FOBA Baby FOBA

[dxp]

in contact with a member from this forum we were discussing the handle of the CESRA plate...


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I want to share with you the source of it. I can confirm that is are the used ones by FOBA.
I got once a whole bag of them in one of my factory visits and the article number corresponds.
This handle can hold at least 23kg (CESRA is only 10kg), that is the weight of one of special FOBA counter weights used in a special ASABA stand made for Zeiss...
and the good thing is they are not so pricey, less than 3 Swiss francs each...

So I am that member FOBELIO was discussing this with, and here is the unfortunate reason why...



Today I received this 'brand new' CESRA from a supplier who packed it only in a single layer of bubble wrap and brown paper, and with the shipping label stuck on the underside. Evidently it experienced...er, rapid descent...a few times during shipping, luckily the male combitube thread and handle where there to absorb the impact.

A poor effort from the supplier, and likewise from Hermes who are the most brutal of couriers in my experience...I've had at least a half dozen items delivered by them arrive damaged, over the past year.

FOBELIO, thanks for the link to the ELESA handles. Interestingly, although model # 37131 is the version FOBA used, for a slightly higher price models # 37101 to 37106 are dimensionally the same but made from stronger Polyamide (37131 is made from Polypropylene) and gives you five different colour options as well!

 

[FOBELIO]

here an other supplier of FOBA...
Lanker supplied the turning wheel for ARBAO and ARBAE... their logo is also impressed in it so find it out wasn't a big deal...

Neue Technologien in der Kunststofftechnik - Lanker AG

Lanker AG ist ein Dienstleistungs- und Kompetenzunternehmen der Kunststoffbranche. Know-how, Qualität und Beratung stehen an erster Stelle.

www.lanker.ch

here from the Lanker catalog



and here from the FOBA catalog

 

[Nokton48]

Restored FOBA Ball Head Hasselblad Quick Release FOBA Baby Tripod by Nokton48, on Flickr

I went to Lowes and bought a metric Allen Bolt, an Allen wrench is Gaffer Taped to the side of the head, to tighten it down solidly. So work fine now. Hasselblad CFV16 50mm C T* Distagon. Broncolor Hazy overhead. The Hasselblad Quick Release Plate, and a 3/8" FOBA Mounting Plate hold this all together, super Heavy Duty Mini V Tripod. Hazylight at 1500J gives me F16 with Olde Blad CCD Digital Back. A good speed match to the film speeds I use in my cameras My Olde Mac is now tehered to my CFV16 Digital Back and Phocus interaction with the camera is good.

 

[Nokton48]

CFV16 Tethered 120 f5.6 C T Star Blk 500CM Broncolor Hazylight by Nokton48, on Flickr

FOBA Glass Sweep Table White Foamcore background Broncolor Hazylight 1600 F22.5 Broncolor Hazylight overhead. Hasselblad 500C/M Anniversary 120mm F5.6 Zeiss S-Planar with Zeiss +1 Proxar. Camera tethered to Macbook Pro Pre-2013 Firewire 400 Adapter.

 

[FOBELIO]

my recent picks... two DOREO sleeves, they have a 25mm (as a Combitube) inner diameter and 30mm external diameter

using some of my spare parts I have now a CEGEO which is useful as a counter weigth or to stabilize a Combitube stand.

a bit of math:
1 DOREO + 1 CEGOE + 2 CEGEE = 1 CEGEO = happy FOBELIO 😉😜







the same time I picked also an ASMEA, new to me...
with some COMBITUBE it can be build to a tripod or as shown in older catalogs to stabilize an ASMNO or ASNIO if you prolong it with many Combitubes...

 

[FOBELIO]

CFV16 Tethered 120 f5.6 C T Star Blk 500CM Broncolor Hazylight by Nokton48, on Flickr

FOBA Glass Sweep Table White Foamcore background Broncolor Hazylight 1600 F22.5 Broncolor Hazylight overhead. Hasselblad 500C/M Anniversary 120mm F5.6 Zeiss S-Planar with Zeiss +1 Proxar. Camera tethered to Macbook Pro Pre-2013 Firewire 400 Adapter.

interessting, it produces two shadows... one is the reflection but under this there is a second one... I can't explain me where it came from...

 

[Nokton48]

Should have used the Polarizer with this thick tempered glass. Having FUN. See you are too, I use my three ASMEA units, I use them on my FOBA Spots, and under the glass, The Broncolor Balloon. Very versatile, I have a weight like that too, very useful for weighting the stands down.

