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

[Theo Sulphate]

...
The FT2 was a freebie that came with the Spotmatic. The Spottie with the 135/3.5 was $15, and the Spot II was $12. All items were acquired at the swap meet.

-J

Crazy low prices for good equipment - congratulations.

How was the swap meet? Attendance (by visitors) good? What were the coolest things there?

From Puyallup days I miss the Friday evening unpacking event and looking at other vendors' stuff. Sadly, the seller I used to go with passed away (WWII vet - took reconnaissance photos in the Pacific south sea islands).

 

[flavio81]

Hey, at least the back is attached! I love my Vitessa L, but who ever thought a fully detachable back was a good idea? If the Solagon is as good as the Vitessa's f 2 Ultron I'll be happy.

What can I say...? The Retina IIIc is a much better designed camera (than the agfa), but the Solagon renders 3x more beautiful images than the Retina-Xenar. It gets easily evident in prints.

 

[GRHazelton]

What can I say...? The Retina IIIc is a much better designed camera (than the agfa), but the Solagon renders 3x more beautiful images than the Retina-Xenar. It gets easily evident in prints.

Well...I have two Retina IIIc's. The one with a Xenon f 2 is sidelined with shutter troubles. The one with the Heligon f 2 soldiers on. I don't like the bottom wind on the Retinas, and the exposure counter is STUPID. Apparently the shutter rack is a weak point on this and presumably the IIIC. I do like the fact that the Retinas protect the lens when folded, and the Karat doesn't. Also, why did Agfa omit strap lugs/eyelets from at least the IV? STUPID! Perhaps its a wash.... As far as user friendly, the Vitessa L is better than either: left hand advance film, right hand focus and release shutter. Parallax corrected viewfinder! Killer f 2 Ultron! Strap lugs! But that damnable "free-floating" detachable back...what were they thinking? Or they thinking? I always fear dropping the back when I reload. What a horror that could be!

Or...the Konica IIIa! f 1.8 lens, front panel advance shutter cocking, and the viewfinder corrects for parallax AND the field shrinkage as the lens focuses closer! Plus its 1 to 1 viewing. Fabulous! While its not a folder, its heavy enough to be a worthy self-defense weapon. See this: http://www.dantestella.com/technical/koni3.html

BTW, both the Retina and the Vitessa are babe magnets! I haven't evaluated the Karat IV in this regard yet, nor have I checked out the Konica IIIa. Do note that I'm 73 and happily married, so that these observations are just that...observations.

 

[MattKing]

What can I say...? The Retina IIIc is a much better designed camera (than the agfa), but the Solagon renders 3x more beautiful images than the Retina-Xenar. It gets easily evident in prints.

Them's fighting words!
All Retina IIIc product:

 

[GRHazelton]

Them's fighting words!
All Retina IIIc product:

Them's fighting words!
All Retina IIIc product:

Be chill, my Brother! My first real camera was/is a Retina 1, f3.5 uncoated Ektar, bought used, I assure you! Still works, the unsynchronized Compur shutter sounds right. Sadly it has a fingerprint etched into the lens...my fault. I'll never part with it.

 

[cooltouch]

Also, why did Agfa omit strap lugs/eyelets from at least the IV?

I'm not familiar with this model, but something occurred to me. Do you have the case for this camera? Might the case design be such that the strap attaches exclusively to the case, thus obviating the apparent need for attachment points at the camera? I agree with you, btw, just trying to figure out why they would do such a thing.

 

[John_Nikon_F]

Crazy low prices for good equipment - congratulations.

How was the swap meet? Attendance (by visitors) good? What were the coolest things there?

From Puyallup days I miss the Friday evening unpacking event and looking at other vendors' stuff. Sadly, the seller I used to go with passed away (WWII vet - took reconnaissance photos in the Pacific south sea islands).

Thanks.

Wasn't too bad. I'd say less people than last year, partly due to the wacky weather we've been having and partly due to people having other commitments. With respect to cool items, it seemed to be the same stuff that we've seen in the past.

Should've teamed up with binglebugbob and I. We had four people working three tables. So, could've had two more APUGgers working the tables.

-J

 

[GRHazelton]

I'm not familiar with this model, but something occurred to me. Do you have the case for this camera? Might the case design be such that the strap attaches exclusively to the case, thus obviating the apparent need for attachment points at the camera? I agree with you, btw, just trying to figurre out why they would do such a thing.

Yes, thankfully I have the case. Sadly there's no way to detach the "hood" from the rest of the case, making shooting verticals clumsy, despite the fact that the hood can pivot on its attachment stud. Ah, well....

 

[flavio81]

Them's fighting words!
All Retina IIIc product:

Dear Matt 19000 (King of APUG),

I am also a proud owner of a Retina IIIc. There is no problem with the sharpness of the Retina-Xenon 50/2, which is exemplary.
But wide-open the 'bokeh' or out-of-focus rendition of the Solagon is superior (more beautiful), while mantaining good definition. I swear by it.
Otherwise the Retina is a much better designed camera and I don't have any problem with the frame counter nor with the bottom wind. Also, the Retina is a bit better finished.

Interesting fact: Retina was made in Stuttgart (where they build Mercedes) while the Agfa Karat was made in Munich (where they build BMW).

