Asahi Pentax 6x7 Camera

My Pentax 6x7 camera with 105mm f2.4 lens, TTL Finder and wood grip.

When I started photography, I used an older Univex Twin Lens Reflex-style camera that my uncle gave me when I was around 8-9 years old. From there, palling around with my buddies, that camera was too big and bulky to bring around with us. So, I opted for the smaller, more compact 35mm camera, which I could keep around my neck and under my coat when it was colder outside. 

 The Pentax 6x7 cameras have always held a special place in my heart, perhaps due to their unique blend of size and resemblance to a larger 35mm camera. While I still cherished the Twin Lens Reflex style, there was an undeniable elegance and familiarity about the Pentax 6x7 cameras. The interchangeable lenses and finders were reminiscent of the Nikon system I had grown to love in my later teen years.

 I purchased my Pentax 6x7 camera a few years ago at an online auction. It appeared to be in good condition, and its camera is complete with the TTL finder, standard 105mm lens, wood handle, and Pentax-branded strap, all wrapped up in a wonderful cube-shaped case that it all fits nicely into. I noticed a pouch on the top portion of the case. There were a few accessories in it that the seller didn't show, so when I received the camera, an external battery holder, and covers for the finder, A focus grip was included in the kit. Now it's time to look at the Pentax 6x7 manual to double-check all the ins and outs of the camera.

The Company:

The history of Pentax cameras is deeply rooted in the evolution of photographic technology, with a legacy that spans over a century. Pentax began as Asahi Optical Joint Stock Co., founded in 1919 in Tokyo, Japan. Initially, the company produced lenses for eyeglasses and later expanded into camera lenses and optical equipment. Not until after World War II did Asahi make its mark in photography.

Ads for the Pentax 6x7 camera system

 In 1952, Asahi released its first camera, the Asahiflex, the first Japanese 35mm single-lens reflex (SLR) camera. This launch marked a significant milestone for the company and Japan's emerging camera industry. Asahiflex featured innovative mirror-return mechanisms that set the stage for modern SLR design.

 The turning point came in 1957 with the release of the Asahi Pentax, which gave birth to the Pentax brand name. The camera combined the best features of previous SLRs. It introduced a pentaprism viewfinder, allowing photographers to see their subject right-side up and laterally correct. It also standardized the use of the M42 screw mount, which would become a popular lens mount for decades. The success of the Asahi Pentax was so profound that the company eventually adopted "Pentax" as its corporate name.

 Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Pentax established itself as a leading manufacturer of SLR cameras, competing with brands like Nikon and Canon. They moved into the medium format by introducing the Pentax 6x7 camera. Iconic models like the Spotmatic series (launched in 1964) introduced TTL (through-the-lens) metering, significantly improving exposure accuracy. Pentax cameras became known for their durability, reliability, and affordability, making them popular among professionals and amateurs.

 In 1980, Pentax expanded the medium format market with the Pentax 645, which offered larger film sizes for high-resolution photography. These systems were found to favor studio and landscape photographers.

 Pentax transitioned to digital imaging in the early 2000s with models like the Pentax istD. It later gained attention for its weather-sealed DSLRs and in-body image stabilization. In 2011, Ricoh acquired the brand, becoming Pentax Ricoh Imaging Company.

 Today, Pentax focuses on traditional photography experiences, emphasizing optical viewfinders and rugged build quality in an era dominated by mirrorless technology. Their commitment to DSLR development and legacy lens compatibility maintains a loyal following, preserving the Pentax name as a significant part of photographic history.

My Camera:

Researching the Pentax 6x7 camera for the article revealed three upgrades to the original Pentax 6x7 camera when it was introduced in 1969. The Pentax 6x7 camera was shown at the 1966 Photokina as a prototype camera, and it was called the Pentax 220 and had chrome and black bodies. The official introduction was in 1969, with the name Pentax 6x7, and only black bodies were available. The Honeywell Pentax 6x7 was available for the US market, but here in the US, I rarely see the Honeywell Pentax 6x7 around; the vast majority were Asahi Pentax 6x7.

Dual Bayonet mount for longer or shorter focal length lenses.

 In 1976, the Pentax 6x7 (MLU) camera added a mirror lock-up mechanism, and in 1990, with their third modification, they made a few minor cosmetic changes to the camera. Now, the camera is named Pentax 67. No more 6x7. The fourth change camera in 1999 was when Pentax launched the Pentax 67II camera, which offers a built-in right-hand grip, a brighter viewfinder with interchangeable focusing screens, a more advanced AE metering system with three different modes, a dedicated time mode switch, a self-timer, and multiple exposure capabilities. 

 I own the Asahi Pentax 6x7, so mine is the second-generation camera with the mirror lock-up capability. The camera weighs a whopping 5 lbs. 5 oz without the wood grip. The camera is 7.5" wide by 6" tall by 6.75" deep, measuring from the back of the camera to the front of my 105mm f2.4 lens. The Pentax 6x7 cameras have a dual bayonet lens mounting system, with lenses from 35mm to 300mm fitting inside the body, similar to many 35mm cameras and lenses from 400mm to 1000mm mounting on the outer bayonet. Even the front lens cap has a bayonet mount on my camera, so it's not a clip or press-on style of a lens cap.

The Pentax 6x7 camera is a fully electronic camera system. The entire camera is dependent on the PX28, 6v battery. The meter, or the shutter, won't work without the camera battery. After putting in the battery, I discovered the metered finder was working, which was good news. At first, I thought it wasn't working, but after reading the manual, I learned that you need to remount the lens once the meter is removed so the lens will couple with the meter.  I didn't think it would work because there is a crack on the front running across the nameplate, but you never truly know until you try. With the fresh battery in the camera, I still wasn't sure the camera was working because there needed to be film in the camera for the shutter to fire. 

 Looking online, I did find a video showing a way to trick the camera into thinking there was film in the camera, which is by opening the back of the camera and, before closing the back, turning the frame counter to just past the first frame while holding the frame counter there and closing the back of the camera allows you to wind and fire the camera. The only issue is that there is no way to honestly tell if the shutter is opening or closing when you depress the shutter. You can tell at slower speeds by taking the lens off and looking into the mirror chamber to fire the camera. If you can see the film's pressure plate, you can tell if the shutter is opening and closing. What do you do to achieve faster shutter speeds?

Looking online, I did find a way to trick the camera into thinking there was film in the camera, which is by opening the back of the camera and, before closing the back, turning the frame counter to just past the first frame while holding the frame counter there and closing the back of the camera allows you to wind and fire the camera. The only issue is there is no way to honestly tell if the shutter is opening or closing when you depress the shutter. You can tell at slower speeds by taking the lens off and looking into the mirror chamber to fire the camera. If you can see the film's pressure plate, you can tell if the shutter is opening and closing. What do you do for the faster shutter speeds?

 One thing I did was use my cell phone in video mode and use the "slow motion" setting. I started the video and then tripped the shutter. I could then go back to the video and look at a few of the frames of the video tell if I could see the slit from the shutter move across the film plane. It did, so I knew the shutter was working on all shutter speeds. That's fantastic, so now I was good to go. I prefer to use my Sekonic meter for all my metering needs as they are always more accurate than most camera meters.

 Shutter speeds on the Pentax 67 camera range from 1/1000 to 1 sec. Along with "B" for timed exposures and "X" for flash sync, the shutter speed dial is on the far left side of the camera body and is turned with a large ring that is easy to grip and move. Just below the shutter speed dial is a battery check button, with a red light lighting up just to the right of the shutter speed dial if the battery is good.

Moving around the camera, on the front and the left side of the camera body are the flash sync terminals for both FP and X, and just below the flash terminals is the lens release knob, which needs to be pressed towards the camera's body to unmount the lens. To unmount the lens, press the lens release button and twist the lens counterclockwise. To mount the lens onto the camera body, line up the red dot on the lens to the red dot on the camera body and turn clockwise until the lens clicks into place.

