What is the oldest non-functioning camera you have?

Sirius Glass · Nov 26, 2018

What is the oldest non-functioning camera you have? Post your shelf queens and dust collectors.

OptiKen · Nov 26, 2018

Conley 4 X 5 Falling Plate Camera - 1908

Theo Sulphate · Nov 26, 2018

All cameras are functioning; I get them repaired if they start to show issues. Some are in the queue for a CLA. Youxin did one of my M3's last year (the slow speeds were hanging) and now it works as new.

E. von Hoegh · Nov 26, 2018

None are shelf queens or dust collectors.
A Kodak 35rf the camera fairy brought me is the second oldest, it needs a thorough scrubbing inside & out but under the grime it's very nice. CAMEROSITY says 1941.
The oldest is a Bantam 4.5, needs new bellows but otherwise very nice. This is pre datecode, so '38?

TheFlyingCamera · Nov 26, 2018

1870s 12x15 W. Watson & Sons folding tailboard camera. It currently needs a new bellows and a revised back to take modern film holders.

RalphLambrecht · Nov 26, 2018

Sirius Glass said:
What is the oldest non-functioning camera you have? Post your shelf queens and dust collectors.

I have a Balda III 6x6 folder from the 1950s but, the shutter is stuck.

MattKing · Nov 26, 2018

An Autographic 1A I believe.
Yesterday I received a 1965 vintage Konica-Autoreflex (note the hyphen) which has a jammed shutter and three matched lenses. AFAIK, the only camera that ever permitted switching back and forth between 35mm full frame and half frame mid-roll.
My 1930s vintage Kodak Six-16 is still working with a little bit of help.

Helios 1984 · Nov 26, 2018

At the moment, the only Non-working camera I have is a Spotmatic which I keep for the parts. I already used to replace the desilvered pentamirror of my Spotmatic II.
I think I could fix it, but I'd have to figure out how to get to the curtain rollers to reglue the ribbons..

Edit: Speak of the devil heh I just figured how to re-glue the ribbon without disassembling the whole thing.

macfred · Nov 27, 2018

All my analog cameras are working (though my Rolleiflex 3.5F is out for CLA).
The only non-working camera in the house is a 'digital dinosaur' - Nikon D200 (electrical flaky).

flatulent1 · Nov 27, 2018

My oldest non-functioning camera is my grandfather's folding Kodak 6x9 something or other, probably takes 620 film. I'm afraid I never bothered to have it restored, as I was never interested in shooting with it. My next oldest is my father's Argus C3, same story. They are the only non-functioning cameras in my accumulation. Generally, if I can't shoot with it, I don't want to keep it. (Not counting my Contax AX, which needs its reflex mirror re-seated; it's too nice a camera to discard.)

removed account4 · Nov 27, 2018

not sure, its 2 of them wooden bellows on a board
like hand made .. one looks like an enlarger head of some sort
again hand made ... when it was delivered to me from the big
internet yard sale ... it cost like 4 $ and 8$ to ship or something
and it arrived with a nest of some sort inside of it ...

Ian Grant · Nov 28, 2018

Hard to know which is the oldest, possibly my Gandofi which is one of their earlier models, somewhere between 1891and 1900

While there's no makers name the locking mechanism for the front standard was Patented by S Gandolfi and is unique to their cameras which were often re-branded by their retailers, It's in line to be restored.

Ian

dutchsteammachine · Dec 15, 2018

I think it needs a new bellow.

Kino · Dec 17, 2018

Na, a little gaffer tape and you're ready to go...

Arthurwg · Dec 17, 2018

Which one was in the tornado and which one in the earthquake?

Arthurwg · Dec 17, 2018

I have a really nice Graflex 5x7 Press that is not working but I have hope for the future!

Helios 1984 · Dec 17, 2018

As of 2 weeks ago, none.

elcabezagrande · Dec 31, 2018

This Miroflex, I think. It has a hole in the lower curtain that I can fit my fist through.

jim10219 · Dec 31, 2018

Franka Rollfix. It's in good shape, but the Prontor SV shutter is inoperable. I tried to fix it once, but don't remember why I couldn't or wouldn't. Otherwise it's in good shape. Anyway, i'm going to guess it was from the late 40's.

benveniste · Jan 3, 2019

My Grandfather's Rolleicord I:

Edward Romero · Mar 23, 2019

My oldest camera I used is a Kodak Photographic 1A a folder from 1917. It uses 116 film which is long gone. The negative was a 2.5” x 41/4”. Bought some adapters to use 120 film.
I made a 645 mask because that’s where the numbers match up on the window. Images were a little overlapping. But images were good considering it’s a 1917 camera. Worked with the backing paper to figure out a 6x9 format. That will get 8 images and if that don’t work I’ll give it more space and get 6 or seven. But haven’t made it yet. With the mask have to compensate for the smaller format so you have to leave more room in the viewfinder which I didn’t do and cut off the image at the top. The appeture only has 1-4. Looks like it’s F11, F16, F22, & F32. But you could close it down maybe to F128.
Using No.2 as F16 the exposure was right on.
Still sorting it out and it’s big but very light and it fit into my RB67 bag on a photo shoot. A heck of a lot of fun to shoot with. Picked it up for only $35.00 from Ebay with free shipping

Edward Romero · Mar 23, 2019

Sorry I misread the forum and thought it was for oldest working camera. But it also is the oldest camera of my collection of around thirty cameras.

What is the oldest non-functioning camera you have?

Sirius Glass

OptiKen

Theo Sulphate

E. von Hoegh

TheFlyingCamera

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Helios 1984

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Helios 1984

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jim10219

benveniste

Edward Romero

Edward Romero

What is the oldest non-functioning camera you have?

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