Cheap and funky cameras.

I've bought too many cheap, often not working, cameras, but sometimes, they provide quite a lot of fun as I go about trying them out with film.
These are all cameras that would not be thought of as being any good, even in their own time, more consumer snapshot cameras.
I thought that I would describe each of them as I get through testing them.

(Some of the images may have been posted by me in the past).


AGFA ISO RAPID C.
Has a novel film transfer feature that uses 35mm film pushed into a cassette and taken up in another cassette.
Only control shows as a "sunny" icon and a black cloudy icon which seems to enable the battery contact to the flash bulb (and I read; changes the shutter speed from 1/80 to 1/40).
Makes square images at 24x24 on a length of film around 24" long, limited to 16 exposures by the mechanics of the camera (locks up as the frame countdown indicator shows 0 or the film finishes).
Fairly easy to stuff a length of 35mm film directly from a 135 cassette (pre-curled) into the cassette in a changing bag. Good for home developing.




Usually quite cheap and so simple, will probably work. The square format is very nice for a change.


Gives distorted and soft images, quite Lomo really.... Here is one of my fave test scenes on Fomapan200 (uncropped).



I like this and will get around to running a few films through it. Of several exposures on the test film, this is by far the sharpest image (centre).

I guess that many images from this camera can be spoiled by the too snappy and hard action of the shutter release. There are other versions of ISO-RAPID camera that have very nice action shutters. These generally have the lens mounted release button/lever.

AGFA ISOMAT-RAPID ~1964

Uses the same "RAPID" film cassette system as the ISO-RAPID C and others, 24x24 frame size, 16 frames.



Luxury! Has an Agnar three element lens which is set in a scale focus mount, with 4.5, 8, 11, 16 and A aperture choices. The A sets the aperture internally via the selenium cell, which suggests that the film speed selection is used (based on a tab on the side of each cassette), not likely to be accurate at such an age. Using the set apertures is intended for flash and sets the shutter speed to 1/30th.
Capable of a good quality image, if held steadily.
I read that the shutter speed is 1/70th when in auto mode and reduced to 1/30th when an aperture is selected as this is for flash ranging.
EDIT: my example does actually vary the aperture in "A" mode and as the light changes.... I'll try a short length of film to see what comes out in auto mode.



Fun to use and mess about transferring film....

"OPUS" plastic P&S that was marketed under many different names. I have another, marked as Halina, just the same.
Film speed settings that change the aperture and fixed speed that is quite snappy, getting near to /100 maybe. Has a place for batteries, only used for the flash.
Has a three element lens and a flat film gate with sprung pressure pad.





This is super lightweight and has a plastic feel. It can make very good images (in the right light and at the right distance).



I like the OOF bits at the top of the frame (which is probably not OOF but is edge of frame distortion). The detail in the middle of the image is excellent. Fab camera for less than the cost of the postage.

Hanimex 35SF

I don't mind trying a motor-wind camera. This is still a simple P&S, fixed focus camera with the addition of a motor wind and a flash.
It has a fixed shutter speed (maybe around 1/80) and a choice of film speed settings which changes the aperture, and a choice of sunny/cloudy/flash icons which also changes the aperture and will enable the flash. It has a three element lens with an irregular diamond shaped variable aperture. In common with most similar cameras, and all of those above, no frame lines are found in the VF.
This is a long camera, it feels nice and weighty and has a fairly loud film transport.



Nice to use (and all the better for being bright red), it is quite a capable camera (in the right light and distance). I found that it gave pronounced distortion around a central sharp image when used at open aperture, but became much better at the 200/sunny setting. Whilst running a short test film through this on a drab day, I tried a scene which unexpectedly gave me one of my all time favourite images. This camera is a keeper, I just need to fit it into my non-test photography, and get out more.....





I cropped this, and gave it some more density to produce this atmospheric image.




On a brighter day..... with Fomapan200... Slight crop to top and bottom.



I just tried to get about the right distance from the subject, pointed and shot..... no technical skill!

