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Foldex ?

Discussion in 'Medium Format Cameras and Accessories' started by Jayd, Mar 7, 2009.

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  1. Mar 7, 2009 #1
    Jayd

    Jayd Member

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    Anyone know about Pho Tak Foldex cameras?
    I am hoping to find a good 6x9 in the foldex line as some WIKI and one eBay listing have claimed. But both the 20 and unmarked grey plastic toped, Stienhil 100mm lens in vario shutter model I have measure 6x8 film openings.
    So is there a 6x9 Foldex? And are the Stienhil lens models worth messing with? The major drawback I have found in the cameras is poor viewfinders with no framing lines, which I think will lead to inaccurate framing. I have a separate Hugo Meyer range finder so lack of coupled range finder is not a deal breaker.

    Thanks
    Jay
     
  2. Mar 7, 2009 #2
    ntenny

    ntenny Member
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    I haven't measured the film opening, but my Foldex 20 is a nominal 6x9---I haven't noticed that it's significantly different in size from my other 6x9s. Of course, it's not a "good" camera by anyone's definition, except in durability---it's not just built like a tank, it's built like something you could use to *break* a tank.

    I believe the Steinheil lens is a Cassar, which is a perfectly good triplet, certainly better than the Octvar lens on the Foldex 20 (which I'm pretty sure is just a meniscus). As far as I can tell, a Foldex 30 is basically a Foldex 20 with a Vario shutter and a (focussable) Cassar, which sounds like it should be a perfectly serviceable basic 6x9 folder.

    The dubious viewfinder is common to folders generally, I think. The Foldex 20 has a nice, clear, comfortable viewfinder whose main drawback is that it has almost nothing to do with what will be in the picture! Frame generously and crop, I think, or just be willing to say "oh well" a lot.

    -NT
     
  3. Mar 7, 2009 #3
    Ian Grant

    Ian Grant Subscriber
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    You are deep in the midst of obscurity/rarity and fanaticism the pair of you :D

    They were never very common, unlike Eastman Kodaks :smile:

    Ian
     
  4. Mar 7, 2009 #4
    ntenny

    ntenny Member
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    Weren't they? There are always a ton of Foldex 20s on eBay. But that may say more about a high survival rate than whether there were a lot of them around to start with.

    I just think it's fun to shoot with a camera so thoroughly lobotomised (it only has one control, for heaven's sake!) and occasionally get decent results. The pinhole folks also seem to like using them as starting points for conversion.

    -NT
     
  5. Mar 8, 2009 #5
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    Jayd

    Jayd Member

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    It is the Stienhiel cassar lens. perhaps actual measurement of the open ing is not the way to determine negative size ? well I think I'll repair the stuck triped vario and give it a try. I wonder if the Foldex special is any diffrent ? If I like the resulats I may take the stien hiel off and put it on the 20 or something to get more accurate framing.
    Jay
     
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