Photographic furniture

Hey there, I’m not sure if this is of interest to anyone but it caught my attention. It was listed in a Danish classifieds paper, as an 8X10 with 8 film holders for about $170 US. The thing that caught my attention was that it was being offered as a camera or a table!
I emailed to get a photo and anymore information and in the reply there was no mention of a glass but he said the lens was a “Rapid Aplamat No 3 from Sutter in Basel”.

I am yet to even try a large format camera but the idea has certainly held great appeal for sometime now, something my wife is beginning to worry about. It is a shame our apartment is so damn small otherwise I could have bought her a nice new coffee table to calm her down.

Hehe. I've never thought of using a camera as a table. My 3 yr old son did use my set up 4x5 as a closet to store his sidewalk chalk in while I was turned around getting a lens. Made focusing difficult until I fugured out what was going on.

Wow, that looks like a beautiful camera. It would almost seem to be 1960s Danish teak-wood design, although the plate holder and lens indicate that it was probably made much earlier. If it were me, I would have already bought it. Hell, anything photographic that has a "real" use is unusual. I have a massive studio camera stand from the 1890s which doubles as a baby changing table.

bon-jip said:

I emailed to get a photo and anymore information and in the reply there was no mention of a glass but he said the lens was a “Rapid Aplamat No 3 from Sutter in Basel”. ...

Click to expand...

Suter of Basel made some very fine lenses, and the "Rapid Aplanat" is one of them. I haven't got my literature with me today, but AFAIR it's a portrait lens, of about f:4. The "No.3" designation refers to the plate size it was intended for, "No.3" is usually 18x24cm. A portrait lens for this size would be about 300 to 450mm focal length.

Aplanat lenses are generally less sharp than Anastigmats, but my miniscule Busch Weitwinkel-Aplanat No.3 is a very capable performer - at least considering its age (about 100 years), size (3x5cm), focal length (about 135mm) and coverage (100° at a guess).