Stoned Rabbit. Photo from 1928 QRS Kamra

[star camera company]

This Camera continues to amaze me! The teeny tiny lens is a Graf Anastigmat 7.7, looks to be a triplet. This is fixed focus but 1/4 turn out gets these closeups in fantastic focus. TriX in 1:8 Dektol 5 min. I fought and fought and fought for 12 days tinkering with the camera (sold as non working) before rebuilding the fractured inner white metal assembly and making replacement linkage parts. Now, smooth as silk!

 

[Jeff1549 49]

Nice one........

 

[OldManJim]

congrats on the image - also o the work done on rebuilding the camera. Nice to be able to resurrect old cameras.

 

[K9Kirk]

Nice pic!

 

[terri35 7]

Congrats on getting the camera working! That is no small feat. Cute shot - keep up the good work, would love to see what else this camera can do for you.

 

[Grandpa Ron]

Nice shot. I like the crop with light fading to dark, highlighting the rabbit.

There is a lot of satisfaction restoring the work of some long gone craftsman, rather than having one more paper weight. Nice project all around.

 

[star camera company]

Another... flipping the neg with the iPhone etcetc degrades the crispness.. but pretty decent anyway! It’s funny of course Leica is all anyone thinks about in regards to 35mm in the 1920s but this camera proves Leica was Not the only way to make images on 35 film. Actually, I’ve seen serial numbers over 15000 on the QRS/DeVry K-1 Still Camera which shows that At One Time, it was the Worlds Best Selling 35mm Camera! That time was 1928....the same year the Ford Model A arrived

 

[vintagesnaps]

Nice.

You're supposed to hang a projecter on your Christmas tree?! lol That'd turn it into a Charlie Brown tree!

 

[Derrel]

I have never once heard anyone reference this camera.

 

[vintagesnaps]

DeVry sounds familiar, but I can't say it's anyting I've run across much. Getting it working seems satisfying.

 

[star camera company]

The camera is easy to use. Here’s something, this is IT in the manual regarding shooting the camera. Imagine that, in a digital Leica operators handbook! Here’s the manual, if you’d like to read up on it.https://www.cameramanuals.org/pdf_files/de_vry_k-1_still_camera.pdf

 

[vintagesnaps]

'...no particular special instructions...' I like that!

I wonder if DeVry did more movie cameras since the manual seems to somewhat emphasize 'still' camera; I don't think I've seen that term used often with vintage cameras.

Interesting find.

 

[Derrel]

Fascinating manual! I liked the film developing "reelo" reel!

 

[star camera company]

I think this may be interesting, a Size Comparison!............Yes. In fact the merger between QRS and DeVry lasted only 3 years. The Kamra was discontinued some suspect Because DeVry was Cine focused. They were both Old Names. QRS was (is) mostly in the music business, player piano and rolls were its main product. The QRS Kamra is the chid of the Ellison Kamra, from 1925. Same exact principles involved.

 

[star camera company]

Seems that the infinity focus was not attainable, probably from a change in the dimensions of the white metal inner case. It was broken in 4 places when I got it and had to repair it with JB weld. So the lens was too far away. Finally set it up with a ground glass and loupe, and had to put tge lens into my Unimat lathe and turn about .5 mm off the base so it threaded in deeper. Now, looks like the proper depth of field for f7.7 is including the whole view. I think this camera can pull Leica quality images if I “do it right”. The Kamera is nearly impossible to hold perfectly horizontal to shoot level. Next time I’m sticking on a tiny bubble level! The viewfinder is lousy, hard to compose with. The 24x32 format is odd, especially after thinking 24x36 forever. A Real Challenge! One good thing is that it seems to be “set up” and capable of imaging very well with 400 TriX. Now.....how the hell did they manage in 1928 when film was 10 ASA????? It has TIME exposure but also Instant, which looks like 1/50 or close, , which does Tri x. What was the purpose of instant when no film existed that matched the shutter/f stop capability of the camera.••••••• QRS Did offer an optional lens, which nearly doubled the price of the camera. I’ve only seen it in the manual... a Graf Anastigmat f 3.5 50 in focusing Mount with adjustable iris. Possibly similar to the lens on the Perfex. I’ve been thinking of buying a perfex for the lens and making one....