#2 Brownie

norvic-boy

norvic-boy

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Toby
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Anyone else still got hold of a brownie camera?

I've just inherited mine from my late Granpa - even though its been kept on a shelf since his passing ten years ago, its still in perfect working condition!

Now in the process of getting hold of some 120 film! And I can't wait to use it! :D

Share images too if you have some! :D
 
Got one of the big old rectangular ones somewhere.
 
I've got my Dad rummaging through boxes still unpacked since they moved a couple of years ago. We're pretty sure that there were three box brownies when my grandad's was cleared. Got to love vintage cameras.. and much better to use them than to polish them.

Looking forward to seeing your results..
 
gramps said:
Got one of the big old rectangular ones somewhere.
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Nice...

Alastair said:
I've got my Dad rummaging through boxes still unpacked since they moved a couple of years ago. We're pretty sure that there were three box brownies when my grandad's was cleared. Got to love vintage cameras.. and much better to use them than to polish them.

Looking forward to seeing your results..
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Fantastic! I just love the feel of it, and when I was cleaning it yesterday I just couldn't help but think of what sort of photographs it had already taken.

I completely agree with the highlighted comment! Whats the fun in "don't touch just look"? They're there to be used, so use them! :D

Currently in the middle of a personal study for my A-level which is based on Landscapes, so this would be perfect. (y)
 
It's not a brownie, or even a box - but my current film camera is an Ensign Selfix 420. Love these big 120 negatives.

Maybe we'll need a vintage Norfolk outing.. mind you.. a box brownie might be mistaken for cutting edge technology round here :D
 
Alastair said:
It's not a brownie, or even a box - but my current film camera is an Ensign Selfix 420. Love these big 120 negatives.

Maybe we'll need a vintage Norfolk outing.. mind you.. a box brownie might be mistaken for cutting edge technology round here :D
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I'm yet to shoot a roll of 120, so it'll be interesting to see the difference between that and 35mm. I also like to use my T90 and OM-10 which I'm both very fond of. I love the old feel, and plus I feel it makes me think of the shot more before I take it, which then (I feel) helps improve my digital, so I get the picture I want every time, with using 12 frames to get there! lol

A vintage Norfolk meet sounds good actually...! I'm sure the usual Norwich mafia would join us! - However I doubt they'll see this as they don't often flick into the film section; last time it turned into a bit of a mess! lol. However I do know lynton was well up for trying out some 35mm so it could be a good oppotunity! :)

I must agree, a box brownie is relatively new tech for this area ;)

Edit: D'you think it'll be worth starting up a thread in 'meeting places' to gauge interest?
 
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norvic-boy said:
Anyone else still got hold of a brownie camera?

I've just inherited mine from my late Granpa - even though its been kept on a shelf since his passing ten years ago, its still in perfect working condition!

Now in the process of getting hold of some 120 film! And I can't wait to use it! :D

Share images too if you have some! :D
Click to expand...

OMG a Brownie, a square box and I can't remember if it had a lens, that's all we could afford when I was a kid and the results were crap, I'd have to be paid to use one again :LOL:
 
norvic-boy said:
Edit: D'you think it'll be worth starting up a thread in 'meeting places' to gauge interest?
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Reckon the Norwich mafia could find their passports for a visit to West Norfolk? :D
 
Alastair said:
I've got my Dad rummaging through boxes still unpacked since they moved a couple of years ago. We're pretty sure that there were three box brownies when my grandad's was cleared. Got to love vintage cameras.. and much better to use them than to polish them.

Looking forward to seeing your results..
Click to expand...

Agree 100% with this - I don't do "shelf cameras" - anything that hasn't had a roll of film through it for the last year needs to be moved on to someone that will do it justice imho.
 
Alastair said:
Reckon the Norwich mafia could find their passports for a visit to West Norfolk? :D
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Talking of the Norfolk mafia, where's Arthur?
 
