ksmattfish's camera collection

ksmattfish

Now 100% DC - not as cool as I once was, but still
Joined
Aug 25, 2003
Messages
7,019
Reaction score
36
Location
Lawrence, KS
Website
www.henrypeach.com
Can others edit my Photos
Photos NOT OK to edit
Here's what's in my collection.

New Cameras (aquired in the last month, haven't had a chance to put to use):

Kodak Vollenda 620
Graflex Graphic-Check 4x5 sequence camera

Users (cameras that have seen more than one roll of film through them):

Pentax 67II
Pentax K-1000
Pentax ZX-5
Pentax ME Super
Pentax Spotmatic 500
Pentax Spotmatic 1000
2 Ansco Titan 6x6
Zeiss Ikonta C Tessar
Calumet Graphic View
Anniversary Speed Graphic
Rolleiflex 3.5E Planar
Norita 66
Widelux F6
Beseler rollfilm pinhole cam
Viscawide 16 STD
Nikonos II
Konica C35
Olympus Epic Stylus
Olympus Pen D
Voightlander Vito B
Corralis 360 Degree camera (Spinshot proto-type)

Toy Cameras (all plastic):

Action Sampler
Diana
2 Holga
Polaroid I-Zone
Smena 8M

Vintage Cameras (some work, some don't):

Kodak #3A Autographic Special Model B
Kodak #3A Folding Pocket Model C
Universal Stere'-All
Boy Scouts of America official 127 camera
Univex model A
Kodak Duoflex IV
Kodak Duoflex II
Univex Mini Cam AF-5
Kiku 15 model II
Minolta 16
Kodak #1 Folding Pocket model B
Kodak #1A Folding Pocket
Kodak Jr. Six-20 series III
Agfa #1 Readyset Royal
2 light green Savoy 126
Metropolitan Clik-o-flex
Kodak Petite blue
Ansco Panda
Kodak Baby Brownie
Wristamatic
Kodak #2 Folding Autographic Brownie
Universal Minute 16
Agfa Jgenar
Kodak Jr. Six-16
2 Argus "bricks" (model C ?)
Argus A2B
Kodak Pony 828
2 Kodak Pony 135
Kodak Hawkeye Instamatic
Kodak Hawkeye Instamatic 104
Rollex 20
Argus 75
Kodak Brownie Starflash
Loreo Stereo
Spartaflex
Imperial Duo-lens
Ansco #5 model D
Falcon Minette
Kodak Tourist
2 Kodak Tourist II
Exakta VX500
Exakta
Kodak Retina Reflex III
2 Kodak Retina Reflex
2 Kodak Retina Reflex Instamatic
Fotochrome
Kodak #4 Cartridge
Nimslo 3D

Box Cameras:

3 Brownie Target Six-16
Rainbow Hawkeye #2 model C
Kodak 50th Anniversary
Kodak Beau Brownie Doublet green
Anthony and Scovill 3.25 x 4.25
Buster Brown #2
Agfa Ansco #2
2 Kodak #2A Brownie
unidentified Kodak
unidentified Kodak

Wish List (someday I'll get these):

Graflex Super Graphic
Shen Hao field camera
Agfa Click (also known as the Weekender)
Zeiss Super Ikonta B Tessar
Voightlander Perkeo II
Graflex RB Super D
Graflex XL
Olympus 35SP
 
so i'm curious... have you ever sat down and tallied up the total amount you spent on all of these cameras? it's the kind of thing i would definitely keep track of myself so, i'm feeling inquisitive. :study:
 
wow :shock: .. have u used all of those? ... which one is your favorite? .. one u use the most? ... why? ... which one takes the worst photos? :lol:
 
TwistMyArm said:
Ever think of opening a museum? :lol:

Someday I'd like to help put together a museum on film photography to teach all the young whippersnappers what it was like before memory cards and batteries.
 
carlita said:
so i'm curious... have you ever sat down and tallied up the total amount you spent on all of these cameras? it's the kind of thing i would definitely keep track of myself so, i'm feeling inquisitive. :study:

Actually, I am positive that I spent less on the collection than it's worth. Some of the cameras in the "users" section have a bit of value, almost everything else is probably worth $15 or less each (the Vollenda is a beautiful camera, it only cost $18 ). But the majority of the cameras on the list were given to me. Sort of a "if you build it, they will come" sort of thing.

