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

[Ricardo Miranda]

Not sure what I'll do with some of this yet.

You can send the FG to me!!

My last new to me is a Kodak Retinette 1B.
Very nice to use.

 

[removed-user-1]

Speaking of the Nikon FG, this week I found a black one in a box of stuff at a thrift store, not in very good shape but working on M90 and B settings. I have a soft spot in my heart for this model, as the first serious camera I bought with my own money was an FG. Anyway, it seems pretty clear that somebody "repaired" this one before discarding it. The full list of things wrong with it when I rescued it (other than being very dusty):

1. missing the two screws on either side of the eyepiece
2. screw heads on lens mount stripped
3. missing grip
4. focus screen evidently removed, cleaned (with gusto!), and reinstalled upside-down (the FG screen is "fixed" - changing it requires some minor surgery).
5. needs new foam

So, after cleaning it up carefully, I started looking for parts. Two donor cameras to the rescue: a Nikon FE with a bad shutter provided an E (grid) screen, and "new" screws came from a black Nikon FM, also with a dead shutter. Getting those stripped screws out of the mount was tough! Still missing the grip.

Fitting the FE screen involved careful work with a file to remove the tab used to insert it into an FE. It's not quite the same size as the FG screen, so I had to position it carefully. It is the same thickness, though, and focus is accurate (checked against my F3). Surprisingly, I don't have any 1.5v batteries, so I don't know if the electronics are good. Planning on getting a pair today, if the electronic settings work, it'll get new seals too.

 

[Sewin]

A cool looking USSR Space Age Zorki 10, fully functioning and in excellent condition with case etc.

 

[havelegs]

Nikon F3HP

 

[Ricardo Miranda]

Nice Zorki!

a Nikon FE with a bad shutter provided an E (grid) screen

Are you aware that the original FG screen is brighter than the K and E screens of the earlier FE?
A K2 or E2 screens are closer to what the FG "K" screens was.
You might have to compensate for the different brightness for the meter.
Congratulations on the restoration.

 

[Sewin]

Thanks Ricardo,

The rangefinder is slightly out, I've got a repair manual but the images are unreadable, so off to the USSR forum for some help!

 

[MattKing]

You can send the FG to me!!

My last new to me is a Kodak Retinette 1B.
Very nice to use.

You probably will like my APUG avatar then .

 

[removed-user-1]

You might have to compensate for the different brightness for the meter.

I put batteries in it this afternoon, and the electronics seem to work. As for the screen brightness, you are correct; with the new screen, it is indicating about half to two-thirds a stop of under-exposure compared to my F3's meter (which is accurate). I'll adjust for this in the ISO when I shoot with it. The additional brightness itself is very welcome, even if it does throw the meter off!

 

[Ricardo Miranda]

You probably will like my APUG avatar then .

I do!

 

[Ricardo Miranda]

I put batteries in it this afternoon, and the electronics seem to work. As for the screen brightness, you are correct; with the new screen, it is indicating about half to two-thirds a stop of under-exposure compared to my F3's meter (which is accurate). I'll adjust for this in the ISO when I shoot with it. The additional brightness itself is very welcome, even if it does throw the meter off!

Good that is working.
Enjoy it!

 

[Jon Buffington]

Canon elan 7ne w/ battery grip in very good condition with an el cheapo canon 28-80. The lens will go in the cheapo pile and L lenses have found a new home to mount to.

 

[VisualDarkness]

A cool looking USSR Space Age Zorki 10, fully functioning and in excellent condition with case etc.

That is one of my dream cameras to acquire with a fully working meter!

 

[VisualDarkness]

My latest is a Contax IIa
Contax IIa front by Andreas Sundell, on Flickr

 

[Sewin]

That is one of my dream cameras to acquire with a fully working meter!

Hi VisualDarkness,

Glad you like it. The meter works, rangefinder is spot on after a bit of easy adjustment.

Just need to try it with film now.

Sewin

 

[cuthbert]

Few weeks ago I was able to buy a Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 20 mm f2.8 at decent price, when it arrived I was surprised to find out that it wasn't a M42 but had a Praktica bayonet.

Not having any Praktica B (just a MTL50, that to be honest proved to be an excellent camera for the price) I started hunting for one of these, and I was able to find out on evilbay some "Jenaflex", that were basically rebadged Praktica BC1s with a small grip and sold by the UK distributor in 1986 to celebrate the 120th anniversay of CZJ. In these days I was able to win another famous CZJ lens, the Pancolar 50 mm f1.4 (the 80 mm is out of my range) installed on a non working BC1...today all this stuff arrived and here there is my small Praktica system:

Besides the lenses that have a great reputation (even if the Prakticar is worn out to death at least esternally) I should vouch for these Praktica cameras: ofter ridiculed, I found that for being cameras made in the mid 80s they aren't so bad, the BC1 and derivatives are more of less equivalent to a Ricoh or a Pentax ME super: relatively bright screen, led on one side (very Pentax like, although they are just red), AE priority, small (they handle and look like a LX more than a MX/ME), the shutter is loud but not too loud, the mirror features a very complex suspension system to reduce the recoil, the mechanics is snappy and crispy. Yes they are made of plastic, and this plastic is quite cheap compared to western standards, but metal and glass are of some quality.