 The mirror lock-up switch is on the other side of the camera body, still on the front. Pressing this switch locks the mirror up to reduce vibration in the camera, which is good for longer exposures or using longer lenses that are more sensitive to camera movement. On the far right side of the camera body is a switch for using either 120 or 220 film.

The film advance lever is on the top, far right side of the camera, with the frame counter inside the center of the winding lever. There is a serrated dial that you can turn to change the frame counter if needed. This is also the knob that I turn to trick the camera, as mentioned previously. Right next to the film advance lever is the shutter release button, which can be locked by turning the outer ring from the white dot to the orange dot to "locked."  

 On top of the meter, a finder is an on/off switch used to turn the meter on. Two silver buttons must be pressed on either side of the camera body to remove the finder and put on a different finder. You can lift the finder off the camera body to replace it with a few different viewfinders available for the camera. The metered finder extends over the shutter speed dial, so when metering, you can change shutter speeds to adjust the meter settings. You should remove the lens before taking the viewfinders off the Pentax 6x7 cameras, then put the lens back on the body once the viewfinder has been reattached.

To load film into the camera, pull down on the silver tab on the left side to open the back door. Two locking switches are on the bottom of the camera, just under where the film reels go. These need to be unlocked, allowing you to pull them down to load the take-up and fresh roll of film into the camera body. Once the film is in the camera, turn them to the locked position to keep them in place. Bring the leader to the take-up spool, thread it into the slot,  and advance the film to start the film advance. Bring the arrow on the film leader to the arrow next to the 120 at the top of the shutter curtain, close the back, and wind until the camera stops. You're now at frame 1 and ready to take 10 photos on a roll of 120 film.

I wanted to put the wood handle on the camera before I took the camera out for a spin and tried it out. I always thought it was odd to have a grip on the camera's left side, as it's the left hand that I cradle under the lens for focus and setting the aperture. Let's give it a try because so many people think it's a great selling point for the camera.  The wood handle also has a cold shoe for a flash attachment or other items you might want to put, like an external meter.

 To put the handle on the camera, you need to unscrew the locking screw, which is located in the middle between the two areas that fit onto the camera lugs, which are on the top and bottom of the left side of the camera. Snap the handle into position and screw down the locking screw to lock the handle into position, which also presses a small knob on the camera in. To take it off, unscrew the knob and pull out the knob and slide the handle up to take the handle off. The handle won't fit on the right side.

 The camera has four lugs located on the front and in each corner. These can be used for the camera strap to carry the camera vertically or horizontally or to put the wood handle on one side and the strap on the other. There are many ways to carry the camera comfortably while lugging 5 pounds around.

My Results:

This time, I walked through the neighborhood, taking a few photos. While I was taking my normal photos, I ran into a good neighbor who is an artist. He was showing me his studio, so I took a picture or two around his studio, then proceeded to take some of the regular photos I do when trying a new camera. 

 Here are the results of my walk through the neighborhood.

Conclusion:

I had a lot of fun shooting with this camera, considerably more than anticipated. I used the wood handle more as a tool to walk around with the camera than to shoot with it because it made transporting a 5-pound camera easy. I had the strap on the camera, but found the handle easier.

 My lens is very sharp, and the camera felt comfortable in my hand. The focus was smooth and accurate, the transport was soft, and all the camera operations seemed effortless. 

 I'll need to look into other lenses for the camera and possibly a few other accessories, as this is a keeper camera for now.

 Thank you for taking a few minutes from your day to read about a fun and extensive camera system to use.

 Until next week, please be safe.

 Here's a link to my other camera reviews if you want to see some of the other cameras in my collection.

 If you're interested in some of the vintage cameras and accessory items I have for sale, please look at my online store: 

Alpa Rotocamera 6070

My Alpa Rotocamera 6070

As I've mentioned in previous blog posts, I am fond of panoramic cameras and the odd and unusual cameras that most people wouldn't guess are cameras, so I always have my eyes open for these oddball items to add to my collection. The Alpa Rotocamera is just one of these items. Not only is it an odd-looking item that resembles a miniature robot-looking item, but it's also a 360-degree panoramic camera that shoots on 120 or 70-mm film.

 I've owned lenses that shoot 360-degree images and have even written posts on them. The first lens I had that shot 360-degree images was a Be Here Portal S1 lens, which fit onto my Nikon DSLR camera, and with software, it produced a tremendous 360-degree photo. That lens got damaged, and to this day, I'm continually searching for another one of these lenses. In my mind, I kept telling myself that there's something different between shooting with a 360-degree lens and having a camera that can produce a 360-degree negative.

 I found an Alpa Rotocamera on an online auction. When I saw it shot 360-degree images on 120 or 70mm film, I was immediately hooked and wanted to get it. Not knowing much about the camera other than a few tidbits I quickly found online, I bid on the camera lot. To my surprise, I won the camera. I was excited to get the camera and load film into it and start to make some tremendous images that were a view that is mind-boggling when you see them.

 This blog will be different from my other posts because I've spent tens of hours on this specific camera because of its condition. I want to give you a brief overview of the camera, then explain how I received it and what I've done to get it back into working condition.

The Camera:

This camera is a Beast!!!! I didn't realize until I received it, but the camera and film back weigh just under 17 lbs. and are 16 lbs. 15.6 oz. That does not include the power source and cables. It’s built from cast metal with a pebble finish and, it’s 12” tall, 9” wide, and 8” deep and was built in the early 1980s.

 As mentioned, the Alpa RotoCamera produces a 360-degree image on either 120/220 or 70mm film. The camera is powered by a 12v rechargeable battery that powers motors in the camera's base, which rotate the head around a cylinder. According to the manual, you can produce either 90, 180, 270 or 360-degree views with the camera. On the front of the camera is a Rodenstock Grandagon-N 75mm f6.8 lens. Just to the right of the front lens is a lever used for vertical adjustment. If you want to shoot higher or lower, you can slide the lever up or down to adjust the vertical height to avoid getting too much foreground in the photos. There is also a viewer on the side that can be used to see the camera's vertical adjustment.

 The camera has two speeds, and the head rotates around the cylinder. The speed is set on the center column by a switch with an "A" for the faster speeds and "B" for the slower speeds. There also are a series of slits in the head that allows for the camera to shoot at different shutter speeds depending on the motor speed and slit width. Switches on the top of the camera head control the slits. One series of switches is for the slit width, and there is another that allows for the slit angle if you're in a situation where you'll want to control excessive brightness in the sky or ground. The camera can shoot anywhere from 1/20 to 1/250 shutter speed depending on the motor speed and slit width. On the rear of the film's back is a chart showing where to put the different switches should you want faster or slower speeds, along with a controlling light on top or bottom.

 The camera also has a removable film back, and 70mm or 120/220 film can be loaded into it. There is a small hard wheel just below the take-up spool on the film back, which is connected to the film advance cog and fits into the film reel. Just below the slits on the head is a rubber band that goes all around the cylinder. As the head rotates around the cylinder, the hard wheel runs along the rubber under the slit advancing the film as the head spins around the cylinder.

There are two settings on the camera remote control. One is a switch for "Auto" or "Manual," and the other setting is "Rotation." The Auto setting works in conjunction with the angle set on the column for 90, 180, 270, or 360 pans. The manual setting allows you to press as long as you want the camera to pan for. The "rotate" button is pressed to open the shutter and start the camera rotation. The remote and power cable are joined; one end fits into the power pack, and the other fits into the bottom of the camera's center column. There is also an on/off switch for the camera close to where the power and remote cable fit into the camera.

 In theory, you load film into the film back, making sure the take-up spool is engaged into the drive gear on the back. Put the back onto the camera. Plug the cables into the power supply and the camera. Turn the camera on, set the aperture on the lens, and check the height adjustment. Meter your scene, then set the appropriate shutter combination by the series of switches on top of the camera and the speed adjustment on the column. Set the rotation distance, and press "Auto" to start the camera rotation. According to the manual, on a roll of 120 film, you'll get 1- 360-degree or 270-degree images, 2-180-degree images or 4-90-degree images.

