Cameras/debrie sept
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Question
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Followup To
Question - Why, yes, how did you know? I seem to remember paying $150.00 for it.
Erin Stoddard
Hi Erin,
Pilecki showed me the camera months ago and asked my opinion. I suggested it was a modification for framing and precisely focusing shots in the movie industry. MANY Septs were modified and utilized for special purposes in Hollywood. He said he intended to eBay it.
In the photographic world, if it's odd or unusual, I inevitably hear about it...
As a collectible, specifically as an interesting modification to a standard production model, I think $150 was not a bad expenditure. You both did well. However, you could have gotten a rough looking yet still well working example for about the same price. Maybe $25 to $50 more. Truly superb examples sell for under $300. From my memory of Pilecki's camera, I honestly don't believe it can be returned to original state. More likely, the cost of doing so, in time alone, probably far exceeds the cost of buying another camera! I'm afraid you've been stuck with a "white elephant". You paid a fair price, and Pilecki certainly presented the camera honestly, but what you see is all that you'll ever have. My best suggestion is that you sell it back through eBay, making sure you stress the "rare novelty" of its Hollywood modifications, and then use the money to shop around for a Sept in original working order. You may even walk away with a little profit! Trying to fix this one will only result in great frustration and the futile loss of many hours. To get right to the point of your question, no, there isn't any resource material that you could study to rebuild this camera, it simply doesn't exist in the common market, so you'd be operating in the blind.
Best wishes,
David Silver
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David Silver
Expertise
I'm an expert on all types of antique, classic, and contemporary cameras, as well as the general history of photography. Everything from ancient box cameras to modern single-lens-reflex; from simple Kodaks to sophisticated Leica and Nikon; from glass plates and roll film to movie and 35mm. I can identify and appraise them, explain how they work, and offer insights on their restoration and care. I can also provide historical background on vintage cameras and equipment, and guidelines on their purchase and sale.
Experience
I've been a professional photographer and a student of the history of photography for nearly 30 years. During that time my collection of vintage cameras and photographic paraphernalia has grown beyond 2000 significant pieces. I've published nearly 70 articles in the field, including 16 in the popular "Buying Classic Cameras" series for PHOTO SHOPPER MAGAZINE from 1995 to 1997, I'm currently a contributing editor for CAMERA SHOPPER MAGAZINE and McKEOWN'S PRICE GUIDE TO ANTIQUE AND CLASSIC CAMERAS, and I've written numerous entries for WORLD BOOK ENCYCLOPEDIA. Portions of my collection have been displayed in museums and special exhibits in the past two decades, and many of the items were photographed as illustrations for books. In 1985 I founded the International Photographic Historical Organization (InPHO), which eventually evolved into its intended purpose as the best first resource for information on the history of photography. I'm also a founding member of several e-mail forums dedicated to specialized areas of photography, and I'm the moderator of the Internet Directory of Camera Collectors (IDCC), which remains the largest and most successful such group in the world. For more information about the International Photographic Historical Organization and its many services, please visit its web pages at:
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