Holga, Toy, Charity Shop, Car Boot and other Bargains (film only please)

Result :D
 
I had a mooch round a local 'antiques emporium' yesterday and this followed me home:



It's a Kodak Retinette 1B 35mm compact from the early 1960s, complete with Kodak skylight filter and brown leather never-ready case. The shutter wasn't working when I first picked it up, but after a little coaxing it fired OK (the self timer was stuck and needed some 'gentle assistance' to help it along to fire the shutter). Everything else seemed to work OK, including the light meter, and the lens is reasonably clear. The shutter speeds seem fairly accurate as far as I can tell, but the setting ring is a bit stiff (the grease will have gone hard with age) so after a quick haggle I got it for £10, which I though was about right for a usable one in presentable condition (I like a lie-in on a Sunday, so don't get to car boot sales for 50p bargains!). I'm half way through a roll of Poundland's best to test it, so I should know if it's any good soon. Has anyone got any tips on using it (apart from 'Don't'!)? :)
 
Well I got mine in the late 1950s and it didn't last long...did me a favour as I threw it away and bought a Pentax S3 and that is still working.
 
excalibur2 said:
Well I got mine in the late 1950s and it didn't last long...did me a favour as I threw it away and bought a Pentax S3 and that is still working.
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Ah, well mine has the all-important Wallace Heaton sticker on the back, so it will have been thoroughly tested before sale (according to their old adverts)... so that's why it must have lasted longer than yours! :p :D

Edit: Test film mailed off to Filmdev so I hope to know if it works or not by end of play tomorrow (if Royal Mail do their bit on time).
 
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Well, it's looking promising! I got 24 exposures out of it, with no obviously overlapping frames; the light meter seems to be quite accurate but I think it might be focusing a bit short (unless it was operator error!). Anyway, before I put another film in it I'll check it out... just as soon as we get some bright enough weather for me to put some tracing paper on the film gate to see what's going on! Here's one of the shots I got, nothing arty (or even vaguely good!) I just blasted a film through it quickly to check the basics and catch the last post to Filmdev!

 
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I've had a run of luck and found two (working) folding Brownies in two weeks. Both of them take 120 film too (technically the Six-20 takes 620 film, but respooling 120 works fine)
Unfortunately, both sets of bellow are full of pin-holes along the corners, so no test films yet as I'm waiting on the (internet recommended) water based gutta repairs to dry fully.
These are my oldest cameras so far and I'm curious to see what they can produce. Does anyone have any samples from similar?

20170206_152707911_iOS.jpg 20170206_152806205_iOS.jpg
No 2 Folding Autographic Brownie c.1919-26 Six-20 Folding Brownie c.1937-40
 
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schpleep said:
how did you get the 35mm film to work? Spacers?
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Yup. You can either print some spacers to reduce the top/bottom height and hold the 35mm canister in place or just cut some foam to size. I then taped the leader of the 35mm to the original 120 takeup spool so I could wind the shots on (you'll have to unload the film in a dark bag and rewind it into the canister). Don't forget to cover the original red window on the rear door of the camera, 35mm film really won't like that otherwise ;0)

It's a good idea to use a test roll first so you can wind the film on with the rear door open and mark each frame so you know how far to wind on each time. Don't forget that as you roll on the film, the diameter of the take up spool will increase so you'll either get wider spacing between shots as you go along or reduce the amount you wind on each time to account for it.
 
stevelmx5 said:
I've never shot with a Kodak but I did put a roll of 35mm through an Ensign Selfix Model 7 from around 1930;

Ensign Selfix 20 - Model 1 by Steve Lloyd, on Flickr

Focusing was a challenge with the combination of zone/distance scale on the lens and a Glacier Mint for a viewfinder!

Ensign Selfix 20 - Model 1 by Steve Lloyd, on Flickr
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Steve, I shot a couple of rolls of 120 B&W through a Kodak Hawk-eye NO:2 model B manufactured from 1926 to 1934, that Asha was kind enough to give me and I was delighted with the results.

I will use again in the summer and may even try some old Konica colour film.

Your photograph of what I believe to be your daughter and when you show that when she is a teenager she will think she is a lot older. :) Can I ask how you adapted the camera to 35mm?

Very nice work Steve.(y)
 
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medwaygreen said:
Can I ask how you adapted the camera to 35mm?
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You can fit 35mm into 120 cameras in a bunch of ways. I bought some machined parts from ebay a while back. They don't seem to be available anymore, it looks like most people are now offering 3D printed parts.
If you know someone who has a printer you can get the files online http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:323120 Or, fudge it using something like these methods.

I'll post some examples that I shot with the 6x7 in a new thread later.
 
I got this Yashica Electro 35 GTN while I was out today. It's the first camera I've bought since November. It looks like it's hardly been used, came with a case, hood with filter, strap and had an Agfachrome 100 film in it. It also had a Duracell mercury battery, which had corroded.

The camera, as I said looks great and, after a bit of experimenting with a 4LR44 and a spring, works great too. Not bad for £6.99, the camera that is, not the battery.

IMAG0011_1.jpg
 
Manwithacam said:
I got this Yashica Electro 35 GTN while I was out today. It's the first camera I've bought since November. It looks like it's hardly been used, came with a case, hood with filter, strap and had an Agfachrome 100 film in it. It also had a Duracell mercury battery, which had corroded.