The Restoration:

The one thing I didn't realize and wasn't shown in the images at the online auction was the mechanical and physical condition of the Alpa Rotocamera internally because when I received the camera, it wasn't in "good working order." On the outside, the camera looked good. Everything seemed to be there, but when I went to take the back off the camera to view the inside of the camera body, the wheels came off the bus. My heart sank as the excitement of having a working camera came to a crashing halt.  

 The film back still had two 70mm film cassettes inside, but it looked like someone had packed the back of the camera with grease. For what reason, I wasn't immediately aware of it, and the rubber wheel that the film rotates on to advance the film had deteriorated into a yellow mass of goop that looked worse than it was. Another item that was missing was the power supply for the camera. I had the cables for the power supply that led to the camera and the remote control on it. I also had the instruction manual along with a car inverter to charge the battery when in your car. Still, there was no power supply, so I couldn't check whether the camera operated.

I let the camera sit for a few hours as I started thinking about how to get the camera into a somewhat presentable condition. My mind wasn't even on getting the camera, but on starting to clean up all the goop that was not only in visible areas but in areas of the camera I wasn't even sure I could get to. I did another more exhausting internet search when I came across someone who had done a restoration on the camera itself. Bayless Projects has a tremendous video on YouTube that is very comprehensive. He lives in London, so I started an email chain with him, letting him know I, too, had a camera I needed to restore. He helped me with the power supply and with many other questions I had about the camera.

 It was time to get the camera back in (hopefully) working condition. I spent the next couple of days cleaning up the goop on the film back, which got into places I needed to disassemble to clean out. With many Q-tips, Isopropyl alcohol, and lightly soapy water, I cleaned the film back up nicely. The film holders moved well, and the film drive gear turned as I rotated the hard wheel, which wasn't moving smoothly previously. 

 Now, to move onto the camera head. I removed some of the stickers that someone placed with film data from the previous owner. Something was rattling in the head, so I needed to take the top off to see what was rattling around. Once I removed the top, I could see a ground glass still intact and not broken that went where the viewer went. This was used to check the vertical adjustment for the images. Once I got the ground glass in place, it was time to tackle the back of the camera, which had the remnants of the previous rubber band that goes around the cylinder. Luckily, this came off very easily, and I didn't need much cleaning.

Now, to move onto the camera head. I removed some of the stickers that someone placed with film data from the previous owner. Something was rattling in the head, so I needed to take the top off to see what was rattling around. Once I removed the top, I could see a ground glass still intact and not broken that went where the viewer went. This was used to check the vertical adjustment for the images. Once I got the ground glass in place, it was time to tackle the back of the camera, which had the remnants of the previous rubber band that goes around the cylinder. Luckily, this came off very easily, and I didn't need much cleaning.

 Thomas (Bayless Projects) helped me with the power supply, which I purchased from him, and he made it for me and sent it over from the UK. I bought a battery to put in the housing. Once I got the battery in the power supply and connected it to see if the camera was working, my heart sank aging…..nothing. With the power on and the battery connected, I turned the head a bit, and luckily, the head on the Rotocamera started to spin. At that point, I was so happy to see the camera spinning. Was that a fluke? I unplugged the battery and let it sit for a few minutes before I tried it again. The camera started to spin without any help from me, so at this point, I knew the camera was functional. You could also hear the shutter open and close as I pressed the rotation button. What a relief. Now, I had a camera that "could" make images (hopefully). The one thing I couldn't figure out was the "Auto" setting. Nothing in the column needs to be pressed to set the camera at different angles for shooting. Thomas said his camera does the same thing, so I can only use the camera in the "manual" position, where I set the angle of view by pressing the rotation button.

 I needed to replace the rubber band around the cylinder to get the film to rotate when the film was back on the camera. I purchased a replacement that had the same specs that Thomas recommended. He also said it's not perfect, but I wanted to try it. When I received the rubber, it was horrible. The glue backing didn't hold at all. It was so bad that the paper they put on the product to protect the glue didn't stick on. It was also rolled in the opposite direction, so the end of the rubber kept popping out. I tried two-sided tape to hold it in, but that didn't work either.

 Then, I had the idea to turn the rubber around so the curve was going around the cylinder instead of against it. The tape on the back side of the rubber would give more friction as the film wheel rotated. I put a roll of film into the camera and gave the camera a try. Unfortunately, the camera rotated about 90-100 degrees, then stopped as one of the ends of the rubber came off and jammed in the camera. In theory, it made sense, but the rubber was too thick, and the end didn't fit together and kept coming apart. 

 The rubber needed to be a little thinner and without the crappy glue. I rubbed the glue off the rubber, and to get it to be a bit thinner, I stretched the rubber when I put the two-sided tape on the curved side to make it thinner. To keep the ends together, I added some two-sided tape to one side of the rubber so that when it went around the cylinder. There was extra tape to hold the second end in place. I put it back into the cylinder, and it worked well. It's time to put another roll of film into the camera for another test.

 I took the camera to the front of my house, set up the tripod, and crossed my fingers to see if it would work. I put a roll of B&W film into the back, set the camera to the settings the light meter said, and pressed the rotate button. The camera worked!!!! I could hear the shutter open, the camera rotated, and the film come off the spool and wrap around the take-up spool. SUCCESS.

Thrid test worked to perfection.

 With such success on the test roll, I decided to take the camera into Portland near the river with bridges and see what I could get there. Knowing the Cherry trees were recently blooming, I even packed some color film to see the river's edge and beautiful cherry blossoms in the photo. Having lugged the camera to the river's edge, setting the camera up, plugging in the power supply, and pressing the rotation button, I could hear the shutter open, but the head didn't start to turn. So I gave it a gentle push, and it began to turn. Unfortunately, I could also see it wasn't moving smoothly, which would cause banding. 

 The one thing I did notice is that when you have the film in the back of the camera, the camera has a little harder time doing the rotation because of the extra tension the film brings to the camera. Pulling the film out of the spool and running it across the shutter, I'm still trying to figure out if it's the rubber around the cylinder or the power to the motor. I'll continually work on how this works together to make the film move correctly.

 The first roll was B&W, which I processed when I got home and has banding. I also picked up the color film and noticed. At the same time, the camera did a somewhat better job at rotating; the drive wheel that moves the film from one spool to the other didn't have as much pull as it did with the test in front of my house. For the 2-3 rolls I did away from home, the camera film transport didn't pull the film off the spool. It left the tail end of the film exposed to light. Something is going on here, whether the rubber band around the cylinder or the drive wheel needs lubrication. I also agree with the film I did on location; portions of the film look like motion blur, so the film is not transporting, causing slight banding and blur.

My Results:

Here is the image taken in front of my house during the test. I didn't change the vertical adjustment, and I had the lens pretty high, so there's no foreground or yards in the houses on my block.

 These next images were taken down by the river in Portland, Or.

Conclusion:

 This camera is still a work in progress. I did order a slightly thinner rubber to try on the cylinder, so I'm crossing my fingers that it will work well on the camera.

Thank you for taking a few minutes from your day to read about an odd and unusual camera that hopefully will be as rewarding in the images it creates as it is frustrating to get it back in good working order.

 Until next week, please be safe.

Kodak Beau Brownie Camera

My Rose Beau Brownie Camera

To end the unofficial box camera month for my blog post, I was thinking about writing about a few different cameras, but my thoughts kept coming back to one specific model of Eastman Kodak camera, one of the most beautiful cameras made, the Beau Brownie camera.

 The two factors of the Beau Brownie line of cameras that I enjoy are the five different colors they come in: black, tan, blue, green, and the most sought-after rose. The art deco design by one of America's outstanding industrial designers, Walter Dorwin Teague, is also bundled into a very uncomplicated camera marketed more as a fashion statement than the ordinary black box camera. 

 George Eastman and his marketing team realized early on that to broaden the photographic marketplace, they needed to expand the scope of photographers using cameras. Until the early 1900s and into the 1910s, the vast majority of photographers were males due to the time-consuming process of making photographs. While Kodak didn't invent photography, much like Henry Ford, he sold cameras to the masses due to the newer methods of making glass plates easier to obtain and process, making roll films, film processing, and printing available to the masses.

