What is the rarest camera/lens you own?

BrianVS · Sep 4, 2017

A 5-element Karat Xenar 5cm F2.8, coated optics. WW-II vintage.

Scheider Xenar 5cm F2.8 by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

I converted it to Leica mount, the loose lens found at a Photorama show for $30.

Probably the only one.

dmr · Sep 6, 2017

Probably the Mamiya Super Deluxe rangefinder.

I know it's not really that terribly rare, but you never really see others shooting with them.

This one I consider a shooter and not a collected one.

markjwyatt · Apr 26, 2018

guangong said:
Zeiss Ikon SL 706 with Carl Zeiss f1.8 50mm Ultron. A few made before Zeiss Ikon went under...

I have a Zeiss Icarex TM Pro with that same lens (M42). The camera is not functional (and not too rare), but I am getting the lens refurbished. I want to try and adapt it to my Fuji XT-2.

removed account4 · Apr 26, 2018

Kino said:
That is a rare beast! Oiled paper negative, contact printed and bound into viewing "rings" for home moving images (like a mutoscope).

I always wanted to make a modern, reproduction of this camera. It would be huge fun to use!

I think it used a beater-type movement on the bottom latham loop; certainly wasn't perforated paper they used...

super fun, you ain't kidding
i'd love ot make one too, kind of
a bucket list project LOL
i pulled the front standard off
of a 4x5 box camera all i need to do
is make a crank actuated shutter and a body with
an endless loop of paper ..
LOL wanna go halvsies ! ?
a handful of years ago
there was some guy
( can't remember the link, i remember we exchanged
emails before my hard drive crashed and i don't remember the thread/link
where i posted the link to his work ) who documented a circus on tri x or something
then transferred all those imags onto glass plates coated himself, then made a stop action movie
from theplates .. like a kinora on steroids ! if i ever find the linkagian i'll post it !

Kino · Apr 26, 2018

jnanian said:
super fun, you ain't kidding
i'd love ot make one too, kind of
a bucket list project LOL
i pulled the front standard off
of a 4x5 box camera all i need to do
is make a crank actuated shutter and a body with
an endless loop of paper ..
LOL wanna go halvsies ! ?
a handful of years ago
there was some guy
( can't remember the link, i remember we exchanged
emails before my hard drive crashed and i don't remember the thread/link
where i posted the link to his work ) who documented a circus on tri x or something
then transferred all those imags onto glass plates coated himself, then made a stop action movie
from theplates .. like a kinora on steroids ! if i ever find the linkagian i'll post it !

That would be a fun project, but a lot harder than it sounds!

Clarify; you want to make a taking camera or a presentation box with the setup you described?

My lifelong dream has been to make a modern Spirograph movie camera; https://thebioscope.net/2010/09/04/spinning-the-spirograph/

You could die-punch out film blanks from 8x10 sheet film. Great dream; never happen!

removed account4 · Apr 26, 2018

yeah i know it is a lot harder than i can imagine ! but fun to dream about
tha spirograph movie camera looks like it would be amazing !

there are japanese model/kits for so so manythings these days .. 35mm TLR camreas
i have (gonna build soon) a sound recording device that cuts wax cylinders on a candle
who knows maybe a spirograph camera or kinora exists in "kit" form already !
i'll have to look into this

Kino · Apr 26, 2018

I built a 35mm TLR kit; snapped it together and it works fine!

A friend at work bought and built the wax candle recorder and it's fun!

Let me know if you find a spirograph!

4season · Apr 26, 2018

jnanian said:
there are japanese model/kits for so so manythings these days .. 35mm TLR camreas
i have (gonna build soon)

You mean this?
http://otonanokagaku.net/english/magazine/vol25/index.html
I had one - fun easy build, single-element meniscus lens.

4season · Apr 26, 2018

Rarest camera ever owned: My blue FED-2, only one known example

Rarest camera never owned: working KIev-90 (or any Kiev-90 for that matter).

removed account4 · Apr 26, 2018

4season said:
You mean this?
http://otonanokagaku.net/english/magazine/vol25/index.html
I had one - fun easy build, single-element meniscus lens.

yup !
there is even a chinese knockoff, shutter is a bit iffy

Kino said:
A friend at work bought and built the wax candle recorder and it's fun!