 

[FOBELIO]

, I have a weight like that too, very useful for weighting the stands down.

in old FOBA catalogs there is COGOO, a weight specific for the COSNO stand... never saw one offered...

 

[K10K]

I found this on a Dutch marketplace for 55€... new ones were priced around 2500-3000 Swiss Francs in 2020ies...

It seems to be one of the first version of the DASRO system for hanging paper backdrops...
I saw this in my old FOBA catalogs but never in person or on sale... never thought I will ever found one. It is around 50 to 60 years old...

Interesting is that it is build using two CESRO (old silver three legged version) and two special 35mm tubes with special holders. For getting both CESRO connected there is
an U-profile bar on the bottom

My intuition says me it will end in the metal recycling... 😔😣🥺

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So I have a family living very close by this place in Netherlands. I asked them to inquire about the condition of the wheels etc... And my brother in law just messaged me that he picked it up for me and it's in pretty good shape 😀 Now I have to figure out how to transport that thing home and what to do with this next 😀 A little bit of sanding, cleaning, perhaps repainting the roller bases. Also this is my first post here and my first Foba purchase 🙂

 

[FOBELIO]

Hi K10K and welcome to this forum! 😌

I am very happy that you get the old DASRO! 🤩👍
A bit of "love" is everything that it needs to service you well!

Transport is always an issue with this kind of stuff... my 250cm ASABA stand was a very tight fit in my car...

Do you consider to use a laser for rust removal for saving precious time in sanding and also avoid a mess that needs also cleaning?
In some YT videos it looks so easy, fast and with proper results...
Since I have some rusty stuff (not FOBA) that need also to be cleaned I try to figure out which way to go. As laser rust removal can also be booked as a service it is a valid consideration for me since I don't really have a place for dirty sanding...

I would really appreciate to see the final result or if you have time even a step by step documentation! 🤩

Greetings from Switzerland 🇨🇭

 

[K10K]

Hi K10K and welcome to this forum! 😌

I am very happy that you get the old DASRO! 🤩👍
A bit of "love" is everything that it needs to service you well!

Transport is always an issue with this kind of stuff... my 250cm ASABA stand was a very tight fit in my car...

Do you consider to use a laser for rust removal for saving precious time in sanding and also avoid a mess that needs also cleaning?
In some YT videos it looks so easy, fast and with proper results...
Since I have some rusty stuff (not FOBA) that need also to be cleaned I try to figure out which way to go. As laser rust removal can also be booked as a service it is a valid consideration for me since I don't really have a place for dirty sanding...

I would really appreciate to see the final result or if you have time even a step by step documentation! 🤩

Greetings from Switzerland 🇨🇭

Thanks @FOBELIO Some of the stuff you guys post here from your own collections inspired me a little bit 😍 I actually bought it with a strategy in mind. I know this welding company in my town for whom I occasionally do some promo photos. They have a production facility and access to all of these processes like sanding, galvanising, airbrush painting so I'm hoping they can help. I'll be happy to share the results and maybe some work in progress whatever it might be 😉

 

[Nokton48]

Broncolor Balloon FOBA Weighted Support Lowboy Underlighting Unit by Nokton48, on Flickr


This is my Broncolor Balloon FOBA Weighted Support Lowboy Underlighting Unit. I often use this underneath the top glass in my FOBA Glass Sweep Table.

 

[dxp]

So I have a family living very close by this place in Netherlands. I asked them to inquire about the condition of the wheels etc... And my brother in law just messaged me that he picked it up for me and it's in pretty good shape 😀 Now I have to figure out how to transport that thing home and what to do with this next 😀 A little bit of sanding, cleaning, perhaps repainting the roller bases. Also this is my first post here and my first Foba purchase 🙂

Welcome, nice to have you join us!

 

[K10K]

Hi dxp!

Welcome to this forum!
As you I joined also specifically to this forum for the contributing to the FOBA topic!
I am happy to share my knowledge with you all guys, since this is also the purpose of a forum: exchange opinions, knowledge and inspiring each others! 😌

I also aware of "Broncolor flash bonanza" post in an other forum (largeformat?) where you and Nokton48 (using an other user name?) are present!
Perhaps I will also join one day and contributing there... since I have some Broncolor related questions...

Since I live in Switzerland and had the opportunity to visit FOBA's factory numerous times till the end, speaking with the staff members (great people!) and I could at the end also save literally a ton of stuff and parts of the archive!
I feel very privileged and I have plans to build a website presenting FOBA's history and their products for further reference. It is a intimidating task since I never build a website and I have a lot of material and minimal time and space... 😂🙃😐🫤😑😬😵😵‍💫🙁😣😖😫🥺🤯💀 we will see...

