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

[fstop]

I picked up a Minolta XK with 50/1.4 a few months back. Minolta's competitor to the Nikon F2 and Canon F-1. An interesting, but flawed camera. I need to use it more, but I always grab the Nikon or Canon before I grab the Minolta.

Jim B.

Whats flawed about it?

 

[fstop]

Ebay score showed up.
Oustanding Leica R4s (1983) with a 35-70 3 cam (1982)
Got both for a lot less than what the lens goes for by itself.
Only wanted the lens,but the body is tempting to keep.

 

[P C Headland]

Recently arrived, a Zeiss Ikon Contessa LKE rangefinder camera in almost mint condition. Meter, shutter speed and aperture are all visible in the viewfinder, and the meter seems accurate.

Adox CHS100 II in PC-TEA:

 

[Mackinaw]

Whats flawed about it?

First off, Minolta stuck the meter on/off switch on the right front panel. When you pick up the camera, the meter goes on. I get what they were trying to do, but I find it annoying for the meter to be constantly on when you hold the camera (and draining the batteries). With the Nikon or Canon, you turn the meter on only when you want to.

And I was really surprised that Minolta pretty much copied the F/F2 when they designed the XK. Prism and screen removal is identical to the Nikon (press in a button, etc.). At least with the F-1, Canon went their own way designing a far simpler, faster, and effective method of removing prisms and screens.

The viewfinder, on my XK, hasn’t aged well with the internal “light pipe” (made of plastic) that helps illuminate the shutter seed scale becoming too dark to be effective. I’ve taken the prism apart and have cleaned what I can and have replaced the internal mirror, but no dice. I can only see the entirety of the shutter speed scale in bright light.

And mine drinks batteries. Perhaps it’s only my camera, but the batteries do not last long.

On the plus side, it is made very well and the shutter has a real “solid” sound to it. Plus with that big prism, it looks cool. I’m going to try and use it more in the weeks to come. It may not be my favorite, but it’s a good camera.

Jim B.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

I scored a bunch of cool stuff at an estate sale today - a Bell & Howell 35mm Eyemo motion picture camera, a Kodak #3 Autographic (bellows are shot, but the lens is good and the body seems in good condition too - it will be a display shelf queen), a Koni-Omega 100 rangefinder press camera with the 90mm lens, and a Primar Reflex medium format SLR with focal plane shutter and a 105mm Zeiss Jena Tessar f3.5 lens. It's probably also a shelf queen as it has a bunch of functional issues (can't open the back door to access the film compartment, for starters). But it looks cool, and the lens might be adaptable to something else. In a separate purchase, I got a Zenit 122 35mm SLR with the 15mm fisheye lens.

 

[fstop]

First off, Minolta stuck the meter on/off switch on the right front panel. When you pick up the camera, the meter goes on. I get what they were trying to do, but I find it annoying for the meter to be constantly on when you hold the camera (and draining the batteries). With the Nikon or Canon, you turn the meter on only when you want to.

And I was really surprised that Minolta pretty much copied the F/F2 when they designed the XK. Prism and screen removal is identical to the Nikon (press in a button, etc.). At least with the F-1, Canon went their own way designing a far simpler, faster, and effective method of removing prisms and screens.

The viewfinder, on my XK, hasn’t aged well with the internal “light pipe” (made of plastic) that helps illuminate the shutter seed scale becoming too dark to be effective. I’ve taken the prism apart and have cleaned what I can and have replaced the internal mirror, but no dice. I can only see the entirety of the shutter speed scale in bright light.

And mine drinks batteries. Perhaps it’s only my camera, but the batteries do not last long.

On the plus side, it is made very well and the shutter has a real “solid” sound to it. Plus with that big prism, it looks cool. I’m going to try and use it more in the weeks to come. It may not be my favorite, but it’s a good camera.

Jim B.

The Senswitch is problematic for everyone.
Not worried about the method to remove view finer. I hardly ever remove it.
I get decent battery life, some of the battery life issue has been blamed on the Senswitch.
Its hit and miss on bright scale illumination some of my XKs are ok some are dark. The AES doesn't have those problems, I probably have over a dozen XKs at least 3 with the AES finder, my XK motor has an AES on it.

 

[dynachrome]

My last three cameras included a black Canon FX (which seems to be genuine), a black Minolta SRT 101 (2nd version w/mlu), and a chrome Minolta SRT 201 (2nd version w/mlu). These came with 28/2.5, 55/1.7 and 135/2.8 MC Rokkors (2nd generation). Both cameras and all three lenses are engraved with the name of a former owner. The two cameras also have the old Dymo labels with the raised lettering. I think I will have the cameras overhauled and leave the labels on. The 28 has the usual darkening for this model but is usable as is. The other two lenses just need some attention from Zeiss Wipes.

