small, compact, durable 120 cameras

I have been able to purchase lots of old Agfa Billy Record 6x9 folders with the Anistigmat 105/8.8, 105/7.7 and 105/6.3 for under $40 USD, including shipping. The older Agfa folders have leather bellows and I have yet to find a leaky one. The shutters are usually pretty simple and even if they are a bit sticky when they arrive they seem to respond well to having a bit of exercise. (I'm going to have to remember the exercise trick when I get as old as they are. )

The lenses provide a pretty good picture if you work within their limits and always use a hood. I just make mine out of cardboard painted flat black on the inside. Though they have a small aperture even wide open it can be quite surprising how many pictures are possible outdoors with the small aperture and shutter range.

I love folders. I have a couple Agfa Jsolettes, Kodak 620s (vigilant, Junior, Tourist I, etc), and a Zeiss Ikon Nettar.

I'd suggest taking a look at a Mamiya Standard 23. They're not exactly small but they are tough as hell...You get the feeling that one of these could fall out of a vietnam era helicopter and survive just fine.....hmmmm, I'm pretty sure many did too.

msbarnes said:

How is the Bessa II different? The Bessa II is the old German one and the Bessa III is the GF670, right?

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With the Ikonta, you have separate rangefinder and Albada finder for framing/composing. The focus is either by turning the front lens cell or a tiny awkward ring on the finder. Mine is a bit stiff so this makes things worse. To close you have to press left and right sides of the struts. Bessa II has coupled rangefinder that you operate from the top deck with a substantial wheel, easy to spin with your thumb as you look through a single window combined rangefinder/viewfinder. To close you press a single lever on the bed under the lens.

These are just features though... both cameras take pictures for me just the same. And I like that Ikonta has double-exposure prevention.

I never think of any TLR as compact. Compact usually means a collapsible lens or a folding camera - new or classic.

The Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta 6x6 (B, BX, III and IV) have a unified viewfinder. They were the only Super Ikontas with unified viewfinders. Note that the first Super Ikonta B (530/16) had two viewfinders - one for focusing and a second for composing your shot.

The B and BX models are very sizable machines. The III and IV are much lighter in weight.

All of the Ikontas and Super Ikontax (I believe) use front-cell focusing, and there always is a debate about front cell vs. unit focusing.

Hello any ideas for small compact 645 camera? For traveling or just walking around.. I dont want anything huge and heavy.
I found Fuji GA645 but the price is huge (at least on ebay). I am looking for something till 200Euro (270 USD).

Thank you

Zeiss Ikon Nettar 515 (Ikonta 520 will get you a Tessar lens but otherwise the same camera). Totally manual (as all cameras from the 1930s were) and produces excellent pictures if you stop down to f8. Very little to go wrong with them and mine cost me £10.00

I've been packing a pre-1950 Mamiya 6 folder for a couple of years now. It fits in a jacket pocket, and the cargo pocket of my pants or shorts. I've always been a fan of square negatives, so any folding 6x6 gets my nod. I have also been a fan of Kodak Tourist cameras, the originals with Anaston 105/4.5 lens on flash Kodamatic shutters, 6x9 from a package not much bigger than my Mamiya 6, and sharp. The only drawback with them is zone focus, but once you get the hang of using them, makes life easy.

Yesterday I saw an Agfa Isolette III went for Euro 10 in ebay.de and Rolleicord Vb for Euro 150. Both are amazingly simple yet it produces wonderful negatives.

But these days I am happy shooting with Holga 120GFN(120GN if you do not need a flash) and in combination with Rodinal 1+100 stand for an hour at temps around 16°C. Though I am not very much into stand development but this combo just works for me.

* GFN may give some crazy light leak with flash and that may bring different properties to the portraits.

Some shot with GFN 120GFN on bright sunny day without any filter.