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

Trower · Feb 25, 2017

lpt10 said:
My latest old camera? I lost my head. A Mamiya 6. The viewfinder is just so bright and clear compared to the Fuji 645. My next old camera if you can call it that way since it's going to be an expensive repair, will be my grandpa's old Kardon civilian rangefinder. It's a screw mount Leica III clone, and it's been languishing in photographic limbo with a broken shutter/curtain for far too long.
For 35mm needs, my Minolta X700. For panoramic needs, the 6x12 Noon pinhole, though i've eyeing something with a lens for quite some time now but between a dedicated 6x12 or even 6x17, or a 4x5 field camera with the benefit of movements, and the disadvantage of weight...

Jelous! I dream of owning a Mamiya 6! Enjoy taking some wonderful pictures with it

AgX · Feb 25, 2017

Truzi said:
A Super Speed Graphic. The electronic release works (I had tested with five daisy-chained 9-volts).

Why did you test the solenoid with 45V DC ?

Truzi · Feb 25, 2017

AgX said:
Why did you test the solenoid with 45V DC ?

I know, I should have disassembled and used a VOM (still should to test the capacitor), but the decades-old Mallory batteries actually had about 1.6v left each; not enough to fully activate the solenoid, but enough to try. If I left them in an hour (to charge the cap) and then pressed the (electric) release button, I'd get a slight click, but not enough to trigger the shutter.

The camera takes two 22.5-volt batteries in series. This charges a solenoid - so I just jumpered in the 9-volt monstrosity by holding the wires to the contacts in the battery compartment.

The replacement batteries from Exell are a mm or two too wide. They barely fit - I had to coax them into the camera. Shaking the new batteries all but confirmed my suspicion - most likely filled with "button" cells. I can make one of these myself, lol.

AgX · Feb 25, 2017

Truzi said:
The camera takes two 22.5-volt batteries in series.

I did not expect such a high voltage (never came across such). My mistake.

GRHazelton · Feb 25, 2017

45v is enough to give one a perceptible jolt....

Truzi · Feb 25, 2017

AgX said:
I did not expect such a high voltage (never came across such). My mistake.

I know what you mean. When I first started looking into these cameras (I've been looking to get one since about 2012), I was surprised it took 22.5v batteries. More surprised when I learned they were in series.

I have a cheap off-brand wireless remote release I want to use on this occasionally, and I cannot find a spec-sheet for what kind of load it can handle. My next trick will be building an adapter with a high-voltage solid-state relay so I don't fry the remote receiver.

GRHazelton said:
45v is enough to give one a perceptible jolt....

Ya, I won't test these by licking the contacts, lol.

lpt10 · Feb 25, 2017

Trower said:
Jelous! I dream of owning a Mamiya 6! Enjoy taking some wonderful pictures with it

I saw that camera in a advert for Photographies Magazine, a excelllent French magazine from the 90s. And my plans to buy it could be summed up to an abstract "one day...". But while in a trip to Hong Kong i had the chance to test one and that was it. The viewfinder is beautiful, bright and contrasty with a large focusing patch. If you use glasses it's a bit of hard to see the exposure information on the LEDs on the left side, but it's so easy to focus. The Fuji GS645 viewfinder is darker and has a small patch that makes it really hard to focus in anything other than daylight. When you get one (and you will ), just beware that the film advance mechanism seems to be its Achiles heel. Though mine is fine, there are countless reports of people that had problems with it.
The lenses are fantastic too.

flavio81 · Feb 27, 2017

Just bought a Pentax P30, a camera i previously had shunned because of the use of plastics.
What i liked of the camera is the way the memory lock is implemented. It makes shooting on "Program" mode very easy. Also, the focusing screen is nice, with a big rectangular microprism field. It has no outstanding features, just a small, compact camera that works just fine with a good meter.

I am coupling this one with a SMC Pentax-A 50/1.4, which looks really nice and makes the combo look very pretty.

I think i'll also get a SMC Pentax-A 50/2, which is very light.

lovely Pentax machines!

Toyo · Feb 27, 2017

Moskva 5 for 6X9.
T

flavio81 · Feb 28, 2017

flavio81 said:
Just bought a Pentax P30, a camera i previously had shunned because of the use of plastics.
What i liked of the camera is the way the memory lock is implemented. It makes shooting on "Program" mode very easy. Also, the focusing screen is nice, with a big rectangular microprism field. It has no outstanding features, just a small, compact camera that works just fine with a good meter.

I am coupling this one with a SMC Pentax-A 50/1.4, which looks really nice and makes the combo look very pretty.

I think i'll also get a SMC Pentax-A 50/2, which is very light.

lovely Pentax machines!

Update: I just bought two more P30 cameras, but these are broken. I'll think i can make a "fresh" P30 out of two of them.
And i got a Pentax-A 50/2 in good shape.

Nice machine! Although the focusing screen is a bit hard to use for assessing focus. It is really bright, but not so good for focusing, me thinks.

John_Nikon_F · Mar 1, 2017

Wound up winning an auction for an F Photomic FTn "Apollo" version with MD plate. $68, plus shipping. Somewhat cosmetically challenged.

-J

flavio81 · Mar 1, 2017

John_Nikon_F said:
Wound up winning an auction for an F Photomic FTn "Apollo" version with MD plate. $68, plus shipping. Somewhat cosmetically challenged.

-J

WOW

You are really lucky, mr. Nikon F!