Kodak KB28

Another motor-wind film transport, but is otherwise a super simple non-auto P&S with fixed focus, aperture and shutter speed. The flash fires every time (not a fault) which is no use to me, so I taped over the flash to try this camera. With a two element lens and curved film plane, some distortions can be expected.
It is powered on (and flash starts to charge up) as the lens cover is opened.
Seems to give good exposures on Fomapan200, probably intended for 100 film.
The nicest camera to handle, easy to keep in pocket.



Looks great, makes a wide angle shot (I read that it is 30mm fixed at f8 with a 1/100th shutter) and is quite small and very nice to handle.
Images, not so sure for my taste, which may be tending towards gentle Lomo style for these cameras.
Possibly a little too soft with distortion close to the centre of the image.
If I'm going to embrace Lomo style, then it may work well. Has a film in it at the moment, so perhaps will grow on me.

Of course, I have tried several cameras that were dreadful performers and some that were just poor (maybe even too poor for LOMO style).
I have also collected a few plastic "auto focus" cameras that you might think should outperform all those above, but it seems that each is different.

My P&S AF cameras are not part of this thread, but they have illustrated an important point about my journey. I tried a few (four) Konica Z-UP cameras. Some of these are better than others and, even within the same range (60, 60e, 80e, 115e) show quite a variation of image quality. I had fun using the Z-UP 60, but the others gave poor focus/sharpness performance, with the exception of the 80e version. This highlights that there will always be variation between individual examples and that my experience is based only on the examples I have tried, each of which may not be representative of its type.

Miranda 35ME
Marketed with several other brand names, but the same camera. Despite appearances, this is a simple fixed focus, fixed shutter speed camera with three "film speed" options that change the aperture. Three element, coated lens and flat film plane with pressure plate. Has a pop up lens/VF cover which also locks the shutter button. It has a compartment for couple of AAA batteries, only needed for the flash (and often, the contacts are badly corroded anyway).
Small but solid plastic body that gives a nice weight and feel. Great shutter release, snappy shutter (1/100 ~ 1/125ish) and quite noisy film lever advance. Square to diamond shaped aperture clearly seen within the lens.



Can make good images (given the usual caveat of right light and right distance). Not much distortion at all, quite acceptable images for a P&S.



It was with these images that one difference between two element and three element lenses became evident. This (as with the other three's) can give quite nice sharpness out to infinity from the subject as seen in this crop.


One of my favourite cameras, but sadly without the odd distortions that I am looking for in a "quirky" camera. This image could have been taken on my SLR. Very compact and fun to use.

An Agfa ISO-RAPID IF arrived recently. This has the potential advantage of a faster shutter speed (70th ish) and selectable apertures 8,11 & 16.
A test strip showed promise, so it's now awaiting a big day out. I like the slightly funky, square images.
No more super simple cameras for the time being. I followed a track to buy a few "auto" P&S cameras that might also give funky results. These gave overly affected results, maybe too much.
At the moment, I need more outings to run the cameras I have.

Yet another Agfa ISO-RAPID camera arrived. This is the "I" version. Looks similar to the "C" but has a lens mounted shutter release which operates more softly.

I took it on holiday, but should have tested it properly first... They are all a bit soft and Holga like, but this one is softer in the centre than most.

Cluster said:

Yet another Agfa ISO-RAPID camera arrived.

Click to expand...

I must remember this excellent turn of phrase. Another camera just arrived, nuffink to do with me, love, but I'd better just test it out, anyway!

An image of the AGFA ISO-RAPID IF for the record.
I've had a few ISO-RAPID cameras that have had dust/mist inside the two element lens. It can't be separated and looks to be well sealed, so it's a mystery how it gets there. A few have been transferred directly to the bin. This one had a misty lens, so I swapped the lens with one from another ISO cam. They do not want to move, the thread being sealed with some, now dry and hard, gunk.




No sure if the focus (ha ha, focus?) is in the right place. Photos from it seem reasonable.

Arty shots at the Ashton Memorial.





Something closer, with some good texture.

Some more have been tested with film.... They've been in a box of cheap cameras for a while.

Jsoly (AKA junior Isoly and Isoly 0).



