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

Over the last few years I've collected loads of film era lenses, and more than a few film bodies too.

Most of the lenses will get adapted to digital at some point (there's a few like the CZJ Werra lenses that don't adapt well.
So far 3 of the film cameras have been used for digital too (through the viewfinder)
In reality it's only the 5x4 & some of medium format stuff that has any chance of being used for film.
 
Over the last few years I've collected loads of film era lenses, and more than a few film bodies too.

Most of the lenses will get adapted to digital at some point (there's a few like the CZJ Werra lenses that don't adapt well.
So far 3 of the film cameras have been used for digital too (through the viewfinder)
In reality it's only the 5x4 & some of medium format stuff that has any chance of being used for film.

H'mm I would have thought we would be more interested in the results of your lenses.... on film. And it's a shame (inc all digi guys) that old lenses are being ruined by adapting for digi use.
 
...And it's a shame (inc all digi guys) that old lenses are being ruined by adapting for digi use.

Surely "adapting" here means simply attaching to a digi camera via an adapter? Nothing then to stop the lens subsequently being used for film photography.

Although I'm sometimes a bit grumpy at the thought of the digi guys driving the price of legacy lenses up, I also think anything that stops them being thrown in the bin is a good thing!
 
Surely "adapting" here means simply attaching to a digi camera via an adapter? Nothing then to stop the lens subsequently being used for film photography.

Although I'm sometimes a bit grumpy at the thought of the digi guys driving the price of legacy lenses up, I also think anything that stops them being thrown in the bin is a good thing!

Indeed separate adapters have to be used for many digi cameras but some digi guys take the pin out of screw lenses and also grind parts down or remove them. :(
 
H'mm I would have thought we would be more interested in the results of your lenses.... on film. And it's a shame (inc all digi guys) that old lenses are being ruined by adapting for digi use.
YOU might be more interested with the results on film (but would only get to see them if digitised), I think more photographers would be interested in kit that COULD be used with their hardware, many more aren't bothered by the hardware used at all.

Indeed separate adapters have to be used for many digi cameras but some digi guys take the pin out of screw lenses and also grind parts down or remove them. :(

None of my adaptions have prevented use in the original way, though a few of the 'integrated' lenses have been removed from the original camera before I got them and the original bodies have probably been discarded.
It is highly likely the bodies of these antiques were no longer usable due to worn bellows/light seals/seized shutters etc. but as I've never seen them, & don't even know what models they were, I can only speculate .

All but one of my conversions have been completely reversible, the exception being a projector lens needed a bit of excess metal removed from behind the rear element.

The only way I've read about for adapting my werra lenses, involves stripping the mount off the camera - I won't do that even though it's probably the only way I'd be able to use a Carl Zeiss 'Cardinar' (a fairly unusual optic set up giving 100mm f/4)

FWIW the majority of grinding conversions are just removing shields on M42 lenses - no need for any of my conversions but wouldn't effect their original use either.

I'm sure more film era lenses are ruined by storage (fungus & seizing) than by conversion. The more they are used the better chance they'll survive.

Using them in their original format would in some cases involve using film that is no longer available for a inferior image (110 film)
In addition using film costs significantly more, ends up with a less useful image, introduces long delays & doesn't have any info recorded with the image.
Even if it's just the date/time, shutter speed & camera EXIF can help a lot in tracking what you've done. For me film has fairly limited appeal - I play with chemicals all the time at work!
 
I haven't needed to convert mine. I bought a Nikon D300 so that I can use my Ai-S lenses and Tamron lenses with the Nikon adapter.IMG_20181203_202022.jpeg
 
...

That is a job for a long winter evening but not too much of a hassle. .....

Warning topless photograph follows (of that K1000)

toplessk1000.JPG

The corrosion from the battery compartment had tracked back all the way through the black wire. Now replaced wire end to end and circuit board checked and cleaned. ---- IT LIVES! meter responsive and accurate. Result. Trickiest parts - feeding the wire all the way back through (used a bit of sewing thread as a pull through) next that darned huge compression spring on the shutter/film speed dial and finally the three 1mm grub screws on the film counter, either they get smaller over the years or I need to go back to Specsavers and complain.
 
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Warning topless photograph follows (of that K1000)

View attachment 140502

The corrosion from the battery compartment had tracked back all the way through the black wire. Now replaced wire end to end and circuit board checked and cleaned. ---- IT LIVES! meter responsive and accurate. Result. Trickiest parts - feeding the wire all the way back through (used a bit of sewing thread as a pull through) next that darned huge compression spring on the shutter/film speed dial and finally the three 1mm grub screws on the film counter, either they get smaller over the years or I need to go back to Specsavers and complain.