 

[Chan Tran]

A Nikon EM and a 50mm f/1.8 series E lens. I had to pay $35 for it. The meter reads about a stop low. I don't know if the shutter speed would match the meter readout or not.

 

[Theo Sulphate]

Olympus 35 RC. Lens is at the sweet 42mm focal length, the selected aperture and shutter speeds are visible in the viewfinder, all shutter speeds work, auto-aperture works (i.e. shutter priority), rangefinder is accurate, self-timer works. This is the first clean, fully functioning 35 RC I've found. Nice!

 

[canvassy]

Olympus 35 RC. Lens is at the sweet 42mm focal length, the selected aperture and shutter speeds are visible in the viewfinder, all shutter speeds work, auto-aperture works (i.e. shutter priority), rangefinder is accurate, self-timer works. This is the first clean, fully functioning 35 RC I've found. Nice!

Very nice! The 35RC is my favorite pocket camera The light meter just stopped working on mine unfortunately, but I still carry it around and use Sunny 16.

 

[CMoore]

Olympus 35 RC. Lens is at the sweet 42mm focal length, the selected aperture and shutter speeds are visible in the viewfinder, all shutter speeds work, auto-aperture works (i.e. shutter priority), rangefinder is accurate, self-timer works. This is the first clean, fully functioning 35 RC I've found. Nice!

View attachment 176915

Wow.!
He certainly is a handsome little guy.

 

[Kino]

Yashica Lynx 5000


Konilette 35

Two fun little cameras I found at a swap meet...

 

[MartinCrabtree]

Finally got my FM2n back. Wow. Such a nice usable camera. Shot a roll of expired color negative quickly and will have it developed. Thinking a roll of Eastman 5222 should be next. It's such a joy to shoot with.

 

[benjiboy]

An absolutely mint like new Canon F1n body I paid a very reasonable price for, the only marks on the body are two feint scratches on the base. I'm just shooting a test slide film with it at the moment, but by the cosmetic condition of the camera it's hard to believe it's about forty years old, and it certainly hasn't had professional use.

 

[flavio81]

An absolutely mint like new Canon F1n body I paid a very reasonable price for, the only marks on the body are two feint scratches on the base. I'm just shooting a test slide film with it at the moment, but by the cosmetic condition of the camera it's hard to believe it's about forty years old, and it certainly hasn't had professional use.

You lucky boy!!

 

[benjiboy]

You lucky boy!!

I love Canon F1's and decided to use them just about exclusively because after nearly thirty years of using the model I can use them instinctively, I now have five (3 New F1's and 2 F1n's) I don't have fifty cameras like some members of this forum and I have sold three cameras recently because I decided to get rid of stuff I didn't use and to replace it with stuff I would.
I'm retired and am out shooting almost every day so I will use the F1's regularly, and all my canon FD lenses fit and work correctly on all my cameras so I am lucky Flavio.

 

[Bud Hamblen]

From Goodwill: a Kodak Pony 135 with a 51mm f/4.5 Anaston lens and a Kodak Flash 200 shutter. The camera was made in 1950-1954 according to Kodak Cameras, the First Hundred Years by Brian Coe. The competitor to the Pony 135 would have been the Argus A4. The Pony would have been out of the running with the Zeiss Contina, etc.

 

[elcabezagrande]

I've been busy.

Century Studio #4

Gundlach Korona 5x7

Agfa Optima Parat

Contaflex II

Kodak Signet 80

Graflex Crown Graphic

Graflex Century Graphic

Mamiya 645 Pro and M645 1000S

 

[Kino]

I'll say you've been busy!

 

[elcabezagrande]

I'll say you've been busy!

A local photo studio had a going out of business sale, 70 years worth of gear. That is where both Graflex cameras, the Mamiyas, the Korona, and the Century Studio camera came from. I am probably going to re-home the big studio camera, and one or both of the Mamiya bodies. I also bought this 14 1/2" Verito lens for the studio camera.

 

[Michael Firstlight]

I just acquired a mint (practically unused) condition Pentax 67II with an AE finder, rosewood grip, 45mm, 55mm 75mm and 300mm lens. I sold my entire Pentax 67II system about 8 years ago and regretted it ever since, though on balance I spent only a fraction for this system this time around than I spent for my original system for which I also got a lot when I sold it. I just love this camera. I love shooting 6x7 - and have a complete 6x7 (B&W and color darkroom) I am reconstituting as well - it provides a deeply intentional and slowed-down respite from my digital workflow which it doesn't replace, but compliments. Maybe I'm imagining it, but my 24x36 prints off my Epson 7880 from 6x7 scans (Nikon Coolscan 8000) still look richer than from my 36MP D800.

Regards,
Mike

 

[vlasta]

An absolutely mint like new Minolta Dynax 9, from original owner.

 

[carylee2002]

I just picked up 2 Kodak 2D 8x10's. both made in late 1947.....Such a solid camera especially when using old barrel lens. I'm mounting one for 8x10 use with a #6 Packard Shutter while the other will be using 5x7 adapter and modern day lenses. I addition I picked up off of craigslist here in L.A. a good Nikon F2A with two lenses on the cheap. Went to Walters Camera Repair for a CLA and it is awesome since it is mechanical.