Newbie to the group with a camera addiction

[brian d]

I *really* am kicking myself for not getting that old '30s bellows Kodak - the smaller one that I saw. *sigh

Don't feel too bad about it, while most old Kodak's use oddball film sizes, while a lot of the other brand camera's use 120 film which for now at least is still readily available

the site says that it's "not for use" as it's too valuble

That's a matter of personal opinion, camera's are made to take pictures not sit on a shelf.(although some of us do keep them proudly displayed on shelves )Unless its so fragile that its at risk of falling apart there is no reason not to use it with proper care and upkeep. That line makes it sound to me like said camera has some sort of problems.
Other folks may disagree but that's the way I see it. I'll keep using my old camera's as long as I can get film for them.

 

[pinhole_dreamer]

Don't feel too bad about it, while most old Kodak's use oddball film sizes, while a lot of the other brand camera's use 120 film which for now at least is still readily available

That's a matter of personal opinion, camera's are made to take pictures not sit on a shelf.(although some of us do keep them proudly displayed on shelves )Unless its so fragile that its at risk of falling apart there is no reason not to use it with proper care and upkeep. That line makes it sound to me like said camera has some sort of problems.
Other folks may disagree but that's the way I see it. I'll keep using my old camera's as long as I can get film for them.

That's what I was thinking...that *something* was wrong somewhere. I don't mind odd sized film as that is what paper is for! I keep my cameras displayed on our china hutch, next to some silver odds and ends that I've picked up at the local shops. (Even if it's silver plated and $2 I'll end up buying it! That sort of goes along with the bjd addiction I have as the dolls end up 'using' them in the photo stories I write.)

I'm with you ... as long as I can get film for the majority of them and paper for the odds and ends sizes, I'm going to happily keep shooting.

 

[fdfjc]

Also a very cheap way to get a good medium format camera is to buy an Agfa Isolette with an agnar lens. They can still be had for under $10 and I've gotten some amazingly sharp photos with one.

 

[ntenny]

I *really* am kicking myself for not getting that old '30s bellows Kodak - the smaller one that I saw. *sigh*

Folding Kodaks are a pretty variable lot and US$30 may well have been too much. A lot of them have really primitive lenses and shutters---Kodak were largely in the business of selling "everyman" cameras, which by modern standards have, um, limited capabilities. And as someone else pointed out, many of them use extinct film.

IMHO, similar amounts of money are better spent on something like a Nettar, a more modern camera with bulletproof architecture. There are periodic threads here on affordable folders, and there are a lot of us around who are a little bit mad for them. Personally, I've had very good luck bottom-feeding on eBay for dirt-cheap cameras; I've gotten a pretty even split between the three categories "wow!", "OK", and "paperweight", and at US$10-20 per camera that's quite decent.

($135 for a working Ikonta might or might not be a reasonable price, depending on the condition and the lens and so on. There are a lot of them out there, though, so don't feel like any particular example is "now or never".)

-NT

 

[pinhole_dreamer]

Also a very cheap way to get a good medium format camera is to buy an Agfa Isolette with an agnar lens. They can still be had for under $10 and I've gotten some amazingly sharp photos with one.

I've been looking and found a 5x6 (6x5?) Pentax online for about $350 with a 70mm lens. That's not much more than what I paid for my Minolta years ago with lens.

Decisions decisions...

 

[pinhole_dreamer]

Folding Kodaks are a pretty variable lot and US$30 may well have been too much. A lot of them have really primitive lenses and shutters---Kodak were largely in the business of selling "everyman" cameras, which by modern standards have, um, limited capabilities. And as someone else pointed out, many of them use extinct film.

IMHO, similar amounts of money are better spent on something like a Nettar, a more modern camera with bulletproof architecture. There are periodic threads here on affordable folders, and there are a lot of us around who are a little bit mad for them. Personally, I've had very good luck bottom-feeding on eBay for dirt-cheap cameras; I've gotten a pretty even split between the three categories "wow!", "OK", and "paperweight", and at US$10-20 per camera that's quite decent.

($135 for a working Ikonta might or might not be a reasonable price, depending on the condition and the lens and so on. There are a lot of them out there, though, so don't feel like any particular example is "now or never".)

-NT

Extinct film doesn't bother me. *shrugs*

I'm still searching. I'll be searching probably a month or two from now anyway. I don't have any extra cash around to get a camera/lens combo.

