Brownie model F

Mike Kennedy · Dec 26, 2007

I have 2 questions about this camera.#1.Was there only one lens (behind the shutter) and no element in front?
#2.What can I use to replace the broken red window on the back cover?

Thank You

dpurdy · Dec 26, 2007

I have looked at a few brownies lately. One with 127 film and a couple with 120 film. they all had a piece of glass up front. I would think you could fix the broken window with a number 25 gel filter. tape it on the inside.

DarkroomExperimente · Dec 26, 2007

another nice source of filters would be those sample books you get from lighting suppliers....they're free & every filter has a little graph of their transmission VS wavelength

John Koehrer · Dec 26, 2007

I think you'll find several of the brownies had no glass ahead of the shutter.

Papa Tango · Dec 27, 2007

3M 616 Lithographer's tape applied as backing to a piece of thin clear plastic does the trick--cutoff is 600nm. This fix is sturdy and fairly replicates the original filters. Available at Freestyle and others.

Mike Kennedy · Dec 28, 2007

I just found out,quite by accident,that a meniscus lens is a single element behind the shutter while a doublet is glass behind the shutter and one element in front.

Mike

Akki14 · Dec 28, 2007

The box brownies eg No.2 Model F, would just have the lens behind the shutter. It doesn't make them useless or a pinhole camera as some people keep trying to tell me. They take very nice 6x9cm negs which is nice for beginning alt processing on a budget with smallish contact prints without having to do enlarged negatives or going into large format. I hope you give your brownie a chance once you fix the window... Those lighting gel booklets are good as they're supplied with transmission of light charts so you can even match them up to the film to make sure you're being safe, but some of the gels are a bit too dark, don't be too afraid to go for something a little lighter.

Mike Kennedy · Dec 28, 2007

Hi Heather.I took it apart yesterday to clean the lens.The mirrors on both viewfinders are so bad that they are nonfunctional.Think the camera may have been stored in the belly of a goat.
Makes no nevermind to me.I'll treat it as a hip shooter.Have affixed a small piece of 5+ gel filter to the inside of the back lid and I will put a bit of black electrical tape on the outside.Advance the film in subdued light then cover the hole with the tape.
Should be fun! Love the fact that it's Canadian made and shoots 120.Might you have a film suggestion?

Mike

DavePEI · Dec 28, 2007

Hi Mike:

Just an idea for the replacement of the window - red tiddley-wink - remember them?

Dave

Mike Kennedy said:
I have 2 questions about this camera.#1.Was there only one lens (behind the shutter) and no element in front?
#2.What can I use to replace the broken red window on the back cover?

Thank You

Mike Kennedy · Dec 28, 2007

Heck,I might even have one Dave!

Akki14 · Dec 28, 2007

Just the usual film suggestions for those limited exposure cameras... ISO400 for dull days, ISO100 for full sun days. If this is a No.2 Model F, keep in mind that you have 3 apertures to change your exposure, it's something like f/8 (tab pushed down all the way), f/16 (tab halfway up), and f/22 (tab all the way up). Should be the tab on the right, the left one if you pull it up will put the camera into bulb mode, but since you've opened your's up you probably know that all now. The viewfinders are hit or miss on some of the brownies. I think I've been lucky, they've nearly all cleaned up nicely or were in good condition, even the No.2, Model B at the ripe old age of 103 or so is quite crisp in its viewfinders and lens.

Krockmitaine · Dec 29, 2007

I tried a box brownie this summer. I was lucky as my mom had one almost brand new that was lying around. I had the film and started shooting happily. The result are nice but I had a problem with the film at the end of the spool: the film rolled on itself at the end of the roll and the last shots were wasted. (Was it because I used the wooden spool? I was told that this is normal behavior)
Anyways, really fun to try.
My digi-converted friends though that I was completely insane.

Marc

Papa Tango · Dec 29, 2007

Edmund Optics will have the front silvered mirror material if you should choose to replace it.

Akki14 · Dec 30, 2007

Krockmitaine - I find that the little metal clips that help hold the spool in place (on the Model E and Model F carriers) can go slightly askew and that can cause rolling problems. When you load the film make sure that metal clip is pretty much centered and the spool rolls freely. Not so sure about the rolling onto itself problem, never had that happen if what you're describing is the film coming loose from the backing and folding over itself.

I've not used my one wooden spool, I use modern spools for takeup (shouldn't be any problem with doing so either).

Brownie model F

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