H/T: PetaPixel | Photo credit: Geoffrey Berliner / Penumbra Foundation
Before fancy DSLRs, sports photographers used the Graflex “Big Bertha” to capture action shots at events. This massive 120-pound camera snapped 5 x 7 photos, and were quite the hassle to transport. “These old Graflexes have limited shutter speeds because the tension springs are tired with age. I was able to shoot at 650/sec at f8. The lens has a focal length of 1000mm,” said photographery Geoffrey Berliner. Continue reading for more pictures, including a test shot, and additional information.
“These cameras were designed for sports photography and used for baseball, football and other sports events. Every newspaper had one of these. Even the Metropolitan Opera was shot using one of these beasts. I’ll be shooting it much more for sports events. I’m working on getting it in use in major sports venues,” said Berliner to PetaPixel.