 

[John Koehrer]

coffin?
pinhole?
large format paper?

 

[removed account4]

Hiya John! I've been thinking about that whole issue of using the paper in lieu of film. I asked my husband to take one of our dowel rods (from a Titanic project of one of my son's for school art class) and cut it down to size then just drill holes in the ends so I can use it instead of an extra spool! My husband doubts that the idea will work but I also suffer from extreme clumsiness so I'm not allowed near the power tools or anything sharp. :confused:

My question is (because I KNOW it can be done) is how to keep the paper from curling too badly. I have two small Rubbermaid trays that will fit up to a 5x7.

As for my camera, I found a manual for the Model 2 and Model 2A online. Mine has two metal slides on the top of it which control how much light is let into the camera. I've read it a couple of times...and need to redownload it as we have had some computer issues and lost some information...like the manual. *sigh* I think this was made around 1904-ish, from what I can find online. She's lovely though.

hi susan

i process my paper negatives these days in a coffee based developer
( spiked with a tiny bit of straight print developer )
i have it all in a 2 or 3 quart tupperware type container.
since i can do this operation with the safelight on, it is easy ..
i unwind the flm and peel off the pieces of masking tape that is keeping them in 1 long roll.
they do curl a bit, so i get a tray of water and soak the paper in there for
a few mins, until the curl relaxes
then into the developer 1 at a time.
it takes about 2 mins for an image to appear, and another 2 mins for "completion" ...
coffee developer is nice because it is a lowish contrast develoepr, paper negatives tend to be filled with harsh contrast,
unless it is overcast light ..

great image you posted btw!

john

 

[pinhole_dreamer]

John!

Thanks for the tip about soaking the paper negs! I was wondering about that.

By any chance can you explain to me in simple not mathematical heavy terms about paper ISO? The Ilford I'm using says ISO 200 and from reading here & other places on the net that most paper is an approximated 3-6 at most. But I'm finding with my Brownie that a 1/2 second in uber bright sun on snow is way too long but great in shadows. The pinhole is about a second exposure in the same light.

Mind you the Brownie is with the smallest aperture and the second lever is all the way down...so no counting is needed. It's open and then closed.

The pinhole is controlled with a magnet & not so quick arthritic hands.

So being as I am a total noob (haha) any advice or explanation is welcome.

And thanks regarding the pic.

 

[pinhole_dreamer]

i have a small wooden coffin that's abot 12cm long and maybe a 1/2 inch deep. Found it at Michael's & plan to paint it black...although using a regular size coffin would make a GREAT pinhole camera! Lol. Don't give me any more ideas. Lol!

 

[Craig Swensson]

Somewhere in this link is a few mentions on `tinkering' with film sizes. Cannot remember which cameras but i do recall that most of the write ups are done without too much seriousness, so it may not be wasted time clicking through some of the cameras here.

http://junkstorecameras.com/

regards

 

[pinhole_dreamer]

Somewhere in this link is a few mentions on `tinkering' with film sizes. Cannot remember which cameras but i do recall that most of the write ups are done without too much seriousness, so it may not be wasted time clicking through some of the cameras here.

http://junkstorecameras.com/

regards

Awesome link! *drools*

 

[removed account4]

hi susan

i can't tell you why but the iso numbers for film are relative to film
and the numbers published by the makers for paper are for paper.
it is just the way they do it.

some papers are iso 25 relative to film, so that might be why your
exposures are to long

have you tried to pre-flash your paper yet, to cut your contrast ?
search here on apug to give you an idea how long and what you should do
to flash it, i usually flash for .5 seconds or so ... but i can't remember anymore
it has been a while.

good to see you are having fun

good luck !

john

John!

Thanks for the tip about soaking the paper negs! I was wondering about that.

By any chance can you explain to me in simple not mathematical heavy terms about paper ISO? The Ilford I'm using says ISO 200 and from reading here & other places on the net that most paper is an approximated 3-6 at most. But I'm finding with my Brownie that a 1/2 second in uber bright sun on snow is way too long but great in shadows. The pinhole is about a second exposure in the same light.

Mind you the Brownie is with the smallest aperture and the second lever is all the way down...so no counting is needed. It's open and then closed.

The pinhole is controlled with a magnet & not so quick arthritic hands.

So being as I am a total noob (haha) any advice or explanation is welcome.