Let me know if you find a spirograph!

sure will !

John Koehrer · Apr 27, 2018

Lens: Olympus 40mm f2.8 for Leica ltm camera. Only about 1500 made. I bought it and 2-3 weeks later came across the
Olympus finder for the lens, That is dumb luck.

darinwc · Apr 29, 2018

Wow is love to see pics of those two. I love Olympus gear. But I've never even heard of the Olympus made finder!

Andy38 · Apr 30, 2018

A Petzval type lens, made by French opticians Auzoux & Français in the 1860, a ~ 170 mm f2,8.
Not big (1 kg, 125 mm), but in nice condition.

Agulliver · May 10, 2018

The rarest camera I own would be the plate camera that my dad made in 1958, because it is home made and unique. He never made another camera and there is nothing else quite like it.

I own a Kiev 6C that actually works perfectly....that's pretty unusual

The Praktica BX20S is considered quite scarce....I own two. I believe the Prakticar branded CZJ Flektogon 20mm lens is also quite scarce.

AgX · May 10, 2018

Agulliver said:
The Praktica BX20S is considered quite scarce....I own two. I believe the Prakticar branded CZJ Flektogon 20mm lens is also quite scarce.

Extremely rare should be the camera samples made by VEB Pentacon, but I have neither come across one of the later samples.

chuck3565 · May 10, 2018

AgX said:
Extremely rare should be the camera samples made by VEB Pentacon, but I have neither come across one of the later samples.

I own 4 BX20Ss including a new one still in the box. However they are all the Schneider post DDR ones.

Agulliver · May 11, 2018

AgX said:
Extremely rare should be the camera samples made by VEB Pentacon, but I have neither come across one of the later samples.

I believe both mine are Schneider. One certainly is as it was bought direct from the factory in 1993. The other I don't know for sure as it came via that famous auction site just last year without the original documentation.

But....far and away my favourite camera for sure. Beats the Japanese SLRs I own and have used hands down. I'd own another if the wife didn't object.

Ces1um · May 11, 2018

I guess my rarest would be my Harman titan 4x5 pinhole camera. While it's new and still in production there's a youtube video where they mention they were hoping to sell 1000 of them to make it worthwhile. I'm thinking they sold more than that, but obviously they didn't ever expect to sell 10's of thousands of units. I've never seen anyone in Nova Scotia with one, and you can't even order it through our local camera stores (I've tried). In fact, people are really curious when they see me out with it. They think it's some kind of surveying tool. They literally have no idea what it is.

DBP · May 22, 2018

4season said:
Rarest camera ever owned: My blue FED-2, only one known example .

My FED-2 is also blue

jonw · May 22, 2018

My rarest one I have ever owned was a 9” Strauss. Now it is either one of my 1850’s-1860’s Holmes, Booth, Hayden Petzvals or a French petzval from the same period.

Ashburnham · Jun 16, 2018

I recently came into possession of Kodak No. 5 Eastman Plate Camera, Series D. Approx. 500 were made in 1902. 5 x 7 format.

Sirius Glass · Jun 16, 2018

Ashburnham, are you also into amateur radio?

Welcome to ~~APUG~~ Photrio!

Ashburnham · Jun 16, 2018

I know nothing about amateur radio. I recently acquired this camera in a lot of vintage cameras, lenses, microscopes etc. I have no idea how to operate it and other than actuating the shutter (which works) I have done nothing more than open it. I would like to know more about it but there is little on the internet.

Sirius Glass · Jun 16, 2018

Ashburnham said:
I know nothing about amateur radio. I recently acquired this camera in a lot of vintage cameras, lenses, microscopes etc. I have no idea how to operate it and other than actuating the shutter (which works) I have done nothing more than open it. I would like to know more about it but there is little on the internet.

You can start buy checking out http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/ or reading A User's Guide to the View Camera, third edition, JIm Stone

darinwc · Jun 17, 2018

BrianVS said:
A 5-element Karat Xenar 5cm F2.8, coated optics. WW-II vintage.

Scheider Xenar 5cm F2.8 by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

I converted it to Leica mount, the loose lens found at a Photorama show for $30.

Probably the only one.

I've never heard of a 5-element xenar! Is it a heliar type then?

What is the rarest camera/lens you own?

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