I have just been clearing out the garage, and came across a camera which I thought had been lost when I moved into this house twenty years ago.
It is a "No2 Folding Cartridge Hawk-eye model B", and is complete in its leather case. It seems in reasonable condition considering its age, but what should I do with it? I know that the original 116 film is not available, so it would use 120, but is it worth it? The shutter and iris seem to work perfectly.
I will post some piccies of it later in my gallery (I still have not bothered to join Flickr).
Andy
 
You can respool 120 onto a 116 spindle (allegedly, never tried it), although I think I've also seen a webpage where someone was using an adapter to centre standard 120 into 116 cameras.
 
I have my Grandads brownie in the loft, origionaly I had the case for it too. Somehow thats been lost over time.

I have an OM10 thats just waiting for me to fit the new seal kit I got from America, a spare OM10 body that I got off ebay recently for £8 delivered hoping it had the eyepiece I needed it didn't but now sports 2 new batteries and appears to have been given a new lease of life, An EOS1000fn with a roll of Kodachrome in it that sadly won't get used now because I've missed the cutoff to get it developed.

My Fed4L sadly is now resigned to be an ornament. I recently got it out for a lookover to find that although the back most blind on the shutter is okay, the inner blind is shot and breaking up. Thats my saddest thing as it was the first REAL camera my Dad got me for my birthday when I was about 12 and now I'm 50 and he's no longer around :(
 
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ChrisH said:
I have my Grandads brownie in the loft, origionaly I had the case for it too. Somehow thats been lost over time.

I have an OM10 thats just waiting for me to fit the new seal kit I got from America, a spare OM10 body that I got off ebay recently for £8 delivered hoping it had the eyepiece I needed it didn't but now sports 2 new batteries and appears to have been given a new lease of life, An EOS1000fn with a roll of Kodachrome in it that sadly won't get used now because I've missed the cutoff to get it developed.

My Fed4L sadly is now resigned to be an ornament. I recently got it out for a lookover to find that although the back most blind on the shutter is okay, the inner blind is shot and breaking up. Thats my saddest thing as it was the first REAL camera my Dad got me for my birthday when I was about 12 and now I'm 50 and he's no longer around :(
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Is it the actual fabric of the shutter, or the rubberised paint flaking off...

I had the latter happen to my Fed3 and sorted the problem with the application of some black latex based fabric paint.


Film Side by The Big Yin, on Flickr

This shows the state that the shutter had got into - all the missing rubberised paint was actually sat inside the camera :(

when you looked from the lens side of things, you could see where it had flaked away


Lens Side by The Big Yin, on Flickr

I sourced some black fabric paint from fleabay - this was the stuff II bought. I simply removed all the flaky paint (carefully, so as not to damage the underlying fabric) then applied a thin layer of paint. 8 hours later, I repeated the process and shone a torch into the body cavity to check where, if anywhere needed further paint. Two or three small pinpoints of light remained, but were sorted with a further dab, just in the offending areas. It's a matter of applying enough to keep it light tight, without leaving the shutter so thick and inflexible it affects the shutter speed. 10 minutes of faffing, and 3 days of patiently waiting for the paint to dry thoroughly and my FED3 was back to normal. Shutter speed seems about as accurate as FED's get, and there's no trace of lightleaks from it...

Pre-Fix Test Shot...

Fed3 - Test reel - frame 30 by The Big Yin, on Flickr

Post-Fix Test Shot...

HP5_2010-03-24_005_800px by The Big Yin, on Flickr

I've only shot maybe 3-4 rolls of film since fixing this, but everything is still intact - i've just shone a light into the camera before typiing this, and there's no traces of light leaking :)

Of course, if it's the fabric that's fallen to bits, you're pretty much attached to another object by an incline plane wrapped helically around an axis... :(
 
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BigYin

Thanks for the info mate, I've been on shift work and have only just got back to this.

In the new year I'll get hold of some of that paint and give it a go At the end of the day I have all to gain and nothing to lose.

I wonder if I could get a replacement lens cap anywhere LOL It dissapeared years ago never to be seen again :D
 
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