Repurposing vintage items, where to draw the line

[Pompidou]

My pop and I are brewery collectors, and a friend of ours is the authority on Pabst, his collection is the biggest, most extensive there is, blows ours out of the water, and ours is huge. Anyhow, before I derail further, he always told us, you don't own these items, you just hang onto them until your time's up, and then they go to someone else.

I bought a deck of WW2 Pabst Blue Ribbon 100 anniversary commemorative playing cards from 1943 with a navy pinup on the card backs off eBay for no small fee, and you'd be surprised how hard it is to get someone to be willing to play a game with them. I thought it'd be cool to sit and play poker with real history. Oddly enough, everyone votes to treasure them and use plain old cards instead.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Ironic that they're from '43, with the so-called PBR anniversary would have been 1844. (When Jacob Best started the brewery, actually as a vinegar plant in 1842 and a brewery in 1844, they used to use 1842 until the 1893 world's fair they started using 1844)

Also, I have quite a few vintage magazines, and people are afraid to handle them. I always tell them just be careful, but you're welcome to page through them. They always decide not to, for fear they'll wreck them.

I bought a deck of WW2 Pabst Blue Ribbon 100 anniversary commemorative playing cards from 1943 with a navy pinup on the card backs off eBay for no small fee, and you'd be surprised how hard it is to get someone to be willing to play a game with them. I thought it'd be cool to sit and play poker with real history. Oddly enough, everyone votes to treasure them and use plain old cards instead.

 

[Pompidou]

Ironic that they're from '43, with the so-called PBR anniversary would have been 1844. (When Jacob Best started the brewery, actually as a vinegar plant in 1842 and a brewery in 1844, they used to use 1842 until the 1893 world's fair they started using 1844)

Also, I have quite a few vintage magazines, and people are afraid to handle them. I always tell them just be careful, but you're welcome to page through them. They always decide not to, for fear they'll wreck them.

You're right. I was posting off memory. 1844-1944. I just looked.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Stuff like that is a lot of fun, a good conversation piece. I guess that could be considered repurposing if nobody will play cards with them.

You're right. I was posting off memory. 1844-1944. I just looked.

 

[martinsantos]

IIIg is a great camera! I'm sure you will find one.

"IIIg"s are ought by collectors just with "A" grade condition. A friend got one for around US30,00 - almost no more vulcanite, the chromium went off in most of the body and at the beautiful Elmar 5cm (previous owner probably put the finger under it to get the correct balance to shot). He only had to replace the little mirror of the rangefinder (very usual with post-war cameras, I think) and to clean the fungus in lens. I must admit: cosmetically that camera is horrible, looks like a piece of junk. But this can be something good when you want to walk around downtown taking photos - nobody would believe that thing can make really wonderful results.

My IIIf, always with me, isn't in so better condition, either! But mechanically it is perfect.

I always wanted a Leica IIIg, but I've seen exactly what you've seen in the pricing.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

I always wanted a Leica IIIg, but I've seen exactly what you've seen in the pricing.

Whenever I look for Leicas on eBay all I find are those Russian-made copies painted in Tiger tank camouflage.

 

[Edward]

I've seen a place here in London that sells empty bodies for Leicas which to my eye look 50s.... obviously they must be compatible with modern guts. I wonder could I drop in modern *digital* guts?? Really can't believe nobody has caught on to this market. As I've mentioned in other threads before (and at the risk of sounding lie a stuck record), while I'm very happy with my little digital compact for day to day use, I would adore to have something vintage looking for events.... ideally a Rolliflex with digital guts. I know there's a Japanese company making digital ones already, but they're tiny, mini-versions so they look wrong - they're also hideously expensive for a pretty poor spec (I mean, most cell phones nowadays can equal or better 5MP...).

 

[martinsantos]

Some years ago Minox was producing Leica replicas in reduced ratio. There were models using Minox film and digital models.

Of course there are the M8 and M9, digitals - but VERY expensive.

A digital Rollei would be rahter expensive too, because the sensor - the negative is a huge 6x6cm.

Why don't you give a try to film again? There are at least two black & white films almost error-free (XP2 Ilford and CN from Kodak) that you can develop in any 1-hour lab (the same process of color film). So you can use the real thing! The pleasure to shoot a Leica, Contax, Rollei and so on is just the top!

I've seen a place here in London that sells empty bodies for Leicas which to my eye look 50s.... obviously they must be compatible with modern guts. I wonder could I drop in modern *digital* guts?? Really can't believe nobody has caught on to this market. As I've mentioned in other threads before (and at the risk of sounding lie a stuck record), while I'm very happy with my little digital compact for day to day use, I would adore to have something vintage looking for events.... ideally a Rolliflex with digital guts. I know there's a Japanese company making digital ones already, but they're tiny, mini-versions so they look wrong - they're also hideously expensive for a pretty poor spec (I mean, most cell phones nowadays can equal or better 5MP...).

