Who knows what this is???

[Mfilippo55]

I think I bought it 7 or so years ago when I was photographing a lot of artwork for eBay.

 

[Dan Fromm]

I think I bought it 7 or so years ago when I was photographing a lot of artwork for eBay.

It is a 2 axis focusing rail.

 

[benjiboy]

It's a centrifugal scrunge pump

 

[Mfilippo55]

Yep, that was my guess also!

 

[Mfilippo55]

For copying, like with a copy stand?

 

[AgX]

see here:

http://www.kaiser-fototechnik.de/en/produkte/2_1_produktanzeige.asp?nr=5534

For exact camera positioning for close-up, macrophotography and copying. Two positioning scales are perpendicular to one another. Setting range each 95 mm (3.7 in.). Prismatic precision guideways with micro adjustment across helical gear rack-and-pinion assemblies complete with lock screws and dials calibrated in millimeters. (Kaiser)

However your version has mounted in addition:
-) a rectangular gusset with 1/4" screw at base mount
-) a rectangular gusset fitting both racks

yielding a further 90° off-set in both cases.

 

[fotch]

It is a Thing! You mount a camera on one end and well, a, something else on the other.:confused:

 

[Mfilippo55]

That's almost what I've been calling it... a thingy.

 

[Jim Jones]

It appears to be for precisely positioning a camera for macro-photography. In the heyday of TLRs, a similar devise was used in macro-photography to reposition the taking lens in the same position as the focusing lens.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

looks like an attachment to do precise close-up work,attaches to tripod and holds camera

 

[fotch]

It's a rudder for a duck.

 

[lxdude]

It'a a high-precision shoe stretcher.

 

[lxdude]

Actually, in all seriousness, it's an adorama. It says so right on it.

 

[lxdude]

Wait a minute, I think an adorama is a high-precision shoe stretcher.

 

[Vaughn]

A left-handed smoke shifter? I have been looking for one ever since the Boy Scouts (but it might be a bacon stretcher.)

 

[Mfilippo55]

Everyone gets an A

For effort and originality. Thanks for your replies!

 

[benjiboy]

It's actually a focusing slide rack to attach to tripod for macro phhotography.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Use with TLR cameras: Focus with the viewing lens and then crank the camera up so that the photographing lens is in the proper location.

 

[brucemuir]

Use with TLR cameras: Focus with the viewing lens and then crank the camera up so that the photographing lens is in the proper location.

A Paramender? (parallax correction).
Def could be used for this purpose among other tasks.

 

[benjiboy]

A Paramender? (parallax correction).
Def could be used for this purpose among other tasks.

No it isn't, this is a Paramender http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=e...1.564.10.10.0...0.0...1ac.1.2.img.DXBPI_P_CAw is designed to lift the camera 50mm vertically only (the distance between centres of Mamiya lenses), a focusing slide rack is designed to move horizontally only to allow fine focusing for macro work by moving the camera in relation to the subject on a tripod.

 

[AgX]

It's actually a focusing slide rack to attach to tripod for macro phhotography.

see post #6 indicating that added double 90° offset, which enables use from standard tripod.

 

[benjiboy]

see post #6 indicating that added double 90° offset, which enables use from standard tripod.

I see that AgX but it would be far too slow and fiddly in operation to be used in place of a Paramender to move the taking lens quickly 50 mm upwards to put the taking lens in the position of the viewing lens.

 

[AgX]

No, I had no TLR or Paramender in mind. As you indicated, it seems a tool to fix a camera (best SLR) to a tripod and fine-adjust height and lateral position.
(In contrast to the Kaiser version I linked to, which is differently mounted together.)