Cameras

[cneil]

Cameras.

My Latest, A 1957 Ricoh 500 Rangefinder.
2.8F 4.5c.m. Riken Lens.
Original Leather Case and Lens Cap.
Film Format, 35mm.

 

[Burma Shave]

Just got a new one, myself.

About two months ago I picked up a Contax IIa with a 50mm lens on Ebay. The thing had been lovingly restored and is genuinely jewel-like both outwardly and in performance. I'm a journalist by trade but also a photographer. This is my current favorite camera. My former favorite was a Zeiss Ikon Simplex (6x9 cm negative) that was my great-grandfather's. Unfortunately, it just wore slap out. It was on its last legs when I liberated it from my father's house 12 years ago, and finally gave up the ghost. I may get it repaired, but it's impossible to find somebody who works on those things. It was made in the late 20s.

 

[Vladimir Berkov]

I have a (theoretically) working Argus model A 35mm camera from the late 1930s with a bakelite case, but of course have no clue how to use it exactly. I tried loading the film in it a couple months ago and the procedure ended in complete failure.

 

[J. M. Stovall]

I recently picked up a 1940 Burke & James Press Camera with flash and accessories in the original leather case. I had always had this desire to reproduce a 1940's press photographer look for the big airshow here in Houston, to go along with all the WWII reenactors. This year I'll be able to pull it off!

 

[Lauren]

I just picked up this one

 

[Vornholt]

Camera Repair

Burma Shave, try this link for Bald Mountain Photography. They handle the really unusual stuff no one else would touch.

http://www.baldmtn.com/

 

[MrBern]

I just picked up this one

Ah, the seller is in NYC, want me to pick it up for you?

I have a very similar model that I picked up on vacation in Poland. I've used it a couple times at reenactmnts. I dont beleive the lens was their best model, but its pretty sharp anyway.

-b

 

[MrBern]

About two months ago I picked up a Contax IIa with a 50mm lens on Ebay. The thing had been lovingly restored and is genuinely jewel-like both outwardly and in performance. I'm a journalist by trade but also a photographer. This is my current favorite camera. My former favorite was a Zeiss Ikon Simplex (6x9 cm negative) that was my great-grandfather's. Unfortunately, it just wore slap out. It was on its last legs when I liberated it from my father's house 12 years ago, and finally gave up the ghost. I may get it repaired, but it's impossible to find somebody who works on those things. It was made in the late 20s.

The weak link in a contax is the shutter. Its a dynamite camera but the shutter is activated by some silk ribbons that eventually get old & snap. Not that many sources for that repair.
Unlike the Leica which is more succeptible to burns from bright light, but there are tons of leica repair services.

 

[Lauren]

Ah, the seller is in NYC, want me to pick it up for you?

I have a very similar model that I picked up on vacation in Poland. I've used it a couple times at reenactmnts. I dont beleive the lens was their best model, but its pretty sharp anyway.

-b

Good to know! Thanks for the offer

I'll try to post pictures one I.. um... figure out how to take them, and develop them, and then scan them...

 

[MrBern]

focusing

Incidentally Lauren.
Your ikonta is a guess focusing camera. You either need a tape measure or a good judge of distance, to guess , then set the distance on the lens.

Sometimes you can get SUPER ikontas. They have a built in rangefinder. SO you can just focus the lens & shoot.

You may want to pick up a little accesory rangefinder that you would focus to get a distance that you would then dial into teh camera for a sharp shot.

Or jsut keep guessing & hope for the best.

I have the SuperIkonta 531A in this link, it is similar to yours
http://www.certo6.com/cam/ikonta.html

 

[VisforVictory]

I've done some swell work with a couple Brownies and an Argus C-3.

The deckled-edge trimmer helps complete the effect.

 

[Burma Shave]

Love the old stuff

Vornholt: Thanks for the link. I'll check with them about repairs for the Zeiss Ikon. I loved the look of images from that camera, but the film pressure plate snapped off of its little springs and is horribly rusted.

MrBern: You're right about the shutter on the Contax IIa. But the one I bought has been lovingly and "sympathetically" restored to almost new condition, so I should have no worries, shutter-wise. I love this camera! It's whisper-quiet and smoother than I ever imagined possible. I only wish I had gotten a red dial instead of a black dial, for the simple addition of a standard flash cord hookup. I didn't plan to use it with flash (I've got the f1.5 50mm lens) but I've discovered a couple of situations in which it would be handy. However, that's the fun part about old cameras: Learning how to use them as they want to be used. Treat it like a friend, and it'll be one. Now, I'm just trying to figure out what its name is. Greta is my 1948 Rollei TLR, and Rudy is the 1970s Nikon. My digital Nikon (D70s) doesn't deserve a name. No personality = no name!

 

[Burma Shave]

Respooling 620 film?

VisforVictory:

Do you re-spool 120 film for use in the 620 Brownies, or have you converted them to take 120 film? The only 620 film I know of that's available is something like Kodak Gold 100, or at least it was available about 8 years ago, when I last looked.

Just curious as to how you get around the lack of 620 film.

 

[VisforVictory]

Burma -

Couple of options available for that... back in New York, B&H Photo on 33rd & 9th sells re-spooled 620 film. Also, online there's this: http://www.jandcphoto.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=29

I never bothered with re-spooling myself, as the stuff that these places sell isn't all that horribly expensive.

 

[Robert Conway]

The weak link in a contax is the shutter. Its a dynamite camera but the shutter is activated by some silk ribbons that eventually get old & snap. Not that many sources for that repair.
Unlike the Leica which is more succeptible to burns from bright light, but there are tons of leica repair services.

http://www.zeisscamera.com/

Henry Scherer is probably the best Contax repair guy around.
You'll get your camera back in better shape, than when it left the factory.

The Leica shutter is rubberized cloth, and it is possible to burn a hole in it if you leave the camera out pointing directly in the sun, at the proper angle and at the correct stop, for a long enough period of time. Same effect as a magnifying glass. But in all my years of shooting, I have only ever seen one person manage to do this.

 

[Lauren]

Got my camera in the mail today. She's a beauty, but the timer doesn't work. I can't wait to try it out!

 

[Burma Shave]

Scherer

Robert Conway:

Henry Scherer is the one who rebuilt/refinished my Contax. Don't know if you've ever seen any of his work -- I hadn't, but I knew him by reputation. I'd been searching for one of these in good condition for two years. I'm happy to say that his stellar reputation (and self-evaluation as virtually god-like in Contax World) is not hokum. The man really knows his stuff, if my camera is any evidence. This thing is flawless, both camera and lens. It's the equivalent of a frame-off restoration of a classic car, but with the added benefit of having every component individually polished prior to reassembly, and of having arguably one of the best cameras of that era as a starting point. The only other 35mm that could rival it (then) would be the Leica, and I happen to prefer the rangefinder mechanism on the Contax.

 

[MrBern]

Got my camera in the mail today. She's a beauty, but the timer doesn't work. I can't wait to try it out!

The Timer?

 

[MrBern]

620 film availability

Just curious as to how you get around the lack of 620 film.

I havent tried this shop yet, but they cut down the spool instead of rerolling the film.

http://www.jandcphoto.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=29


and this place has 127 film

http://www.frugalphotographer.com/cat127.htm

 

[Lauren]

There's this little knob on the other side of the lens with a red dot on it. My co-worker said it's a built in timer. But it sticks! So I have to kinda push it ever so gently back into place. Maybe it's not really a timer? I dunno.