Wirgin Auta

After shooting digital for the last two years, I've been on a ridiculous film binge.

I picked up my first medium format camera earlier this year - a Rolleicord IV. Silly awesomeness given the price. I fell in love with that little camera instantly. A few weeks ago, I picked up a 'system camera' and picked up a Bronica SQ-A. Hard to resist given the price.

My first time out with it, I went to a local weekend market. The Fremont Market, for anyone in the Seattle area. They have a bunch of odds and ends - local artists, farmers, used 'stuff' people...

...while photographing vendors, I stumbled across a Wirgin, sold by a women whose booth could only be described as steampunk. She was ecstatic about a pair of cameras she found at an estate sale - a Kodak No 3 and a Wirgin.

I picked up the Wirgin Auta. I have to admit... I initially picked it up as a decoration for my office. It wasn't until the next day that I realized that it was in good condition. Good bellows. Shutter working down to 1/10th of a second. Scratch free lens - just a bit of dust. Prontor II shutter with a 4.5 lens.

This is my first folder. What a sweet little 6x9! I spent the evening cleaning it up and can't wait to take it out. Fortunately, I have a road trip through the redwoods in northern California this weekend. Beautiful timing.

Yes, this post is just an expression of my irrational love of this little 75 year old, $25 camera. I'm thankful to this site for being a place where I can share my pure, unadulterated excitement. I've got no idea what this camera is capable of but at this moment, I simply don't care - the craftsmanship and potential of this little camera overwhelms me.

Company history but not too much about that specific camera http://www.camerapedia.org/wiki/Wirgin

John

Wirgin has an interesting history and for sure made some interesting cameras, too. As others have said, the more you buy, the more you want. There are A LOT of classic cameras out there.

I know how you feel, two years ago I picked up a agfa sillite at a car boot sale, and fell in love with classic cameras, and now I find them irrestable, lovely mf folders,beautiful tlrs by rollei and orhers, gorgeous little and over my hard earned voightlanders call out to me, lovely little 35mm folders say buy me, and I just have to hand over my hard earned cash,and I use them all, but my mordern pentax cameras and my nearly modern bronica and lens just sit there never used, must go now, got another classic to unpack and put some film though,Richard

Brian Legge said:

Yes, this post is just an expression of my irrational love of this little 75 year old, $25 camera. I'm thankful to this site for being a place where I can share my pure, unadulterated excitement.

Click to expand...

Amen to that. My first folder was an Auta (with the Vario shutter: no slow speeds); thanks to the folder convenience factor, I've been able to take it all over the world in circumstances where an MF system camera would have been a huge pain in the neck to work with, and it's performed like an absolute champ.

The bellows finally started to leak and I sent it in to Jurgen Kreckel to be worked over. On paper this looks irrational since the replacement cost something like eight times what I paid for the camera, but in practice it was a no-brainer. Terrific little camera; good luck with yours and post some results.

-NT