Just need to mount it on a shopping cart.
raid
Dad Photographer
Hello Roger,
There is no film back with the camera, and it could have been a 10x10 camera as much as I can tell. It is squarish in dimensions.
sanmich
Veteran
Now that's about stealth photography...
raid
Dad Photographer
That is incredible...
Hard to believe such bright lenses were needed in such bright light.
Tell ya what, since it's so old... I'll give ya fifty bucks. Whaddya say?
I was initially informed by some optics experts that maybe the camera [and very fast lens] were used in physics lab experiments and in X-Ray experiments. The max aperture of 1.66 is unsual for a 10x10 camera. The lens hood is impressive looking.
This thread made me realize RFF did not have a photographic history forum.
That is no longer the case.
Stephen
That is no longer the case.
Stephen
raid
Dad Photographer
... and I am honored to have the first thread in the new photographic history forum, Stephen.
Roger Hicks
Veteran
All counterfactual conditionals are true. It is easy to say today that the atomic bombing of Japan was a mistake, and it may have been so, with the advantage of hindsight. Equally, it is easy for you to say, "I am alive today because..."
But we can never know. I think it arrogant to say today that Japan should not have been bombed that way (Edit: I fully realize this is not your assertion). Maybe it's true. Maybe it's false. Which route would you (or I, or anyone else) have chosen, with access only to the information available in 1944?
The late George McDonald Fraser went to the heart of the argument. Let us assume that Allied casualties would have been 20,000 greater if the bomb had not been dropped, but that the Allies would still have won. Would your mother have volunteered your father as one of those 20,000? Would your wife volunteer you? Would you volunteer yourself?
Yes, war is hell. Both my grandfathers were killed at sea, one off Crete and one on the Russian convoys. It's now fairly clear that 'Bomber' Harris made exaggerated claims for the power of the air force in terror-bombing Germany: think of Dresden. But shortening the war by a year, a month, a day, a minute, must have looked like a pretty good idea at the time.
And none of this diminishes Raid's researches (congratulations, Raid) or the importance of this camera.
Cheers (if that's the word)
R.
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Windscale
Well-known
It was no mistake. It was an act that relieved billions of people from suffering under the Japanese. The number of Japanese killed by the two bombs was only a small fraction of the number of Chinese killed by them. And even now the Japs still would not like to admit that they were the aggressors in WWII and still keep on denying such acts as the Nanking Massacre.
sepiareverb
genius and moron
From that first image it looks like it was built out of my mother's old Samsonite train case!
furcafe
Veteran
Yes, a horrible event, but not a mistake.
U.S. firebombing of Tokyo & other cities had already taken a larger toll, albeit over a longer period of time.
As Roger pointed out in his post, war is hell & the idea of shortening the war, not to mention taking revenge, certainly looked like a "pretty good idea @ the time." My mother used to say, "it's a good thing that the Americans got the bomb 1st, because if the Chinese had, we wouldn't have stopped @ 2."
U.S. firebombing of Tokyo & other cities had already taken a larger toll, albeit over a longer period of time.
As Roger pointed out in his post, war is hell & the idea of shortening the war, not to mention taking revenge, certainly looked like a "pretty good idea @ the time." My mother used to say, "it's a good thing that the Americans got the bomb 1st, because if the Chinese had, we wouldn't have stopped @ 2."
willie_901
Veteran
Raid,
Sell this camera.
All you have to do is find the best international auction house that deals in rare historical items related to WW-II.
Put the $$$ in a college fund for your lovely daughters.
willie
Sell this camera.
All you have to do is find the best international auction house that deals in rare historical items related to WW-II.
Put the $$$ in a college fund for your lovely daughters.
willie
chris91387
Well-known
i, sadly, sense this discussion venturing off course and heading towards a political debate about "war" rather than keeping the focus on the interesting history of this special camera.
- chris
- chris
raid
Dad Photographer
I am not interested in discussing the events of WWII in this forum or anywhere else at RFF. This is about the history of a camera. Wars can be horrible; I know. I am from Iraq.
I spent over 15 years asking knowledgeable individuals about information on this camera. I started with Bob Shell, the former editor of Shutterbug. He took my inquiry to some big shot collectors [Nolan ...], but their extensive data bases did not include a listing of this camera. At one time, an inquiry was sent to the Rochester museum, and also no records were found of the lenses.
I learned a few things about physics [I hope] over the years by reading the material given in some links on the Lenticular system and so so. This camera was bought by the previous owner at some Navy base.
He had the camera for sale for $5000 at a local camera swap meeting, followed by $3000 the next year. I had a table with SLR equipment for sale, and he saw my interest in the camera. In the end, he just came to my table and started to jot down info on lenses and cameras I had for sale. Then he just informed me that "we will trade". I was given no options! What a guy.
Two big man carried the camera to the van and then drove it to my flat. I haved the camera since then.
Using a Geiger counter I made sure that the radiation is minimal.
Anyways, maybe I got lucky here.
My two kids would benefit from having extra cash in their education funds.
I spent over 15 years asking knowledgeable individuals about information on this camera. I started with Bob Shell, the former editor of Shutterbug. He took my inquiry to some big shot collectors [Nolan ...], but their extensive data bases did not include a listing of this camera. At one time, an inquiry was sent to the Rochester museum, and also no records were found of the lenses.
I learned a few things about physics [I hope] over the years by reading the material given in some links on the Lenticular system and so so. This camera was bought by the previous owner at some Navy base.
He had the camera for sale for $5000 at a local camera swap meeting, followed by $3000 the next year. I had a table with SLR equipment for sale, and he saw my interest in the camera. In the end, he just came to my table and started to jot down info on lenses and cameras I had for sale. Then he just informed me that "we will trade". I was given no options! What a guy.
Two big man carried the camera to the van and then drove it to my flat. I haved the camera since then.
Using a Geiger counter I made sure that the radiation is minimal.
Anyways, maybe I got lucky here.
My two kids would benefit from having extra cash in their education funds.
raid
Dad Photographer
raid
Dad Photographer
The camera does not look pretty at all. Even a dorm fridge looks better than that.
raid
Dad Photographer
raid
Dad Photographer
raid
Dad Photographer
raid
Dad Photographer
Roger Hicks
Veteran
I was more active in research 15 years ago than I am now.
Dear Raid,
I fear we all were...
My comments on war were intended more as a pair of philosophical points. One was about counterfactual conditionals, even when presented as statements, rather than being a comment on war (knowing your background -- and also being in correspondence with an Afghan, quite apart from my Tibetan friends). The other was the dubious value of hindsight.
For once, I agree with the 'nerd' argument that this is a photo forum, and that dragging in politics is more than a little tangential and unnecessary.
When I find his address, and get his permission, I'll send you (privately) the address of the author of the Lens Collector's Vademecum. You have a copy, I take it?
Cheers,
R.