•The Show Us Your Vintage Camera Thread•

[campy]

Here are a couple of mine.

 

[IanG]

Looking at the last photo you see why the Japanese leapfrogged the Germans in terms of ergonomics - I'm referring to the Zeiss camera rather than the Canon.

A small large format 9x12 camera
A KW Patent Etui

With a typical German 9x12 camera

And for comparison with a Crown Graphic

Now the 9x12cm format is just a touch narrower than 5x4 but around the same length, A huge size difference in cameras.

Ian

 

[IanG]

More from

The KW Parktina fx with legendary 58mm f2 Biotar lens. A Crowdfunded campaign raised enough to make new versions of the 58mm f2 and 75mm f1.5 but the project collapsed.

A full professional system camera with two different motor drives, bulk back and a huge choice of lenses.

Ian

 

[star camera company]

Predating the Stereo Realist by two years the Haneel Tri-Vision was the first attempt at “stereo for all”, with a $37 price for camera and viewer. The Haneel was preceded by the Ultra Rare Kirk Stereo Camera, similar in all ways except all knobs and fittings are Bakelite instead of Aluminum. Using 828 film, advance and spacing is controlled by reading different frame numbers through different openings on the back. Very lightweight, and a delight to hold in hand. The lenses are “said” to be 2 element coated achromats but appear to be single element by reflection. The little manual really suggest using F 16 as often as possible! The two shutter buttons are interesting, to make an instant photo exposure, just press right button. To make time exposure, set camera on flat surface (or tripod), push down left button, hold and then push right. When exposure is done, release left button to close shutter. The camera is optimized for 7-12’ shots. Note the lens separation is closer than all “Realist format” cameras, allowing better close work. You get 6 sets of images. Along with the camera and viewer, Haneel supplied special plastic “sleeves” that you slipped the image chips into. In viewing the various patents for these items, work began on the design about 1940. The KIRK came out about 1942-43, and was “pat. pending”. I do think the KIRK was made by the inventor, Sparling, and Not initially by Haneel (who improved the design). The was patent number marked , and marketed beginning 1945. By mid 1946 Haneel was in deep financial trouble and production ceased. The “doings” financially were very convoluted and fishy, making for a case which went to the Supreme Court. The US Navy had bought $14,000 worth of these cameras (over 300) for the Hawaii USN “px’s“ and got them in two shipments. The check was cashed in a fishy manner and well..... troubles began. •••• Anyway a Sweetheart of a Camera, a challenge to collect (6 varieties) and using rerolled 35mm film into 828 rolls/backing paper, very useable! If you ever see 828 slides of Hawaii, you know it was taken with one of those cameras. Many Haneel seen today have cracks at tge front corners.

oddly, this would not affect images as the inside chamber is lightproof .

 

[smithdan]

Not as unique as the past few posts but it did start off a popular model run of rangefinders for Canon.

First generation Canonet.

 

[dxqcanada]

Chiyoda Kogaku Minolta-35 model II, LTM rangefinder (1953-58) ... Super Rokkor 45mm f/2.8 ... and with Deluxe flashgun.

 

[star camera company]

Gotta Love a Big Honking Flash Gun!!!

 

[star camera company]

Here’s a “Legend in the Making”..... the Spartus Full-Vue.....internet searches will prove out, is creeping into the “not a Holga, but not a “real” camera either” hipster/Photographer “Art” Camera. The result of a semi lousy 92mm. PLASTIC lens, nice look, cheap availability and 120 film .... these things are making a Lot of Pictures these days. What is it? A cheap box camera with a cheap box finder on top. All that being said, it’s Cool and Useable! Loads of history about its maker is online, and many different “looks” to these cameras. For some reason, this camera is Appealing. (From my late Fathers little collection of yard sale cameras)

 

[star camera company]

A Mid Century Classic, the Herbert-George co. Imperial Mark XII Flash. Beautiful Mint green and taking our nemesis, 620 film, this was aVery popular camera, made in many colors, for many years. Virtually unbreakable, weighing mere ounces, a genuine glass uncoated meniscus lens, a curved film plane, fixed focus fixed aperature (f 16ish) fixed speed 1/40 ish .....And, after careful cleaning of the small glass lenses, a Very Nice crisp though small viewfinder. They should have blackened the inside of it though. It’s a sweet kitschy Kawaii sort of Camera, swinging on its little green hand strap...absolutely modern today in a bizarre odd way. Images from these cameras show decent focus distant and midrange, central unsharpness is noted with closeups. You’re likely to see light leaks at the base. Vignetting is Very pronounced. The curved film plane no doubt does “ interesting things”.. It’s a camera capable of Art work for sure. Oh if Only those instax film cameras were styled like this! •••••••This is an interesting thread folks let’s keep it going!

 

[Derrel]

My very first camera was a lot like that, but in grey plastic, and of course without the curved film plane... I bought it at a school rummage sale in 1975 or so for $0.10. I believe it used 620 film as well. I thought it was made by Ansco, but came to find out later that it was not.

 

[Jeff15]

 

[IanG]

Exakta Varex IIb

Not the same build quality as the Praktina's but the same large selection of German lenses, no motor drives or bulk back.

Ian

 

[IanG]

An earlier TP Ruby Reflex, 6.5x9 plates or a 6x9 roll film back.

works perfectly. I have a few more to restore.

Ian

 

[star camera company]

Home Movies were Born with This Camera. The Kodak Cine A, built and sold to the Public in 1923. You got the camera, tripod, movie projector and screen for $425 ( about the cost of a new car). This was the last camera that George Eastman was personally involved in designing. The greatest innovation was the development of Safety films, no Nitrate based film was made in double perf 16mm. The Camera is hand crank, 2 turns per second. It takes 100 foot spools and is Built like a Tank! BTW, many of these cameras fell victim to WWII scrap drives and few remain. Yes, it Works. To see a film I made from it, projected on the supplied screen. The noise is the Kodascope A Projector. Search you tube: first roll of film Kodak Cine A

 

[star camera company]

All the controls are on the back, the viewfinder gives an inverted image. You can also switch to the top reflex view by a side lever. Crank speed, well....if you get the theme music to “The Addams Family” in your head, That’s the crank speed!