Vintage alternative to a Holga?

[GarageBoy]

Looking for a box camera or some sorta non bellows camera with a meniscus, triplet, whatever- Kinda want a "crappy" MF "snapshot" camera

Thanks

 

[paulo]

Agfa Isola (I or II) are limited (F11, F6.3, 1/100 1/30 & B) cameras, but funny of use.

 

[Paul Howell]

Kodak box camera, you can also look for any number of cameras made by a company called Spartan, they made a 6X9 called the Spartan Press with a built in flash that took M3 flash bulbs, and a TLR. I know you are not looking for folder, but the Kodak Tourist with the triplet, F 11, two shutter speeds. The Tourist was also made with better 6.3 lens and a tessor style 4 element. These are 620 rather than 120 so you need to rewind film or cut and grind 120 spools to fit.

 

[removed-user-1]

One of my favorites: the Continental Camera. I was given one of these when I was a small child; it had been my mother's first camera. I've still got it, converted it to a pinhole camera. Don't know how easy it will be to find one, but it definitely meets the description.

 

[PCC]

I was going to suggest the USCC Comet/Pho-Tak Foldex 20/USC Rollex as they're simple folding 120 film cameras using simple meniscus lenses on basic shutters that only have B and 1/50 seconds settings. They're cheap on eBay.

For a non-folding camera, how about the Kodak Duaflex cameras from the 1950's? They're Bakelite TLR cameras using 620 film with a meniscus lens in front of a simple shutter allowing B and 1/50 sec speeds. Like the folding cameras I mentioned above they don't have any aperture controls at all. Best part is that there are literally hundreds of these cameras on eBay so they're dirt cheap. You can get a mint condition one for $30-ish and they're typically in the teens, price-wise.

 

[AgX]

Agfa Isola (I or II) are limited (F11, F6.3, 1/100 1/30 & B) cameras, but funny of use.

Both Isolas have lenses better than a meniscus. The more simple model has an Achromat, if I remember right, the more advanced one a Triplet.

 

[darkosaric]

One cheap alternative is Holga/Diana lens for nikon/canon. Agfa Isola is fun, Diana F is even better in what it does than Holga (Holga feels sturdy and produces sharp pictures in comparison to old Diana F). Agfa clack comes to mid. Many 127 cameras are fun too with 35mm film inside (127 film is too expensive). Lomo cameras are cheap on auction sites as well.
Absolutely worst picture quality (but in a good way) I got from Druh camera: http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Druh_Synchro .

 

[Dan Fromm]

Photax, for example: www.ebay.fr/itm/Appareil-photo-anci...-en-bakelite-voir-la-collection-/161743911784

There are many on ebay.fr

 

[Richard S. (rich815)]

Just curious, why "alternative"' why not just use a Holga?

 

[Slixtiesix]

Dacora Digna

 

[PCC]

Just curious, why "alternative"' why not just use a Holga?

Not that I'm the OP or anything, but, I think it's cooler to use a camera that's older than I am to shoot photos in the Lomography style. I've loaded a roll of expired Kodak Gold 200 ASA color negative film in the USCC Comet and took about 11 photos with it. The photos were very rustic appearing and mostly out of focus. They look like old photos that my cousin used to take back in the seventies when I was too young to care about such things.

 

[bobwysiwyg]

Looking for a box camera or some sorta non bellows camera with a meniscus, triplet, whatever- Kinda want a "crappy" MF "snapshot" camera

Thanks

If you can find a an old Brownie Flash Six-20 such as in my avatar, it takes such pictures. It's my very first ever camera, still works and I occasionally take for a spin.

 

[DannL.]

A crappy camera . . .That covers just about every American made camera. Of the 30,000 cameras for sale on ebay, 25,000 would be one of those.

Sorry. I need more coffee.

 

[Gerald C Koch]

Both Isolas have lenses better than a meniscus. The more simple model has an Achromat, if I remember right, the more advanced one a Triplet.

Both would be better than a Holga.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

6x9 Kodak Brownie for 120 film. Meniskus lens. Amazing contact prints.
For 6x6 and triplet - Lubitel-2. Nice, funny, little and easy to use vintage camera. Can be obtained in as new condition.
Just don't take it in focus with aligned lens and quality film, otherwise it will give results as good as any other TLR with b/w and color film.