Great job , The OM lives again :cool:
 
Warning topless photograph follows (of that K1000)

View attachment 140502

The corrosion from the battery compartment had tracked back all the way through the black wire. Now replaced wire end to end and circuit board checked and cleaned. ---- IT LIVES! meter responsive and accurate. Result. Trickiest parts - feeding the wire all the way back through (used a bit of sewing thread as a pull through) next that darned huge compression spring on the shutter/film speed dial and finally the three 1mm grub screws on the film counter, either they get smaller over the years or I need to go back to Specsavers and complain.

Well done....for those attempting to take apart Japanese cameras and lenses (and in case anyone doesn't know)....the cross head screws need a Japanese fit screw driver and not any old Phillips type one. A set bought at Halfords years ago work for me and are tough, but I'm not saying go out a buy them as they might not be selling the same ones today.
 
Well done....for those attempting to take apart Japanese cameras and lenses (and in case anyone doesn't know)....the cross head screws need a Japanese fit screw driver and not any old Phillips type one. A set bought at Halfords years ago work for me and are tough, but I'm not saying go out a buy them as they might not be selling the same ones today.

JIS screwdrivers are readily available via amazon, not cheap, but available. Never seen them in Halfords, RS, etc.
 
JIS screwdrivers are readily available via amazon, not cheap, but available. Never seen them in Halfords, RS, etc.

Looked on Halfords site and none like the ones I bought....if anyone passing by they might have old stock going cheap...it's in a black case 32cm X 25cm and 15 screwdrivers with red handles with a few other bits and pieces......I mainly use the smalls ones and am quite impressed that the tips haven't deformed on some tough little screws, whether they were made for Japanese screws I have no idea but they work for me.
 
Don't know where to put this link, but it's free so a bargain. Have played with it for a few minutes and works only with a person in the shot and seems to be to send to your printer...maybe there is a way to copy and paste to save as a JPG.
From another site
Remove Image Background
FREE

100% automatically –

https://www.remove.bg/
 
I'm not sure if this really fits here or not, but I'm not convinced it's worth a separate thread. For many years I have been consulting the Butkus site for information and manuals on older cameras, and for whatever reason I've never actually contributed to his site. I've finally bunged them a few quid to make me feel better and hopefully helped them a bit. It's still a real bargain though. ;) https://www.butkus.org/chinon/index.html
 
I generally drop them a fiver every year as I use them a lot, a very good website and worth a contribution. :)
 
Not sure if I've seen this referenced, but Analogue Wonderland have 15% off Portra film until 31 January, AND, if you spend more than £15 (!) you get a free P3200 or whatever it is. PLUS for over £60, postage is free!

4x5 Portra 160 is included, saves you £10 though I didn't order any, having already got a box of Ektar...
 
I really miss trawling the local car boot for photography bits. I've had various gems over the last couple of years years. My finds include Om10, various Helios lenses and Zenith bodies, Petri Computor, MJU2, Nikon Af35 and a Olympus Pen digital body. Only a couple of months or so and they will be running again.
 
I had to stop going to boot sales , My house is bursting with stuff :rolleyes:
 
I really miss trawling the local car boot for photography bits. I've had various gems over the last couple of years years. My finds include Om10, various Helios lenses and Zenith bodies, Petri Computor, MJU2, Nikon Af35 and a Olympus Pen digital body. Only a couple of months or so and they will be running again.

Hi Olympus ;) (maybe Eddy?) welcome to the best bit of TP. There's a couple of folk on here (@excalibur2 etc) who also like the local booties. Much too early on a Sunday morning for me!
 
It's easier to get to car boot sales if you drive, unlike me. I have to rely on buses, which never go where I want them to on Sundays.

Today I bought a couple of 28mm f2.8 lenses from Cash Converters. The first, a Miranda, cost £4.99 and has a PKA mount. The second, an Itorex, in an OM mount came with a lens hood and a B+W 49ES KR1.5 1.1X filter for £2.99. The filter alone goes for about £10 on eBay.
 
Hi Olympus ;) (maybe Eddy?) welcome to the best bit of TP. There's a couple of folk on here (@excalibur2 etc) who also like the local booties. Much too early on a Sunday morning for me!

