Inherited Collection

[GreyArea]

Hi everyone,

Was hoping to get a spot of advice....

I have inherited 31 old cameras, think some of them are preobably owrthless, and some may be worth more. I' not going to try and list them all here now, but I would appreciate some advice on getting some values. There are no shops in the local area which specialise in this area, and some of the books I have seen on the internet are $100!

There are a load of box cameras, Corronet, Conway, Brownie etc, some I can't identify.... Bunch of Kodacs, Brownies... Some folding ones mostly Kodac No1A, 2A, 3, junior, six-20. An Ensign Midget which I realy like actually!

There is an Ernemann Heag 1 Plate camera which is in quite good condition, I though this one might have some value? It has 5 plates in a box too. I can't find any info on this one on the internet, only the IX I think it was...

There are loads of other in varying condition. I have written a list up, but not typed it up yet, but will post it if anyone is interested?

What I'm personally looking forwards to though, is running a film through the Olympus Trip 35! I'm a bit young to have had the pleasure 1st time arround! And the Asahi Pentax S1a is calling to me too! -

Any way, thanks for any help anyone can give me...

Regards

 

[Big Mike]

Welcome to the forum.

E-bay is usually a good way to find a rough value of old camera gear. I often hear www.KEH.com is also a good place to check prices...but I don't know how many 'classic' cameras you will find there.

All you need to know, is that if you find something with 'Leica' on it...put it in a box and send it to me.

There are a few members around here who know a fair bit about older gear...maybe they will stop in here.

 

[Mitica100]

Hi everyone,

Was hoping to get a spot of advice....

I have inherited 31 old cameras, think some of them are preobably owrthless, and some may be worth more. I' not going to try and list them all here now, but I would appreciate some advice on getting some values. There are no shops in the local area which specialise in this area, and some of the books I have seen on the internet are $100!

There are a load of box cameras, Corronet, Conway, Brownie etc, some I can't identify.... Bunch of Kodacs, Brownies... Some folding ones mostly Kodac No1A, 2A, 3, junior, six-20. An Ensign Midget which I realy like actually!

There is an Ernemann Heag 1 Plate camera which is in quite good condition, I though this one might have some value? It has 5 plates in a box too. I can't find any info on this one on the internet, only the IX I think it was...

There are loads of other in varying condition. I have written a list up, but not typed it up yet, but will post it if anyone is interested?

What I'm personally looking forwards to though, is running a film through the Olympus Trip 35! I'm a bit young to have had the pleasure 1st time arround! And the Asahi Pentax S1a is calling to me too! -

Any way, thanks for any help anyone can give me...

Regards

I can help you with pricing most of the stuff, if you're interested.

First, I also have the Heag I with three plates in a box and in mint condition. I mean mint, like the day it left the factory. They're around $75.00 in that condition. That camera was made sometime around 1911 and it's pretty solid. I never shot with it but I think the lens is decent as well.

The Kodak Six-20 could be a good 6x9 MF camera if the lens-shutter combo is good. One in great shape could fetch about $50.

The Asahi Pentax S1a in good shape with a normal lens will go for around $40 to $50 on Ebay.

That's all I can tell you without knowing more about what you have. If you prefer, you can PM me and list all the cameras and thei lens/shutter combinations as well as their condition. I'll do my best to price them right for you.

Dimitri

 

[GreyArea]

Thanks Dimitri, I will get the list typed up this weekend and get it to you. It's quite an exciting list, for me, but I've always liked old cameras, but never had an excuse to actually buy one. Nice to have a bunch to go look at.

Cheers

 

[Don Simon]

Nice collection! Don't rule out even the really old ones as keepers; if they work ok then how about getting one of the folders that takes 120 film (like one of the Kodaks) and giving it a go? Whatever the camera's age, if the lens is clean and the aperture and shutter work then you should be able to get some fairly impressive shots.

As for the Pentax, what lens does it have? If it's a Takumar 1.4... :thumbsup:

 

[GreyArea]

Nice collection! Don't rule out even the really old ones as keepers; if they work ok then how about getting one of the folders that takes 120 film (like one of the Kodaks) and giving it a go? Whatever the camera's age, if the lens is clean and the aperture and shutter work then you should be able to get some fairly impressive shots.

As for the Pentax, what lens does it have? If it's a Takumar 1.4... :thumbsup:

Hi,

I think there are only 2 or 3 which don't appear to work. Basically shutter's don't open, bu the rest of them do. I have a film in the Olympus Trip 35 at the mo, will swap it to the Pentax half way through. See what I can get.

The Pentax has the Takumar F2.0 if that makes any diference?

Will post some results of these tests if I get anyting worth posting!

Cheers

 

[Orgnoi1]

If you need the cash sell them... if you dont... buy a set of glass shelves and make a nice display... there is nothing like old cameras for conversation pieces... and if you truelly like the old stuff you will appreciate them and pass them on when its time..

 

[GreyArea]

A couple of these have film in them.

• Kodak Junior six-20, Eastman Kodak Rochester NY. Lens No.0 Kodon. With Kodak Doublet(?) on. S/N on Lens 55172. Has exposed film in it!
• Two Conway Camera Popular Model cameras. 1 has short plastic lens surround, 1 has longer plastic lens surround. 1 has film stuck in it, and broken inside. Made in England – no other info.

Pasted that in from my master list! Can I get these developed any where? Do you think it worht trying?

Also - all the cameras seem to be 620 film. Can you still get that? There are two big kodak folders No1A autographic, and a number 3 folding pocket brownie model G - these look like they take bigger film, could they be 120?

Sorry - don't know much at all about this old stuff.!

Cheers

Matt

 

[Don Simon]

This site has photos showing the difference between 620 and 120 film. The film itself isn't larger, it's just a difference in the size of the plastic spools. You can't get 620 films any more (there are places that reload or recut film for obsolete formats, but I don't know of any in the UK). However that website shows you how to load 120 film onto 620 spools if you want. I imagine it would be a lot easier just to use the cameras that take 120 film. Either way, lots of branches of Snappy Snaps and other high street photo shops will develop 120 (but not make prints) and I expect it shouldn't be too hard for them to do the same for 620.

As for the cameras whose shutters don't open, try a few times and see if anything happens. Sometimes the blades get oily and stuck, it may be possible to get them going again (though they may not be all that accurate or reliable).

 

[Orgnoi1]

You can't get 620 films any more (there are places that reload or recut film for obsolete formats, but I don't know of any in the UK).

Not true... unless B&H's webpage is incorrect they show Kodak and Fuji 620 film for sale...

Examples:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=306599&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=129752&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

 

[Don Simon]

Not true... unless B&H's webpage is incorrect they show Kodak and Fuji 620 film for sale...

Examples:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=306599&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=129752&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

Sorry, what I should have said was they don't make them any more. As I said various companies will recut/respool films - which may well be the case here, since B&H has no image for their 620 films, except for the 620 Fuji which is shown wrapped in tin foil. I could be wrong there. Anyway it seems to cost 2-3x as much as equivalent 120 film, and he'd have to have it shipped across the Atlantic... a fairly expensive way to test out some old cameras!