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By: - 23rd September 2008 at 17:09 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
The Robot was a very handy camera. It had an old neg size, so you could get 50 shots on a 36 exp standard 35mm film. It was one of the first cameras with a built in motordrive,albeit a clockwork one. No need to remember batteries!
Some versions had massive bulk film backs,I vaguely remember being offered one about 30 years ago with a 250 foot capacity. That would be ideal for long excursions. The lenses were interchangeable,though an size of course. I wish Id bought it now.
theres a wiki page too;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robot_camera
hope this helps
By: - 2nd November 2008 at 14:07 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Here are some shots I took of an RAF Robot Star II camera.
By: - 3rd November 2008 at 14:40 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
So more RAF Robots are coming out of the woodwork... but what were they being used for, I wonder?
Nice Luftwaffe one, Andy, in used-but-still-hanging-on condition. Is that part of your collection?
Adrian
Posts: 3,201
By: adrian_gray - 23rd September 2008 at 16:38
A friend of mine has one, and wonders what it was used for, and now I see this on you-know-where: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Robot-11A-Aircraft-Camera-Kit-U-K-Militaty-Issue_W0QQitemZ300261019114QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item300261019114&_trkparms=72%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14
Now, a Robot is a sub-miniature beastie (24x24mm negs, I think) with a clockwork winder - the big knob lets you wind it up whilst wearing gloves. They were certainly used by the Luftwaffe in WW2, and I've seen a pic of the crushed remains of one retrieved from the wing of an Fw190 dig so it seems they may have been used as gun cameras. But what on earth were the post-war RAF doing with them?
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!
Adrian