Greetings from Switzerland!

We should discuss this at some point since I design and build websites for living. Maybe I could help. Also that sounds like an awesome hobby project to work on (Foba history website & product database).

 

[Nokton48]

Hey K10K Welcome. Looks like you got a background holder for seamless paper. Nice unit.

SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr


More FOBA Stuff from around the Studio. The Head was bought cheaply but needs some love. The Ceiling Mounts I've used a lot trying out suspending various lights. The Big Weight came all the way from California LOL

 

[Nokton48]

Last week I made an offer and it was accepted. $12,000 USA Olde catalog prices, for a bit under $1000. Two top of the line Pulso Focusing Heads 3200J and two brand new Black P70's. This turned out to be the Grafit A4 PLUS, which could potentially be controlled from my Olde Pre 2013 Macbook Pro. Designed for digital shooting, three completely adjustable ports, adjustable flash duration and color temperature as well. Quite a step up from my Primo Apus and Pulso Packs. Much newer possibly too. The pack arrived Fedex DOA, no go at all, I can hear multiple broken pieces rolling around inside. And one of the heads is shutting all the packs I plug into it, don't want to mess with it. And, the 3200J UV Coated Glass dome broke off the the base. Glazers is sending replacements, I'm exchanging it, now finally all shipped out. I think this will be a game changer for me, as I get interested in Olde CCD Digital Backs. Also affordable and much fun to play with. And there is always film. Glazers has a LOT of used Broncolor, and an in house Broncolor Repair Department.

 

[FOBELIO]

We should discuss this at some point since I design and build websites for living. Maybe I could help. Also that sounds like an awesome hobby project to work on (Foba history website & product database).

Oh thank you! I will for sure come back to discuss this further when I feel ready to start. I still have many other things ongoing at the moment...

Before FOBA shut down their website I downloaded almost every picture... I used also a software to get the entire website but I wasn't able since then to get it functioning...
the data should be there but how to access properly is the problem.

I am also collecting pictures of old or weird FOBA stuff that I find in the web... mostly from selling platforms as the famous bay and others... There are many things that are only know to me by a sparse photos on old catalogs or things changed during the decades as for example some COMBITUBE clamps...

 

[FOBELIO]

The Big Weight came all the way from California LOL

CESRU is very useful on the last version of the STARE rolling base..
The weight doubles and it becomes so stable...
I have two of them and with a CESRU it holds a Broncolor Striplite 120 without wobbling.

old STARE versions can't do that...

 

[Nokton48]

SONY DSC by Nokton48, on Flickr

About $2400 if I'm figuring correctly, looks new in every way. Paid about $300 I figure. Works great and this one I'm keeping. Best of the Best of the Best, as they say. Another copy of this is coming in exchange, as well as a Grafit A4+. I've been studying the instruction book, it's quite a step up for me. $8900 strobe pack for about $500 US I figure. More bonanzas IMO. The Grafit A4+ was designed for digital.

 

[dxp]

Last week I made an offer and it was accepted. $12,000 USA Olde catalog prices, for a bit under $1000. Two top of the line Pulso Focusing Heads 3200J and two brand new Black P70's. This turned out to be the Grafit A4 PLUS, which could potentially be controlled from my Olde Pre 2013 Macbook Pro. Designed for digital shooting, three completely adjustable ports, adjustable flash duration and color temperature as well. Quite a step up from my Primo Apus and Pulso Packs. Much newer possibly too. The pack arrived Fedex DOA, no go at all, I can hear multiple broken pieces rolling around inside. And one of the heads is shutting all the packs I plug into it, don't want to mess with it. And, the 3200J UV Coated Glass dome broke off the the base. Glazers is sending replacements, I'm exchanging it, now finally all shipped out. I think this will be a game changer for me, as I get interested in Olde CCD Digital Backs. Also affordable and much fun to play with. And there is always film. Glazers has a LOT of used Broncolor, and an in house Broncolor Repair Department.

Just out of curiosity...is there any weight difference between a black P70 and one of ye olde grey ones? I've noticed even the grey ones can vary a bit in weight depending on the age and specifics of the design or manufacturing run...same with some of the FOBA combitubes.

But I do like the look of the black reflectors in Bron's current marketing. Black is boring in any other brand, but given Bron's long history with the grey, black is kinda cool for them. In saying that, a grey P70 will always be somewhat iconic for me as it was one of the first bits of studio equipment I handled when I was starting out as an assistant, and I have a lot of fond memories from back then.