Printing shop giving me all their old camera stuff

Hi all,

I just got done contact printing a bunch of 12x20's for a quick

coffeehouse exhibition. While I was putting them into frames at the

last minute, I was thinking... these are kind of small, only

12x20...wouldnt 20x24 be that much better? Then I got thinking about

a 20x24 camera and the contacts I could make with that! Well as I

was hanging the exhibit this afternoon, right as I was finishing up

someone called my name, and low and behold, there is a person I used

to teach drums to 25 years ago, now grown up with a family etc. He

didn't know I was into photography but liked the prints and better

yet, mentioned that he had a bunch of photo stuff in his family

print shop that he needed to get rid of and... did I want it?

Needless to say I said I'll be right there and he proceded to show

me the stuff. Well... there was my 20x24 camera...but man was it

BIG. He had a room devoted to it as well as all the acoutrements,

film, auto processors, contact paper, etc. I left with the 480mm Apo

Nikkor.It had what looks like a modern type packard shutter behind

the lens.My question is this...since I know absolutely nothing about

the printing industry I dont know what is worthwhile to take in

terms of film, contact paper, etc. Are any standard old technology

printing shop materials applicable to todays B&W photography? There

is the camera with vaccume back that I definately want... possibly

to use for an enlarger or maybe to convert to a 20x24 indoor

camera.Could the vaccume back be used for a contact printing frame?

Has anyone here converted a camera of this type for personal

use.Your help is most appreaciated! Thanks in advance!

Clude Buthcher in Florida, The AA of the Everglades convrted one to an enlarger for his 12x20's. He is on the photographers database on this site. You could do a back like AA did when he converted an ols wooded portrait camera into his enlarger, the older books by AA show the back and the 36 lights in it, he turned them on and off to dodge or burn.

Vacuum printing frame for plate burning is a great thing for the ultra large format contact prints. Keeps the negative tight to the enlarging paper for the most delicate hightlights.

 

The process camera can be used to create enlarged negatives from regular sized silver prints.

About 5 years ago I too was on the receiving end of a process

camera (from a weekly newspaper) and since it's been a

valuable asset in my darkroom. I use the vertical stat camera

both as an upside-down enlarger capable of prints up to 18x22

and use the hinged, flip-over vacuum easel for contact printing.

 

The Screen stat camera I got was just about perfect for my uses.

It has a 4-florescent-tube lower light source wired into the

timer/computer with a hinged overglass to keep everything flat.

What I did was to cut out rubylith masks and tape them in the

center for the various negative sizes I use (4x5, 5x7, 8x10). This

allows me to use the easel reference marks and also lets me

"float" a print with the black film-holder border on the next size

larger paper, as in 11x14 on 16x20 paper, etc.

The entire camera is about the size of a washing machine and is

capable of enlargment/reduction from 25% to 400% with two

APO process lenses, At the top right is a hinged ground glass

with reference marks corresponding to the marks on the easel.

This is used to focus the negative (as with a view camera), then

the ground glass is swung up out of the way and the paper is

placed on the vacuum easel, the vacuum turned on, and the

easel flipped over where the GG was for the exposure, which is

timed with a built-in digital timer. Any burning or dodging is done

between the lens and negative. Also, if using VC paper, filters

can be placed right on top of the back of the lens inside the

bellows.

For Contact printing I converted the camera's built in "bump"

light, which was used to "flash" the litho film for pre-exposure, to

hold a standard light bulb. The arm for the bump light was

already placed centered over the easel in it's "loading"

orientation. So all I have to do to make a contact print is place the

paper on the vacuum easel, lay a piece of glass over it , turn on

the vacuum and then the light (a 100 watt bulb) which is also

wired into the camera's digital timer.

Two years ago, I did 10 portfolios of 52-8x10 Azo prints each

(one for each week of the year 2000) using this method and it

worked beautifully!

And, did I mention that it also has an on-board digital

densitometer that reads both reflected and transmitted

densities?

 

All in all, quite a deal just to haul off an "obsolete" piece of

equipment that was in their way.

 

I believe these vertical cameras are much more useful as

darkroom enlarger because of the compact size, but I also have

friends who've converted the horizontal ones (with the

train-track-type focus rails) as enlargers and to do copy work.

 

Many of these cameras are around collecting dust and

sometimes (as in my case) the owners are more than happy to

just have someone take them away. I'm certainly glad I did.

I just work at a printshop but didn't get no stuff. The Films used for offsetprinting seem to be somehow similar to technical pan, usually no halftones. Sometimes there are contact copying machines for films. Maybe You could use them to make slides. Modern Prepressfilms are quite thin, so check your vacuumstuff, if strong enough. Don't rely completely on it. I had some plates ruined through airbubbles between plate and film.

I have in my posession a Goodkin Astro vertical stat camera. It has a vacuum back for film size 16" x 20" and an 18" x 24" copy board. I don't have the heart to put this good working camera in the dump. If anyone can use it and can take it away, they can have it for free.