The Vintage Camera Club Thread

[rjb1]

Thanks - I have not tried that exact material but have tried other similar stuff. They work for a while but then either another hole appears or the old one returns. I think the original curtain material is either too old or of poor quality to begin with (maybe both).
I have five real Leicas so the Russian one is just an off-and-on hobby effort. (mostly off these days)

 

[Picard1138]

I took the plunge and wound up with a few Graflex Speed Graphics of different vintage:

On the right, a completely unmolested original Anniversary Speed Graphic from the early 1940s, complete with full case and kit from the original owner including the flash, manuals, film holders, and about two dozen flash bulbs. On the left, a much later Pacemaker Speed Graphic from the late 1950s presumably (top mounted rangefinder and other later features). Today I gave them both a good cleaning and adjusting, and then tested for light leaks. The later Pacemaker will need some of that bellows paste. One of the lenses will have to be replaced because of terrible cleaning scratches, so I'm upgrading to a Rapax/Raptar shutter and lens which I hear is better quality in that price range than the house brand Graphex/Optar.


I hope to get out and take some photos soon. I have an original wooden Graflex tripod on the way as well to complete the set.

-Max

 

[scrawlysteve]

I'm also looking to get a nice medium format folding camera; I've been eyeing up older Ikontas, without rangefinder. Does anyone have any suggestions?
-Max

If you're not dead set on a Zeiss the Voigtlander Perkeo 2 is small, nicely made and has a lovely Color-Skopar lens which some reckon to be possibly the best Tessar clone available. Not too squinty a v/f either.

 

[rjb1]

As for the Ikonta choice, one of my own favorites is the Super Ikonta A. I like having the rangefinder, but I also have a plain Ikonta A without, and use both from time to time.
One reason I like the A model Ikontas is that I do WWII reenacting and when folded you get a medium format camera which fits perfectly in the pocket of a GI shirt. (like it was designed for that)
I use one of the Speed Graphics for "official" photos, but the Ikontas are great for off-duty shots.

( Ivwanted to put a .jpg file here but that doesn't seem to work. How do I do that? Thanks...)

 

[rjb1]

It did work after all.
The ones on the left are post-War military-issue Speed Graphics (KE-12's) and the ones on the right are WWII Signal Corps cameras (PH-47's), with a Combat Graphic, also.)

 

[freakazoid]

I have a Rollie 16 camera and E15B flash, same camera and flash as used by Kolchak the Night Stalker. Got them for a Kolchak Halloween costume. I'm not sure if they work, not even sure how to test them. I think it takes 8mm camera film but I wouldn't even know where to get it. Would be nice to get the camera working.

 

[Doctor Strange]

Not 8mm, it takes 16mm film - hence "Rollei 16". Good luck finding some in whatever cassette it requires, not to mention getting it processed. For info, start at The Sub Club:

http://www.subclub.org/

I'm a Minox shooter myself:

 

[freakazoid]

Not 8mm, it takes 16mm film - hence "Rollei 16". Good luck finding some in whatever cassette it requires, not to mention getting it processed. For info, start at The Sub Club:

http://www.subclub.org/

I'm a Minox shooter myself:

D'oh! You are correct. It's been so long since I've messed with it I forgot. Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[Horace Debussy Jones]

Does anyone have any experience with black and white infrared film? I just purchased a roll of the Ilford ASA 200 stuff to use for photos of some 18th and 19th century paintings I own. Infrared might just reveal a signature or some other clues as to who the authors of some apparently unsigned pieces are. This newer film is apparently similar to the old Kodak stuff, but much easier to use as it doesn't require loading and unloading in a darkroom.

 

[rjb1]

I have used the old Kodak variety but it has been a long time ago. I used to teach technical photography as an engineering elective and one of our class traditions was to shoot the class photo in pitch darkness in a completely closed room using IR flash. After development and printing everyone looked like ghosts or vampires.
Except for having to use the "R" focusing mark on the lens, which you probably already know about, it wasn't any problem to use. I used whatever ASA recommendation came with the film and got good results.

 

[Carlo]

Been playing around with this thing the last few days.
Fired off two rolls of ASA 400 film and left them for negative only processing.
Near as I can tell there are no light leaks, the aperture and shutter speed settings seem to work, so we'll see.

