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Mos6502
Joined: 20 Jun 2011
Posts: 960
Location: Austin
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 Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 7:20 pm Post subject: A real bokeh MONSTER! |
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Mos6502 wrote:
Somebody here should have jumped on this!  http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-scarce-Big-Bertha-telephoto-camera-Graflex-series-B-Folmer-Graflex-Corp-/251149011324?pt=US_Vintage_Cameras&hash=item3a79a5c97c&nma=true&si=U7ZJ1OZTcut%2BJ10ndHb9Xy7DGCg%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
924cm f8. It must weigh a ton... I lost count of the aperture blades.
Was sold attached to a good old Graflex SLR, it looks like you move the camera to focus.
Has anybody encountered one of these set ups before? The front looks like it can take some sort of bayonet - for a hood? A giant filter? Can you imagine? |
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iangreenhalgh1
Joined: 18 Mar 2011
Posts: 15679
Expire: 2014-01-07
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| Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 7:23 pm Post subject: |
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iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
I once won a Wray 36 inch aerial recon lens on ebay for 99p but the seller never communicated, he only lived 5 miles away so I was gutted.
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I don't care who designed it, who made it or what country it comes from - I just enjoy using it! |
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Oreste
Joined: 08 Sep 2012
Posts: 451
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| Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 7:38 pm Post subject: |
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Oreste wrote:
I believe this was called the 'Big Bertha'. |
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Bruce
Joined: 15 Jan 2008
Posts: 842
Location: Boston, Ma USA
Expire: 2014-11-22
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| Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 7:57 pm Post subject: |
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Bruce wrote:
I'm counting 20 blades!
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Digital: Canon 40d & 5DmkII, Film: Hasselblad 203fe/Zeiss 80/2.8 cfe
Adapters for EOS: Cy; M42; Zenit39; Exakta; LeicaR; OlympusOM; PK; Nikon; Rollei35; Retina; Adaptal; P-6 |
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SonicScot
Joined: 01 Dec 2011
Posts: 2697
Location: Scottish Highlands
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| Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 9:09 pm Post subject: |
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SonicScot wrote:
Now that's a lens! 
_________________
Gary
Currently active gear....
Sony a7
E-M1 Mkll
Rubinar 1000/10 + 2x matched extender
Tamron 500/8 55BB
Sigma 100-300/4
Vivitar Series 1.... 200/3, 70-210/3.5 (V1 by Kiron), 135/2.3, 105/2.5 macro, 90/2.5 macro (Bokina), 90-180/4.5 Flat Field Macro, 28-90mm f/2.8-3.5
Carl Zeiss.... 180/2.8, 135/3.5, 85/1.4, 35/2.4 Flektagon, 21/2.8 Distagon
Nikon.... 55/3.5 micro, 50/1.2
Elicar 90/2.5 V-HQ Macro
Zhongyi Speedmaster 85/1.2
Jupiter-9 85/2
Helios.... 58/2 44-3
Hartblei 45/3.5 Super-Rotator TS-PC
Zenitar 16/2.8 fisheye
Samyang 8/3.5 fisheye
Nodal Ninja 4, Neewer leveling tripod base
Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/gazsus/ Website http://garianphotography.co.uk/ |
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nukemall
Joined: 24 Apr 2012
Posts: 96
Location: Blagoveschensk, Russia
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| Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2012 12:12 am Post subject: |
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nukemall wrote:
What's about the Uran-12 500/2.5? 
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tromboads
Joined: 29 May 2012
Posts: 1655
Location: Melbourne AU
Expire: 2015-10-01
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| Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2012 2:21 am Post subject: |
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tromboads wrote:
...that's no moon. er lens.
But wow. What planes where they attached too? |
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Himself
Joined: 01 Mar 2007
Posts: 3240
Location: Montreal
Expire: 2013-05-30
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| Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2012 2:58 am Post subject: |
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Himself wrote:
Anyone hand-holding this baby? You'd save the annual gym membership.
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luisalegria
Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 6602
Location: San Francisco, USA
Expire: 2018-01-18
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| Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2012 5:15 am Post subject: |
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luisalegria wrote:
Yes, typical custom rig usually commissioned by US newspapers for sports photography.