My set of Nos. 2 Beau Brownie cameras

 In the late 1920s, Eastman Kodak started a relationship with Edwin Dorwin Teague, which forged a relationship and changed the design and quality of cameras for thirty to forty years until he died in the early 1960s.

The Relationship:

Walter Dorwin Teague, born Dec. 18, 1883, is often regarded as one of the pioneers of industrial design in America. He had a long and influential relationship with the Eastman Kodak Company. His collaboration with Kodak helped shape the visual and functional identity of the company's products, particularly its cameras, during the mid-20th century.

Portrait of Walter Dorwin Teague

 Teague, known for blending aesthetics with functionality, first worked with Kodak in the late 1920s. He continued influencing the company's product designs for several decades until his death on Dec. 5, 1960. His designs embodied the principles of streamlining, an artistic and engineering approach emphasizing smooth, flowing lines and modern, user-friendly aesthetics. Kodak sought to enhance its product appeal in an increasingly competitive market. Teague's expertise gave the company a fresh, contemporary design language that resonated with consumers.

 One of Teague's most iconic contributions to Kodak was the design of the Kodak Bantam Special, introduced in 1936. The Bantam Special was a masterpiece of Art Deco design, featuring a sleek, black enamel and chrome finish. It was visually striking, compact, and easy to use, aligning with Kodak's mission to make photography accessible to a broader audience. The camera became a symbol of modern design and demonstrated how industrial design could elevate consumer products beyond mere functionality.

Walter Teague designed Kodak Super Six-20 camera

 Teague's impact on Kodak extended beyond individual products; he played a key role in shaping the brand's overall aesthetic identity. His work helped Kodak establish a reputation for producing elegantly designed, high-quality, practical, and stylish cameras. His collaboration with Kodak set a precedent for integrating industrial design into mass-market consumer products, influencing Kodak's future designs and the broader field of product design.

 Beyond the Bantam Special, Teague worked on several other Kodak models, including the Kodak Baby Brownie and the Kodak Medalist. These cameras showcased his ability to balance form and function, making photography equipment more appealing and accessible to everyday users. His designs helped Kodak maintain its position as a camera industry leader, reinforcing its image as both innovative and consumer-friendly.

 Walter Dorwin Teague's relationship with Kodak was a testament to the power of industrial design in shaping consumer products. His work not only enhanced the usability and attractiveness of Kodak cameras but also set new standards for the role of design in consumer technology. Through this partnership, Teague left an enduring mark on both Kodak and the history of industrial design.

The Camera:

Beau Brownie cameras came in two sizes: the smaller Nos. 2, which takes 120 film, and the larger No. 2A, which takes 116 film. They were both introduced in October 1930 and ended production in 1933. However, the two rarer versions, the green and rose colors, were in production for 1 year, which ended in 1931. Luckily, I have all five colors in different sizes in my collection. I've had all five for many years, and this is the second time I've owned all five colors in both sizes. 

 The camera that I used for the blog post is the smaller Nos. 2 camera due to the easily accessible 120 film the camera uses. The Beau Brownie No. 2 camera is 4" tall by 3" wide or 3 3/8" wide if you include the film advance knob by 4 3/8" deep. The camera has a 6x9 negative size and weighs 14.1 oz.

 The larger Beau Brownie, Nos. 2A is 5" tall, by 3 3/8" wide, or 3 3/4" wide if you include the film winding knob, by 5" deep. The No. 2A film format is 2.5" x 4.25" on 116 film, weighing 1 lb.—3.8 oz. 

My Nos. 2A Rose Beau Brownie (L) and Nos. 2 (R). Note the size difference

Looking online, I found a Beau Brownie Camera Manual, which is where I look for manuals for the cameras in my collection. It's a fabulous website and something we all should support.

 The front of the camera has a beautiful, enameled Art Deco geometric design that is two-toned with an accent color to enhance the camera's beauty. The black version has a dark burgundy accent color. In contrast, the other colors have a lighter and darker version of the camera's color. The rest of the camera is made of thin metal material covered in pebbled imitation leather, the same color as the camera. The carrying handle is on the top of the camera, which is the same color as the camera's body.

Also, two round windows are used for the viewfinder on the front of the camera. The top circle is for viewing vertical-format photos from the top of the camera, and the bottom is used when you turn the camera on its side for horizontal-format photos. There is no focus on this meniscus doublet lens, so like many box-style cameras, the minimum focus is around 10 feet, but items around 8 feet may still be in focus.

 The Beau Brownie cameras have two latches securing the back of the camera to the front. One latch is on the top of the camera, and one is on the side of the camera. Before you open the camera, you'll need to pull out the winding knob, which is engaged with the film transport. The winding knob needs to be pulled out; otherwise, the camera's front and back won't slide apart easily.

Once you have the camera apart, you can load the roll of film into the camera. Take the empty film spool from the top of the camera and move it to the bottom. Ensure it's adequately engaged, which will move the film from frame to frame. The fresh, unexposed roll now gets loaded into the camera's top film holder. Break the tape holding the film together and pull the leader over the opening with the paper backing looking outwards. Feed the leader into the empty spool on the bottom and wind a bit so you know the film is transporting properly. Also, check that the film fits within the walls of the spool so it can be transported easily. Wind the film until you see arrows pointing outwards. Ince you see the arrows, put the back onto the camera, press the winding knob, and secure the two latches. Now wind the film until you see the #1 in the red window. That's the indication that you're ready to make the first exposures.

 There are only two controls for the camera, located on the top of the camera. There are two levers just in front of the handle. One is on the left, and the shutter speed controller is the smaller of the two controls. There are only two settings. When the lever is down, the camera is in "instant" mode and has a shutter speed of around 1/100 sec. Pulling that small lever up puts the camera in "B" or timed exposure mode. In this setting, you'll need to set the camera on some camera tripod or bracket to hold the camera still so as not to cause a blurry photo.

The other controller is the larger of the two levers that control the aperture settings. The lever can be in three positions to change the different apertures. When the lever is down, the camera has an approximate aperture of F11, the middle position is approximately F16, and the top position is approximately F22.

 

My Results:

I loaded the camera with Ilford 400 ISO/ASA film and walked through the neighborhood on a very overcast and sometimes rainy afternoon in February. The neighbors are getting used to the old man walking through the streets with an odd-looking camera in his hand, taking photos of houses, objects, or other items I find on my walks.

 Here's what I took.

Conclusion:

Other than the stunning beauty of this camera, it's a fundamental camera with minimal controls and a fixed Meniscus Doublet lens that takes a significant negative. According to the manual, the minimum focus is approximately 8-10 feet. My judgment of distance was off in some photos, as the images are out of focus.

 Overall, it was a fun camera to shoot with, and I'll need to take it out on a sunnier day to get more contrast images. There are a couple of filters available for the Beau Brownie, one of which is a portrait filter that allows for closer focus for portrait photos, so I'll need to dig through the box of old filters to see if I have one of the recommended filters to try on the camera.

 Thank you for taking a few minutes to read about one of the most beautiful cameras ever made. I'm truly honored to have one in my collection.

 Until next week, please be safe.

Merten Merit Box Camera

My Merten Merit Box camera.

We're three weeks into February, which I've deemed Box Camera Month for my blog posts. I purchased this camera about five years ago at a camera show I attended in Kent, WA, a suburb of Seattle. This show, which is a gathering of camera enthusiasts and collectors, is coming up again in early April. It's a great opportunity to see a wide variety of vintage cameras and photography equipment. If you're in the Seattle or Portland area, please stop in. I plan on having another few tables to sell off some of my collection.

 Getting back to the camera of the week, I had previously owned the Merten Merit Box camera many years ago. Still, it wasn't nearly as good of condition as this one. It was missing one of the outer viewfinders, and there were many chips in the Bakelite, so I was pleased to see this example at the Kent camera show, and it was at a very reasonable price. One of the things that initially drew me to the camera was the color of the camera. It has a dark brown color with a smooth texture throughout the camera, with the exception of the faceplate, which has a pebble finish to the Bakelite.

