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

After clearing out a few of my old film cameras, I started to play with my 1955 Balda Baldina 35mm RF Cam. It's very nice and looks cool (kewl) and makes great images.
I searched for other Balda cams and now have a small but growing collection. Most of them work well enough to use with film (unreliable slow speeds not an issue).
After I had bought another four, I saw this 1951 Baldinette on the auction site for a low amount. It has a better shutter than most and the best of the three element lenses.
I didn't really want another folder (too many issues with my previous purchases) but this looked nice.
It arrived in fully working state and looks very clean. Of course, the slow speeds under 25th are laggy but all the higher speeds are snappy and look about right.
presently waiting to finish a film in a different cam to dev this test film at the same time.
Why buy one when you can have a set?

Baldinette.jpg
 
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RaglanSurf said:
Seems odd to be suggesting that £7/roll is a bargain but that's the world of film photography now.

Amazon have Kodak T-Max 400 120 5 Rolls at £35

Kodak 8568214 TMY 400 120 Roll Film (Pack of 5): Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo

Free delivery and returns on eligible orders. Buy Kodak 8568214 TMY 400 120 Roll Film (Pack of 5) at Amazon UK.
www.amazon.co.uk
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I went to my local pro photographer/high street camera shop last week hoping and intending to scoop a dozen or so Kodacolour 200 rolls at £3/24 frames or £3.60/36 frames. My heart sank: just a few rolls at over £4. I couldn't do it and I was just willing there to be a timewarp moment at £1land.
 
Ambermile said:
Putting this here cos technically, the camera did in fact come from a charity shop - in fact it was a bundle of 5 SLR bodies sold as on lot... I really wanted the Dynax 7

Bidding went well but I was *very* surprised at final price...

Already had the 7D and wanted the 7 to make a nice set :cool:


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The one on the right..... the Minolta..... look at that defective lens cap.....it won't work properly hahaha
 
Cluster said:
Of course, the slow speeds under 25th are laggy but all the higher speeds are snappy and look about right.
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I have an Ensign 820 that had/has* the same issue. Cocking the shutter and dripping a few drops of lighter fluid into the mechanism, followed by rotating the shutter speed dial a few times is enough to loosen the old grease and get the slow speeds back to something that sounds right. I'd have sent it away for a proper CLA if that wouldn't cost twice as much as I paid for the camera. Just be careful not to squirt in too much fluid to avoid the chance of it leaking through to the lens.




* It's been a few years since I picked up a camera. I just dug out the Ensign and it seems to need another dose, not bad considering I last did it about 6 years ago.
 
Hello Dean, where you been... :)
 
Andysnap said:
Hello Dean, where you been... :)
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Hi Andy!

Long story short, I had some personal issues that I needed to take time to address. Can't say that everything's tickety-boo right now but I finally feel as though I'm moving in the right direction and the light at the end of the tunnel is no longer an oncoming train. :)

Strappy said:
I have an Ensign 820 that had/has* the same issue. Cocking the shutter and dripping a few drops of lighter fluid into the mechanism, followed by rotating the shutter speed dial a few times is enough to loosen the old grease and get the slow speeds back to something that sounds right.
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What this idiot fails to mention is that it's vital to release the shutter BEFORE rotating the dial as adjusting the speed of a cocked shutter can break something tiny and important within the shutter that can't be fixed very easily.

@Cluster tagging you so you don't miss this part, you wouldn't get a notification for me quoting myself!
 
Thanks for the pointer to fixing the shutter... I have a couple of cameras where this has not worked, even stripping the lens out and flooding with various solvents didn't work (on a shutter that was sticky on all speeds. Fortunately, as this little cam works well on the regular speeds, it doesn't need fixing, it's very useful as it is (if I can get to use it beyond just a test roll. So many old cameras to buy).
 
Since i made an attempt to clear out my small collection of old film cams, I was re-infected with the fascination for these items.
I am particularly drawn to Balda cameras of the mid 50s to mid 60s. Here's a couple of more recent purchases, each cost only a little more than the cost of postage.

Baldamatic 1b rangefinder, manual exposure with working uncoupled lightmeter and Baldamatic 2 (I think) scale focus with working manual/auto exposure modes.

BaldaCams.jpg

Not shown are a couple of similarly recent cams, another Super Baldamatic 1 RF with nonworking shutter and a Super Baldamatic 2 RF with a working uncoupled lightmeter and a "match the needle" exposure system with combined aperture & speed on one ring (like a P mode) that has a sticky/stuck aperture.

