NikonWeb.com

Sorry for the off topic nature of this post, but it does use Nikon lenses, at least.

I thought others here might be interested. I just bought a new-in-box Agfa StudioCam from nsxdream on eBay via the make-an-offer plan for $175. He sold one about a month ago for $159; I should probably have offered less, and probably would have if I had realized that he has even more of them, but anyway it looks like a very interesting thing to fiddle with, and is certainly a pioneering digital camera.

The reason for this post, though, is that in corresponding with him about shipping, etc., he mentioned that he has "a few more" If anyone else here is interested, it might be worth making him an offer, and you now have some idea of the upper end of the range to try. If anyone gets one for less than $100, though, I'm not sure I want to know about it...

Cheers,
Ross

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Ross Alford
http://www.pbase.com/northqueenslandphotos

Hi Ross,

Have you received the StudioCam yet? Would be interesting to hear from you when you've had a chance to test it.

Thanks,
Jarle

I won't be able to say anything for a month or more yet--it went to my in-laws' in the USA, and I will pick it up when we next visit them, in October. Frustrating, but it saves a lot on postage. I'm certainly looking forward to having a go with it; scanning cameras suggest some interesting possibilities. I will report and possibly supply some samples, assuming I can get it to work.

Cheers,
Ross

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Ross Alford
http://www.pbase.com/northqueenslandphotos

The Studiocam box was so huge and heavy that I ended up having to post it to myself by seamail instead of picking it up.

After many trials and tribulations, including the US Postal Service letting the package sit for a few weeks in California then returning it to my relatives for not having a Customs declaration (which it did, in fact, have) and then the usual several months seamail in transit, I finally received my Agfa studiocam. I have hooked it up, and it works, but I would not want to use it much--it takes minutes to scan a full frame at high resolution, requires very high light levels to record a decent image, and of course must be tethered to a PC via a SCSI connection, and plugged in via a brick-sized AC adaptor. Next time we have a run of sunny weather I will try to take some photos outdoors with everything on extension leads; indoors you need very bright studio lights (which I do not have), or can only photograph very small objects (which is what I have done so far).

It's very easy to see why this didn't last long, a DCS or E2 would have been SO much better in every respect except resolution (it does have 16 MP resolution, and from my experiments so far, looks like it will be reasonable quality as long as there is the equivalent of bright sunlight). Like using a very clumsy view camera, with no movements.

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Ross Alford
http://www.pbase.com/northqueenslandphotos

Thanks for the update. Sounds like an awkward camera to operate..

Please post some photos if and when when you get a chance to test the camera properly

Jarle