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

Ricardo Miranda · May 25, 2016

John,
I always remove mine when not in use.
I just put the one it came with for that shot.
I have an OM-2N black where it is brassed where the shoe fits.

cuthbert · May 25, 2016

£20 plus shipping...hopefully all in working conditions. I must confess I've attracted mostly by the bad, hoods and filters.

Theo Sulphate · May 25, 2016

That's a score - especially the bag!

4season · May 25, 2016

Nice, I've never seen a BX20 in real life.

4season · May 26, 2016

Zenit 122K as sold by Lomography:

Factory QC seal is dated 18 Nov 2015! I think I would have felt a little bit disappointed if it had arrived in something more than crumbling styrofoam.

Serial number of lens and camera body indicates 2002 production. Lots of plastic including the camera back, but no apparent light leaks despite lack of any sort of light trap around the perimeter of the back. Front grip area and thumb rest area on the back make it a comfortable camera to hold. Much brighter viewfinder than my Zenit 12SD, though it shows the same cropped view.

50/2 MC Zenitar-K2 lens: I find the controls kind of slippery, but the lens is admirably small and lightweight, and it focuses down to about 35 cm.

4season · May 26, 2016

...and a DIY project. Can't really see it so well in the photo, but the camera's top is dented and the hot shoe sits at an angle. I'll try to remove the dent and do a general tidying-up when I have some free time.

cuthbert · May 26, 2016

4season said:
Nice, I've never seen a BX20 in real life.

I assume you're American, in the UK Praktica Bs are extremely common and they sell for dirty cheap, this is my first BX20 but I already have a BX20S (later model, not impressed), a BC1 (with another BC1 that I keep for spare parts), a BCX and a Jenaflex, which happens to be one of my favourite cameras.

They are surprisingly similar to a Pentax LX in terms of size and ergonomy, not comparable to it in terms of building quality but more or less in the same league of a Pentax Super A or a Ricoh XR7, when they work they are nice and better than for instance a ME Super IMO.

And of course the CZJ glass is second to none.

cuthbert · May 26, 2016

4season said:
Zenit 122K as sold by Lomography:

Factory QC seal is dated 18 Nov 2015! I think I would have felt a little bit disappointed if it had arrived in something more than crumbling styrofoam.

Serial number of lens and camera body indicates 2002 production. Lots of plastic including the camera back, but no apparent light leaks despite lack of any sort of light trap around the perimeter of the back. Front grip area and thumb rest area on the back make it a comfortable camera to hold. Much brighter viewfinder than my Zenit 12SD, though it shows the same cropped view.

50/2 MC Zenitar-K2 lens: I find the controls kind of slippery, but the lens is admirably small and lightweight, and it focuses down to about 35 cm.

Nice score but I remember the old ones from the 90s came with the Helios 44k that is much better built than the Zenitar K2, optically they should be the same.

4season · May 26, 2016

cuthbert said:
Nice score but I remember the old ones from the 90s came with the Helios 44k that is much better built than the Zenitar K2, optically they should be the same.

I wasn't able to find a Helios 44-7 in K-mount, but I did purchase this 1992 M42 combo from a Russian seller:

Compared to my 2002 model, I prefer the matte finish and paint-filled Zenit logo of the older camera, but the viewfinder LEDs are dimmer and the lens feels a lot bigger and heavier and it doesn't focus as close

4season · May 26, 2016

cuthbert said:
I assume you're American, in the UK Praktica Bs are extremely common and they sell for dirty cheap, this is my first BX20 but I already have a BX20S (later model, not impressed), a BC1 (with another BC1 that I keep for spare parts), a BCX and a Jenaflex, which happens to be one of my favourite cameras.

They are surprisingly similar to a Pentax LX in terms of size and ergonomy, not comparable to it in terms of building quality but more or less in the same league of a Pentax Super A or a Ricoh XR7, when they work they are nice and better than for instance a ME Super IMO.

And of course the CZJ glass is second to none.

I think cameras from the FSU and Eastern Germany never really caught on in the USA as they did in your part of the world, and good luck finding much beyond maybe a Zenit E or old Zorki at local photo swap meets. Seems to me that by the mid-1970s, the USA market was almost totally dominated by Japanese brands, and I seem to recall Olympus OM1s, Nikon FGs and the like being reasonably priced.

John_Nikon_F · May 27, 2016

Chrome FE2 in fairly decent condition. Got it for $58, plus tax. Traded the crappy FM2n for it. Got $50 in trade-in value. So, paid about $8.64 or so.

-J

R.Gould · May 27, 2016

Balda Baldix should be here next week, what with bank holidays and such

Ricardo Miranda · May 27, 2016

4season said:
I wasn't able to find a Helios 44-7 in K-mount, but I did purchase this 1992 M42 combo from a Russian seller:

Compared to my 2002 model, I prefer the matte finish and paint-filled Zenit logo of the older camera, but the viewfinder LEDs are dimmer and the lens feels a lot bigger and heavier and it doesn't focus as close

Very nice!
I remember in the late 90s reading a review of this same SLR in Practical Photography.