 

[gordonrgw]

A Voigtlander Vitessa A3 Ultron f2, to tag team with my Vitessa N2 Skopar whose slow speeds are beginning to stick a bit too much..

 

[keechoon]

T90 from my darkroom teacher. Looking at a nFD 80-200mm f4 L zoom but most of the copies have some kind of haze in them. Are FD lens more prone to getting haze?

 

[Michael Ferron]

An amazingly fine condition Nikkormat EL. Looks like it is one year old. Please excuse the less than perfect Nikon ai 50 F 2 attached.

 

[fstop]

View attachment 380215 An amazingly fine condition Nikkormat EL. Looks like it is one year old. Please excuse the less than perfect Nikon ai 50 F 2 attached.

We'll let it go this time... Nice camera.

 

[M-88]

Got tired of fiddling with Kiev-Contax bayonet cameras and their tricky shutters. First I replaced the ribbons, then replaced bent shutter elements, then replaced the entire shutter mechanism . . . and the shutter frame broke down due to the metal fatigue. The quality of Soviet products sometimes leaves a lot to wish for. So in the end I gave up and decided to get an LTM body and use a lens via an adapter:

It's L1 with cloth shutter. At least I know how to get around it when it comes to replacing the shutter.

 

[henryvk]

So in the end I gave up and decided to get an LTM body and use a lens via an adapter:

Wait, wait.

The adapter doesn't couple the rangefinder though, right?

 

[loccdor]

Just got a Franka Solida I 6x6 with a Frankar f/3.5 triplet lens. I gave it a little refurbishing with some cleaning and oil, taking it out for its first roll in a few minutes. Was pleasantly surprised by its good condition!

 

[M-88]

Wait, wait.

The adapter doesn't couple the rangefinder though, right?

It does, in case of 50 mm lens, which I have. Not sure about other lenses though.

 

[henryvk]

It does, in case of 50 mm lens, which I have. Not sure about other lenses though.

Cool, I had no idea.

Is it this one or an old one?

 

[M-88]

Cool, I had no idea.

Is it this one or an old one?

It's exactly that, with black locking tab instead of chrome. If you intend to buy it, please be aware that focusing direction of LTM is the same as bayonet release direction of Contax, so it must be handled with care, as to prevent lens from falling out from the bayonet. Thankfully original German lens has a pretty tight fit, but its Soviet copy is wobbly.

 

[WeiW]

a fuji gf670

 

[Yashica]

Found 2 XD-11s in a drawer that I had forgotten about, so its kind of new to me ...again.

Waiting for my ebay score to show up.

Excellent !

 

[joelbolden]

Just received a Mamiya C3 in pristine condition. It came with the 105mm general purpose lens. I've the 250mm on the way, and I'm bidding on the 180mm. I'm a totally outdoors shooter, so I wanted the lenses with some reach first. Already put two rolls through it and it works perfectly.

 

[Marco Gilardetti]

Just received a Mamiya C3 in pristine condition. It came with the 105mm general purpose lens. I've the 250mm on the way, and I'm bidding on the 180mm. I'm a totally outdoors shooter, so I wanted the lenses with some reach first. Already put two rolls through it and it works perfectly.

Those are great, great cameras. I own a C330 since no less than 30 years and it's possibly the last that I would resell. Together with a pair of their lenses they fit a relatively compact case and are ideal cameras for travelling, as you've already found out. What I particularly like of Mamiyas in general is their originality, they really are cameras of their own, not an "imitation" of anything. Great purchase, enjoy your C, I'm sure you will love it forever!

 

[Paul Howell]

Konica MR 640, "weather proof" AF point and shoot. Dual lens, widish and very short tele ( 40mm 3.5 and 60 5.2) DX coded with 100 ISO as default.

 

[aw614]

Minox 35 EL, shutter actually fires, though its definitely two stops under exposed with a cr1 6v battery so we'll see how it goes. Price was worth trying out again...

 

[henryvk]

Funny, I just got this Minox-derivative: The Balda CS 35.

I got this because my wife's Ricoh AF gave up the ghost. It looks practicaly new, no signs of use whatever, came with batteries too and the program exposure seems to works. The aperture seems to be triangular.

Can't believe how tiny and light these things are. Very bright viewfinder too. We´ll see what the four-element lens can do.

works.

 

[JL Nims]

Father passed away but left me his Canon AE-1 Program with the 50mm f1.8 lens and original case. Took it out for a spin with Ilford FP4+ in it yesterday. So much fun!