FOR SALE - 30"x30" studio camera - must move, must sell

[shaggyMATRIX]

As many of us are, I am addicted to the "toys" of photography as much as I am the art of photography. I have collected lots of great tools and toys over the years that I am very proud of. I now must move, and have had to make some decisions as to what I will pack and what I will sell. I have already sold my prime darkroom equipment and shed the necessary tears. Now I have to sell my absolute favorite piece of equipment of all.

A mobile 30"x30" studio camera.
Long ago I modified a Robertson Comet process camera to be a fully mobile studio camera.

Features -
 - 6' rail
 - mobile front standard for critical focus
 - swing in ground glass for real focus control
 - swing in vacuum back for perfect vertical hold of just about any material (glass, paper, film, metal, etc)
 - APO Nikkor 610mm
 - APO Nikkor 480mm
 - 20x24 papersafe
 - remote switched vacuum
 - electronic packard shutter (behind the lens) for precise exposures
 - electronic timer for exposure control

This amazing camera is roughly 6' tall, 6' long, and 4' wide.
it is heavy....but easy to roll around on a solid surface.
It disassembles for transport.

This has been one of my favorite "toys" over the past 20 years. In addition, it has made lots of money for me to play and has always kept me supplied with enough materials to shoot my own work.
Through the years, I have shot film portraits (20x24 film to contact prints), alternative material portraits (30x30 platinum/palladium/cyanotype/salt-paper images), and experimented with everything from glass to wood to fabric....lots of liquid light and homemade emulsions through the years. It has paid for itself, all my playing, and has been loads of fun in the process.

In the right market, the "one of a kind" portraits from this camera/process are considered very valuable....and lots of families have paid me extremely well for a single "one of a kind" portrait of themselves.

I hate to get rid of this camera, but it just doesn't fit my new lifestyle as I try to reduce my equipment and storage needs.

This is a beast of a camera, and I can't imagine that there are many people in this country that would be interested in it.....but I bet they are on this forum just like I am.

I really want to find a good home for this camera....but I can't just give it away.

Not interested in trades of any sort, sorry.
I am very willing to help with transport to your location as long as you cover travel costs.

Take a look at the full image gallery here -
https://picasaweb.google.com/105852023778661039390/30x30StudioCamera

Price is $2400 - camera and all accessories
The lenses alone can be worth thousands$$ - (google search for info)

contact me if you want anymore information, want to see any other photos/videos....or if you just want to talk about it (I never get tired of talking photo with others like-minded).
stewartbuyandsell@gmail.com

[EricWHiss]

Wow, very cool!  Where is this located?
Love to see something you've shot with it….

[shaggyMATRIX]

Currently it is in Bristol, TN.

[hsteeves]

can you still get film for this size?

[shaggyMATRIX]

Cut film above 11x14 is definitely getting harder to find. Usually you have to find someone who has a full roll and will custom cut whatever size you want out of it. Thus, I have been creating my own materials as much as possible.

In addition, the best part of this camera having a vacuum back is that you can put ANY size material you want in it. Actually it can be larger than 30x30 even. But it could also be much smaller. I have shot single 4x5 sheets, 2x2 4x5 sheets (4 total sheets), 3x3 4x5 sheets (9 total sheets) and up. I have also experimented with laying out 30 strips of 35mm film, all cut to 30" long. That was a blast to shoot...but a complete pain to make contact prints afterword. Very cool and unique though.
That is one of the best things about this camera at this point. It encourages a completely creative process and unique "one-off" captures.

My favorite through the years was shooting direct to Ilfochrome (Cibachrome) to make direct color positive prints.

One of the most cost effective and interesting visual end results has been "liquid light" applied to glass sheets. There is an amazing tonal range and strange ultra-reality to a 20x24 glass negative made into a contact print. Nothing else in the contemporary world compares.

Probably the cheapest medium is just shooting to standard BW paper to create a paper negative. It has a reduced total contrast range, but a beautiful mid-tone representation.

Endless hours of fun.

[shaggyMATRIX]

Did I mention...
that I would be happy to pack it all up, put it on a trailer, bring it to your location...
....and help you set it up?

I really just want it to get put to great use and not be a storage item any more.

[shaggyMATRIX]

Does anyone on this board have a resource for cut 20x24 panchromatic film?
Beyond that, does anyone want to split a bulk order? A couple hundred sheets?

[trundrumbalind]

Hello, are the 480 nikkor and the 610 nikkor enough to cover 30" x 30" at infinity??

[shaggyMATRIX]

The ground glass that I have on the camera right now is 25"x25" -
Just tested both lenses - and yes, both do cover fully out to the 25" mark at infinity focus.
I am sure they will cover the full 30" as well.

[shaggyMATRIX]

This camera is still available. Hard to believe that there isn't somebody on this forum that wants it. Don't like the price?...make me an offer. I am about to tear it down, keep the pieces I want, and scrap the rest. That would be really sad to have to do.

[EricWHiss]

I'm still interested….
just sent you an e-mail.

[trundrumbalind]

I'd love to get my hands on the whole thing, but i'm not in the US... IF you'd like to sell the 610, name your price