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

[Arthurwg]

My last camera purchase was an RB67 Pro SD last year, bought from Japan as NOS. I think this is the last (film) camera I will ever buy as I already have maybe 20 cameras.

 

[Kino]

My last camera purchase was an RB67 Pro SD last year, bought from Japan as NOS. I think this is the last (film) camera I will ever buy as I already have maybe 20 cameras.

Glad you have restraint; I hope to get DOWN to 20 cameras in a year or two after I retire.

 

[Sean Mac]

My most recent arrival...

 

[dynachrome]

This week I took delivery of a black Konica Autoreflex T3N with the first version 50mm f/1.7 Konica Hexanon lens. Also included was a semi-wide strap. The date codes on the camera and lens show that they were both made in December of 1975. I put in two 657 Zinc-Air hearing aid batteries and the meter is just right. It doesn't look like the camera was used very much. By 1976, Konica changed the 50/1.7. The new lens was the same optically but was shorter and only focused down to 1.75 feet rather than 1.5 feet. The 50/1.7 lenses are considered an improvement over the old 52/1.8.

 

[88E30M50]

Today, the mail brought me a very nice early Canon F-1 body and 3 A-1 parts cameras. Last week, I bought a box of 6 parts/repair cameras for $29 that included a tired Canon FT, a decent FX and a perfectly good T70. Early last week, I lucked onto a pristine Canon TLb for $25. I have not put a roll through that one yet, but hope to give it a run before the EOY.

 

[Marcelo Paniagua]

Mamiya Press Super 23 with a very clean 100mm f/3.5

Just finished a test rollo and will develop tomorrow.

 

[Acere]

Nikon F6 with less than 20 rolls shot.

 

[KerrKid]

I just bought another Kodak VR35 K12. That makes two. I'm stocking up before they become cult classics.)

 

[Lazydaydream]

Konica Autoreflex T2 in like new condition

 

[FriedLouisStudio]

My oldest friend was cleaning out an apartment in Queens this summer and he came upon a cache of photo gear, which found its way to me. An old fan-fold flashgun, Weston and Gossen light meters, an Agfa Clack camera, a Kodak Jiffy Six-16 camera... and a 1955 Leica IIIf with the collapsible 50mm lens! It's in seemingly perfect condition, I've got a test roll of Tri-X in it now.

Despite constantly being surrounded by cameras of all kinds since infancy, I have never really handled a Leica before. (Both my Jewish parents had served in WWII, and they weren't ever going to spend a cent on anything made in Germany, especially expensive Leicas or Linfhofs. Our photo gear was all American or Japanese.) So, I have spent a long time walking around carrying the camera unloaded, getting used to its even-more-manual-than-I'm-used-to controls. Frankly, with the current state of my vision (*), positioning my eye correctly with the rangefinder is really difficult, even with my better eye. And impossible wearing my glasses. That's a problem.

(* Recent exams found cataracts in both eyes, but they're not advanced enough for insurance to pay for surgery yet; besides that, I've got 20-30 vision in one eye, and 20-50 in the other.)

Is it one of the most historically important cameras of all time and an incredibly gorgeous piece of machinery? Yes! Do I envision myself shooting with it often? No. That is, unless the images from this test roll absolutely blow me away. We'll see.

After a lifetime of using Nikon and Olympus SLRs (and many other cameras, though hardly any with rangefinder focusing), I can't imagine that working this Leica will ever feel "natural" to me at age 68. That's MY limitation, not the camera's. It's amazing.

 

[KerrKid]

My oldest friend was cleaning out an apartment in Queens this summer and he came upon a cache of photo gear, which found its way to me. An old fan-fold flashgun, Weston and Gossen light meters, an Agfa Clack camera, a Kodak Jiffy Six-16 camera... and a 1955 Leica IIIf with the collapsible 50mm lens! It's in seemingly perfect condition, I've got a test roll of Tri-X in it now.

Despite constantly being surrounded by cameras of all kinds since infancy, I have never really handled a Leica before. (Both my Jewish parents had served in WWII, and they weren't ever going to spend a cent on anything made in Germany, especially expensive Leicas or Linfhofs. Our photo gear was all American or Japanese.) So, I have spent a long time walking around carrying the camera unloaded, getting used to its even-more-manual-than-I'm-used-to controls. Frankly, with the current state of my vision (*), positioning my eye correctly with the rangefinder is really difficult, even with my better eye. And impossible wearing my glasses. That's a problem.

(* Recent exams found cataracts in both eyes, but they're not advanced enough for insurance to pay for surgery yet; besides that, I've got 20-30 vision in one eye, and 20-50 in the other.)

Is it one of the most historically important cameras of all time and an incredibly gorgeous piece of machinery? Yes! Do I envision myself shooting with it often? No. That is, unless the images from this test roll absolutely blow me away. We'll see.

After a lifetime of using Nikon and Olympus SLRs (and many other cameras, though essentially none with rangefinder focusing), I can't imagine that working this Leica will ever feel "natural" to me at age 68. That's MY limitation, not the camera's. It's amazing.

Congrats on the Leica! I know absolutely nothing about them and have never so much as held one. But, I'm sure I'd like the mechanics of the thing.

 

[Sirius Glass]

My oldest friend was cleaning out an apartment in Queens this summer and he came upon a cache of photo gear, which found its way to me. An old fan-fold flashgun, Weston and Gossen light meters, an Agfa Clack camera, a Kodak Jiffy Six-16 camera... and a 1955 Leica IIIf with the collapsible 50mm lens! It's in seemingly perfect condition, I've got a test roll of Tri-X in it now.

