R.H.Phillips & sons 8x10 camera on eBay

[morkolv]

Morten,

I can't speak to the Wehman. If I told you anything about the Phillips it probably wouldn't matter because you don't know if I know anything about cameras. What might be significant is what the market thinks about Phillips. Dick makes 45 cameras a year. He is 72 years old and phasing out his business so he and his wife can enjoy their retirement.
<snip>...

Good luck. I notice the price has gone up.

John Powers

John, thanks for sharing your insight and information about the phillips cameras. It confirms to me that this is a (the?) top notch LF camera for landscape photography. And also a real engineering eye-candy Based on a other post by you in an other thread, I would estimate that the camera in question if sold by a high feedback US seller would go for about $2000++. So lets se where it ends to morrow night (my local time)

As I could pick it up in person, should I bid and win, I could factor in a approx $600 reduction in total cost compared to buying the same camera from a US seller (shipping + 25% VAT) Is this GAS speaking to me here and making a rational for accepting a high price ? )

I could live with horizontal only and rotate the camera for verticals. Having seen a Wisner 12x20 doing that with no problem, it should be easy for the Phillips. But being a will-play- with-it-all-amateur (portrait, close-up, landscape, architecture) I would miss reduction backs (5x7) and possibly more bellows draw.

Best Regards

 

[jp80874]

I should add that Michael Mutmansky helped me locate and buy my Phillips 7x17 and then taught me how to use it more efficiently.

To add a point to Michael's review Dick Phillips told me that each of his camera series evolved through the production run as he made improvements. Dick has also made changes and additions to customer cameras as requested. For instance he added a bail to my early 1990s 8x10 Advantage after I saw how nicely that worked on Michael's 7x17. That can mean that the camera on eBay may be exactly as Michael described in his review or there may be some modifications. It is hard to tell on pictures that small and dark.

John Powers

 

[Michael Mutmansky]

That camera is contemporary to the one in the photographs in my review. It includes the bail, and it appears that there is a mounting bracket bolted to the camera to make verticals easier.

I can't tell exactly, but if that is an 'L' bracket, it would be possible to do verticals by mounting the camera on the side rather than flopping the tripod head on it's side. That makes verticals much, much easier to perform for a number of reasons.

I still shoot 2/3 of my 'regular' rectangles as verticals, so that camera was somewhat of a problem for me, but if I were so concerned about weight and rigidity with not really long lenses, it is an unbeatable camera.

Here's a link to the review I wrote a number of years ago.

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/phillips.html


---Michael

 

[Ole]

I've been thinking of buying/commissioning/having made a horizontal-only wide-angle 8x10" camera. I shoot about 80% verticals, except with WA lenses where it's closer to 5%. So a simple lightweight camera that can focus a 121mm to infinity and a 240mm to about 5m, should just about cover what I want from a 8x10" camera...

 

[morkolv]

I agree, but Santa remembers what I said after I bought the Carbon Infinity: "No more cameras this year!"
QUOTE]

Just as a kind reminder Ole

Men jeg kan ta det med til Bergen, om jeg i det hele tatt får lagt inn bud

Vest Regards

 

[morkolv]

I also know that if you don't leave a bowl of porridge out on christmas eve, none of your film holders will fit in the morning!

Steve.

OK, thats why my 5x7" film turned out to be 13x18cm while beeing marked as 5x7, but this year I have both types of holders And Then the film turns into the German format(?) 10x15 cm?

Best regards
Morten

 

[morkolv]

WoW!

I have been a nice boy says Santa, but not US $3,186.00 nice

God Luck to the winner

Best regards

 

[User Removed]

Talk about instant gratifiacation! Why else would someone pay more for a used camera than a new one? Just because they wanted it NOW and could not wait for a new one.

I think this is one of the main reasons for so many people going digital, they want to see their images RIGHT AWAY and not wait to have film processed and printed.

Well, at least we know that those who own Phillips cameras have made a good investment that will never go down in value!

 

[highpeak]

I have been bad this year. "no camera for you!" "Santa" said.

Is there anybody in NYC area own a Phillips camera? Just want to feel it before make a big "investment".

Alex W.

 

[jp80874]

Talk about instant gratifiacation! Why else would someone pay more for a used camera than a new one? Just because they wanted it NOW and could not wait for a new one.

I think this is one of the main reasons for so many people going digital, they want to see their images RIGHT AWAY and not wait to have film processed and printed.

Well, at least we know that those who own Phillips cameras have made a good investment that will never go down in value!

Ryan,

I would agree that there are people who think that way. I also feel that there are people who buy quality regardless of when it was built. My father taught me to buy the best I could afford and hold it as long as I could. As an example he gave me a Rolex cronograph for my 21st birthday(1961). I bought a 64 Porsche coupe new and a 55 Porsche Speedster restored by a friend in 1980 for $9,000. Check current prices and Dad's logic was not bad. It doesn't hurt to have a cult figure like James Dean use one either.

The logic falls apart on anything that has rapid evolution of technology such as digital equipment of any sort, cameras, sound systems, etc. There is always a high priced market for proven quality that is in short supply. In my opinion this camera is only an example of that thinking.

John Powers

 

[Curt]

Thanks a lot; I was going to get that one and now it's going to be so expensive that I won't be able to afford it. Guess I'll have to buy a new one.

Sean, where are the pic's from your Deardorf? I was looking forward to seeing some if you have any. I am working on my Seneca 8X for now. Got it a couple of years ago and only now have the new focus shaft to put in.

Curt