 The other nice thing about this camera is that Merten made two different models. The one I had previously was a 6x4.5cm format camera on 127 film. This camera is a rare version as it takes 120 films and produces a 6x9cm format image, so the negative is larger, and the film type is a lot easier to purchase. The other nice thing about this camera was the handle was intact. Due to how the camera is built, I have seen many examples where the strap is broken or missing. This camera has very few chips in the Bakelite, and the strap is intact and in overall great condition. The shutter also works.

 Since all the stars are aligned with a 6x9cm format camera and a working shutter, the camera takes 120 film. I figured it was time for me to take the camera off the shelf, load film into the camera, dust off and clean the lens, and take a walk around the neighborhood to take photos with this wonderful photo-making machine.

The Company:

French ad for Merit Box

In 1906, the Merten brothers Ernst, August, and Emil founded the Gebrüder Merten Gummersbach (GMG) company in Windhagen-Gummersbach, Germany. They started manufacturing electronic installation components. In 1926, they focused their attention on manufacturing plugs and sockets, which is where their business grew.

 In the early 1930s, Mertens used their Bakelite presses for various purposes, such as producing equipment for laboratories and, yes, in 1933, even producing a series of cameras for the rapidly growing photographic market. These were the only cameras produced by Mertens, and they turned their focus back to the electronic field.

 By 1985, Mertens had grown to the point where they were producing electronic accessories items for the commercial trade, and by the year 2000, intelligent devices were added to their portfolio of electronic products. Merten's products for smart buildings are available in more than 130 countries, where they produce electronic products for residential buildings, offices, public buildings, hotels, schools, hospitals, and businesses. 100 years after they started their business, Schneider Electronics purchased Mertens in 2006.

My Camera:

My Merten Merit Box Camera is 4.5" tall, including the leather strap, 3.5" wide with the winding knob 5.5" deep from the front of the lens to the back of the camera. The camera weighs 1 lb, 1.6 oz without film loaded into the camera. The camera is a typical box camera with two different viewfinders, one for vertical images on top of the camera and one for horizontal images on the right side. 

The Merit Box camera has a Rodenstock lens, around 80mm, and the aperture is F11. There are two positions for the shutter, which is set by a toggle arm below the lens, either a line for instant photos or a round circle setting for timed exposures. There is an option to screw in either a self-timer or cable release just above the shutter release button, which is located just to the right of the lens as you're preparing to take a photo. There is also a sliding bar on top of the camera, which allows for three different aperture settings. When the sliding bar is in the lowest position, the aperture is F11. Then, slide the bar up to the following setting, F16, and all the way to the top would be F22.

On the back of the camera is the name of the camera embossed into the Bakelite, the red window to tell the photographer which frame they are on, Germany, Film B-2, which is an Agfa reference to 120-size film, and finally, the film format 6:9.

 One of the very unique features of the camera other than the beautiful dark brown color is the interwoven strap on top of the camera. The strap or top handle doesn't come off. Instead, it has two interlooped sections that allow the strap to lengthen as you take the front off the back of the camera to load film. This makes it more difficult to load the film as you need to deal with both the front of the camera and the rear when you load film into it. It's not difficult to deal with, but at the same time, it's more than most people are used to when loading a simple box camera, mainly used for the less professional photographer.

There are two locking mechanisms on each side of the camera to load the camera. Rotate the knobs counterclockwise to unlock the back from the front. Then, you'll need to slide the strap apart to allow the camera's front and back to be removed from each other. On my camera, the strap holds the two pieces together as the strap is somewhat tight and stiff. Once you slide the two strap pieces apart, the front and rear of the camera open easily; from there, you can load the film into the camera.

 Once I put a roll of film into the camera, I attached the front to the back of the camera. I turned the locking knobs clockwise to lock the two together and slid the strap back to the shorter position so it would hold the front and the back together a bit better. It could quickly be done if I needed to make the handle a bit longer to hold the strap as I used the camera.

The one thing I noticed when I went to load the film into the camera was the winding mechanism didn't engage with the film spool very well. I needed to press the winding knob, and I was turning the knob to advance the film. The flat end of the winding mechanism that fits into the spool didn't seem long or thick enough to fit tightly into the film spool. The whole winding mechanism seemed very wobbly. I did try t tighten the screw, but that didn't help. The camera is almost 100 years old (92 years), and I'm guessing that it's just worn a bit, but I doubt it's been used very much because the strap is in great condition and still intact.

 

My Results:

Now that I had wrestled with the strap and held both the front and rear of the camera in my lap to load the camera with a roll of 120 films, it was time to take a walk through the neighborhood to see the results from this beautiful brown bakelite camera from the early 1930s. Here are some of the results from my walk.

Conclusion:

The one thing that I struggle with when using these simple box cameras is the close distance required to get a somewhat sharp image. Since it was somewhat sunny outside, I figured that using the sunny 16 rule would be my rule of thumb for exposures. 

 For those unfamiliar with the Sunny 16 rule, you use the shutter speed closest to the ASA, or as it's known now, ISO in your camera. (Yes, I'm old school.) If it's sunny outside, you use f16. I had ASA 125 film in the camera and figured the shutter speed was close to that, so I put the aperture setting in the middle setting for my exposures outside.

 I photographed my daughter and her dog, Bean, initially about 4 to 5 feet away. Then I took a step back, and the photo still was out of focus, as were many of the images I took between 4-6 feet from the subject. The one image that is nice and sharp is the more scenic photo of one of the neighbors' houses, which turned out very well. My guess is the best minimum distance is 8-10 feet away, looking at some of the results I achieved.

 Thank you for taking a few minutes from your day to look over this unique and simple camera from about a century ago. It was fun to take it off the shelf and use it as it was intended. The results are the best, and my guess is that due to several different reasons, the Merten Merit Box camera wasn't a huge seller during its time.

 Until next week, please be safe.

KAPSA Box Camera

My Kapsa camera

On my blog, February is a special time for vintage camera enthusiasts like us-it's Box Camera Month, a time to celebrate and explore the unique charm of these classic cameras.

 Looking through my collection, I noticed I had several different box or box-style cameras that I wanted to use and write about. So, in the middle of January, I thought I should spend the month of February using and writing about the four box cameras I was thinking about.

 The first camera that I noticed was the Kapsa camera. It's been on my shelf for a couple of years, and I purchased it in a large group of cameras from an online auction. At first, I didn't think too much of the camera as the items within the group I was primarily interested in were a couple of Olympus Pen F half-frame cameras. As I was unboxing and unwrapping the items I had purchased, the Kapsa was a camera that drew my attention due to the heavy Bakelite material. The name was one that I wasn't aware of.

D. F. Vasconcellos (DFV) Logo

 After doing some research on the camera after the unwrapping, I found out that the camera is rare in North America because it was made and sold in Brazil. I thought that was unusual and dug a bit more into the camera; it also comes in an aqua-blue color, which makes me want to get that version even more because of my love for colored and unusual cameras. I found even more interesting information when I did more digging into the camera and the company that manufactured the camera.

The Company.

D. F. Vasconcellos (DFV) manufactured the Kapsa camera in the 1950s, but the company, which was founded in 1941 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, began manufacturing precision optical instruments, like surgical microscopes and other items for the Brazilian military.

 In the 1950s, D. F. Vasconcellos diversified into consumer items like binoculars, magnifying glasses, and loupes. This was also the time they ventured into camera manufacturing, a move that filled a growing market for photography in Brazil. 

Brazilian ad for Kapsa camera.

 My guess is that companies like Kodak and Agfa, which were making simple cameras and importing them into Brazil, were somewhat expensive for the average Brazilian consumer. Since D. F. Vasconcellos was getting into the consumer market, they decided to manufacture an inexpensive, well-made, but simple camera for the Brazilian market. 

