to be offensive), but literally that's the situation I was in. I was resigned to having to use a mono-rail, but putting it away when moderate weather came along in the field, or when I couldn't pack it with my other gear for multi-day hikes through mountain passes and coast-line.

Believe me, looking at my choice of food items now for the next couple of months, and the stuff I'm going to have to put on eBay (anyone in need of a great Horseman LE 450?) I hear where you're coming on the price. But just as the price, as you said, may have been justified before digital deflated film-based products, my particular needs now justify the benefit in a cost benefit analysis to bid on the prices that are going for a camera of which a little more than 100 were made, and of which most are in collections and not available for sale (this last part is more the answer to your question about why does it cost so much). I'm quite sure that the opportunity would not have come along again, or it would have been much more expensive. I think the key to where your thinking I'm crazy (a reasonable assumption), is that you feel I have plenty of alternative options.

I could have chosen not to get the camera, but then I'd be complaining to myself for the next x-number of years in Iceland during the rainy, windy summer for not having the specs I've been looking for, and upset that I didn't take the images I had planned to take for my long-term project. There are also particular non-analog advantages of this camera that I'm not detailing (for obvious reason) that are a definite deal-breaker with field-cameras.

I think you're quite correct that most would benefit in making a different purchase, but the stars aligned on this purchasing decision for me (and asked to pay up).

Okay, gotta go and put the Ramen Noodles on the stove

Pete,

If you ever come to Norway we'll take a stroll in the mounitains with two Carbon Infinity's - and prove why it is the best camera for this kind of landscape and climate. My only niggle is the otherwise nice fitted oxhide bag, which doesn't have a pocket for a film holder.

I'm sure we could rustle up a couple of other LF camera to compare with, too, although my Gandolfi Variant is packed for shipping abroad as soon as the parcel-crushing season is over.

Ole said:

Pete,

If you ever come to Norway we'll take a stroll in the mounitains with two Carbon Infinity's - and prove why it is the best camera for this kind of landscape and climate. My only niggle is the otherwise nice fitted oxhide bag, which doesn't have a pocket for a film holder.

I'm sure we could rustle up a couple of other LF camera to compare with, too, although my Gandolfi Variant is packed for shipping abroad as soon as the parcel-crushing season is over.

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Deal.

Who made it originally? That is, the people.

Angus Noble
http://angusnoble.com/infinity-camera/

Well, a Carbon Infinity camera just isn't complete without a suitable mode of transportation--

http://angusnoble.com/infinity-bike/

There are bikes made out of Carbon fiber and Carbon nanotubes now.

I wonder if that Nobel dude would ever make more cameras if someone had enough cash to persuade them...lol

Well, alas, I have to sell my beloved Carbon Infinity. The saga above comes to and end, but hopefully one of you will pick it up from here. Check my seller e-bay feedback, chipmanp, or PM me if you're interested.

Pete

That looks like a sweet camera, I wish they were more available and lower priced, but it's understandable why they are not. Good luck with sale!

-Ed