I started aquiring old users because I couldn't afford modern equip. As I got new toys, the old toys started piling up, and I can never resist any old camera marke $5 or less at a rummage sale.

So I bought a big glass doored display case from a flea market vendor to put them in. When people would come over I'd show them the case. The next thing I know people start bringing me all the old cameras they are finding in basements, closets, garages, etc...(mostly junk, but I did get some users and an Omega DII 4x5 enlarger).

I also worked in a camera store/photo lab for 3.5 years. This put me in the right place at the right time 40 hours a week; old, broken cameras were always walking in.
 
Dew said:
wow :shock: .. have u used all of those? ... which one is your favorite? .. one u use the most? ... why? ... which one takes the worst photos? :lol:

I have really only used the ones in the "users" section. I have experimented with some of the others, but not extensively. And many of them don't work, are missing pieces, have fungus in the lenses, etc.., not to mention all the obsolete film formats.

Currently my favorite is the Rolleiflex 3.5E Planar. It's a twin lens reflex camera and it shoots 6cm x6cm negs that are razor sharp. It is one of the finest cameras I have ever used, and I am taking some of my best photos ever with it. But it's new to the collection; I got it in August. Many of the cameras on the "users' list are past loves.

The Pentax ZX-5 was my 35mm SLR for classes, and it's seen a lot of use. I have probably taken more photos with this body than any other. It taught me my mistrust of battery powered equipment; rather than warn me like it supposed to, when the batteries get low it just starts to weirdly malfunction. This was quite disconcerting until I figured out what was up. These days it's mostly used by my wife, or for taking slides to use in my Mom's Vivitar/Polaroid thingy for making Pola tranfers.

K-1000? Who wouldn't love a K-1000; it's the Volkswagon Beetle (my first car) of cameras.

The Norita 66 my first foray into MF(used it hard until the shutter button jammed, waiting on a CLA). Inexpensive MF SLR; Noritar lenses are great.

The Speed Graphic was my first LF, and it's still my main LF camera (mostly for landscapes). It's probably the camera that has seen the most use after the ZX-5. I love this camera because it makes 4"x5" negs. Enough said.

The Widelux is one of the coolest cameras ever made (mine needs a CLA). The Viscawide is a mini widelux that uses 16mm film (I hand load it with 16mm Pan-X 125 for movies).

I don't know which takes the worst pics. I'm usually very surprised with the quality when I experiment. They seem to do better than I would expect. There are a number of cameras in the collection that at least look like a pain in the butt to use, but I haven't tried them, or they don't work.
 
ksmattfish said:
Here's what's in my collection.

Wow! Very nice. I had some of those as well, wish I had some others. Here is what I have now, all in working condition:


Improved Seneca 8x10 field camera
Speed Graphic 4x5

Hasselblad 500 ELM
Zeiss Super Ikonta A1 531/16 with 75/3.5 Tessar
2 Koni Omega

Zorkii 4 (1967 Anniversary issue) RF
Canon SBIV RF
Olympus XA
Steky B (subminiature)
1895 No.4 Kodak Jr. Camera (rare)
1899 No.2 Folding Bull's Eye (Kodak, rare)
Kodak Retina III Reflex (SLR)
Kodak Retina I
Zeiss Baby Tengor, prewar box camera

And some I wish I did hang on to:

Kodak Ektra kit (1 camera body, 2 backs, 4 lenses, 3 finders, case) which I sold some 8 years ago, only 2,000 were made. :cry:

Zeiss Contax I(f) Made for China, sold about 5 years ago.