The camera, as I said looks great and, after a bit of experimenting with a 4LR44 and a spring, works great too. Not bad for £6.99, the camera that is, not the battery.

View attachment 95529
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Great cameras, the Electros. The 1.7 lens is fantastic, look forward to seeing some results.
 
I seen a lomo spinner on gumtree the other day and despite not currently having a working, well anything, I went and got it. Meant to take it up the hills with me yesterday but I forgot in the rush to get out the door, given the cloud level a big 360 of grey might have been interesting...
 
Thanks.....the mirror|shutter wind on lever looks like the camera has been used a lot.
 
I think everyone knows that anything marked "for spares and repair" is at buyer's own risk.
 
Manwithacam said:
My Nikon FG and OM2 were spares or repair, new batteries sorted them both
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But if they hadn't worked with new batteries, the seller could refuse your refund on the grounds that you bought them for spares/repair. Although if you bought them from ebay using PayPal you'd probably get your money back because they're so heavily biased towards buyers these days.
 
I wouldn't have asked for a refund for what they cost. If I buy a camera that's spares/repair there's always a good chance they won't work. Sometimes you can tell from the description.

For instance an X-300/X-500/X-700 needs a battery before you can advance the film. If someone has one that is untested but won't wind on they probably aren't aware of it.

My OM2 just needed the mirror resetting. I have a Nikon FE with a bashed up top and it has had a part removed from inside that prevents it being wound on again before you press the shutter, but it works.
 
Manwithacam said:
If you can't wind it on you can't fire the shutter, and you can't without a battery
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...but you can wind on without a battery, but if already wound on (without a battery) someone would think it was jammed as you couldn't wind on or fire the shutter.
 
Anyway, I've got a few Minoltas and other cameras with electronic shutters as spares because people don't test them.
 
Manwithacam said:
Anyway, I've got a few Minoltas and other cameras with electronic shutters as spares because people don't test them.
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The cameras to be wary of are the ones that don't need a battery to fire the shutter and can't wind on or fire the shutter and could be a problem, but then e.g. the Pentax Spotmatic can some times jam but a guy wrote an easy fix, so a jammed spottie for peanuts might be a good buy. I picked up a mint Canon FDn 50mm f1.8 for £3 as if you didn't know these lenses appeared jammed off the camera as the iris doesn't work.
 
I fancy one of those Yashica Electros. But for now, I managed to pick up this today:
OM20 with motor winder, 2x 50mm 1.8 Zuiko lenses, a Miranda 24mm f2.8 (possibly with stuck aperture), a Miranda 80-210, Miranda flash and a whole load of Cokin filters. Not too bad for £35.

But, after trying out the wind and shutter, the mirror has locked up and the winder and shutter button won't do anything. Is this the typical behaviour of an OM when there's no battery in it?


IMG_0273a-2.jpg


I've wanted an Olympus OM probably since my dad had an OM4 in the 80s, so I'm really hoping this works. I've got film ready to go, just need to get some batteries, so hopefully that'll solve the problem.
 
ABTog said:
I fancy one of those Yashica Electros. But for now, I managed to pick up this today:
OM20 with motor winder, 2x 50mm 1.8 Zuiko lenses, a Miranda 24mm f2.8 (possibly with stuck aperture), a Miranda 80-210, Miranda flash and a whole load of Cokin filters. Not too bad for £35.

But, after trying out the wind and shutter, the mirror has locked up and the winder and shutter button won't do anything. Is this the typical behaviour of an OM when there's no battery in it?


View attachment 96859


I've wanted an Olympus OM probably since my dad had an OM4 in the 80s, so I'm really hoping this works. I've got film ready to go, just need to get some batteries, so hopefully that'll solve the problem.
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Yeah, replace the battery and reset it with the, errrm, I can't remember how to reset the OM20 but the internet will tell you.Once its got a battery it should be fine. Don't try and prod around it will break the shutter mechanism, Don't ask.

Good haul, I like the 20 its a nice light weight camera with enough controls to don what you need.
 
I haven't used an OM20 but to reset an OM2 with a flat/missing battery you turn the shutter speed dial around to B then press in a small release button on the dial and turn it a bit further. The mirror should return then.
 
On your starting blocks folks as the booties start from the 18th March (y) I don't really need any more lenses or cameras but will still pick up the bargains even though I don't need them, also will pay more attention to Voightlanders as they are always mention here..h'mm but I don't like rangefinders :rolleyes:
 
Didn't buy anything today but i had a look in a few of my favourite places. A kodak euro 35 was pretty but they wanted ten whole pounds for it. Box brownies and the like seem easy to find but i don't have any interest in them.
 
I used to have one of those, one aperture , F/16 ish and one shutter speed 1/50 iirc

A little strange to use as the shutter release has to be pushed upwards.
The film back attaches with two little straps and prestuds.
All in all a little quirky but fun especially if you try to pan and do sports shots like I did lol

Edit Looking at that version, perhaps it was a slightly advanced later editionas it looks to have more defined closures for the fil back than the one that I had
 
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Asha said:
Edit Looking at that version, perhaps it was a slightly advanced later editionas it looks to have more defined closures for the fil back than the one that I had
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cos it was more advanced do you think I would ever buy rubbish :D
 
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