Ricardo Miranda · May 27, 2016

John_Nikon_F said:
Chrome FE2 in fairly decent condition. Got it for $58, plus tax. Traded the crappy FM2n for it. Got $50 in trade-in value. So, paid about $8.64 or so.

-J

Congratulations!
The FE2 is an excellent SLR.

Ricardo Miranda · May 27, 2016

R.Gould said:
Balda Baldix should be here next week, what with bank holidays and such

Congratulations!
I'm taking out my Zeiss Nettar 518/16 this weekend.
I'm really enjoying that folding camera.
I'm sure you are going to enjoy yours!

R.Gould · May 27, 2016

Ricardo Miranda said:
Congratulations!
I'm taking out my Zeiss Nettar 518/16 this weekend.
I'm really enjoying that folding camera.
I'm sure you are going to enjoy yours!

Ricardo,
I love folders, and have 9 120 folders that I use all the time, in fact all of my MF photography is either folders or my Rolleicord or Rolleiflex, both from the 50,s, no more carrying big bags of lenses Ect, just a folder or TLR, a few rolls of Fomapan, and my trusty Weston euromaster, same goes for 35mm, I have 8 folders, and some fixed lens rangefinders, plus my Agfa Ambi Sillette rangefinder and full set of lenses or mr werramatic with full set of lenses (2 plus the standard 50mm for the werra and 3 including the very elusive 130mm for the ambi) I like travelling light, Have fun with your nettar, they are great fun and capable of results as good as anything else, just stop the lens down a bit and the negatives should be great
Richard

Ricardo Miranda · May 27, 2016

Richard,
The Zeiss is only my 2nd folding camera.
I had one many years ago and sold it as I found them fiddly to use at the time.
But, I always appreciated how portable they are.

cuthbert · May 27, 2016

I finally found a a decent Praktica VLC3 for my Pancolar:

I think right now I have the most professional Praktica and the most respeted CZJ 50mm.

onre · May 28, 2016

Ricardo Miranda said:
Richard,
The Zeiss is only my 2nd folding camera.
I had one many years ago and sold it as I found them fiddly to use at the time.
But, I always appreciated how portable they are.

I had initially the same feeling, but after using a folding camera for a while, everything just clicked. Nowadays I shoot a lot with a Moskva-2. The whole routine of using it has become so automatic that I don't have to separately think of it anymore. Overall, I've found it easier to just adjust myself to whatever equipment I want to take photographs with. The only piece I couldn't do this was a Kiev 88 with a loose film magazine latch - I would have needed a third hand to secure the film magazine in place while shooting...

R.Gould · May 28, 2016

Ricardo Miranda said:
Richard,
The Zeiss is only my 2nd folding camera.
I had one many years ago and sold it as I found them fiddly to use at the time.
But, I always appreciated how portable they are.

use one for a while and they can become addictive, I never found them fiddly, just much slower to use, but that os n o bad thing, you tend to think about eaach shot more, the main thung I find is to get into a routine, meter and set exposure, compose, then set shutter cocking lever, recompose and thake the photo, slow, but once you get into the habit it becomes second nature, and it is great fun,

onre · May 28, 2016

Looks like these are. Both work perfectly, from 1972 and 1973. Could not pass. Lenses are not matching.

dosilverhalide · May 29, 2016

Very small amount of gas today. I bought the first Hit camera I've ever seen. The shutter works but the film advance is a little wonky, although I doubt I'll be taking any pictures with it. It's in a leather case and the bottom half of its factory box. J.

GRHazelton · May 29, 2016

I scored a Nikonos III with the 35mm f2.5 and the 80mm f4. I had them serviced by Southern Nikonos, which included pressure testing to the design limit, 50 meters, or about 160 feet. Service also includes new O-rings, etc. I also scored the meter housing by Nikon and the Sekonic L 86 selenium which fits it. There is a certified dive shop with instruction only a few miles away......... Jacques Cousteau calls to me......

John_Nikon_F · May 31, 2016

Ricardo Miranda said:
Congratulations!
The FE2 is an excellent SLR.

Thanks, agreed. Add three more to the mix. First one is an F4E for $92.50. Needs a nicer MB-23 and period correct DP-20 finder with the lock pin hole on the shoe. Second is a black Nikkormat FT2 for $19.50, plus shipping. Third one is an S with 5cm/1.4 Nikkor-SC that a friend on the east coast decided to give me as a late 40th b-day gift.

-J

cuthbert · Jun 3, 2016

Finally my Praktica BC 3 has arrived...and it's absolutely perfect, looks new and unused.

Warranties, user's manual, filters, flash gun...even the rare finder's cover.

I like these small and cheap cameras, they feel good and they do all I need, the glass is top notch, I filled it with a roll of Lady Grey (does anybody know what really is?) and I plan to test it tomorrow.

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

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency