OFFICIAL I HAVE A NEW (FILM RELATED) TOY THREAD!!

Mir 38b for Pentacon six,

Should be back from CLA this week needed some work to the shutter curtain but besides that all good. :)

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It's now reached the stage where people say "I hear you like old cameras". It perhaps wouldn't go down well if replied more honestly and said "it's a little more nuanced than that. I like some old cameras if they will do what I want them to and in a format I enjoy". Hence me ending up with this:

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A Kershaw Eight-20 Penguin. In good condition bar one repairable bellows hole. Quite a nice thing really and very solid. A couple of apertures and a focus mechanism which means in period it would certainly be a step up from a box camera.

Once I've plugged the hole I'll run a film through it.
 
A few things I acquired recently.

First a Voitlander Vito B.

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The good news...

The camera came in an old school vinyl camera bag and with its case, four filters, the proper lens hood, a working Weston Master 2 meter (reflected light readings from which closely match my Sekonic), cable release, tripod with ball and socket head, Zeiss Ikon Ikoblitz flash and some flash bulbs (just need the correct 15V battery)!, the full kit in pristine condition, only degraded by time.

The bad news...

The camera shutter fires but the shutter does not open. Looks like a sticky lubricant situation. Unfortunately the cost of a repair may be prohibitive.
 
Second...

An Ilford Envoy medium format 6x6 camera with case. The shutter works fine. It's an interesting camera maybe inspired by the Agfa Clack and bakelite Kodaks like the Brownie 127. The film plane is curved to compensate, in part, for the simple meniscus lens. This work well for the Agfa Clack so I'm looking forward to using the camera. Only one shutter speed, no aperture settings but two, yes two!, focus settings marked 'PULL OUT FOR PLACES' and 'PUSH IN FOR FACES'. I've always wanted to try one of these. The case is rubbish, by the way, the worst ERC ever designed.

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But there is more...

I visited an antiques centre (more like a warehouse) near Northampton.

There were a few photographic items which caught my eye; a big box of photographs, two magic lantern slide projectors and a couple of Daguerreotypes.

Of the projectors, one was a wreck but the second was in pretty good shape. both only £85 each. I had to pass because the good machine was huge, almost industrial in scale and I've given away all my slides to a local collector. The Daguerreotypes were interesting and a bit expensive but I don't collect early images. There were two of children, one of which I feel certain was post mortem. They were pictures I would like to own, definitely, but I just have to resist the temptation some times. In the end I bought these four pictures.

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I like the Queen Victoria look alike in the second picture. The negative of the first photograph seems to have been tampered with to suggest an aura around the woman.


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Both the CDV's were made in the North West so I had to have them. The last photograph makes me wonder why the man is wearing a pith helmet, could the picture have been taken somewhere abroad?
 
Spec : A small and compact camera to take on holiday, must be 4x5.

I found this.

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With a bit of luck I have found something in good working condition. I will do a few tests later on the range finder and infinity stops.
 
Spec : A small and compact camera to take on holiday, must be 4x5.

I found this.

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With a bit of luck I have found something in good working condition. I will do a few tests later on the range finder and infinity stops.
If you find that it’s a bit bulky, my SnapShot is lighter (around 600g without lens) and offers both standard and technical (15mm rise/fall/shift) lens cones with a full International/Graflok standard spring back.


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If you find that it’s a bit bulky, my SnapShot is lighter (around 600g without lens) and offers both standard and technical (15mm rise/fall/shift) lens cones with a full International/Graflok standard spring back.


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The crown Graphic is surprisingly ergonomic, the strap being on the left leaves the right hand totally free to do all the fiddling about with the lens apertures and movement adjustments.
 
Very nice. Hope it is in good working order.
All good so far, very happy, had to rearrange the order of the ground glass and fresnel but all good, the pillock who tightened the ground glass clamps had tightened them to the same torque as a wheel nut.
 
More new toys,

Run out of 510 pyro and been told that the Pyrocat HD is better so made some. Found a new SH bookshop in town, pick what you want and make a donation so I gave a fiver for the two. I was concerned that I was being a bit tight but the staff were made up. :)

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I was going through my German 35mm & 120 cameras, and made a discovery.

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2 Leicas, a Contax, 2 Wrras, a Praktina, and Exa & Exacta, Ikonta, Super Ikonta, and 2 Rolleiflex camera.

The Werramatic, bottom right, was boughtr for £20 in February, came with the lens hood & cap, as well as its case. It's fully functional, meter is accurate. What I hadn't realised until 2 days ago is this is one of the Werras that take interchangeable lenses.

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Two other CZJ lenses were available a 35mm an 100mm, thge view fider has the bright-lines for all 3 lensews.

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I showed a friend this camera last night, he's a photographer and also a prototype engineering engineer, he was amazed at the build quality. It's an East German camera, the only camera made in the Carl Zeiss Jena lens factory. The focusing is in Metres and Feet.

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Now to find the 35mm & 100mm lenses for a reasonable price.

Ian
 
I was going through my German 35mm & 120 cameras, and made a discovery.

View attachment 492237

2 Leicas, a Contax, 2 Wrras, a Praktina, and Exa & Exacta, Ikonta, Super Ikonta, and 2 Rolleiflex camera.

The Werramatic, bottom right, was boughtr for £20 in February, came with the lens hood & cap, as well as its case. It's fully functional, meter is accurate. What I hadn't realised until 2 days ago is this is one of the Werras that take interchangeable lenses.

View attachment 492238


View attachment 492239

Two other CZJ lenses were available a 35mm an 100mm, thge view fider has the bright-lines for all 3 lensews.

View attachment 492240

I showed a friend this camera last night, he's a photographer and also a prototype engineering engineer, he was amazed at the build quality. It's an East German camera, the only camera made in the Carl Zeiss Jena lens factory. The focusing is in Metres and Feet.

View attachment 492244View attachment 492243

Now to find the 35mm & 100mm lenses for a reasonable price.

Ian
I had a Werra 1 as my only camera from 1967 for 4-5 years or so. Stopped using it soo after I got onto my Pentax SLR track, and then som 30 yers later gave it away to a charity shop. I do regret that. The lens was excellent. I have thought of getting another one... but no, maybe not! I remember the film loading faff, and the lens sticks out far too much for the pocketable mission I have in mind (plus I'd prefer an on-board light meter these days). But it's interesting to see how they have developed from my early model.
 
The MX is my favourite Pentax K mount camera, I used them with power winders to shoot rock concerts. I still have a black body MX.

Ian
 
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