What have YOU found today?

Today landed a Adox Golf, with a Will Wetzlar Adoxar lens, 75mm f:4,5 Pronto 1/25 to 1/200 shutter. Bellows seem excellent. The camera came with a film inside, there was a warning that the back had been opened, but that was insignificant, the film was started but not wound on to #1.
Kodak Kodacolor X it seem, so its a perfect candidate for CC-M with KBr.

Excellent little camera that will be used alongside a Nettar and a Nettar M. I think the build quality of Adox folders was right up there along with Zeiss, at least it seems so with this one!

Just scored an Ansco Viking 4.5 with case. It's got the basic Agnar lens and Pronto shutter. It should be here by the end of the week. Looks like it's in decent shape, some peeling leatherette. I'm expecting the lens to be gummed up and the bellows to be shot. It'll give me something to do over the winter.

I recently restored an Isolette I with similar lens and shutter. It's been a lot of fun to carry in my pocket so I figured it could use a bigger brother.

Just acquired my first folder - Zeiss Ikonta 523/16 II and just joined the forum so - Hello!



Hope to learn and share

During a short trip to Lisbon, I bought a Franka Solida IIIe - the one featuring an uncoupled rangefinder. I had been looking for some time for such one and despite the rather high price tag (€50), I decided to buy it. Have spent a few hours cleaning and adjusting the rangefinder, the very capable Scheider-Kreutznach Radionar 80/2,9 lens, the shutter and some of the springs around the door. The camera is now in top shape and I can hardly wait to try it out.

Happy holidays to all!

/Michael

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I Am A New Folders ! Fanatic !

I acquired the first two cameras last month, from a thrift shop.

I got a 3-A Autographic Kodak, Folding Pocket Camera { pockets must have been ginormus in 1915 ? } 620 Film Camera.
And a Kodak 66 Model III for 120 Film, and I'm assuming that it can also handle 220 Film ?

Yesterday I found a cute little Agfa Ventura 66 Deluxe, this camera has a darkslide to cover the red window
to allow for 220 Film usage. The bellows are holey, but I'll try Ricks' suggestion about painting it with
" Liquid Electrical Tape " . I'm not sure that I'll have the patience to start respooling 120 Film, but
I'll try using the Autographic with some expired photo paper negatives.

Soon I'll Be Having Some Fun !!!

Ron
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.
And I found an exposed roll of Kodacolor-X Process C-22 in the Agfa.
Any advice on developing that as B&W instead, would that be the best
method of possibly salvaging any images from the film. And how old
would a roll of Kodacolor-X 120 Film be at this point ?

Ron
.

Good morning;

Finding things can be a real surprise at times. Last week while picking up one of my SLR cameras that was getting a CLA (a Minolta SR-1b came out and now an SR-3a is going in), the camera guy was talking with another fellow about folding cameras. As things went on, a box was brought out to show the other fellow what was in stock. Much to my surprise, also down in that box were three (3) of the screw-in replacement front elements to convert the lens on my Kodak Retina IIIc to a telephoto lens. You never know where you may find something for a vintage camera. Now I need to go back to the camera shop to discuss a lens accessory for my camera. Unfortunately, he did not have the accessory viewfinder for the telephoto lens.

Enjoy;

Ralph, Latte Land, Washington

Just got a Retina iic to go with my 2 other retina's, the ib and ii, in pretty minty condition, Richard

Just got an Adox Sport 6x9 (6x6) with a Steinheil-Cassar 1:4,5/105 lens - in condition like new! Very nice piece. Though I love my 6x6 Zeiss Super Ikonta (Tessar 1:3,5/75mm) with its brilliant coupled rangefinder – can't really distinguish the negs from this camera from my Hasselblad's negs (Zeiss Planar 2,8/80mm). (Some of my pictures from this Super Ikonta is uploaded on my Apug Portfolio)
/Bertil (Bertil Stromberg)

Good morning, all;

While admitting that I am not really a "folder collector," I do like to have as much of a complete kit for a camera as I can in order to make it more useful. I did return to that camera shop mentioned recently, and the owner and I discussed the Kodak auxiliary front lens elements he had in stock. OK, I know that the end of this has already been revealed by the use of the past tense there. Yes, I did get the Retina-Longar-Xenon C f:4/80mm Schneider-Kreuznach telephoto auxiliary lens front element, and the Retina-Curtar-Xenon C f:4/35mm Schneider-Kreuznach wide angle auxiliary front lens element. And the 35mm auxiliary lens has the plastic case with the bottom of the case serving as the lens shade for the 35mm lens. He did not have an original auxiliary view finder for the lenses to go onto the Kodak Retina IIIc, but he did have a Kodak Retina IIIC that does have the viewfinder frame lines in it that he could sell to me. We did not discuss the price for the IIIC, but he is still holding onto hope that I will return for it also. Well, as a pusher, he does know the habits of his addicts.

Regarding the view finder for these lenses, there is here an FSU (Former Soviet Union) variable view finder that can go onto the flash shoe. I know, I am not really being a purist here, but it does work.