 

[anfenglin]

Or, if you like to shot in Europe, a Pouva Start. It's actually not that bad but fits the desired characteristics.

 

[Jim Jones]

6x9 Kodak Brownie for 120 film. Meniskus lens. Amazing contact prints.
For 6x6 and triplet - Lubitel-2. Nice, funny, little and easy to use vintage camera. Can be obtained in as new condition.
Just don't take it in focus with aligned lens and quality film, otherwise it will give results as good as any other TLR with b/w and color film.

I agree about the 120 Kodak box cameras. Many of them have a tripod socket, three aperture stops, and time exposure capability. Their square construction makes them look funkier than the later Bakelite Kodaks. However, their images may be too good to satisfy a Holga fan.

 

[GarageBoy]

Note- I'm not exactly going for the holga lack of quality- I just want basically a glorified point and shoot mf camera- preferably in 120 - the agfas are in line of what I want- any other scale focus non bellows cameras?

 

[Xmas]

Just curious, why "alternative"' why not just use a Holga?

Some people buy a new Lubitel from the Lomo shop for 283 or so GBP.
If you find one in a charity shop maybe 10-30 GBP.
I got mine for 10...

Noel

 

[rjbuzzclick]

Ansco Pioneer or Ansco Readyflash. Both are 620 film though, so you'll have to trim or reload spools.

 

[MrBrowning]

any other scale focus non bellows cameras?

I'll suggest a Baldixette camera.

6x6
f16 & f9
Two shutter speeds (if you include bulb)
Scale focus

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Somewhere I have a few rolls I shot with it and I was very happy. They are packed away but next week I can provide a scan, not that it helps now.

 

[Paul Howell]

Note- I'm not exactly going for the holga lack of quality- I just want basically a glorified point and shoot mf camera- preferably in 120 - the agfas are in line of what I want- any other scale focus non bellows cameras?

If you want to consider outside of 120 think about a 35mm, these were made to look like a SLR, but were fixed focus lens, usually one or two shutter speeds, many had plastic lens, like F 6.3 or F 11. Some used names like Cannon or a misspelling of Olympus.

I have one that given away by Time as a promotion in the 80s or so, got it a thrift store for a $1.00 shot a roll of Kodacolor, very soft corners, odd color shifts, I had intended to shot a roll of black and white, just never got around to it.


An example can seen here.

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[removed account4]

agfa sure shot,
love mine, it has wings.
also if you can find one ... a foth might work
good luck!
john

 

[Paul Howell]

If you want to consider outside of 120 think about a 35mm, these were made to look like a SLR, but were fixed focus lens, usually one or two shutter speeds, many had plastic lens, like F 6.3 or F 11. Some used names like Cannon or a misspelling of Olympus.

I have one that given away by Time as a promotion in the 80s or so, got it a thrift store for a $1.00 shot a roll of Kodacolor, very soft corners, odd color shifts, I had intended to shot a roll of black and white, just never got around to it.


An example can seen here.

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Another one, this one comes with a flash and motor drive.

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[gone]

"A crappy camera . . .That covers just about every American made camera. Of the 30,000 cameras for sale on ebay, 25,000 would be one of those".

Oh, I don't know. I think the man doth protest too much. Edward Weston and Tina Modotti made some nice photos with American cameras :} I think Ansel Adams used Polaroids himself, as did Andy Warhol. The Ciroflex, Graflex (in all their different forms), Kodak Medalist, Kodak Bantam, Agfa Argoflex....there were some innovative and very nice American cameras back in the day. The Kodak Brownie revolutionized photography, as did the Polaroid. The Mercury w/ its rotary shutter was a neat camera. Lots of wonderful Kodak folders and plate cameras that, like many I mentioned, are still around. Kodak still makes the best damn B&W film and developer combination in the world, Tri-X and D76. How many years has that been around? 3/4 of a century probably, and still going strong.

Perhaps that's why there's so many on eBay. Lots of people owned them, they were popular, and they were built to last.

Maybe try a good 'ol Clack or Click camera?