Like a Holga but better?

Yes, the Ercona II is an excellent 6x9 folder. I have one with a very sharp coated Tessar, and use it with a Voigtländer rangefinder. I also have many 37mm slip-on filters. It's of course not as simple as a box camera or Holga, but gives very high quality large negatives (or slides).

elekm said:

For the Zeiss Ikon Box Tengor, the post-war model is sharper than the pre-war version. That's been my experience. Plus, it looks a lot cooler.

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Maybe they redesigned the Frontar when they were about to coat them after the war? Anyhow, I have been wanting a Box Tengor for a long time now. Maybe I'll look for one this month.

Flea77 said:

OK, fine, I will try a folder. I just bought a Zeiss Ikon 520/2 off Ebay for $31.00, I suppose that isn't too much money to try one out, and is probably cheaper than delivering banana pudding to Valerie! BTW Valerie, want more pudding? Have another get together, we will bring some!

Allan

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I'm late to the party. I was going to suggest that you ask Westley and Steve if you could run a roll of film through their folders. That was before Valerie offered hers. now you've gone and bought one. I feel left out.

Get Together Idea: Folders In The Woods.

It would only be fair for us to come north. Name a time & place between Magnolia & Huntsville. I want to see what all the fuss is about folders.

Cheers!

Wayne

Well for $30 I just couldn't see not buying one to play with. That way I don't have to go get it, return it, or treat it carefully. And you should feel left out

How about this idea .... "Folders In The Woodlands"? There is lots of cool stuff in the Woodlands, several waterways, bridges, water walks, statues, parks, etc. Oh, and that is just within a couple of blocks of the mall!

Allan

Dacora Digna

Like a Holga but better.

What about a Great Wall? I have messed around with my friend's, and it is pretty fun.

How about a kiev 60 hartblei upgrade for $195.00 ( plus shipping) Comes with a very decent 80mm 2.8 arsat lens and competes with any M.F. set up if, what you compare at the end are photographs.

Flea77 said:

Well for $30 I just couldn't see not buying one to play with. That way I don't have to go get it, return it, or treat it carefully. And you should feel left out

How about this idea .... "Folders In The Woodlands"? There is lots of cool stuff in the Woodlands, several waterways, bridges, water walks, statues, parks, etc. Oh, and that is just within a couple of blocks of the mall!

Allan

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Great idea! Bring a folding camera, kodachrome and banana pudding!

I will be sure to mention this to Clay Harmon. He may bring his whole plate folding field camera!

Cheers!

Wayne

Venchka said:

Great idea! Bring a folding camera, kodachrome and banana pudding!

I will be sure to mention this to Clay Harmon. He may bring his whole plate folding field camera!

Cheers!

Wayne

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Now we just need a date, time and place to meet.

Allan

Well as you know I purchased a folder, a Zeiss Ikon 520/2. My first impression was that it was kinda neat. A little difficult to see through the viewfinder (if that is what you call it), very limited shutter speeds that will not stay where they should when I put them on 50, very slow lens (ok, VERY slow, 6.3) but still, a 6x9 in a small light package could be really fun.

Last night I developed the first roll through it and was pleased to see image detail. The images were too light, but still usable. This morning after they had dried I scanned them in. The slight coating or fogging I saw on the lens rendered it completely unusable. Everything is really soft (ok, REALLY soft, like Vaseline soft). Add to that my mind seems to have been confused and was thinking I would get 6x7 negs when these are 6x9, great for panoramas, not so great for much else.

Tonight I will be developing my first test roll run through my new to me 124G, I had one of these many years ago so I expect great things. I may just have to give up on folders though unless I can find a smaller format 120 with a nice lens.

Allan

PS. Just got my first 4x5 quickloads back from development, the first color I have ever shot in 4x5, all I can say is WOW! Is it just me or are the colors in 4x5 WAY better than on 35mm? Just stunning!

Allan,

Can the 6x9 lens be cleaned? Is it a Holga in disguise? Going back where it came from?

The more I look at it the more I think it isnt the stuff on the lens as about 40% of the lens (mainly the center) does not have that stuff on it and appears clear. If I had to *guess* I would say the focus is off scale, or in meters (LOL, but even then, SOMETHING should be sharp).

If it is a Holga it is one heck of a disguise! And no, I can't return it because it is exactly as he described it (he did not run film through it). But that is OK, I can take it apart and tinker since it was cheap enough. I may eventually get it to work better.

Allan

Sounds like an F/16 and HP5+ and hyperfocal distance and be there camera.

A little update.... Since it already didn't work, I took it apart and cleaned the elements in the lens. Then I set up some targets and shot them at various focal distances (targets at 3', 6', 10', 15' and 20', focusing markers on the lens at 2, 3, 5, 10 and infinity). Now I have some sharp images! The targets show that the focusing is moving, and that it seems pretty accurate. What I did find interesting is that at infinity the 20' target was nice and sharp, but the treeline behind it (another 30' or so) was not. It was much sharper than when it was focusing at 2' mind you, but still, not as sharp as the 20' target. I noticed there are two limiting screws on the lens and am thinking about removing one of them to let the lens go a bit past infinity and see if that brings the 50'+ objects in a little sharper. Good idea? Remember that I was wide open too, 6.3, it may clear up a bit when I stop the lens down some but to do that I am going to have to get some faster film.

Another thing I found interesting. I metered using my Gossen Luna-Pro which seems pretty accurate when compared to my other cameras. All the exposures looked good. What caught my attention was that the last three frames I bracketed at 25th, 50th and 100th without moving the aperture from 6.3. The negatives show the exact same exposure on all three frames.

I know the shutter speed dial at least partially works, when moved to T it opens on the first press and closes on the second, when moved to B it stays open as long as the button is held. The 25/50/100 however do not seem to work, so I need to go back in to the shutter mechanism to see what is going on.

Anyone played with the guts of one of these before and could offer suggestions?

Allan