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I thought about the ability to make one of my old cameras into a digital camera.

They do make repros that look vintage.

 

[Shangas]

Where do you get those!? I would LOVE a digital camera that looked like an actual vintage film-camera. Instead of some sci-fi whizzydodaawhippydaywazzungowhatzit that looks no different from any other camera made today.

 

[Pompidou]

Where do you get those!? I would LOVE a digital camera that looked like an actual vintage film-camera. Instead of some sci-fi whizzydodaawhippydaywazzungowhatzit that looks no different from any other camera made today.

Try this site for starters. There might be deals elsewhere, but I only did a quick google.
http://hubpages.com/hub/Retro-Style-Digital-Cameras

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I hear ya there. I have a GE Digital Camera and it's just boring. No character. I think one of these retro-styled ones would fit me better.

Where do you get those!? I would LOVE a digital camera that looked like an actual vintage film-camera. Instead of some sci-fi whizzydodaawhippydaywazzungowhatzit that looks no different from any other camera made today.

 

[JimWagner]

Why don't you give a try to film again? There are at least two black & white films almost error-free (XP2 Ilford and CN from Kodak) that you can develop in any 1-hour lab (the same process of color film). So you can use the real thing! The pleasure to shoot a Leica, Contax, Rollei and so on is just the top!

fftopic:

Since converting to digital years ago I haven't kept up with available films. My film cameras (Canon A1's) are actually in a box at my feet here under the computer desk and I do miss using them. After reading the Kodak spec sheet on the BW400CN and a few other forum's posts on the subject I think it's time to try a roll or two and see what results I can get scanning the negatives and using Paint Shop Pro. Maybe see how film and digital exposures of the same subject compare.

Can't say I'm interested in returning to a full darkroom setup with all the chemicals, space requirements, expense and effort needed to produce even one really good print, though.

 

[martinsantos]

fftopic:

Don't forget to show the results! I'm sure you will like. You can shoot it, it the same roll and with the same developing times, as 50 ASA to 800 ASA - with increase of the grain, of course.

After reading the Kodak spec sheet on the BW400CN and a few other forum's posts on the subject I think it's time to try a roll or two and see what results I can get scanning the negatives and using Paint Shop Pro. Maybe see how film and digital exposures of the same subject compare.

Darkroom is like cooking. Some love all the work to get a good result, a kitchen full of gadgets, etc. The work is part of the joy! (in same occasions, all the joy - as with a friend who really doesn't cook very well, but love to be at kitchen cooking for a lot of friends). In photography, when you get a very good negative and blow up a huge and marvelous enlargement of 50x60cm.

Can't say I'm interested in returning to a full darkroom setup with all the chemicals, space requirements, expense and effort needed to produce even one really good print, though.

 

[Argee]

If you can spare $1000 the Fujifilm Finepix X100 is a great vintage looking camera. Doesn't go on sale until later this year. I'm hoping future members of the X line are lower priced.

http://www.fujifilm.com/products/digital_cameras/x/finepix_x100/product_views/

 

[Edward]

That Fuji looks the business! I hope other manufacturers follow suit. The price will come down eventually. A Rollieflex seems even more ideal to my mind; the big viewfinder on them is the perfect place to site an LCD screen.

Some years ago Minox was producing Leica replicas in reduced ratio. There were models using Minox film and digital models.

Of course there are the M8 and M9, digitals - but VERY expensive.

A digital Rollei would be rahter expensive too, because the sensor - the negative is a huge 6x6cm.

Why don't you give a try to film again? There are at least two black & white films almost error-free (XP2 Ilford and CN from Kodak) that you can develop in any 1-hour lab (the same process of color film). So you can use the real thing! The pleasure to shoot a Leica, Contax, Rollei and so on is just the top!

I toyed with the idea, but I jut can't be bothered with the inconvenience and expense of film anymore. I've been spoiled by digital!

I thought about the ability to make one of my old cameras into a digital camera.

They do make repros that look vintage.

Those look nice in pictures - unfortunately, they're to one I was talking about. Third of the spec and about six times the price of what my current compact digital cost. They're also tiny compared to the real thing. Expensive toy, alas.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

There's always a catch lol

That Fuji looks the business! I hope other manufacturers follow suit. The price will come down eventually. A Rollieflex seems even more ideal to my mind; the big viewfinder on them is the perfect place to site an LCD screen.



I toyed with the idea, but I jut can't be bothered with the inconvenience and expense of film anymore. I've been spoiled by digital!




Those look nice in pictures - unfortunately, they're to one I was talking about. Third of the spec and about six times the price of what my current compact digital cost. They're also tiny compared to the real thing. Expensive toy, alas.