Getting into the camera manufacturing business must have been successful because they made cameras other than the Kapsa for the Brazilian market. They had a total of six cameras in their lineup. Some of the different cameras D. F. Vasconcellos made are very similar to some of the cameras made by Ansco. One camera made by D. F. Vasconcellos was the Zina 25, which is a copy of the Ansco Cadet II. There are thoughts that some of the cameras made by D. F. Vasconcellos were from older Ansco molds. This makes sense, as other cameras within their lineup have similarities to the Ansco line.

 D. F. Vasconcellos continued to manufacture cameras into the mid-1960s. Still, soon after, they shut down their camera manufacturing to concentrate on the items they are known for today. According to their website, D. F. Vasconcellos manufactures surgical microscopes and other specialized equipment used in the Ophthalmology, Veterinary, Otorhinolaryngology, and Dental fields.

My Camera:

My Kapsa camera is the size of many standard box-style cameras from the 1950s. It's 4.5" tall, including the strap lug, 3.75" wide, including the winding knob, 4.75" deep, and weighs 1lb. 2.6 oz and is made of a thicker Bakelite material with a pebble finish over the camera body. The Kapsa camera has a 110mm F11 Vascromat lens. Similar to many other box-style cameras, there are two viewfinders on the camera. The viewfinder on the top of the camera is for vertical format photos, and the second one on the side of the camera is for horizontal format photos.

There are a couple of interesting items within this camera. The first is the controls on the right side of the camera as you hold it, which adds a bit of complexity to the camera. On top is the shutter settings for "I," which stands for instant and has a shutter speed of around 1/100 sec. The other setting is "T" for times exposure. Next to the shutter release is "Trava" or Lock, so the shutter doesn't accidentally trigger while transporting the camera. Under that is the ability to set three different apertures, F11, F16, or F22, and along the bottom is the focus control, which is in meters. There are also flash contacts on the camera for their bulb flash gun, which you can see in the posted ads, but something I don't have.

Camera controls on the Kapsa camera

To open the camera, the locking/unlocking lever is on the left side. This lever allows you to open the camera to load/unload the film. You turn the dial to "ABRE" to open the camera or "FECHA" to lock the camera. Once the camera is unlocked, the right side of the camera pulls away from the camera body so you can load or unload the film.

There are two "wings" on the camera that convert the camera from a 6x9 format camera to a 6x4.5 format camera. I liked this feature as it allows the photographer to get twice as many photos from their roll of film. If you're in the 6x9 format with the "wings" retracted, you'll get eight pictures on the roll, but by flipping the "wings" over the film opening, you'll get 16. The one thing that you'll need to remember, and this alludes to me at times when I do this, is it also changes the format of the image. If you're in the 6x9 format, the camera is in the vertical format when holding the camera vertically. Once you change to the 6x45 format, the format of the image is horizontal even though you're holding the camera vertically. It's just something you need to be conscious of when changing formats.

Many of the articles I read about the Kapsa camera state that it can use either 120 or 620 film. However, my camera is only set up for 120-size film, as the film reel holders have larger openings for 120-size film, not the smaller openings for 620-size film reels.

 My Kapsa camera has a couple of issues. On the back of the camera, there should be two red windows for the two formats the camera can use. The first issue is one of the red windows on the back of the camera, which reads the frame number when advancing the film, is missing.  It's the right window that's missing, and it is used for the 6x4.5 format photos. That's not a deal breaker when it comes to using the camera. I just taped a small piece of foil over the window since I didn't have red acrylic to glue into the camera. Also, there is a small ship in the Bakelite close to the seam where the film insert fits into the camera body, so I added a small piece of black tape when shooting. My camera is also missing the strap.

 

My Results:

Since my camera shoots 120 film, I loaded a roll of Ilford FP4 Plus, 125 ISO film into the camera with the "wings" back so I was shooting 6x9 format images. The plastic winding knob is on the right side of the camera, just behind the horizontal viewfinder. I wound the film in the first frame, walked through the neighborhood, and snapped a few images.

 Once I was done, I got out the dark bag and processing equipment, loaded the reel with the film, and processed it. Here are some of the results. 

Conclusion:

Shooting a box camera brought back some great memories from childhood. I still enjoy holding the camera in a lower position and looking through the waist-level finder to frame the image. Maybe that's why I enjoy medium-format cameras so much; it's the tactile feel of using this mechanical instrument to capture memories that I'm fascinated with.

 The camera was fun to use, and the images are good, especially considering what many people feel is a toy. But the world took millions of images with this style of camera.

 Thank you for taking a few minutes from your busy day to read about this fun and somewhat rare camera from Brazil. Now, I will be on the hunt for the blue model, preferably in better condition than the camera I have.

 Until next week, please be safe.

Art Deco Rolleicord 1

My Rolleicord 1

Some cameras look so amazing that you consider them more of a work of art than a mechanical piece of metal and glass that takes photos. That was my thought the first time I saw the Rolleicord 1. While the Rolleicord 1 is a fairly plain camera, it's the "skin" that gives it a "wow" factor.

 It's the same feeling I had when I saw cameras like the cameras designed by Walter Teague, like the Kodak Beau Brownies, The Petite Coquette, and the Gift Kodak. They are more of something you'd see in a museum rather than take out and take photos with.

 It has more to do with the Art Deco era; these items were manufactured in, and along with the pride in artistry, the companies had to present something to their audience than we currently have. The fact that a camera company in the 1930s would introduce a new line of cameras with such a striking appearance is a bold statement and a testament to the Rollei name.

The History:

Rollei holds a significant place in photographic history. Founded in 1920 in Braunschweig, Germany, by Paul Franke and Reinhold Heidecke, the company originally bore the name "Franke & Heidecke." Initially, it focused on precision mechanical devices, but by the mid-1920s, Rollei began producing cameras that would revolutionize photography.

 Rollei gained international recognition in 1929 with the launch of the Rolleiflex, the first twin-lens reflex (TLR) camera. The Rolleiflex was compact, robust, and designed for medium-format photography. Its unique twin-lens system featured one lens for viewing and focusing and another for capturing the image on film. This innovative design allowed photographers to frame shots at waist level, making candid photography more discreet and practical. The Rolleiflex quickly became a favorite among professionals and enthusiasts, particularly for portrait and documentary work.

The success of the Rolleiflex led to the introduction of the Rolleicord, a more affordable version aimed at amateur photographers. Both models showcased Rollei's commitment to precision engineering and optical excellence, which became hallmarks of the brand.

 During the 1930s and 1940s, Rollei continued to innovate, refining the Rolleiflex and Rolleicord lines with features such as automatic film winding and improved optics. Despite the challenges of World War II, the company maintained its reputation for high-quality cameras. In the post-war era, Rollei played a significant role in the resurgence of the German camera industry.

French ad for Rolleicord 1

The 1950s and 1960s marked a golden age for Rollei. The Rolleiflex TLR became synonymous with professional photography and was used by renowned photographers such as Richard Avedon, Diane Arbus, and Vivian Maier. Rollei also ventured into other formats and technologies. The Rolleiflex 35mm SLR, introduced in the late 1950s, showcased the company's adaptability to the changing market demands.

By the 1970s, the rise of Japanese camera manufacturers like Nikon, Canon, and Minolta introduced intense competition. These companies offered high-quality single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras at more affordable prices, challenging Rollei's dominance in medium-format and professional photography.

In response, Rollei diversified its product line, introducing the Rolleiflex SL66, a medium-format SLR, and the compact Rollei 35, which became one of its most miniature 35mm cameras. Despite these innovations, Rollei struggled to maintain its market share due to its higher production costs and its competitors' rapidly advancing technology.

 In the 1980s and 1990s, Rollei faced financial difficulties, leading to changes in ownership and restructuring. The company shifted focus to digital imaging and niche markets, including high-end studio cameras and digital backs for medium-format systems.

The Rollei legacy endures as a symbol of German engineering and innovation, reflecting a century of dedication to the art and science of photography.