Despite constantly being surrounded by cameras of all kinds since infancy, I have never really handled a Leica before. (Both my Jewish parents had served in WWII, and they weren't ever going to spend a cent on anything made in Germany, especially expensive Leicas or Linfhofs. Our photo gear was all American or Japanese.) So, I have spent a long time walking around carrying the camera unloaded, getting used to its even-more-manual-than-I'm-used-to controls. Frankly, with the current state of my vision (*), positioning my eye correctly with the rangefinder is really difficult, even with my better eye. And impossible wearing my glasses. That's a problem.

(* Recent exams found cataracts in both eyes, but they're not advanced enough for insurance to pay for surgery yet; besides that, I've got 20-30 vision in one eye, and 20-50 in the other.)

Is it one of the most historically important cameras of all time and an incredibly gorgeous piece of machinery? Yes! Do I envision myself shooting with it often? No. That is, unless the images from this test roll absolutely blow me away. We'll see.

After a lifetime of using Nikon and Olympus SLRs (and many other cameras, though hardly any with rangefinder focusing), I can't imagine that working this Leica will ever feel "natural" to me at age 68. That's MY limitation, not the camera's. It's amazing.

What your parents did not know is that Leica went out of its way to save Jews. One of the things Leica did was to train as many Jews as it could to build and fix their cameras and sent them to the Leica factories in the US before the war broke out. Leica did more than that, but I do not have a good reference so one could learn more.

 

[gordrob]

What your parents did not know is that Leica went out of its way to save Jews. One of the things Leica did was to train as many Jews as it could to build and fix their cameras and sent them to the Leica factories in the US before the war broke out. Leica did more than that, but I do not have a good reference so one could learn more.

Just Google The Leica Freedom Train. There is a lot of information available to read on the subject.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Just Google The Leica Freedom Train. There is a lot of information available to read on the subject.

Thank you for the reference. I will start reading now.

 

[benjiboy]

My last camera purchase was a Canon F1n body about fifteen years ago. I am not an obsessive camera buyer. I only own 4 Canon F1 bodies ( 2 F1n and 2 New F1 A.E s) and also
an E.F body.

 

[DTC]

Minolta X-570 with motor drive and a couple of lenses. Have enough Olympus OM (OM-1, OM-1n, OM-2n, OM-4Ti) and Nikon cameras (F6, F2AS, FM3a, and FE2, along with D850 and D750) not to need any more cameras, but the X-570 was cheap and curiosity got the better of me. Pretty nice camera in the hand, planned to use it taking pics fishing near the ocean -- where if it gets wrecked by salt spray or sand (despite being in a camera raincoat) I won't be too upset.

 

[Kino]

Exakta Varax IIb with Jena Pancolor 50mm, F2 lens. This camera cannot have been used much before being relegated to a drawer or closet. Unfortunately, time has frozen the focus helicoid and the shutter only "double-fires"; it appears to release the first curtain on the first press and the 2nd shutter on the 2nd push of the shutter release button. It gets in line for repairs behind many other cameras, but is a nice example of this model.

 

[markjwyatt]

Exakta Varax IIb with Jena Pancolor 50mm, F2 lens. This camera cannot have been used much before being relegated to a drawer or closet. Unfortunately, time has frozen the focus helicoid and the shutter only "double-fires"; it appears to release the first curtain on the first press and the 2nd shutter on the 2nd push of the shutter release button. It gets in line for repairs behind many other cameras, but is a nice example of this model.

View attachment 355304 View attachment 355305 View attachment 355306 View attachment 355307 View attachment 355308

I just got one also. I bought from ebay in Germany (body only) offering about $85. Descriptions said it worked well, but when I got it, the shutter was sticking. I contacted the seller and got about $50 back, then had it CLA's (~$125), and now it works fine. It is a companion to my Exakta VX.

 

[Kino]

I just got one also. I bought from ebay in Germany (body only) offering about $85. Descriptions said it worked well, but when I got it, the shutter was sticking. I contacted the seller and got about $50 back, then had it CLA's (~$125), and now it works fine. It is a companion to my Exakta VX.

May I ask where you sent the camera for a CLA?

 

[BeselerOrNot]

I am not sure what happened, but I found myself in posession of 3 Pentax *ist bodies. Two working, third sold "for parts" but mostly works. Well, the first two are still en route so working or not yet remains to be seen.
Maybe I need counselling.. or joining Anonymous Old Camera Buyers..

 

[Sirius Glass]

I am not sure what happened, but I found myself in posession of 3 Pentax *ist bodies. Two working, third sold "for parts" but mostly works. Well, the first two are still en route so working or not yet remains to be seen.
Maybe I need counselling.. or joining Anonymous Old Camera Buyers..

Welcome to Photrio. No, do not need to join Anonymous Old Camera Buyers however if you want to avoid such buying you have come to the wrong place. We enable buying and collecting cameras.

 

[BeselerOrNot]

Welcome to Photrio. No, do not need to join Anonymous Old Camera Buyers however if you want to avoid such buying you have come to the wrong place. We enable buying and collecting cameras.

Thanks. What about enlargers? I feel like I have one coming..

 

[Sirius Glass]

Thanks. What about enlargers? I feel like I have one coming..

The most expensive part of setting up a darkroom is not the equipment but having the space to use as a darkroom. Choose the maximum size format you expect to use for the next few years. In your case 35mm or medium format. Then look in all the usual places on the internet and various forms of advertising. One will be out there for you, it may take some time and digging on your part. I brought a 4"x5" enlarger with a color head that I can use with the built in filters for black & white prints as well as for color print. It depends on your goals. Your choice for what is best for you.

 

[ags2mikon]

Just purchased a Rapid Omega M body. Looked like new. So I now have a spare.

 

[Disconnekt]

Got a Kodak Monitor Six-16 off evilbay, luckily I even found replacement bellows for it from UsedPhotoPro (got it as an "in case" the bellows arent good)