Enjoy;

Ralph
Latte Land, Washington

I just got my first "large format" folder! A 9x12 ICA Ideal.
It's very worn and looks like something that is over 100 years old! -and apparently, it is!
On the side of the body, it says "1906" so it seems this one has been around for while!
It came with 3 plate holders loaded with glass plates. I took the chance and made some exposures, just guessing different iso speeds. (6, 25 & 50)
But unfortunately nothing came out!
So until I get hold of some sheet film or liquid emulsion, I'll be using it for paper neg's.
The bellows look horrible, but they are not letting any light in.
The shutter works fine on all speeds! (Compur)
Here's a shot I just had to make with my polaroid 600 se:

Kodak Retina 119

Dead Link Removed

In addition to my Voigtlander Vitessa snapshot folder, Rae has bought me a 1936 Kodak (Dr.Nagel Werke) Retina 119 from a charity shop in Bristol, England. This camera is about the size of a compact digital camera, is equipped with a 1936 Schneider Retina-Xenar, has no range finder, but a surprisingly accurate squinty viewfinder. Rae thought it might be a shelf decorating camera, even 'though I was excited by the sound of the shutter via Skype from Bristol. The moment I got it and gave it a quick clean it had a film inserted and was taken out later that morning

The results from the first roll from the Kodak Retina show the frames are almost evenly spaced, the shutter speeds, apart from 1/300, are accurate enough to give even negative density, the bellows do not leak light and the uncoated Schneider Xenar lens is good by realistic standards, but not great

If I work out how, I can load a pic of this camera, otherwise is is pic'd on Dead Link Removed

The worst thing about the Kodak Retina as a snapshot camera is that it is far too pretty and gains attention, which the Leica or Voigtlander Vitessa don’t

(As well as my serious photography I make snapshots of family, friends, garden, walks on the beach etc, with odd, old and fun 35mm cameras. The snapshots must be alright as the prints are often given to family and friends who seem to like them)

Good morning;

Well, if you do not mind it having been two days ago actually, there did come home with me a Voightlander folding camera where the tag on it said that it was the Bergheil Model, but it clearly is not. It does need some repair and a CLA. I am not yet sure about the condition of the bellows. It is a 6 x 9 camera, but I have not yet determined if it takes 120 film or 116 film. There is a 116 spool in it, and there is a penciled notation on the pressure plate of "116" which might mean that there will be work to come up with film to feed it. The bellows does have some pin holes on some corners, and there are two short slits on two of the sides. There is work to be done here.

The lens is a Voightlander Anastigmat Skopar 1:4.8 F=11.8cm in a ENBEZET shutter with settings of T, B, and 100, 50, and 25. There is a large knob on the bottom and a broken focusing linkage, but I do not see any focusing scale nor any reference mark on the standard that slides back and forth on the bed where you would read a focusing distance. There is a sheet metal viewfinder that folds up from the top surface. The two tripod sockets take 3/8 bolts. There are two (2) red film frame number viewing round windows on the back near the bottom side. And the camera is covered in black leather. It is a nice looking fairly old camera, but I think it is going to be some work to get it back into operation.

Why do I go to yard sales and estate sales between appointments?

Enjoy; Ralph, Latte Land, Washington

Hello all! I am very fond of folding cameras and have had a few, mostly Ansco/Agfas. However, I just scored a Zenobia 6x4.5 folder on ebay for only .99 cents!! The leatherette was nasty, so i ended up removing it. The camera is in working condition! The glass is surprisingly clear, and the speed and focus rings move effortlessly. The back door locking mechanism is missing, yet the door still closes pretty tightly. There was a roll of Kodak Ektacolor in the camera, but i'm going to film test it myself. I've been looking for leatherette replacements, with no luck. None of the major camera cover sites have anything for such a camera. I've gone ahead & painted it over with acrylic paint in the meantime so it doesn't look so crappy, but i would love to find the leatherette for this camera...

cameraleather.com offers some of their product in sheets. I would go that route myself if I really liked the camera.

I tried cameraleather.com, but the camera is too obscure, even for them. I might have to go the 'uncut' route and try to cover it myself.

Good morning;

Be careful what you tell your friends about the things you like. Sometimes they decide to "help" you.

One such acquaintance sent a box that arrived just this morning. In among all of the other photographic things in the box that they "thought that I could find a use for," there was a black paper covered slip case box. The blue label on the outside said; "HawkEye Camera, Vest Pocket Hawk-Eye, Made in U.S.A. by Eastman Kodak Co., Rochester, N.Y., Trade Marks Registered, U.S. Pat. Off." Inside the box was just what had been described on the label, including the original Instruction Manual with a January, 1927 Publication Date.

I do have one question about the camera: Is the serial number for the Kodak Vest Pocket Hawk-Eye the number found in the first ring around the outisde of the lens and at the bottom, just above where it says "VEST POCKET HAWK-EYE" on the metal ring around the lens?

There are a couple of things. Upon attempting to open the camera, some stuck sections or folds of the bellows pulled. Yes, I will be contacting the Custom Bellows people in England. Well, I might need to do that for the Voightlander also. However, everything else seems to be in quite good shape. Inside the camera body are two (2) 127 size film spools, so I can slit 120 roll film to 127 size and make it work, once the bellows repair is made. There are 127 size film developing reels here, so that part is covered. And, I am well equipped with black electricians tape to cover the red plastic window that would normally be used to read the frame or exposure number on the film backing paper. I guess that I will experiment with the first roll to see about how many turns of the film advance knob are required to move the film one full frame to get to the next exposure.

It is an interesting thing to have a camera that is just about as old as my parents.

Enjoy;

Ralph
Latte Land, Washington