What's your latest new old camera ? (Part 2)

Sparrow.jpg

A
Sparrow.jpg

  • 1
  • 0
  • 57
Orlovka river valley

A
Orlovka river valley

  • 6
  • 0
  • 114
Norfolk coast - 2

A
Norfolk coast - 2

  • 5
  • 1
  • 105
In the Vondelpark

A
In the Vondelpark

  • 4
  • 3
  • 194
Cascade

A
Cascade

  • sly
  • May 22, 2025
  • 9
  • 6
  • 171

Recent Classifieds

Forum statistics

Threads
197,846
Messages
2,765,575
Members
99,487
Latest member
Nigel Dear
Recent bookmarks
1

jwd722

Subscriber
Joined
Jan 15, 2012
Messages
360
Location
Michigan
Format
Multi Format
A Rolleicord IV to replace my beater Rolleiflex Automat.
The magnifier is broken off at the rivets so I am using my Agfa 8x loupe and ordered a taller Peak 5x loupe until I can figure a fix. The loupe method works pretty good though.
Camera is in great condition otherwise.
'Cord_resized_1.jpg
 

joelbolden

Subscriber
Joined
Feb 22, 2019
Messages
97
Location
Stormstown, Pennsylvania
Format
35mm
Just received, about an hour ago, the Olympus XA I ordered from Japan. Arrived 6 days early. Excelllent shape outside, the viewfinder is pristine; no problems with the rangefinder patch; everything works. Came with the A11 flash, which also works. I've Rangefinders by Minolta and Konica that dwarf this little thing.
_IMG1909.jpg
I've a roll of fujifilm Xtra400 de-frosting, and tomorrow it's supposed to be 60F, so I'll take it for a ride.
 
Last edited:

KerrKid

Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2022
Messages
1,512
Location
Kerrville, TX
Format
35mm
Just received, about an hour ago, the Olympus XA I ordered from Japan. Arrived 6 days early. Excelllent shape outside, the viewfinder is pristine; no problems with the rangefinder patch; everything works. Came with the A11 flash, which also works. I've Rangefinders by Minolta and Konica that dwarf this little thing. View attachment 325729 I've a roll of fujifilm Xtra400 de-frosting, and tomorrow it's supposed to be 60F, so I'll take it for a ride.

Congrats. I have couple of XA2's that I really like.
 

Donald Qualls

Subscriber
Joined
Jan 19, 2005
Messages
12,139
Location
North Carolina
Format
Multi Format
I've Rangefinders by Minolta and Konica that dwarf this little thing.

I believe that camera holds the title for the smallest full frame rangefinder ever sold. And it's quite good, too. I've got one somewhere, though I'm pretty sure it had batteries in the flash when someone else packed it so the flash is probably dead (at least the hearing aid cell in the meter won't have leaked). I've got a 1941-ish Welta Weltini that's barely bigger than this when folded, though, and the f/2 Xenon is excellent...
 

Cholentpot

Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2015
Messages
6,670
Format
35mm
Congrats. I have couple of XA2's that I really like.

I have the XA and XA2. They're not really the same camera.

The XA does this thing where when you get a shot when the light is perfect and the aperture is wide enough the whole photo gets this diffused glow. It used to be a bug, now it's a feature.
 

Donald Qualls

Subscriber
Joined
Jan 19, 2005
Messages
12,139
Location
North Carolina
Format
Multi Format
Mine never did that -- but maybe I didn't get the conditions just right. The XA has one of the few non-Tessar four-element (4/4, actually) lenses and focuses by moving the second element, rather than the third -- which lets it be very compact and very sharp.
 

Cholentpot

Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2015
Messages
6,670
Format
35mm
Mine never did that -- but maybe I didn't get the conditions just right. The XA has one of the few non-Tessar four-element (4/4, actually) lenses and focuses by moving the second element, rather than the third -- which lets it be very compact and very sharp.

Maybe I've got a bonkers camera. Want to sell your unused XA? I can always use another.
 

Donald Qualls

Subscriber
Joined
Jan 19, 2005
Messages
12,139
Location
North Carolina
Format
Multi Format
Want to sell your unused XA?

Right now, it's in a bin (I'm pretty sure) in my office, which hasn't been opened in seven and a half years. There's another bin on top of it, still partially full of stuff I don't have room to unpack (moved from living alone in a house to sharing a 14x70 mobile home). I don't think I'm likely to get to it any time soon...
 

Cholentpot

Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2015
Messages
6,670
Format
35mm
Right now, it's in a bin (I'm pretty sure) in my office, which hasn't been opened in seven and a half years. There's another bin on top of it, still partially full of stuff I don't have room to unpack (moved from living alone in a house to sharing a 14x70 mobile home). I don't think I'm likely to get to it any time soon...

