Dan Schwartz' 1956 Pacemaker Speed Graphic camera
mounted with a 1942 vintage 178mm f/2.5 Aero-Ektar lens.
January 4th, 2008 Update.
Well, it's time to say goodbye to my first David Burnett Combo, since I have two more in production up at S.K. Grimes. This one is the best of the three, and it is (was) my very first Speed Graphic, which I restored, iuncluding a rare original battery cover for the rangefinder. You can find this sweetie at eBay auction 110210478270.
December 24th, 2007 Update.
It's the eve of "National Jews Go To The Movies Day," also known as Christmas Eve. I'm on a Massive High Right Now, as I just scored a Big Bertha!
So, as it stands as of today, I have six of the prized 7 inch f/2.5 Aero-Ektar lenses, including a coveted yellow dot version I personally removed from a K-21 5x7 inch aerial camera. I don't know exactly what the yellow dot stands for, as all Kodak Ektar lenses are supposed to have coatings for color film. Perhaps the yellow dot means that it was hand selected to cover 5x7 inches, instead of the 5x5 inches one would normally expect? The difference between the K-21 and the K-24 aerial cameras is almost an inch of image circle (i.e. 60^1/2 vs 50^1/2 inches).
Aero-Ektar lenses I own:
Well, I guess I'll be turning this page into a "weblog" with reports on how this camera works, and the reaction I've been getting to it. I much prefer a journalistic writing style to the scattershot "'blog" format; but in this case, and because I code my HTML by hand in Notepad(!), I guess I'll use the 'blog format after all. I bought this camera not quite four years ago on eBay as my first Graphic. Currently, this is my only Speed; although I also have a pair of Pacemaker Crown Graphics, and this top rangefinder Crown Graphic on the way in. I track the prices of Speed & Crown Graphics, and over the last year the price has more than doubled; so what cost me $185 back then could easily fetch over $400 today -- Of course, without the Aero-Ektar. The camera arrived back from S.K. Grimes on Thursday 15 November 2007. Andy Dau did a very nice job machining the lens board, spacer ring, and the retaining ring. Unlike many of the Aero-Ektars floating around eBay, this came directly out of a K-24 aerial camera, and was not subject to mounting to other cameras in between. In fact, if you buy an Aero-Ektar, check the photos to see what it was mounted to before. In fact, about 2 weeks ago, there was one on eBay that was already mounted to a Speed Graphic lensboard! At this point, I want to pause to thank photojournalist David Burnett for his inspiration for this project. In case you don't know who David Burnett is, Frank Van Riper featured him in a recent Camera Works column in the Washington Post; and he was also featured in the New York Times in an article titled "Which Camera Does This Pro Use? It Depends on the Shot;" ...And be sure to watch the 2 minute video clip linked to the Times article.
Here is a captioned photo of him from his website on the Kerry campaign with his own Speed Graphic/Aero-Ektar combo (reproduced here under the Fair Use Doctrine, solely for non-commercial critique): Here is my 1956 vintage Pacemaker Speed Graphic camera, serial number 913224, Modified: 9:40AM 1/4/2008
married to my 1942 vintage 178mm f/2.5 Aero-Ektar lens, serial number EA250.
