Keystone F8 Aerial Camera

[Worker 11811]

I have yet to actually see (handle) the film. It is still sealed in its can, inside the box.
I have some empty spools. They basically look like 120 spools on steroids. I can't imagine how it would be without backing paper. The camera does load in (subdued) daylight. I think the manual says something about paper backing. I just assume there is.

As soon as I get a day where I can, I think I'm going to go to the observation deck on a tall building and shoot some film. That's about as "aerial" as I'll be able to get without renting a plane. At this point, not knowing if the film is even good, it's not worth it.

*IF* I can get this puppy working and *IF* I can get some good, fresh film for it, I was thinking of going over to the civil aviation hangar at the airport and asking around. I bet I could find somebody willing to trade an airplane ride for an afternoon's use of the camera and some aerial photos.

The only question left is how the heck I'm going to develop the film. At 18 feet in length, I don't think I'm going to be able to "seesaw" develop. Maybe that roller device I was dreaming up could do double duty as a cutter and a roller developer?

 

[frobozz]

Oh, I wasn't even thinking about using it aerially for the tests. That would definitely not be worth the effort for such a low-probability of good results. Just shoot something far away from on the ground. Walk, before you run! If you just shoot a few frames and (in the dark) snip it off from the rest of the roll, and retape the fresh leading edge of the roll back to the paper where it sits, you should be able to seesaw develop it in trays. Then if it's at all usable you can still shoot some more on that roll. If not, you still have all the parts (spools, backing paper, scrap film) to help in cutting down some newer film to use.

Duncan

 

[Worker 11811]

There's an observation tower on the waterfront where you can get a view of the city and out over Lake Erie.
I'll certainly shoot the first couple of shots as landscapes from the ground but it's not that difficult to go up to the observation deck.

Just go up the elevator... carrying a large wooden case with a really, freakin' huge camera inside it

 

[Worker 11811]

Hey! I just found a bag mag that is supposed to work on this camera. It's got all the parts and everything looks pretty intact.

Only thing is I can't quite figure out how to work it.

So, what do you do? Nearest I figure is that you load the 12 slides with film and stack them inside the box in order. When you shoot an exposure you reinsert the dark slide and pull the lever and eject a slide into the bag.

Then what do you do? Do you stuff it back into the top of the stack? Seems pretty fiddly.