...but at booties it's all about luck and being at the right place at the right time, some of my amazing bargains were at about 11-12 oclock when everyone is starting to pack up and they don't want to take stuff back home e.g. a semi professional A3 colour printer with all accessories for 20p and Pentax espio compact for 10p...BTW I didn't buy the Pentax as I had too many compacts and didn't want to waste film and time to see if it worked properly.
 
There was talk on another thread about the price of distilled and deionised water. Tesco are selling a 2.5l container of deionised water for £1 and it is a proper printed label, so should be national. Very cheap for making up reusable stop and fix in particular.
 
My optician told me of an antique dealer and salvage yard locally which had a box full of old cameras, so that was my main outing today. Tragically, they were all pretty clapped-out compacts for a £5 including case, but what about this "gem" in another shed? It's a magic lantern horizontal enlarger with an asking price of £90, which I'm pretty sure you could negotiate downwards if you had a suitable size display area to put it. Or perhaps not. :exit:

20190301_125156_resized-tp.jpg20190301_125206_resized-tp.jpg
 
I used to have a magic lantern, not unlike that one but smaller…..I had slides for it too so with a candle, I would project the images up on the wall.
 
I don't know if this Shen Hao outfit is a bargain at the starting price or not but it seems reasonable to me and perhaps of interest to someone.

https://www.ebay.fr/itm/Shen-hao-4x5-Hzx-IIa/233154496362?hash=item364917476a:g:-EwAAOSw8adcfQ99

It is located in France, however as the seller doesn't appear to offer delivery elsewhere, I'd be happy to purchase on behalf of someone on here, check the camera over and then send it onto a UK address.
Obvious all the costs, of the camera, the postage to me and the postage to the UK would be the responsibility of the buyer.

I have already asked a couple of questions:

The seller has confirmed the the lens is NOT INCLUDED in the sale,

The movements are smooth!

The bellows are light tight although a little "relaxed", that's to say they sag a little!

Cosmetically the camera is in good condition.

The auction ends in less than an hour and a half, so you'll have to be quick but I'll look out for notifications .....Best if you tag me should you respond with interest!
 
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I found an Olympus OM-10 with manual adapter, Zuiko 50mm f/1.8 & Olympus flash, and a Vivitar V635 with Vivitar 28-70mm f/3.5-4.8 and 70-200mm f/4.5 lenses at the boot sale this morning. Cost me £12 for the lot.

There's also an eye cup for the OM-10 and a 49mm clip on rubber lens hood.

Both cameras seem to be working fine, although the OM-10 could do with new seals I think. The Zuiko 50mm is faulty though, but I've already sold it for spares/repairs for more than I paid for the job lot. :)

I've no idea if the Vivitar camera or lenses are any good. They seem to go for peanuts on eBay. The lenses will also fit my Pentax P30T if I decide to use them though.

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Nice buy. I have the Vivitar 28-70 in K mount but haven't used it much as the zoom is not smooth. Worth a good explore though, you may have a better example.
 
I got Vivitar XV2 back in 1980 still got it must get it out again see if it still works
 
I've no idea if the Vivitar camera or lenses are any good. They seem to go for peanuts on eBay. The lenses will also fit my Pentax P30T if I decide to use them though.

View attachment 241696

I got some scans back from my test roll of Colorplus through the Vivitar. Sadly the photos are all a litle on the soft side - not atrociously bad by any means, but nothing that makes me want to keep hold of the camera and lenses, so it'll likely be off to the bay.

The sharpest shot of the roll was the one shot I took using the macro facility on the 28-70, which was pretty good. Had the rest been of a similar quality then I'd have at least kept the lens.

Here's a sample from the 28-70mm:

FILM - Hallam uni.jpg
 
The Sigma SA-300 at the bootie looked interesting to play with for £1...h'mm not so as I looked on the net and it only takes Sigma SA mount lenses and the battery compartment I thought would take two AAA batteries need a 6v lithium battery pack o_O Anyway I'll try a rig up 6v to see if it actually works before I dismantle it for screws.
 
The Sigma SA-300 at the bootie looked interesting to play with for £1...h'mm not so as I looked on the net and it only takes Sigma SA mount lenses and the battery compartment I thought would take two AAA batteries need a 6v lithium battery pack o_O Anyway I'll try a rig up 6v to see if it actually works before I dismantle it for screws.
Those 2CR5 batteries are still readily available (I had to get one for a SureShot Supreme), but at 4x the price of the camera, perhaps not the best investment if it didn't come with a lens!
 
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