My "new" 8x10

John Bartley · May 1, 2005

We finally had a day without rain, so I took this thing out and set it up to have a closer look at what sort of junk I bought.

http://www3.sympatico.ca/oldrad/Photo/LargeFormat/AgfaAnsco8x10/

Camera, Tripod, Lens and Shutter, shipped to me for $375 for the package. There's a couple of minor mechanical troubles such as a cracked rear standard base plate, but very minor and very easy to repair or even replicate with average tools ( no problem here), the ground glass will be replaced with an etched glass from the glass shop up the street for now and the vertical indicator needle on the rear standard is missing - shouldn't be hard to make a new one and get it calibrated. The lens glass is clear and the shutter appears to be right on.

Now if only I could get Ed at mrfoto1 to get me a shipping price on the roll of PlusX I bought on eBay two weeks ago, I could get him paid and get the film on the way

Nick Zentena · May 1, 2005

If that's the film I think it is I'd suggest wondering over to the large format forum at

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/lfforum/recent.php

If I remember right Tim Atherton ordered some of it and had less then a fun time with the whole ordeal. At least that's my memory.

donbga · May 1, 2005

John,

the ground glass will be replaced with an etched glass from the glass shop up the street for now ([/QUOTE said:
Why not order a replacement from Satin Snow? It would be a worthy replacement.

Have fun,

Don Bryant

BradS · May 1, 2005

NIce rig...and I dare say, a very decent price. Have fun and let us see some results.

John Kasaian · May 1, 2005

John,

Great camera! I've got a 5x7 version and I really lke mine. Sounds like you got a heck of a deal, too!

Have you tried calling Ed? I've got his tel.#if you need it. Sometimes I've had trouble getting emails through to him and a phone call is all it took. A very nice guy.

Mongo · May 1, 2005

I'd hardly call that junk! The Korona Pictorial View I finished refurbishing a few months back was in much worse shape when I got it. As long as your bellows are good (or can be patched up), everything else is both easy and cheap.

Best of luck with the beast. I'll bet you fall in love with it when you start using it!

John Bartley · May 1, 2005

Thanks for the.....

.....moral support guys

I think I'm going to have fun with this one. When I first peeked at the crappy ground glass that's in it now, I burst out laughing and went inside to tell my sweetheart (that's the lady on tiptoes hiding under the cloth) that it's like looking at a TV screen 'cause it's so darned BIG!!

I'll probably get it fixed up a bit and make sure that it's going to be a winner and "then" get one of the Satin Snow glasses.

I'm really itching to try a few negs in 8x10 and put them onto this AZO I was given. The 4x5's just glow on this paper, so I'm sure the 8x10's will be even better.

John Kasaian: Thank you, I "might" take you up on that, but I'll give him another week first - it's not life or death, just a hobby, even if I am chomping at the bit.
BTW, a little Siberian bird whispered in my ear that you're a pretty decent guy yourself. Nicely done - you got there a bit ahead of me, but I'll be sure to follow your $ lead

cheers

bobfowler · May 1, 2005

John Bartley said:
.....moral support guys

I think I'm going to have fun with this one. When I first peeked at the crappy ground glass that's in it now, I burst out laughing and went inside to tell my sweetheart (that's the lady on tiptoes hiding under the cloth) that it's like looking at a TV screen 'cause it's so darned BIG!!

I'll probably get it fixed up a bit and make sure that it's going to be a winner and "then" get one of the Satin Snow glasses.

I'm really itching to try a few negs in 8x10 and put them onto this AZO I was given. The 4x5's just glow on this paper, so I'm sure the 8x10's will be even better.

John Kasaian: Thank you, I "might" take you up on that, but I'll give him another week first - it's not life or death, just a hobby, even if I am chomping at the bit.
BTW, a little Siberian bird whispered in my ear that you're a pretty decent guy yourself. Nicely done - you got there a bit ahead of me, but I'll be sure to follow your $ lead

cheers

I'd check that ground glass that's on it REAL carefully against a film holder before passing judgement on the camera/lens. As beat up as that GG looks to be, it may not be a proper fit to the back. A lot of folks don't care for Ilex Paragon lenses, but that's a Series S lens which is quite a good performer.

Anyway, if that GG is out of whack to your holders, by all means get a SatinSnow - you'll be glad you did.

jimgalli · May 1, 2005

Cangratulations. She ain't fancy but certainly competent to get the job done. I'm incurably hooked on contact prints. It was a perfect spring day here and I spent about 7 hours out in one of the most incredible desert watersheds on earth. Broke in the 240 Germinar-W that just arrived from Kerry yesterday. What a pretty hunk of glass that is.

Deckled Edge · May 2, 2005

jimgalli said:
...one of the most incredible desert watersheds on earth.

Hey, Jim,
I know that in Tonopah every noun is preceeded by the adjective "desert," but isn't desert watershed an oxymoron, like "alpine cactus" or "military intelligence"?

PS: Are you conducting Germinar warfare in the barrel, or have you/will you mount it in a Copal Press or Copal 1 as pictured in the auction?

jimgalli · May 2, 2005

Deckled Edge said:
Hey, Jim,
I know that in Tonopah every noun is preceeded by the adjective "desert," but isn't desert watershed an oxymoron, like "alpine cactus" or "military intelligence"?

PS: Are you conducting Germinar warfare in the barrel, or have you/will you mount it in a Copal Press or Copal 1 as pictured in the auction?

Heck, we get 5 or 6 inches of H2O almost evey year. I put the Germinar-W in an Electronic Compur 1 thinking that perhaps Herr Docter would smile down on me from heaven. And in fact I used the 8 second setting one time yesterday

eumenius · May 2, 2005

Congratulations!

Hi John,

a nice beast you've got - I remember my own experiences with such cameras, Russian 18*24 FKD - that was a story I hope your camera takes normal film holders, and not those wooden glass plate two-sided album holders like FKD?? ) BTW, f/6.3 - isn't it too dark? FKD's Industar was 210/3.5, but without a shutter...

Cheers,
Zhenya

raucousimages · May 2, 2005

Welcome to the sickness, 8x10 is great.

John Bartley · May 3, 2005

eumenius said:
Hi John,

a nice beast you've got - I remember my own experiences with such cameras, Russian 18*24 FKD - that was a story I hope your camera takes normal film holders, and not those wooden glass plate two-sided album holders like FKD?? ) BTW, f/6.3 - isn't it too dark? FKD's Industar was 210/3.5, but without a shutter...

Cheers,
Zhenya

Hello my friend

I was lucky enough to find a few 8x10 film holders at a reasonable price and yes, it does take "standard" holders. I don't know anything at all about these cameras, so dark / light is a question mark for me, but I do know that it's a heck of a lot brighter, even on the pitifull GG that's in it than my 4x5 Calumet is. I did hear from Ed at mrfoto1 and my film should be on the way soon !! woohoo !

Ian Grant · May 4, 2005

Get that base part of the standard glued up properly and you'll then have a superb 10x8 camera. Look at all the features, you've got more than the usual Deardorfs etc, and far better built.

You've bought a Rolls Royce of Field camera, without realising, however those aren't the original bellows. Difficult to say much more, my own Agfa Ansco 10x8 has an additional front extension board, same key fit as on the hinged board - fits where your Agfa "name" plate is on the front.

Good luck, mine's a great camera to use hopefully you'll find the same

Ian

My "new" 8x10

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