My Camera:

The Rolleicord 1 was made between 1933 and early 1936, with 32,508 units sold. The camera is nickel-plated and decorated with a trompe-l'oeil grid on all sides except the bottom, giving it its unique look. In 1934, Franke & Heideke produced a version of the camera without the beautiful pattern finish and covered the body in drab black leather, which was the Rolleicord 1, model 2.

 My Rolleicord 1 is 5.25" tall with the chimney closed and 8" tall with the chimney up, by 4" deep, by 3.5" wide, including the focus knob. It weighs 1 lb, 15.4 oz, so just under 2 lbs. The serial number on the camera is 029789, which is stamped into the body with the back door opened. The camera has a Carl Zeiss Jena Triotar 7.5cm f4.5 lens in a Compur shutter. 

The shutter speeds range from 1/300 to 1 sec., along with "B" and "T" settings. For transparency purposes, my shutter isn't in the best condition and only works on the top three speeds (1/300, 1/100, 1/50 sec.). It doesn't close if I use any of the slower speeds. The shutter speeds are set by turning the collar around the lens to the desired shutter speed, which is indicated by a triangle. 

 The camera's aperture setting ranges from f4.5 to F32. A pointing triangle and a separate collar on the other side of where you set the shutter speed determine the aperture setting.

 To cock the shutter, you slide the bar under the lens to the right as you're holding the camera to take a photo. With the same lever, you slide the lever to the left to take the photo. There aren't separate levers for cocking the shutter and tripping the shutter. It's all done with the same bar. Me, I like that, so you're not looking to cock the shutter in one area and take the photo in a different area. Very smooth and easy. There is also a socket for a cable release on the bottom of the shutter at approximately the 7 o'clock position.

To load the camera with film, simply pull the back release on the bottom of the camera, and the back will swing open. To take the empty spool of 120 film from the bottom chamber, you'll need to pull out the film knob on the right, which will allow you to take the empty spool out of the camera. 

 Pulling out the winding knob will allow you to put the empty spool in the top portion of the camera to advance the film to the next frame. Press the winding knob to keep the empty film spool in place. Put the new roll of film into the bottom chamber and press back in the film knob to keep the roll in place.

 Once you have the empty spool on the top and the new roll of film on the bottom, remove the tape that keeps the roll closed, pull the leader over the bottom and top roller, and slide the film's end into the take-up spool slot. Wind the film onto the take-up spool with the advance knob until you see an arrow pointing to the ends of the film. At this point, you can close the back door and wind the film to your first frame.

The frame counter on the left side of my camera body isn't working. Luckily, on the bottom of the camera, there is a red window you can use to see when you're in the first frame. Unfortunately, this numbering system on the film rolls is used for 6x9 format, so using this method, I only got eight images on a roll of 120 film instead of the standard twelve for 6x6 format cameras.

 To focus on your subject, pull up the chimney by slightly pulling back the release on the back of the chimney, and pull up, which will expose the large focusing screen. On the right side of the camera is the focusing knob. The focusing distance is from 0.8 meters to infinity. Turn the focusing knob to bring your subject into focus on the screen.

A fine focus magnifier on a spring rests on the back of the chimney. Bring the magnifier around to the top of the viewfinder. Mine stays in place, allowing the photographer to bring their eye closer to the magnifying glass for fine focus. When not using the fine focus magnifier, it can be swung back to the back of the finder so you can see the full image on the focusing screen. You can also slide the front portion of the chimney back and use the chimney as a sport finder if needed.

Exposure index and depth of field scale on back of the Rolleicord 1 camera.

On the back of the camera is an exposure guide and depth of field scale. This scale was produced in German, French, and English for the different markets. My guide on the back is in German. According to the Rolleicord 1 manual, the exposure guide is rated for DIN 26, which would be ASA/ISO 320

 

My Results:

It's in the northwest United States in early January, which means very little sunshine. So I loaded up the camera with some 400 ISO film and walked around the neighborhood to see what I could get from this Rolleicord 1 camera. Knowing I only had the top three speeds to work with, this wasn't too much of an issue as the sun was generally behind clouds most of the day; it wasn't that dark out, and it typically shows between 1/300 and 1/100 shutter speed.

 Here are some of the results from my Rolleicord 1 camera.

Conclusion:

WOW!!! What a fun camera to shoot with. I forget how much I enjoy shooting with a TLR camera. It reminds me of my wedding shooting days many years ago. Looking down at your subjects and seeing such a nice big image brings back many good memories.

Even though the Rolleicord was made for amateur photographers, the lens is fantastic, easy to use, and excellent Rollei camera quality. I only had to keep reminding myself that when you see something going right in the finder, you need to turn left. If something comes into the frame on the right, it is really on the left in real life. I like the ability to keep things square, and while I prefer a panoramic format, having a square image is interesting and gives a new perspective.

 Thank you for taking some time from your day to read about this fantastic camera.

 Until next week, please be safe.

Hasselblad 1600F Camera

Looking through my collection, I had a couple of different cameras in mind, but they use 127-size film, which I ordered a few days before the intended day to take photos. Unfortunately, the film hasn't arrived in time for me to shoot photographs when the weather is nice and sunny, so I'll put them off for the next blog. 

 As I gazed at the items in my collection, the Hasselblad 1600F caught my eye. I had purchased it many years ago, and the last time I had the pleasure of using it was a couple of years ago. The thought of loading a roll and exercising the focal plane shutter in this early version of the Hasselblad camera filled me with anticipation. 

 I generally use the Zeiss 80mm f2.8 lens on the camera, but looking through some of the lenses I have for this and the 1000F, I do have the Kodak Ektar 80mm f2.8 lens, which was the lens initially sold with the 1600F here in the US, and later the Zeiss 80mm f2.8 was available. For this shoot, I got out a roll of Ilford FP4 125 film, which I loaded into the film back, and I put on the Ektar lens to see how it would work. I was pleasantly surprised.

The Company:

When I think of cameras that have made an indelible mark on the field of photography, Hasselblad undoubtedly comes to mind. They are known for capturing iconic moments on Earth and beyond. Hasselblad cameras are synonymous with precision, durability, and unmatched image quality. At the heart of this remarkable brand is the story of its founder, Victor Hasselblad, and his relentless pursuit of excellence.

Original Swedish Ad for Hasselblad 1600f

 Victor Hasselblad was born in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1906 into a family with a photography and photographic supplies background. While Victor initially followed in his family's footsteps, he soon developed a desire to innovate and improve upon existing camera technology. At 18, he traveled to Dresden, Germany, to work with the best optical manufacturers of the time, gaining invaluable experience in the technical aspects of cameras and photography. This laid the foundation for his future endeavors and innovations.

 During World War II, Victor's knowledge of cameras caught the attention of the Swedish Air Force. They approached him with a German aerial surveillance camera they wanted to replicate. Victor accepted the challenge and famously responded, "I don't want to make a copy of it—I want to make a better one." This led to the development of the first Hasselblad camera, the HK7, designed explicitly for military aerial photography. Victor's ingenuity soon proved invaluable, and his cameras became crucial tools for aerial reconnaissance.

 After the war, Victor focused on developing cameras for the consumer market. In 1948, the first consumer-oriented Hasselblad, the 1600F, was introduced. This camera was revolutionary for its time, featuring a modular design that allowed photographers to change lenses, viewfinders, and film magazines, making it highly versatile. The 1600F also used medium-format film, which produced images of superior quality compared to 35mm film cameras available at the time. However, the early models faced technical issues, particularly durability, and required further refinement.

Ad for the Hasselblad 1600F

Despite the initial technical issues, Hasselblad was committed to improving its designs. By the 1950s, Hasselblad cameras had developed a reputation for being highly reliable, and photographers worldwide began to take notice. In 1952, Hasselblad introduced the 1000F with an improved shutter and slower maximum speed of 1/1000. The camera also came with a Zeiss 80mm f2.8 lens, marking a significant improvement in the brand's offerings.