Voigtlander Bessamatic, Voigtlander Prominent, both sold 8 years ago.

Minolta Six, prewar MF folder, sold recently.

My very first camera though was a Russian SLR (35mm), the Zenit B. A workhorse for many years until dropped on hard floor. Then I attempted to fix it and I was left with the attempt. Since then I worked on cameras, mainly cleaning shutters, sometimes making a good camera out of two.

I kinda stopped for now, save for an occasional rare camera worth having.
 
Well, these are the camera's I have picked up since I got bitten by the collecting bug about 3 months ago.


Main:
Nikon N5005 (nikor yumm)


Users:

1935-38 Agfa-Ansco ReadySetPronto. Bellows fold out with rudimentary apeture settings. (small, medium, large)

50's Argus Argoflex TLRs 75. Two different varieties of this one. The English and the American version. One with an interesting diopter for "Portrait"

Kodak 1A Junior. This is probably the oldest one I have. Deffinatly the worst condition. Its a neat looking thing deteriorated badly. Interestingly enough It has a roll of film in it that looks to be about partially exposed. I have yet to work up the nerve to try to unjam the rollers and get it out. May try devoloping it.

30's Ansco Bellows job. Needs film plate repair. But I will be using this. Looks to have a very high quality ground lens with true variable apeture.

Kodak Duaflex TLR. Just developed my first roll from this one. Arrrrrg. What is with the "Guess" focusing. Darn. But the negatives are tack sharp on Agfapan 100.

Minolta SRT-102 Man this camera feels good in the hand. But the meter is whack. Not sure if its the Meter coupling on the lens or what. But with lens off meters like a dream. Lens on bupkis. But makes nice picks. Totally manual is soooo nice.

Just aquired:

Kodak Tourist. In the box. With original paperwork. Flawless condition bellows. Lens clear. Oh boy. Yum. Range finder with Guess focus again. Arrg.

Hmm, I have a few more. cant rememebr what they are.
 
Kodak Tourist. In the box. With original paperwork. Flawless condition bellows.

Yeah, they were nice cameras, weren't they? BTW, do you have the original Tourist or the Tourist II ? And does it have the Synchro Compur 800 shutter on?
 
I forgot about some of my collection.

You know those little plastic cameras that are basically reloadable disposables. Like the kind they used to send out for renewing magazine subscriptions. Well, I've been given about 2000 of those over the last couple of years. I think I'm going to use them to side my garage, or some big sculpture or something.

Also, this old fella gave me his entire disposable camera collection. So I now have about 800 different unused disposable cameras, and probably 200 used ones. He gave me some good stuff too, so I feel bad about throwing the disposables out. He insists that someday it'll be worth something.
 
I'm absolutely staggered by KS's collection and it sounds to me like a potential museum collection. There's gotta be some collector interest in some of them.
BTW, I'm an old whippersnapper who loves memory cards and batteries but with some reservations on batteries.
 
mrsid99 said:
I'm absolutely staggered by KS's collection

I am hooked on film cameras of all kinds. Sometimes I buy them just because it's a deal; I just can't pass up the cheapies on EBAY, at flea markets, rummage sales, etc...

Sometimes I get obsessed with a particular camera, and I have to get it to exorcise my obsession. My latest is a Graflex Graph Check #400 sequence camera. It takes 8 frames in sequence on regular or polaroid 4x5 sheet film. You can adjust the timing between the 8 shutters. I've been watching one on EBAY for months. It started at $400, and I finally got it when it dropped to $150 (I used the $400 to $150 rationalization with my wife, she says it's my Xmas present). I can't wait until it gets here. Check it out here:
http://www.vintagephoto.tv/graphcheck.shtml
 
Strangely enough I understand your collecting compulsion, there's an aesthetic pleasure in just owning certain objects.
Good luck in finding more!
 

Most reactions

New Topics

Back
Top