What is the oldest functional camera you have?

[Two23]

My oldest is an 1880s Watson & Son half plate camera with Dallmeyer lens. I sometimes use it by shooting 4x5 in the old book style holders. Next oldest is a 1905 Century Camera Co. Model 41 4x5, self casing. It has a great Velostigmat lens with Volute shutter.


Kent in SD

 

[Mr Flibble]

Is the lens inside, or how this works ?

The lens is a simple meniscus hidden behind a rotary shutter

 

[darkosaric]

Thanks Mr. Flibble .

 

[Jojje]

ICA Icarette 6x9 pre-1926.

 

[WilmarcoImaging]

Minolta SR-1 from 1959. Shot a roll of TMZ last year with it. Fun camera.

 

[dmr]

Probably the Mamiya SD rangefinder. ca. early 1960s IIAC.

It performs very well and the lens is very sharp!

 

[Theo Sulphate]

Probably the Mamiya SD rangefinder. ca. early 1960s IIAC.

It performs very well and the lens is very sharp!
...

Cameras like that from the 1960's are attractive to me. It just evokes the era. If you use the meter, which battery have you selected?

 

[dmr]

Cameras like that from the 1960's are attractive to me. It just evokes the era. If you use the meter, which battery have you selected?

I use the "wrong" battery in both the Mamiya and one of the GIIIs and I find it more than close enough for negative film, which is what I usually shoot. Remember that the meter just gives you a "suggestion" of an exposure, which you can either accept or vary a bit.

 

[flatulent1]

Zeiss Nettar from the 1950s. I haven't had it out for a few years, the main problem I have with having too many toys.

 

[Kino]

I swear I declared a moratorium on collecting new cameras, but my wife and friend forced this camera upon me. What could I do?

1917-1922 Kewpie 122 Roll Film Kamera (Conley) with original box, instructions and the "Complete Instructions in Photography" book by F. M. Needham. Guess I'll have to purchase a set if 120 roll film adapters to be polite...

 

[benjiboy]

My oldest camera is a Canon F1n made in 1983.

 

[BMbikerider]

A recently bought Minolta Autocord which according to the original receipt when new shows is form 1968. Absolutely mint, totally unmarked with the original lens cap and leather case. I have not had a chance to use it properly yet but the weather tomorrow looks quite good and it will get a decent airing. I'm aiming to use at least 2x120 films.

 

[Peltigera]

1912 Ica Icarette. It uses 117 film which is the same as 120 film but with a different spool. I mean to adapt a 120 spool to work but have yet to get around to it.

 

[absalom1951]

I have a 1915 Kodak No. 3 Folding Pocket model H. It takes 118 film. My wife's great grandfather owned it , and by some stroke of luck she ended up with it. I made some reel extensions so it would use 120 film and used black tape and thin cardboard to narrow down. The original negative was 3 1/2 x 4 1/2 . All my modifications are not permanent, they can be easily removed. I did not want to harm the camera. I only shot 1 roll of film through it , it worked fairly good . Think I'll get it out and try shooting some more film through it.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Kodak folder. Can run 120 through with adapters. I think I get more pleasure from opening and closing it, though... I still prefer my Grand dad's Six-20.

 

[Bud Hamblen]

When I was a youngster I got to use the family pre-WWII Six-20 Brownie, but that camera is long gone.

 

[Edward Romero]

I have a collection of almost 30 cameras dating to the 1930’s. I shoot medium format only.
The oldest one I still use sometimes is a Kodak Tourist shoots a 6x9 format with 620 film. Built in 1948. An extremely fun camera to use. But film cost prevents using it too often. Another camera somewhat simlar is a Soviet made Moskva 5 I just printed my first prints in the darkroom. It uses 120 film and also is 6x9 format. That one is made in 1960. Both these cameras are folders. Was extremely impressed with the sharpness of the prints from the Moskva 5. I have a Mamiya RB67, a Mamiya 330 and a Bronica SQ to compare the prints with. The big rectangle negative is a fun negative to work with. You do lose some negative with the 6x9 as the 6x6 negative if you want print with a 8x10 or larger. They say the 6x6 is supposed to be the perfect format.
Too me the 6x7 is the perfect size as you lose virtually nothing with an 8x10 print.

 

[MattKing]

The oldest one I still use sometimes is a Kodak Tourist shoots a 6x9 format with 620 film. Built in 1948. An extremely fun camera to use. But film cost prevents using it too often.

Edward:
It is really easy to transfer currently available 120 film and backing paper on to 620 spools. Just be sure to keep your 620 spools or ask to have them returned by your lab.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

By functional, I mean operating properly and, if film is or were available, you could make a photo with it.

Mine aren't too old: Exakta VX from 1954 and Ciné Kodak Magazine 16 from the late 1940's.

I have a Bessa III 6x9 camera from 1923, which still works just fine but it is a very primitive box camera.Nevertheless, I've used it for close to 60 years now and it still works.

 

[choiliefan]

I recently picked up a Cyclone Senior 4X5 box camera which is usable with modern film holders.
It has a simple shutter with I & T settings and fixed aperture. Mfg'd by ROC.
http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Cyclone_Jr._and_Cyclone_Sr.

 

[Chan Tran]

Must be the Kodak Retina 2A.

 

[Edward Romero]

Just replied on the oldest non working camera by mistake. My oldest camera I use along with 4 others I use from my collection is a Kodak Autographic 1A folder which uses 116 film with a 41/4” x 21/2” negative. Bought some adapters to use 120 film. Had to make a mask for a 645 format because that’s where the numbers lined up on the window on the back. Images were slightly overlapped but picture was pretty good considering a 1917 camera. Still sorting it out to make a mask for a 6x9 format. The appeture is marked 1-4 which looks like F11,F16,F22 & F32. Used No2 as F16 and exposure was right on. Other oldest is a Kodak Tourist folder 6x9 format. My main shooter a RB 67 and that Kodak fits right in my bag. A heck of a enjoyable camera to walk around with

 

[Rlibersky]

1919 Conley 5x7, and a 1910-1920 Century 7 8x10 studio camera.

 

[Nokton48]

I bought this Plaubel Makina II outfit on German Ebay for 200EU, it just came back from complete CLA. Looking forward to getting out with it. Put a black Domke Gripper 1.5" wide strap on it

My guess; either late '20s or early '30s vintage. A luxury device

My New Plaubel Makina II Outfit by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[Ray Morgenweck]

Sliding box dag camera.