Most were unique. Some more elaborate than others. This one is fairly crude.
They used various lenses.
Many were used for major league baseball coverage. Some famous pictures were taken with these.
They weren't handheld but seem to have been propped on things like benches or (see below) beer crates.
They seem to have been used from the 1920's-50's.
Some custom types -
http://graflex.coffsbiz.com/more.html
This is a very nice custom factory-made type -
http://www.apug.org/forums/forum379/94940-rare-factory-made-4x5-r-b-graflex-super-d-big-bertha-20in-b-l-lens.html
Some discussion on APUG
http://www.apug.org/forums/forum147/17595-two-short-cameras-one-long-camera.html
1959 ad for semi-custom "Big Berthas" including an interesting customer list
http://tonopahpictures.0catch.com/Bertha.jpg
How They'll Photograph the Series - Popular Science September 1952
Scroll down to P 211
All about the cameras, their placement, and the results at major league games
http://books.google.com/books?id=SiEDAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA3-PA213&lpg=RA3-PA213&dq=graflex+%22big+bertha%22&source=bl&ots=_VcMhKgMjf&sig=N2OK-7ZgsY-6QKRmttDCfDqa0tU&hl=en&ei=9brNSpLIGMfR8Aa4yID5Aw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=37#v=onepage&q=graflex%20%22big%20bertha%22&f=false
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I like Pentax DSLR's, Exaktas, M42 bodies of all kinds, strange and cheap Japanese lenses, and am dabbling in medium format/Speed Graphic work. |
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blende8
Joined: 29 Sep 2007
Posts: 260
Location: Bremen, Germany
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| Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2012 9:14 am Post subject: |
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blende8 wrote:
Does it fit to a NEX?
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Best wishes, Wieland
K-1, K-5IIs
Pentax, mysterium quod absconditum fuit ... |
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Mos6502
Joined: 20 Jun 2011
Posts: 960
Location: Austin
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| Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2012 1:13 pm Post subject: |
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Mos6502 wrote:
Great article - press photographers had to work a lot harder back then didn't they? |
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veriwide
Joined: 28 Oct 2012
Posts: 1
Location: Banner Elk, NC
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| Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 5:49 pm Post subject: I got it. |
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veriwide wrote:
You never know what you will run across when you play on Google.
I bought this camera. It is a beast. I bid on it not expecting to win, but I had to take a chance on a Big Bertha, even a "homemade" one.
I am going have to do some work to make it truly functional. Yes, it is push/pull focus. It needs lubrication to work smoothly. I think I will reverse the lens in the tube, because access to the aperture control and shutter are on that side. It is a 5x7(my favorite format) and takes the old Graflex grooved film holders. I have come across a few with sheathes for film. The shutter curtain is a little frail, so I am thinking of installing a packard shutter internally, or figuring out the lens's internal shutter. I live in the North Carolina Mountains, so I am looking forward to some landscapes with greatly compressed mountain ranges. At the very least It will display well with my 5 other 5x7s. |
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LucisPictor
Joined: 26 Feb 2007
Posts: 17633
Location: Oberhessen, Germany / Maidstone ('95-'96)
Expire: 2013-12-03
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| Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 5:54 pm Post subject: |
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LucisPictor wrote:
Welcome!
Great that you are here, so we might get the chance to see some shots taken with it!
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Personal forum activity on pause every now and again (due to job obligations)!
Carsten, former Moderator 
Things ON SALE
Carsten = "KAPCTEH" = "Karusutenu" | T-shirt?.........................My photos from Emilia: http://www.schouler.net/emilia/emilia2011.html
My gear: http://retrocameracs.wordpress.com/ausrustung/
Old list: http://forum.mflenses.com/viewtopic.php?t=65 (Not up-to-date, sorry!) | http://www.lucispictor.de | http://www.alensaweek.wordpress.com |
http://www.retrocamera.de |
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SonicScot
Joined: 01 Dec 2011
Posts: 2697
Location: Scottish Highlands
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| Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 6:02 pm Post subject: |
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SonicScot wrote:
Congratulations, I'd love to see what this can produce once you get her back in shape.
