Cheap MF with film advance lever?

[PhotoPete]

I have recently picked up a 35 mm rf, and it reminded me of something I was missing on my Holga- a film advance lever, rather than a winding knob. In all of the MF cameras that have been made over the years, are there any cheap ones that have a film advance mechanism that doesn't require winding while looking through a film counter window?

 

[nick mulder]

Depends on your idea of cheap - Holga cheap ? cant think of any...

But a beaten up Mamiya with a 35mm lens shoved and taped inside might do the trick - along with the tilt and shift you might even get Holgaesque vignetting and a light leak or three for your buck

 

[Dave Parker]

You can pick up Kiev 60's for less than $150 bucks now a days, if your careful with them, they will work pretty good, I have had a couple of them over the years and as long as you don't force the film advance they do okay

 

[elekm]

The Super Ikonta B 531/16, 532/16 and BX 533/16 had autoframing mechanisms. You lose a frame with the 531 and 532 models.

Of course, all three are knob/key wind.

 

[Marco Gilardetti]

There are hundreds, thousands of them (I'd say a winding knob is the exception today), but maybe you should better parametrize your concept of "cheap", and an approximate production year you are interested in.

The Pentacon Six, however, comes to mind together with the already reported Kiev 60...

 

[PhotoPete]

I don't so much care about the production year- but cheap is definitely under $100. I'm hoping that there's some backwater folder I have never heard of that has a lever.

 

[voceumana]

The Fuji 645 folder has a lever advance, but you won't find a decent one for $100 or less unless the person doesn't know what they are selling. I have one, and although its reliability is less than I'd like, the lens produces incredibly sharp images.

Other Fuji's also use a lever, but they don't fold.

For low cost, Seagull made a folder 6x6 rangefinder with a film advance lever (but I think you still have to look through the red window to know when to stop advancing. It's in the $100 range if you can find one. There is one on ebay right now, Seagull 203.

Many TLRs had lever advance with automatic spacing.

Or, get an Agfa Record III, deal with the red window, knob winding, scale focussing, and enjoy the 6x9 negative size!

Charlie

 

[Tom Hoskinson]

2.25 X 3.25 Graphic with Graflok Back and a Mamiya 6x7 Pro - S rollfilm Back. Depends on how you define cheap.

 

[Marco Gilardetti]

Mamiya 6x7 Pro - S rollfilm Back.

100$ :rolleyes:

 

[Claire Senft]

I believe that you will be able to get a used and servicable TLR for ebay for <$100.00

 

[elekm]

If you're looking for a folding camera that will allow you to simply wind on to the next frame without having to align the number in the red window (which by the way is near to impossible at night, having tried it last summer), then your best best is a Super Ikonta B.

To further elaborate, a 531/16 uses separate windows for focusing and composing. Not the best choice.

The 532/16 can be found with either a coated or uncoated Tessar.

The 533/16 includes a selenium meter (often not working).

The 531/16 and 532/16 mechanism causes the loss of one frame. The 533/16 gives you 12 exposures on 120.

All three cameras are somewhat heavy, and you must manually align the first shot. Not that big of a deal.

The Super Ikonta III and IV are lighter cameras with excellent coated f/3.5 75mm Tessar or coated Novar lenses. They also have autoframing mechanisms.

But it's unlikely (not impossible) you'll find any of these cameras for less than $100 -- probably closer to $200. And generally any or all of these cameras will need to be serviced to some degree.

 

[Donald Qualls]

You can routinely find Seagull 203 6x6/6x4.5 folders (permanent format masks, so can't be lost) on eBay for about $25-$35 plus shipping from Shanghai (another $25 or so). These are a lever advance, coupled RF folder with what's reputed to be a decent lens; they're rather similar to an Iskra or Super Isolette in overall operation, including being able to put a 6x6 camera in a coat pocket. Now and then you can find one already in this country for a similar price and lower shipping -- I plan to get one sometime...

 

[Tom Hoskinson]

100$ :rolleyes:

I doubt that you will find a Graflex with rollfilm back for $100. - but stranger things have happened!


With a Speed Graphic, you could always mount the bottom of a Coke bottle as a lens! Then you could out-Holga the Hogas