Yes, but my birthday is in six months and the camera is lonely.
 

eli griggs

Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2005
Messages
3,827
Location
NC
Format
Multi Format
Yep, sounds like you need a perfing device, then. Fortunately, you at least don't need to worry about the pre-exposed frame lines Kodak used to put on 126.

Do such tools exist that are small enough and affordable for small darkrooms?
 

Huss

Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2016
Messages
9,058
Location
Hermosa Beach, CA
Format
Multi Format
I have the XA and XA2. They're not really the same camera.

The XA does this thing where when you get a shot when the light is perfect and the aperture is wide enough the whole photo gets this diffused glow. It used to be a bug, now it's a feature.

I once had an XA2 when I was a kid. No idea what happened to it, and never got a good pic out of it. But that was on me not 'getting' the very simple zone focus marks, and just basically being clueless.
Would like to have that camera back now - if it suddenly re-appeared! - just to see what I could do with it.
 

Cholentpot

Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2015
Messages
6,670
Format
35mm
I once had an XA2 when I was a kid. No idea what happened to it, and never got a good pic out of it. But that was on me not 'getting' the very simple zone focus marks, and just basically being clueless.
Would like to have that camera back now - if it suddenly re-appeared! - just to see what I could do with it.

Just keep it in the middle basically. One of the tricks I've learned with the XA2 is always shoot it ISO400 or higher. The lens will stop down further and everything will always be in focus.
 

KerrKid

Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2022
Messages
1,512
Location
Kerrville, TX
Format
35mm
Just keep it in the middle basically. One of the tricks I've learned with the XA2 is always shoot it ISO400 or higher. The lens will stop down further and everything will always be in focus.

That’s what I do now. When I first got it, though, I shot a lot of Kodachrome 64 with it and was very happy with the results.
 

Donald Qualls

Subscriber
Joined
Jan 19, 2005
Messages
12,139
Location
North Carolina
Format
Multi Format
Do such tools exist that are small enough and affordable for small darkrooms?

The ones I've read about were homebuilt, but it's not like putting cine perfs into recut 120 stock or similar; you need your perfs around 32 mm apart (28X28 frame with some space between), the right small distance from one edge of the film (that will be cassette bottom, IIRC), and only from 12 to 24 on a roll. An end stop for the first punch, a pin to set spacing, a suitably sized/shaped hole punch, and a way to measure and cut the film length in the dark -- and the rest of the tools for loading and reclosing the cartridge.
 

Cholentpot

Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2015
Messages
6,670
Format
35mm
That’s what I do now. When I first got it, though, I shot a lot of Kodachrome 64 with it and was very happy with the results.

I think we need to start tracking time for film as Pre Kodachrome, During Kodachrome and After Kodachrome. Each era has a distinctness. PK, DK, AK.
 

Donald Qualls

Subscriber
Joined
Jan 19, 2005
Messages
12,139
Location
North Carolina
Format
Multi Format
Pre Kodachrome, During Kodachrome and After Kodachrome.

But a lot of very iconic films overlapped two of those eras. Verichrome (not Verichrome Pan) was introduced PK but ran through half the DK period. Double X came out DK but (in cine stock at least) is still running AK.
 

Cholentpot

Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2015
Messages
6,670
Format
35mm
But a lot of very iconic films overlapped two of those eras. Verichrome (not Verichrome Pan) was introduced PK but ran through half the DK period. Double X came out DK but (in cine stock at least) is still running AK.

There will be some overlap. But we're setting this up for casuals. Everyone knows what Kodachrome is. So you point to a time before, during and after.

PK was the dark ages. DK was the golden era. AK has the winds sweeping across a barren wasteland where only a few hardy survive in bunkers.
 

Donald Qualls

Subscriber
Joined
Jan 19, 2005
Messages
12,139
Location
North Carolina
Format
Multi Format
AK has the winds sweeping across a barren wasteland where only a few hardy survive in bunkers.

There are a fair few survivors, but precious few new births AK...
 

PBphoto

Member
Joined
May 15, 2019
Messages
65
Location
the Netherlands
Format
Med. Format RF
I just bought a working condition Graflex 5x7 Home Portrait SLR just so I can use my petzval lenses on it.
But since this is a 35mm thread.... The latest would be a set of Argus C44 lenses including the 50mm F1.9, it just looks cool, I just need to find a working camera for it.
ahhhh, men I've been looking for a Home Portrait for a long time ...
they are not common in Europa
 

oxcanary

Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2004
Messages
70
A battered Olympus OM40 that still works fine. A case of battered meaning well used and reliable rather than smashed and ready to meet its maker. Knockdown price on eBay too. Is this the only camera that has DX coding AND an override to this
 
Photrio.com contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.
To read our full affiliate disclosure statement please click Here.

PHOTRIO PARTNERS EQUALLY FUNDING OUR COMMUNITY:



Ilford ADOX Freestyle Photographic Stearman Press Weldon Color Lab Blue Moon Camera & Machine
Top Bottom