•The Show Us Your Vintage Camera Thread•

[star camera company]

We all enjoy seeing Vintage Gear, after all, that’s why we’re here! So show off your Cameras, your lenses and all, let’s see what makes your Shelf Stand Tall!

 

[webestang6411]

My apartment camera case...... Set Up A Camera Case in my Apartment

 

[pixmedic]

 

[star camera company]

I lent this 1A to Mike Eckman for a Review. He gave me an all around thumbs up on the camera. He hasn’t gotten the write up online yet....keep your @@s open. This is the export close focus variant....it focus to 18” (Or as far from your elbow to fingers)

 

[IanG]

I think you need to define what's vintage, Mamiya 645 cameras don't really fall into that category, maybe pre WWII, or perhaps 60+ years old. After all cameras from the 1960's have reached a mature quality in terms of build and functionality.

Ian

 

[star camera company]

Let’s say, the “Vintagier” the better, but really I feel the 70’s era is pretty well the ‘line’. If YOU feel it’s Vintage though...it’s Vintage. ;-).

 

[NGH]

here's a few....

Polaroid Land Camera 800 by Nigel, on Flickr

Art Deco by Nigel, on Flickr

 

[IanG]

Those Voigtlander cameras, the Contaflex and similar West German cameras show how West Germany lost position as the major camera country for manufacture.

I don't mean they were bad cameras in terms of performance rather that they'd taken the wrong direction with 35mm cameras and relying on leaf shutters and the restrictions the shutters imposed.

In East Germany you'd had the first full professional system cameras the Praktina, also the lower spec and older Exacta system, as well as the Contax/Pentacon SLR all with focal plane shutters, all with a wider range of interchangeable lenses and from many manufacturers.

Then you look at the early Japanese SLR cameras coming into Europe and particularly the US at the end of the 1950's they mirrored the East German approach but with slightly better engineering and more importantly better lubricants.

I have some interesting Focal Press camera books 1959 to early 1960's these list the higher end 35mm, MF a, and Sub miniature cameras available that year, essentially short extracts from the famous Focal Press Camera Guides. What's interesting is the cameras listed that you never see now, poor sales, even poorer reliability. They also shows the trend towards Jpanese cameras.

Your Bessamatic is great I hope you use it. I still use early 1960's Pentax cameras as well as cameras and lenses from before WWI, and then through to today.

Ian

 

[star camera company]

Truly a Legend that didn’t start out that way, the Great Wall Plastics Diana Camera. Do vintage cameras appreciate in value? Oddly, dollar for dollar, this one probably leads the pack! Currently loaded with Ektachrome.

 

[NGH]

Those Voigtlander cameras, the Contaflex and similar West German cameras show how West Germany lost position as the major camera country for manufacture.

I don't mean they were bad cameras in terms of performance rather that they'd taken the wrong direction with 35mm cameras and relying on leaf shutters and the restrictions the shutters imposed.

In East Germany you'd had the first full professional system cameras the Praktina, also the lower spec and older Exacta system, as well as the Contax/Pentacon SLR all with focal plane shutters, all with a wider range of interchangeable lenses and from many manufacturers.

Then you look at the early Japanese SLR cameras coming into Europe and particularly the US at the end of the 1950's they mirrored the East German approach but with slightly better engineering and more importantly better lubricants.

I have some interesting Focal Press camera books 1959 to early 1960's these list the higher end 35mm, MF a, and Sub miniature cameras available that year, essentially short extracts from the famous Focal Press Camera Guides. What's interesting is the cameras listed that you never see now, poor sales, even poorer reliability. They also shows the trend towards Jpanese cameras.

Your Bessamatic is great I hope you use it. I still use early 1960's Pentax cameras as well as cameras and lenses from before WWI, and then through to today.

Ian

Yes it is interesting how brands that once dominated have fallen by the wayside, I guess it happens in all industries I am reminded of Nokia in the mobile phone industry.

I haven't used the Bessamatic for a little while actually, I have had too many other toys to play with. That Zoomar lens is a beast and it is interesting how they got that right as zoom lenses changed very little since then.

 

[star camera company]

A very attractive, very simple to operate TDC Colorist, made in Germany in 1954 and marketed by Bell and Howell. Possibly the most “normal” stereo camera, these usually work well and are a good choice for someone wanting to try stereo.

 

[pixmedic]

I think you need to define what's vintage, Mamiya 645 cameras don't really fall into that category, maybe pre WWII, or perhaps 60+ years old. After all cameras from the 1960's have reached a mature quality in terms of build and functionality.

Ian

yea, anything over 20-30 years old is vintage. the Mamiya certainly meets that criteria.
you might be thinking Antique.

80's is vintage.

 

[star camera company]

A vintage Stereo Realist 1041. Just your average realist....but geez why did they NOT make some in Black! ....so I did!

 

[pixmedic]

View attachment 182422 A vintage Stereo Realist 1041. Just your average realist....but geez why did they NOT make some in Black! ....so I did!

That looks super sharp. Fantastic paint job

Sent from my LM-G710 using Tapatalk

 

[IanG]

yea, anything over 20-30 years old is vintage. the Mamiya certainly meets that criteria.
you might be thinking Antique.

80's is vintage.

It's not a term worth quibbling over and it may be an age thing as well, I see my 1960's cameras as being relatively modern and still use my 1970's Mamiya 645 cameras.

Here's a pair of mid 1950's Praktina FX cameras one with a CZJ 50mm f2.8 Tessar, the other a CZJ 55mm f2 Biotar.

People pay around 3 times more for just a 55mm Biotar than I did for the camera and lens of a reputable dealer. Takes 2 different motor drives, a bulk back, winders, interchangeable finders. My two camera bodies and lenses are later versions with sprung loaded diaphragms for Auto stop down, early Pentax Takumars were the same - you have to reset the lens after each shot or it remains stopped down.

Roughly 10 years newer an Exacta Varex IIb, build quality is quite different.

The 50's, 60's and early 1970's was an era of Classic Iconic cameras, Leica M3 & M2, Pentax Spotmatic, Nikon SP and the F, Canon F1 and many others all still capable of high quality results today.

Ian