 

[flavio81]

Pentax 67 camera with a 90/2.8 lens. It is starting to grow on me, despite it's crude mechanics.

 

[Sewin]

Few weeks ago I was able to buy a Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 20 mm f2.8 at decent price, when it arrived I was surprised to find out that it wasn't a M42 but had a Praktica bayonet.

Not having any Praktica B (just a MTL50, that to be honest proved to be an excellent camera for the price) I started hunting for one of these, and I was able to find out on evilbay some "Jenaflex", that were basically rebadged Praktica BC1s with a small grip and sold by the UK distributor in 1986 to celebrate the 120th anniversay of CZJ. In these days I was able to win another famous CZJ lens, the Pancolar 50 mm f1.4 (the 80 mm is out of my range) installed on a non working BC1...today all this stuff arrived and here there is my small Praktica system:

Besides the lenses that have a great reputation (even if the Prakticar is worn out to death at least esternally) I should vouch for these Praktica cameras: ofter ridiculed, I found that for being cameras made in the mid 80s they aren't so bad, the BC1 and derivatives are more of less equivalent to a Ricoh or a Pentax ME super: relatively bright screen, led on one side (very Pentax like, although they are just red), AE priority, small (they handle and look like a LX more than a MX/ME), the shutter is loud but not too loud, the mirror features a very complex suspension system to reduce the recoil, the mechanics is snappy and crispy. Yes they are made of plastic, and this plastic is quite cheap compared to western standards, but metal and glass are of some quality.

Hi cuthbert,

The BC1 and B200 are very underated. I've both complete with various lenses and I like them a lot.

The model I'm not so fond of is the BCX which tends to go for relatively high prices in Praktica terms on fleabay.

Sewin

 

[cuthbert]

Hi cuthbert,

The BC1 and B200 are very underated. I've both complete with various lenses and I like them a lot.

The model I'm not so fond of is the BCX which tends to go for relatively high prices in Praktica terms on fleabay.

Sewin

Out of curiosity, what's the difference between the BCX and the other Bs? It's pretty difficult to find reliable data on these little cameras, and they almost look like the same, same thing for the M42 bodies, even if a PLC3 is completely different from a MTL5, for instance.

In my case I chose the Jenaflex just because it looked better and it had the grip, I understand the BX20 also has TTL flash but it looks too much plastic to me.

P.S. Anybody has some suggestions on how to straighten the lip of the 50 mm f1.4?

 

[Sewin]

The last of the line Prakticas were as you say a bit plasticky, also the EE2 tended to be slightly less reliable.
Strange you mention the PLC3 I use one of them too, I just like Prakticas for some odd reason:confused:

The best place to look for all the Praktica variations, early Prakticas and Jenaflex is Mikes excellent site www.praktica-collector.de

 

[frank]

Rolleiflex 6003 src 1000. Traded a digital camera with lens for it.

(Fuji xm1 with 27)

 

[Malinku]

Won myself a Minolta xk with viewfinder off ebay for a bit over $130.

 

[TheToadMen]

From Ebay: Nikon F black # 7058253 (Nov 1969) with Photomic FTN (working light meter) and a NIKKOR-N Auto 24mm 1:2.8 non ai Nippon Kogaku from the same period.

Can't wait to receive this camera and start using it. It is (almost) as old as I am.

 

[Sirius Glass]

From Ebay: Nikon F black # 7058253 (Nov 1969) with Photomic FTN (working light meter) and a NIKKOR-N Auto 24mm 1:2.8 non ai Nippon Kogaku from the same period.

Can't wait to receive this camera and start using it. It is (almost) as old as I am.

Enjoy!

 

[darinwc]

Recently won a Olympus 50mm f2 Macro. I'm very surprised by the quality. Compared to my Micro-Nikkor 55mm f2.8, it seems to have more 'pop'. -hard to explain. Only used it on digital do far. My OM system is on the back-burner until i play with more vintage stuff.

Speaking of which, I also have a Agfa Karat iv on the way. Looking forward to comparing that to the Retina and Vitessa. -Guess I need a Contessa now to complete the square?

 

[VisualDarkness]

I got this Bakelite fella!
Cleaned, calibrated and got the slow shutter speeds going in this Voigtländer Brillant S. The infinity for the taking lens was right in the middle of the focusing range and the "focusing screen" was even put upside down!
Voigtländer focusing Brillant S by Andreas Sundell, on Flickr