The metering and shutter operation of these is not entirely accurate. I allow the shutters one stop of "slowness" and calibrate the light meters for this. So far the lightmeters have been set to near one stop faster film speed (to lower the exposure) and have worked to within one stop from dull light to full sun, very usable. In all my cams of the Compur/Prontor shutter type, the fastest speed seems to be just a little slower than expected.
 
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Strappy said:
Hi Andy!

Long story short, I had some personal issues that I needed to take time to address. Can't say that everything's tickety-boo right now but I finally feel as though I'm moving in the right direction and the light at the end of the tunnel is no longer an oncoming train. :)


What this idiot fails to mention is that it's vital to release the shutter BEFORE rotating the dial as adjusting the speed of a cocked shutter can break something tiny and important within the shutter that can't be fixed very easily.

@Cluster tagging you so you don't miss this part, you wouldn't get a notification for me quoting myself!
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Good to see you back Dean, hopefully it won’t be too long before we see you on a film meet somewhere or maybe just for a beer one evening.
 
My method for reviving Prontor/Compur shutters on old folders is to remove them from the camera, take out the lens elements and suspend the shutter on a piece of wire in a jar of petrol. This will remove the cogealed lubricant. Wind and fire the shutter at least once a day to stir things up inside. The soaking may take up to a month. I have never bothered to try to add any lubricant as most of the moving parts are steel shafts in brass and the ammount of use is not likely to cause significant wear.
The only major failure I have had with this method was a 1928 Dial Set Compur shutter where I was unaware that the leaves of he iris diaphragm were not the blue steel that I was expecting but a thin stiff cardboard. They swelled in the petrol and became unuseable. Every day is a school day!
 
I guess the tiny Pelepar 1.5" f3.5 cine lens I picked up recently fits here (even if I'll only use it on digital)pelepar small.jpg
I paid £2 for it & a set of M42 extension tubes at the boot sale.
It takes 14mm filters, but widens out to 23mm towards the base, & weighs 42g

The adapter also shown here is not film related & cost 3x as much as the lens, but it holds the lens up nicely.
 
Hi
I’ve just purchased an old Agfa silette mark 1 for the princely sum of £3.5 (£7 including postage) from a well known auction site…..
I’ve just received some 35mm black and white film and can’t wait to get clicking if I get some decent exposures assuming the camera works I’ll gladly post a few pictures.
Let’s cross a few fingers ‍♂️
 
cardiff_gareth said:
Was it a fixed spool lens or a multiplier lens
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Sorry, I edited my post in case someone thought it wasn't film related. I know nothing about these things really, but appreciate they both have spools!

I came home empty handed.

edit: wine must have gone to my head. I was thinking film spool, which of course lenses don’t have - doh!
 
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sirch said:
Join us in FPOTY kicking off shortly its a great motivator to shoot on film - https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/t...er-of-the-year-2022-discussion-thread.731882/
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Oh my goodness, that would be an interesting challenge. I am so terribly green, it could be embarrassing.
I will have a think about it - I haven't shot on film in so many years!

Edit: I've had a read through the link now and that sounds like a good idea. So you don't HAVE to submit something per month which is great, but if I manage something, I could.
 
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Bebop said:
Oh my goodness, that would be an interesting challenge. I am so terribly green, it could be embarrassing.
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Not at all, it really is a friendly challenge, here's last months entries to give you and idea
www.talkphotography.co.uk

2021 Film Photographer of the year, October entries - Vivid

Post your entries on the theme of Vivid in this thread by 23:59 on 31st of October 2021. A poll will go up for seven days afterwards. Entries must be SHOT ON FILM, and must be TAKEN ON OR AFTER THE 1st DECEMBER 2020. The rules and themes can be found >>>here>click here for the discussion thread
www.talkphotography.co.uk www.talkphotography.co.uk
 
Just had an email advertising 15% off this weekend from Ilford, details as below. There was another from Harman Lab offering 10% off film processing and printing earlier.

Black and White Friday
15% OFF*

We know that you are being bombarded with emails this weekend but we couldn't let Black Friday pass without giving you a chance to stock up your film fridge, replenish your chemistry, pile up your paper, and maybe get some stocking fillers ready too. (Have you seen our new Gift Calendar??)

All with 15% off!

Simply shop as usual then enter code BLACK21 at checkout to receive your discount.

(And, if you do buy one of our 12 days of film calendars, please share some picture of your goodies. #12daysoffilm We are @ilfordphoto Twitter and Instagram).

*Excludes some accessories and made to order items. Offer ends at Midnight on Sunday 28th November
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