More stuff in a box

[Whiteymorange]

I bought a Beseler 45 with a Dichro color head yesterday and got a box of goodies thrown in. Some are obviously part of the darkroom setup, such as timers and scopes and a color analyser, some are from a Polaroid MP4 copy camera and stand that the guy must have used in his photo finishing business. Great deal for neat stuff.

In a box marked Polaroid were four small enlarger lenses, an f3.5 Spiratone 35mm, a Tominon f4.5 35mm and two Tominon f4 17mm, along with various extension tubes and adapter rings. There were also two Polaroid-marked Copal shutters in large, round lens boards containing no iris, just a pin in the rear which moved in response to a lever on the front marking f-stops. The Polaroid adapters and extension threads fit these shutters - but I'm at a loss to understand how the whole thing worked.

is there anybody out there with MP4 experience who can enlighten me? I also have a Caltar Pro series 210mm lens cell that screws into the front of the Polaroid shutter - but no rear cell. Was it a part of some large lens system unique to the MP4?

Confused, as ever
Whitey

 

[JHannon]

Whitey, I have the MP4 but have not used it yet...

My setup allows you to make copies onto 4X5 film using standard holders and also Polaroid holders. I bought mine a while ago from a store that was using it to make copies of prints onto 4X5 film. The system works well this way.

I have the documentation for a special shutter and reduction kit (one of many options) which you appear to have. It was designed to achieve extreme reductions for the purpose of producing slides. There should be the shutter, aperture control ring, and adapter ring.

With this shutter, you screw the lens (75mm) in the rear of the shutter instead of the front.

With the 75mm lens mounted this way, it is basically acting like a 35mm camera. Doesn't seem very useful to me!

I would be glad to reproduce the documents for the MP4 if you wish including the main guide. I will be attending the PHSNE show on the 20th I can bring them or can mail them to you.

--John

 

[PhotoPete]

You didn't happen to buy that enlarger from PhotoQuick in Waltham, did you?

I have some pieces of an MP3 that I got at the PHSNE auction last year, including several Polaroid Copal shutters. One of them had no iris, but it had no markings for aperture. I eventually figured out that this one went with a 28 mm Rodenstock that has an integrated iris.

If there's any of those pieces left over- I will be happy to take them off your hands- I use them for purposes (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

See you guys on the 20th.

John- is that you on the left in your avatar? I'm in the middle in mine.

 

[Whiteymorange]

Curses! Caught again! Yes, Pete, Keven in Waltham sold me the enlarger and additional goodies. Sorry if I beat you to it.

John, I'll be at the PHSNE show with an APUG sign on my table. I'm selling stuff for a dealer/friend who can't make it - Dick Welch. I'll bring the polaroid stuff so we can look at it together if you have a minute or two. And yes, I'd love to see any documentation on this.

 

[JHannon]

Whitey, I will see you there. Maybe with the instructions we can figure it out....


Pete, I bought mine at a small camera store in Needham. It is complete but only has the basic setup for copying to 4X5 film. I have been looking for the universal camera mount. it is a bracket that connects to the vertical carriage and lets you attach any 35mm SLR.

Pete, I am the guy on the right in the avatar, I don't know how the other guy got in the photo (he was following me around)

Hope to see you both at the show.

Regards,
John

 

[PhotoPete]

Curses! Caught again! Yes, Pete, Keven in Waltham sold me the enlarger and additional goodies. Sorry if I beat you to it.

No worries. That beauty was out of my price range.

 

[DKT]

four small enlarger lenses, an f3.5 Spiratone 35mm, a Tominon f4.5 35mm and two Tominon f4 17mm, along with various extension tubes and adapter rings. There were also two Polaroid-marked Copal shutters in large, round lens boards containing no iris, just a pin in the rear which moved in response to a lever on the front marking f-stops. The Polaroid adapters and extension threads fit these shutters - but I'm at a loss to understand how the whole thing worked.

we surplused an MP4 (and an MP3) a few years ago, but we had some similar attachments. The tubes--without seeing these, I'd say they were for the microscope attachment Polaroid had. Those screwed into the "lensless shutter" as they called the copal-press shutters you describe. They don't have any irises, because the lenses for macro work (not the regular set of MP lenses) these have the diaphragm within the lens. The "enlarging" lenses you describe? I don't know about the Spiratone, but the 35mm Tominon is for macro work, and it screws into the shutter....the arm that has the aperture scale you describe? that links into the bayonet mount on the MP4 camera.

can't help with the caltar, but it doesn't ring a bell. the stuff we had was the 35mm tominon, 75, 105 and the 127 tominons. we also had the photomicrography tube and an adjustable bellows for the MP3. There was a 35mm roll film back actually, that I never used. The bellows attachment fit under the lens mount on the MP3 and was an extension unit for macro work. we also had a couple of those shutters, and the camera mount for 35mm as well as a tripod adapter to mount the MP4 camera to a tripod for horizontal work.

there's a ton of oddball stuff for both the MP systems, including enlarger heads and illuminated baseboards, macro stages for the baseboards etc.