Ummm... any of you into vintage photography, as in with vintage cameras?

[BigHairyFinn]

Well, imagine the imageshatter if a person out of a 1940's fashion magazine flips out a digicam out of their trenchcoat pocket.

Actually I've been taking photos a lot, now got "back" into midsize 120 photography and gotten a few of pre/postrwar 35mm cameras as well. And funny enough got an 1948 Agiflex and decided to get rid of a number of newer cameras in its favor.

Anyone else there trying to figure out a 1937 Box-Tengor's lense?
(Dunno if its too many hats, leather jackets or cameras)

 

[Doctor Strange]

You should do a search on this subject - there have been several threads about it over the years.

I'm a film guy from way back - my parents were pros for over fifty years, and I grew up working in the family business in the 1960s and early 70s. I still have access to their darkroom, and was making 35mm b/w prints as recently as two weeks ago.

We've got a wide range of old cameras, everything from an 8x10 Ansco from about 1915, through 1940s Graphic 4x5s, 1970s Nikon F2s and a Mamiya RB-67, on up to Olympus point-and-shoots from this decade. (Not to mention all the old cameras folks gave us when they packed up their basements and moved to Florida - 8mm movie cameras, beautiful old Polaroids, Kodak snapshooters, TLRs, all kinds of rangefinders, and European SLR knockoffs.) Personally, I now mostly shoot with my Olympus OMs and a pair of Minox subminiatures from 1956 and 1963...

I don't own a digital camera, but I grab my kids' or dad's every now and then for a quick shot. Digital is great, but I don't love it like the old film technology. Face it, I've got old-school photo chemistry in my blood!

 

[Alan Eardley]

I know what you mean. I just can't get into digital photography. It makes me feel as if I'm being treated like an idiot. I guess I should try a full manual digital SLR (one you can use like a real camera, you know, with a light meter), but they're out of my price bracket.

Alan

 

[BigHairyFinn]

Ah yes, I stumbled on the newbie thing after all :lol:

I got a digicam just because once when they got cheap enough I got this bright idea when I was dismantling my motorbike... to see how the parts were on and then pictures of what came out in what order...

I used to teach photography at one time even... Now I still have the 2.1 MP HP to take "point & click" and a Fuji finepix to take "merchandise photos" as I sell watches and some memorabilia and good pictures are half the sale. Problem is I require the digicam to be "point and click" - have gone through a few due to "too many moving parts". I'd have a Saljut that takes Kiev backs and a digi back for that might be possible, but so far the same thing, those manual digi SLR's are too pricey.


For a SLR, totally manual, I tell people to learn the hard way. Old, cheap, manual, learn, spend money on the film and developing and not the equipment, before you get the "spirit talking". I had sold my Olympus some 10 years ago ... forgotten half I learned, got into the 120mm and decided to go 35mm SLR so I picked up a Zenit 3M (with a swing back, the film loading in the Leitz copies is a total turnoff)... they're about 30 bucks, with say a Helios-44. You can get a working one from the 1960's, but I went through 3-4 before I found a "keeper". Now with a 30 buck worth camera I can "do stuff" I wouldn't dare do otherwise. And if it drops, oopsidaisy. That vs. dropping a 3000-buck camera and getting a nervous breakdown someone is going to nick it... My other favorite is a Yashica TLR (for portraits) I picked up from someone selling vintage stuff ... erm harberdashery and buttons (was looking for suspenders and stumbled upon it)...

The funniest thing is, I go to places and take pictures with these old bellows, I get people coming up to me and starting to talk... a bit like being out with a dog :lol: And there is *always* someone asking if "can you take color pictures with it" is, that the key question. And I can now get "into the photo" myself as the older folks want to try "My dad had one just like that" and have the knack...

 

[Alan Eardley]

I go along with a lot of that. Is it possible to get a basic manual digital camera anywhere. One you have to focus, set the 'shutter speed' and aperture? If it was reasonably priced I'd be onto it like a shot.

I understand that digital cameras now have 'face recognition technology'. What's that about? I have been recognising faces for years without any problems. There is a psychiatric disorder which prevents the sufferer from recognising human faces. It is extremely debilitating, as it prevents you from forming relationships or living anything like a normal life. I can understand that someone who has this condition might benefit from a camera that helps them to recognise faces, but fortunately it is a very rare disease and I don't think there would be much of a market for such a camera.

Speaking as someone who works in new technology, I think we're losing the plot!

Alan

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

I received the camera kit of a photography buff who had passed away, from a friend who knew him. Included was an Exakta 35mm SLR that I was able to identify as about a 1960-61 model, and a longer lens and several lens extenders, one of the bellows type. The Exakta is interesting in that it has a removable viewfinder so that it can be used at either eye level or waist level, and the kit included both finders. I haven't shot film in years, and I'll need a light meter and I'll need to find a good lab, but I am looking forward to trying it out.

I'll take some shots of the camera and equipment with my digital camera if anybody is interested.

 

[Alan Eardley]

I used to have an Exacta - nice flexible camera. Some advantages of TLRm some of SLR. They are quite collectable now.

Alan

I received the camera kit of a photography buff who had passed away, from a friend who knew him. Included was an Exakta 35mm SLR that I was able to identify as about a 1960-61 model, and a longer lens and several lens extenders, one of the bellows type. The Exakta is interesting in that it has a removable viewfinder so that it can be used at either eye level or waist level, and the kit included both finders. I haven't shot film in years, and I'll need a light meter and I'll need to find a good lab, but I am looking forward to trying it out.

I'll take some shots of the camera and equipment with my digital camera if anybody is interested.