_________________
Gary
Currently active gear....
Sony a7
E-M1 Mkll
Rubinar 1000/10 + 2x matched extender
Tamron 500/8 55BB
Sigma 100-300/4
Vivitar Series 1.... 200/3, 70-210/3.5 (V1 by Kiron), 135/2.3, 105/2.5 macro, 90/2.5 macro (Bokina), 90-180/4.5 Flat Field Macro, 28-90mm f/2.8-3.5
Carl Zeiss.... 180/2.8, 135/3.5, 85/1.4, 35/2.4 Flektagon, 21/2.8 Distagon
Nikon.... 55/3.5 micro, 50/1.2
Elicar 90/2.5 V-HQ Macro
Zhongyi Speedmaster 85/1.2
Jupiter-9 85/2
Helios.... 58/2 44-3
Hartblei 45/3.5 Super-Rotator TS-PC
Zenitar 16/2.8 fisheye
Samyang 8/3.5 fisheye
Nodal Ninja 4, Neewer leveling tripod base
Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/gazsus/ Website http://garianphotography.co.uk/ |
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trifox
Joined: 14 May 2008
Posts: 3614
Location: UK
Expire: 2014-05-29
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| Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 6:37 pm Post subject: |
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trifox wrote:
| blende8 wrote: |
Does it fit to a NEX?
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I think a NEX definitely fits into this lens !
tf
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hifisapi
Joined: 25 Sep 2012
Posts: 941
Location: USA
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| Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 6:40 pm Post subject: |
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hifisapi wrote:
| iangreenhalgh1 wrote: |
| I once won a Wray 36 inch aerial recon lens on ebay for 99p but the seller never communicated, he only lived 5 miles away so I was gutted. |
Biggest lens I ever owned for large format was a 25" F10 wollensak raptar. No where near as big as this though.
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ACQUIRED OVER 30 YEARS:
Cameras: DSLR=Pentax istDS FILM=Pentax SP, SP-F, ESII, SP1000, KX, K2
Lenses : Pentax M42 = Super Multi Coated Takumars 50/1.4 55/1.8 100/4-BELLOWS 500/4.5 1000/8 135-600/6.7 Pentax PK= SMC Pentax-Ks K17/4-FF Fisheye K18/3.5 K20/4 K24/3.5 K28/3.5 K28/2 K35/3.5 K35/2 K50/1.2 K50/1.4K 50/4-MACROK 55/1.8 K85/1.8 K100/4-MACRO K100/4-BELLOWS K105/2.8 K120/2.8 K135/3.5 K135/2.5 K150/4 K200/4 K400/5.6 K45-125/4K 85-210/4.5 Pentax PKM = SMC Pentax-M M40/2.8-Pancake M50/1.4 M75-150/4 M80-200/4.5 Pentax PKA= SMC Pentax-A A15/3.5 A50/2.8-MACRO A28/2 A35/2 A50/1.4 A135/2.8 A200/4 A*300/4 A35-105/3.5 A24-50/4 A70-210/4 TAMRON AD2= SP80-200/2.8 SP180/2.5 TOKINA AT-X PK= ATX28-85/3.5-4.5 ATX35-70/2.8 ATX60-120/2.8 ATX80-200/2.8 ATX100-300/4 ATX90/2.5 MACRO KIRON-LESTER DINE PK = 105/2.8-MACRO VIVITAR PK = 135/2.8-MACRO 28-85/4 NOFLEXAR AUTOBELLOWS PK = 60/4 105/4 |
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martinsmith99
Joined: 31 Aug 2008
Posts: 6950
Location: S Glos, UK
Expire: 2013-11-18
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| Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 7:13 am Post subject: |
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martinsmith99 wrote:
That's a monster of a monster!
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Casual attendance these days |
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KarelDH
Joined: 24 Mar 2011
Posts: 169
Location: Belgium
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| Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 9:23 pm Post subject: |
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KarelDH wrote:
I have this lens build in to a self made telescope.
(only mine says 917mm)
Moon shot (sharpen on parts)
100% crop
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