Big Bertha

[Whiteymorange]

Boy! I saw one of these today. Glad I didn't have to lug that thing around to get my job done as a sports photographer! I wonder how many were made? The one I saw today had a 28" f5 Zeiss Jena Triplet. They must have pushed the film quite a bit to get action shots in Yankee Stadium, where the owner of the camera says that this one was used. The handle on the side is a sort of speed shift, to get the focus right for each of the bases where the action might be happening at any given moment. Here are a couple in action.

[zsas]

1016mm!!!

[papagene]

Where did you cross paths with one of these??? You didn't try to slip it into your back pocket did ya?

[David A. Goldfarb]

I like those beer crates under the cameras in the second shot. "Tripod? We don't need no stinkin' tripods!"

I think traditionally the focus stops would have been set to home plate, the pitcher's mound and first base.

Looks like that's a night game, too, which must have been even more of a challenge.

[Sirius Glass]

Thanx!

[tony lockerbie]

Back in the days when men were men, and Chiropractors were busy!

[Dan Fromm]

AP used them. Here's a link, if it still works, to an account of Big Berthas at the 1952 World Series: http://books.google.com/books?id=SiE...tha%22&f=false

[brian d]

another THANKS!

[David A. Goldfarb]

Fantastic article, Dan. Thanks!

[MattKing]

+1 on the Popular Science article.

Like the item at the end too - a hand-held tube radio!