I haven't posted much about 120 film cameras, but this one is as cheap and simple as they come.........
I'm a bit mean: 4x4cm images on a 120 roll film seems to be a waste, even though it can give 16 frames.
Has a choice of apertures, which slides a different sized hole over the shutter and what looks like a close-up lens for 2 to 5.5m.
Nice, soft acting shutter that might be around 60th.

The Jsoly works well, with the red film counter window taped up when not winding film. This must be the closest image style to Holga that I have played with.
Slightly soft all over with some funky distortion out from the centre.









It works well on FP4+ in strong light and is nice to use. No light leaks, jammed mechanics etc.

VIVITAR PN2011 35mm camera

One that was in a box of bargain P&S cams I bought a few years ago. Time to give it a roll having done the short length test (so I know that it works).
What's not to like, it's a super simple fixed aperture, fixed speed camera. No more than a miniature box camera.
It does have a lens of around 28mm FL, two element job onto a curved film plane. A sliding lens cover also locks the shutter.
A special feature is a panoramic mode that closes the film plane down to a narrow slot. Can be switched in and out at any time. Of course it just masks the frame, but it shuts down the VF to show a panoramic view.... coupled with the wide field of view, makes a passable job.
Overall a bit soft, out of focus at infinity but has a close up ability. Quite nice and maybe quite usable for the right project. Super light weight.

Hanimex 35 Micro Flash

And another arrived for me to play with.... The buying of these cameras has become a quest to find the camera image effects (faults) that I want. It is somewhere near to LOMO/Holga type images, but maybe not as extreme. Please feel free to suggest anything that might work for me.

This camera came as something of a surprise. Looks great and looks to be well specified but from Hanimex. This one, as opposed to the similar 35EE micro (electronic exposure control) is a manual camera with four distance zones to choose from, a single shutter speed of around 1/180 and a variable aperture based on symbols of sunny/hazy sun/cloudy/flash. The film speed choices of 64/100/400 moves the aperture scale around so that the sunny icon moves to a larger or smaller aperture as necessary. It has an f2.8 lens that looks lovely.
A flash is incorporated into the folding cover. It may warn the user of low light, but as this one's flash is defunct, I can't try it. I taped over the flash to tone down its looks.
It turns out that it is not sharp from edge to edge, at any aperture. On a sunny day out near Llangollen, some Kentemere 400 was shot (at 400). This gave a small aperture of around 16. The images have some odd distortions, out of focus in the corners and some vignetting. It also had a light leak, showing as a pale patch.
I like the effect and will have a go at fixing the light leak and run another, slower film through it.

Pentax 35 Pino

A simple camera from around 1984 onwards that looks more featured than it actually is.
A single shutter speed of around 1/125 and a variable aperture from f3.8 to f19. The aperture is selected on a rotating ring through the range in six positions.
Film speed is set on one ring, on which is also the icons for sun/hazy sun and cloud. So changing the film speed shifts the scale one way or the other, giving a corresponding aperture for the film speed. What looks like a range setting scale is just for the flash distance, which only changes the aperture.
With two AA batteries, there may be an underexposure indicator in the VF (I can't check as the flash is dead in this- possibly the reason it is in otherwise mint condition).


Very nice to use with an easy, soft shutter release button and fairly easy to understand icons. Makes a nice image, which may degrade as wider apertures are selected.
It good to learn from.... the closest focus distance is given as ~1.5m, but of course, that will be at the smallest aperture. As the aperture is opened, the depth of field will reduce to the point that it will only be a reasonable focus at the actual focus point of around 3-4m.

Gives nice images, not very sharp, but looking good at screen sizes and without much in the way of distortion into the corners.
I took a few photos with it on my photo-walk in Manchester recently.

AGFA ISOLY 100



Another very basic camera. Looks good and has a nice shutter release feel.
Fixed focus with most likely, a two element lens (I can only see two reflections in the lens) and a virtually flat film plane, promising significant distortion at the frame edges.
There are three icons on the lens ring that shows Sun, Overcast sun and flash. These select different shutter speeds rather than apertures.
The shutter is cocked as the film is wound on, giving double exposure protection. Standard 35mm film.

Nice, soft images with extra distortion at the edges. At the size shown here, they could pass for almost sharp in the centre.

EDIT: Reposted the images below, the first set looked quite flat.