And thanks regarding the pic.

 

[John Koehrer]

i have a small wooden coffin that's abot 12cm long and maybe a 1/2 inch deep. Found it at Michael's & plan to paint it black...although using a regular size coffin would make a GREAT pinhole camera! Lol. Don't give me any more ideas. Lol!

When you use a full size coffin, if you're inside, don't block the light from the pinhole. DAMHIK

Also the exposures from six feet under take a REALLY long time.

 

[pinhole_dreamer]

When you use a full size coffin, if you're inside, don't block the light from the pinhole. DAMHIK

Also the exposures from six feet under take a REALLY long time.

What's really odd, I had a funeral director offer me a full-sized coffin to turn into a pinhole camera! He thought it would be a great idea to have one in his funeral home. I'd have loved to been able to take him up on the offer but he called my office and, well, it's SO not allowed. I told him to run with it, though.

 

[phillip]

Sorry to hi jack your thread, but i have drawings/plans of a tiltable panoramic camera that was never commercially produced, also have negs and print that it produced. Do you think any one would be interested in them, it has been suggested i put them up for auction what do you think? circa 1969

 

[removed account4]

hi philip

why don't you put it up for sale on e-BOINK or get a subscription here
and put it / them in the classifieds ?

- john

 

[Steve Smith]

Even if you don't sell them, could you post some pictures and information here? A lot of us are interested in that sort of thing.


Steve.

 

[brian d]

Even if you don't sell them, could you post some pictures and information here? A lot of us are interested in that sort of thing.


Steve.

Ditto that, it sounds very interesting

 

[phillip]

MMmmmm, Got to see the man from B.......s auctions first! WSP!

 

[phillip]

a pic

View attachment panoramic camera.pdf

Hope attachment method worked!

The pic it took is somewhat longer than my scanner can accomodate.

 

[Jim Jones]

Dreamer, with many 120 film box and basic folding cameras available for the patient buyer, trying to make do with any other size seems wasteful. The larger bellows cameras came in quite a variety of film sizes, which can really be a hassle. A bargain large camera may be quite expensive by the time one is able to use it. Do lots of homework before investing in one. Junk and especially antique stores often place an inflated value on cameras that may be 100 years old.

Box cameras with three apertures are usually about f/16, f/22 and f/32, although this varies from camera to camera. The shutter speed of the one I just examined is about 1/40 or 1/50 second. This also varies from camera to camera. A few have cemented doublets instead of a simple meniscus lens for slightly improved performance. Box cameras with the lens in front of the shutter sacrifice performance for compactness. At the smallest apertures box cameras are decent performers, but rarely as good as the original owners boasted.

 

[aaron9316]

cool!

 

[Q.G.]

cool!

"cool!,russian lens!"
"cool!"
"hmm,depends"
"hmm,fm2 is usually strong"
"Fed 4 last year ~ "
"Cool ~"
"nikonfm2"
"hmm"
"cool!"
"Tri-X 400 "

10 posts, an average of 2 words per post.

Welcome to APUG, Aaron.

 

[pinhole_dreamer]

Dreamer, with many 120 film box and basic folding cameras available for the patient buyer, trying to make do with any other size seems wasteful. The larger bellows cameras came in quite a variety of film sizes, which can really be a hassle. A bargain large camera may be quite expensive by the time one is able to use it. Do lots of homework before investing in one. Junk and especially antique stores often place an inflated value on cameras that may be 100 years old.

Box cameras with three apertures are usually about f/16, f/22 and f/32, although this varies from camera to camera. The shutter speed of the one I just examined is about 1/40 or 1/50 second. This also varies from camera to camera. A few have cemented doublets instead of a simple meniscus lens for slightly improved performance. Box cameras with the lens in front of the shutter sacrifice performance for compactness. At the smallest apertures box cameras are decent performers, but rarely as good as the original owners boasted.

My junk store camera - that old Brownie box 2A - was only $12. Money well spent in my mind as I'm having a lot of fun with it - and not having to really GO anywhere to do it.

I just have this 'thing' for old cameras...even if they don't take the most excellent photographs.

I'm still looking for an older Pentax medium format camera...and in the midst of making a larger pinhole camera. I'll wait until I find something I really like for the medium format...unless I find another $12 buy at a junk shop and then I'll still get the older Pentax anyway.