I have two "Johns" with Photomic Tn and FTn prisms that need repair. They need new prisms and a complete revision of the metering circuit. Someday i'll repair them! Meanwhile i enjoy my F2A and F2 standard.

mjk · Mar 3, 2017

Just got a Nikon N90s. I'd had a Nikon N8008s back when I was still a film-only shooter, so picking up the next in the line made sense as I start shooting again.

John_Nikon_F · Mar 4, 2017

flavio81 said:
WOW

You are really lucky, mr. Nikon F!

I have two "Johns" with Photomic Tn and FTn prisms that need repair. They need new prisms and a complete revision of the metering circuit. Someday i'll repair them! Meanwhile i enjoy my F2A and F2 standard.

EZSniper did help out... ;-)

I wound up using said camera as a donor. Picked up a later model non-Apollo F that looks decent for $50+tax locally. Using the parts from the donor to upgrade it to the more comfortable to use plastic tip advance and self-timer levers, the threaded sync terminal, etc. Considering that the later non-Apollo bodies are identical mechanically, it'll become one, even though I won't advertise it as being such if I wind up passing it onto someone else. The rest will probably be going to a friend who has an early F that's missing some items. The FTn finder, while ugly, does still work and seems to be pretty smooth in operation. Does need to be recalibrated for 1.5 volt cells (found some very dead Kodak KX13 mecury cells in it), though.

-J

flavio81 · Mar 4, 2017

John_Nikon_F said:
EZSniper did help out... ;-)

I wound up using said camera as a donor. Picked up a later model non-Apollo F that looks decent for $50+tax locally. Using the parts from the donor to upgrade it to the more comfortable to use plastic tip advance and self-timer levers, the threaded sync terminal, etc. Considering that the later non-Apollo bodies are identical mechanically, it'll become one, even though I won't advertise it as being such if I wind up passing it onto someone else. The rest will probably be going to a friend who has an early F that's missing some items. The FTn finder, while ugly, does still work and seems to be pretty smooth in operation. Does need to be recalibrated for 1.5 volt cells (found some very dead Kodak KX13 mecury cells in it), though.

-J

Aha... so you are with me: you also think that the Photomic FTn is uglier than the Tn?

John_Nikon_F · Mar 4, 2017

flavio81 said:
Aha... so you are with me: you also think that the Photomic FTn is uglier than the Tn?

No, actually the T and Tn are the uglier ones, in that they're so massive. At least the FTn isn't huge and also doesn't have a tongue sticking out of the nameplate, unlike the earlier finders. I was stating the fact that it was ugly. Lots of wear. Nameplate has lots of scratches, a couple dents, the shell is almost brass, and the numbers on the shutter speed coupler ring are almost completely worn off. My other F's T finder is much cleaner looking, but, a more ugly-looking finder. Personally, I'd replace both finders with a pair of eyelevel finders, but, I don't see that happening anytime soon.

-J

Europan · Mar 4, 2017

Got a Zeiss-Ikon Movikon 8 B commissioned for overhaul. Some improvements over the 1952 model and some worsenings. Ah, yes, bought myself a brown 1952 (not a cherry red ‘53) for rehearsing first. As most other narrow-gauge film equipment it stems from Bell & Howell Co.’s Rockwell Engineering Laboratory. Zeiss-Ikon could afford a larger package than for example Marcel Christen and, I think, they could make a down payment whereas others had to pay the licence percentage-wise by sales.

quixotic · Mar 4, 2017

Just picked up a Nikon F4 with a 50mm f1.8 lens. I was mainly just curious about the miracle of matrix metering. Nice camera, but it (and the lens) weigh almost 50% more than my Fuji GF670. I can't imagine that I'll take it on any trips, so I'll probably sell it and get a Nikon 35Ti instead.

Kodachromeguy · Mar 5, 2017

Toyo said:
Moskva 5 for 6X9.
T

Interesting! Have you tested with film? How well does it work?

guangong · Mar 5, 2017

Searching for a Kodak Medalist 6x9 camera, there was nothing that looked very good on that auction site. I then tried apug but only two responded and assured me that an undamaged Medalist without degrading cleaning marks was an unrealistic quest. Then I was able to purchase one from a reputable dealer with everything in tact (except for a frozen series filter retaining ring...probably frozen since late 1944) and an absolutely flawless coated lens. Camera probably never touched since 1944. Sent camera to my repairman who cleaned and lubricated lens, shutter, etc. and now have a camera as close to factory issue as possible.
One discovery. Unlike most cameras, this camera is actually easier to hand hold while inside its case. The shear mass of the camera may even make 1/50 sec exposures with its 100mm lens possible but so far only shot film using 1/100 and 1/200.
Oh yes, excluding shipping, total final cost for this gem:$250.

Toyo · Mar 5, 2017

Yes, I ran a roll of Fomapan 100 through it and it was very encouraging. Minor problem on its first outing involved the one-piece back which failed to engage properly on the left hand side.
I only discovered this on frame number 6. Too late - there were light leaks on one end of each frame as a result.
The remaiders of each of the frames were very good and the lens is quite sharp.
Next time I will be more careful.

T

guangong · Mar 5, 2017

Addendum. A little mink oil mixed with neetsfoot oil brought case back to almost like new...oils darkened color but brought back pliability.

kb244 · Mar 6, 2017

M. Axel Wikstrom · Mar 6, 2017

For 35mm, Nikon F100. For medium/large format, a Horsemen 6x12 panoramic back for my Wista 45.

one90guy · Mar 6, 2017

Finally got what I consider a great looking rangefinder, the Canon P. My only problem is not getting to use it yet Recovering from surgery and healing is going sooo slow.

David

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

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