This camera belonged to my father, who must have bought it shortly before the start of WWII, since it's a model that was first introduced in 1938, and superseded by the "Ikonta B" around 1955. If it had been a postwar model, it would have said Made in West Germany on it, I think.
Don't know if he carried it with him in the war. He saw service on Okinawa, and later in Korea (prior to the Korean war). Haven't found any war pictures in his effects.

I'm going to pick up my negatives later this afternoon, and if they're anything but blank film, I'm ready to shoot off a couple more rolls, including some color film. It's really cool that modern film is available in these formats.

Next, I'm going to get out my grandfather's Kodak Brownie (same type of camera, but much bigger), because I found modern roll film for those online.
If I get really into it, I'll buy some emulsion and make glass slides for my grandfather's German made glass plate camera. Well, maybe not.

 

[Carlo]

Not 8mm, it takes 16mm film - hence "Rollei 16". Good luck finding some in whatever cassette it requires, not to mention getting it processed. For info, start at The Sub Club:

http://www.subclub.org/

I'm a Minox shooter myself:

I had a Minox B for years. Always had a camera in my pocket in those days.
It was stolen, and the only replacement I could find was a Minox C, which just isn't the same with that extra long case.

 

[Doctor Strange]

I've got a Minox B as well as the Minox IIIs in the picture. I used to shoot color print film in the B, but I retired it when Minox Processing Labs because undependable. I still shoot b/w in the IIIs, though I've barely used it in the last half-year. Still, it's always in a knife case on my belt. I'm a photographer: I always carry a camera.

Yes, my cell phone has a camera, but aside from trying it when it was new, I have never used it. I prefer to take pictures with a dedicated camera! I don't mind waiting weeks/months until I develop, that's part of the whole experience.

Oh, and I agree that the Minox C was too damn long. Not really a subminiature camera anymore. (After guestimating exposure pretty well in the IIIs for almost 20 years, even the B seems a bit too long to me sometimes.)

 

[MrBern]

I shot various Minolta 16 models a lot in the 90s. Truly enjoyed them.
The Minox is a lovely camera, but the 16mm was so much easier to handle in the darkroom.

 

[Carlo]

Photos from my Ziess-Ikon Ikonta B

Photos taken in Portland, Oregon 3/29/2014
Not bad for a 75 year old camera that hasn't been used in at least 50 years!

 

[1930artdeco]

Carlo, those are great shots! I have been in that area as my sister lives over the Ross Is. Bridge. Where are you getting your film?

Mike

 

[Carlo]

Carlo, those are great shots! I have been in that area as my sister lives over the Ross Is. Bridge. Where are you getting your film?

Mike

I buy the film from a local camera store. Most camera stores should have 120 roll film on hand in various speeds, both B&W and color.
You can also buy it from many online sources.

 

[rjb1]

Be forewarned - having obtained a pre-War Zeiss-Ikon and using it, is like the taking first shot of heroin. I bought one Super Ikonta A, and now I have Ikonta A's, B's, C's, more Supers in A and B, Contax II,'s and multiples of each.
They (and yours) are mechanical and optical works of art and are nearly irresistible when it coming to buying more. You'll seee...

 

[Carlo]

Be forewarned - having obtained a pre-War Zeiss-Ikon and using it, is like the taking first shot of heroin. I bought one Super Ikonta A, and now I have Ikonta A's, B's, C's, more Supers in A and B, Contax II,'s and multiples of each.
They (and yours) are mechanical and optical works of art and are nearly irresistible when it coming to buying more. You'll seee...

Too late! (well, almost)

After seeing Doctor Strange's Minox, I got to wondering what they're going for on ebay these days.
Last time I checked several years ago, they were listed "Buy It Now" for $300+, so I decided not to bother.
And assumed they'd just keep going up from there.

Turns out that you can now buy them without bidding for less than $100. I just ordered one along with the original box, and several accessories for $89, with shipping $99.

So I won't be looking for another Ikonta for awhile.
I'll take a picture of my new Minox B with my Ikonta and post it here.
Then I'll take a picture of my Ikonta with my new Minox.

 

[Doctor Strange]

Yes, used Minox prices have been dropping dramatically as film photography becomes more of a niche interest... and a specialist, marginally supported format like Minox becomes an even smaller niche within a niche!