Mini-medium format

[compur]

Recently found a Komaflex-S, one of the very few SLRs made for
127 film. It's made by Kowa (Japan) and has a 65mm f/2.8 "Prominar"
4-element lens. I bought it for the princely sum of $5 at a swap
meet a week or so ago. It's in pretty nice condition with working
shutter (1 to 1/500) that even seems pretty accurate.

The lens is non-interchangeable but Kowa made a set of screw-in
wide and tele lens converters for it. Guess I'll have to find those
now ...

 

[ErectedGryphon]

Nice find, that would go good on my mantle piece

 

[Buckster]

Very nice! Great find!

 

[Mitica100]

Very cute!

 

[compur]

Thanks, I've been looking for an excuse to explore 127 film a little
because I've never really shot with it and I always thought it had
something to offer. Namely a bigger-than-35mm negative in a
compact camera.

But then I do have a 645 folder that's about the same size as this
guy so I may only re-discover why 127 cameras went extinct.

 

[Derrel]

Nice find on a cool-looking camera! I always wanted one of the gray baby Rollei TLR's...I guess now they are cheap. I had never heard of the Komaflex-S. Sure seems worth $5. Now that 127 film is extinct as an off-the-shelf format, it seems like that Film For Classics company has got a pretty good chunk of the custom film market and a single roll of film is worth about two to two and a half times what the camera set your back!

 

[compur]

Freestyle carries Efke B&W in 127 for about $7. I live nearby so next time
I go there I'll get some. They also often have recently expired or
short-dated film in the store on their bargain table at a good discount.

The camera could use some new light seals too so I'll do that first. It's
a pretty simple job on this camera.

 

[Actor]

Vintage Kowa Komaflex-S Single Lens Reflex Camera - eBay (item 380170458353 end time Oct-28-09 20:55:51 PDT)

 

[compur]

^ $40 shipping --ouch!

 

[Actor]

Freestyle carries Efke B&W in 127 for about $7.

Great! A roll of film costs more than the camera!

^ $40 shipping --ouch!

Get it on Antiques Roadshow for an appraisal.

 

[compur]

Great! A roll of film costs more than the camera!

Yes, another disadvantage to 127 film. I usually pay no more than $1/roll
for 35 and 120 at yard sales and such. Often people practically give it
away.

 

[Actor]

Vintage Kowa Komaflex-S Single Lens Reflex Camera - eBay (item 380170458353 end time Oct-28-09 20:55:51 PDT)

It sold for over $120. I hope whoever won it enjoys it a lot.

 

[compur]

There were 2 versions of the camera. That one on eBay is the second version.
Mine is the first version.