steve_feldman3 Posted December 28, 2003 Share Posted December 28, 2003 Anyone know of, or own one of these? Seen on E-#@ay. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ViewItem&item=2974196141&category=15247 This one seems to be an assembled and stained version of a kit camera. Kit also available for less $$.$$. All opinions accepted. (I'll try to post an image). Thanks.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael_briggs2 Posted December 28, 2003 Share Posted December 28, 2003 <p>The camera in the auction is made by and offered by <a href="http://www.alettaphoto.com/">Aletta Photographics</a> of Texas. I haven't heard of the before -- they are probably a new entry in the business of selling very inexpensive LF cameras and kits. <a href="http://www.benderphoto.com/">Bender Photographic</a> of Washington state has been in this business for years. There are <a href="http://www.largeformatphotography.info/bender.html">reviews of the Bender kit</a> at the Large Format Photograph Info pages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen hazelton Posted December 28, 2003 Share Posted December 28, 2003 It seems to me that the Bender kits are more for the joy of making it than for economics. For the price of the kit, you can get some pretty decent used LF cameras that are probably sturdier than these models. I'd be hesitant to bid on something like this based on internet photos of it. The basic kit, as made by the manufacturer, is probably pretty decent. But the craftsmanship (or lack thereof) that goes into the finishing could be hard to detect by photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott_walton2 Posted December 29, 2003 Share Posted December 29, 2003 It has all the movements you'll need and if taken care of like a good tool, it should last and be a fine tool also. Wooden camera are nice and light which can be an advantage and a disadvantage (on a windy day) but with a decent tripod, it will expose film. If the price is right, don't worry... cameras are a tool to work with. If it has a spring back, you will run into issuse if you want to use roll film but Calumet has a back that will work. There are cameras that are worse looking if that is the issue! Enjoy it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaron_murray Posted January 1, 2004 Share Posted January 1, 2004 Every once-in-a-while, a product comes out and defies business logic. This camera kit is one of those product. What did I get for $150.00? I got a complete 4 x 5 camera kit, lens board, ground glass and bellows. The kit had all hardware and even a tube of glue to complete the assembly. The kit was fairly easy to assembled and it took me less than five nights with no other tools than a drill and a screwdriver. Most of the time was spent waiting for the glue to dry. I tried to make my own camera before and the bellows alone were more than $150.00. The bottom line is the return on your investment, and in this case, what a deal. The camera is sturdy, and has all the movements. You can�t compare it to a $1000.00 camera, but $150.00 is really cheap to pay for a 4 x 5 camera. I wouldn�t be surprised if the prices go way up once this new entry-level camera gains popularity. Aaron Murray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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