 

The subsequent 500C model, released in 1957, solidified Hasselblad's place in the professional photography world. With its leaf-shutter system and modular components, the 500C became a workhorse for studio photographers, renowned for its reliability and image quality. This camera design remained in production, with upgrades, for decades and became the foundation of Hasselblad's success.

 

Hasselblad cameras are most famous for their role in space exploration. In 1962, NASA astronaut Walter Schirra brought a Hasselblad 500C on the Mercury-Atlas 8 mission, sparking a long-standing relationship between Hasselblad and NASA. The camera's build quality, high resolution, and adaptability made it an ideal choice for capturing images in the challenging conditions of space.

Walter Schirra and the Hasselblad 500C

 Hasselblad worked closely with NASA to modify the cameras for space use. The resulting 500EL model was specially adapted for the Apollo missions, where it would ultimately capture some of the most iconic images in history, including the first steps on the moon by Neil Armstrong in 1969. The modifications included [specific modifications], which allowed the camera to function effectively in the challenging conditions of space. To this day, the image of Earth from space, known as the 'Blue Marble,' remains one of the most famous photographs ever taken, and it was captured with a Hasselblad. The brand's involvement in the space program elevated its reputation further and established Hasselblad as a premium name in photography.

 With the arrival of digital photography, Hasselblad continued to innovate, embracing the transition while retaining the high standards that defined its analog cameras. In the early 2000s, Hasselblad launched the H-System, a line of digital medium-format cameras that maintained the quality associated with the brand while integrating advanced digital features. This line set new benchmarks in the industry, offering extremely high-resolution sensors, modular components, and sophisticated imaging capabilities that appealed to professional photographers and high-end studios alike.

 More recently, Hasselblad has also embraced the mirrorless trend, launching the X1D, a compact digital medium-format camera that balances portability with the image quality of medium format. This new direction has helped the brand stay relevant, catering to a new generation of photographers who demand portability without sacrificing image quality.

 Today, Hasselblad remains a symbol of excellence in photography. Known for its attention to detail, superior image quality, and dedication to craftsmanship, Hasselblad has cultivated a loyal following of professional photographers, collectors, and photography enthusiasts. While the digital age has transformed the landscape of photography, Hasselblad continues to adapt and push the boundaries of what is possible, ensuring that its legacy endures.

Victor Hasselblad's legacy is a testament to the power of innovation, and his vision inspires photographers worldwide. From capturing wartime reconnaissance to the moon's surface and beyond, Hasselblad has not only documented history but has become a part of it.

My Camera:

My Hasselblad with the Kodak Ektar 80mm f2.8 lens is 6.5" long by 4.5" wide, including the winding knob, and is 4" tall with the waist level finder closed. The camera weighs in at 2 lbs. 15.9oz. This camera is in excellent condition for being around 75 years old. Hasselblad made this camera with a maximum shutter speed of 1/1600, which was very ambitious for a medium-format camera. There is some minor tarnish on some chrome, a small dent in one of the shutter curtains,  and the leatherette is starting to come loose around the waist level finder, but that seems to be it. It's also important to know that the 1600F and the 1000F use focal plane shutters. After these models, the 500c and model moving forward have leaf shutters in the lenses, not the camera body. The exception was the 2000FC model.

Having owned several different Hasselblad models, the camera operations are similar to mine. The film back on my camera is the older C12 film back. To load the film, you need to take the film back off the camera. Well, you don't need to, but I've always done it. You have to have the dark slide in the slot on the left to remove the film back from the camera. The dark slide in the holder presses a pin within the film back that allows the back to come off. If the dark slide isn't in the film back, you cannot take the back off the camera. To remove the film, on the top of it is a sliding circle with a Hasselblad "V" logo that you slide to the right and pull back down to remove it from the body.

 On the left side of the film back is the lock. Pull up the tab on the lock and turn it counterclockwise until it stops, then pull it away from the film back, and the insert will pull out. The film insert is what you load the film into. With the lock on the left, take the empty film spool from the bottom holder by pulling out the roll holder on a hinge to quickly load and unload the rolls of film. Put the empty spool onto the top. The top has a knurled grip on the hinged holder to wind the film before loading it back into the film back to shoot. Put your fresh roll of film into the lower holding area, pull the paper over the black pressure plate and slide the leader into the empty spool and turn the knurled knob to load the film onto the reel. Keep turning the knob until you see the "start" word on the paper backing. 

 Slide the film into the body portion and lock the back securely into the body. On the right side of the film back is a winding knob. Lift one of the handles and wind. On my film back, which is a C12 back, there is a hinged door where you can see the frame numbers as you turn the winding handle. Open the backdoor, watch for "1" to appear, and stop winding. At this point, turn the winding lever in a counterclockwise motion, and the frame counter under the winding knob will reset to number 1. Put the back onto the camera and prepare for the first photo. As you take photos, the film will advance back in, and you can check the frame counter on the film back to see what frame you're on.

Now that the film is loaded into the camera let's go out and shoot a few frames. Remove the front lens cap to focus the camera and pop up the waist level finder. A smaller "V" Hasselblad logo slider is on top of the waist level finder to open the finder. Slide that to the right, and the waist-level finder will pop open, showing an image you're pointing the camera toward. Turn the focus ring on the lens to get a sharp image. If you want a more critical focus, you can slide the slider to the right again, and a magnifying lens will pop up. You can put your eye closer to the magnifying lens to see an enlarged area of the focusing screen to fine focus on your subject. To close the waist level finder, one by one, flip down the side panels over the focusing screen, then the back panel, and close the top, which will click when closed.

 Before you press the shutter button on the front of the camera in the lower right corner, as you're holding the camera, you need to take out the dark slide from the film's back. The camera will not fire if the dark slide is engaged in the film's back. Be sure the shutter is cocked and ready to shoot. To cock the shutter, there is a large knob on the right side of the camera. Pull out the dark slide and turn that knob in a clockwise motion, or so the knob is going forward. This cocks the shutter. Set the shutter speed, which is on the right side of the camera, on the knob that cocks the shutter. 

 Because this model and the 1000F cameras use a focal plane shutter, it's VERY IMPORTANT: DO NOT SET THE SHUTTER SPEED WITHOUT COCKING THE SHUTTER FIRST. If you do, the camera can jam, and with this and the 1000F models, it's extremely expensive to service and, due to the age, possibly not able to be serviced due to lack of parts.

On my Eastman Kodak Ektar lens, the aperture is entirely manual, meaning you need to open the aperture for focus and then stop down to take the photo. Being used to "automatic" apertures where the aperture closes during exposure and opens after the exposure, it's easy not to remember to stop the lens down before taking the photo. Being one that uses a myriad of different cameras, I'm getting used to checking before, but every once in a while, I forget and need to retake the photo.

 If you want to change the lens on your camera, as you hold the camera, there is a button on the front of the camera in the lower left corner, opposite the shutter release. Press the button and turn the lens in a counterclockwise motion to release the lens and put on a new one. To put on a different lens, line up the red dot on the lens and the red dot on the camera body and turn the lens clockwise until the lens "clicks" into place and is secure on the body.

 Now that you've shot the 12 frames on the roll of film, it's time to take the film out, get it processed, and see how you did. To do so, take the dark slide out of the film back, remove the film back from the camera, open the film chamber, unload the film, and put in a fresh roll to shoot some more.

My Results:

After walking around my block taking photos on a sunny afternoon, I wanted to see how the lens would handle and the image quality it would produce. The lens focuses close, down to 20" from the film plane, so I was able to get in close for detail. Here are the results from the Eastman Kodak Ektar 80mm f2.8 lens.

 

 Conclusion:

I'm a photo nerd. I love using cameras, especially the older mechanical versions. There's something gratifying and calming about having a mechanical camera in my hands. Whether looking through an eye-level or waist-level finder, taking photos is an absolute joy.

 The Ektar 80mm f2.8 lens is terrific. I liked how the focus was fluid and easy to turn, the ease of opening and closing the aperture, and the picture quality was better than expected. The older Ektar lenses are superb, like those on the Ektar 35mm camera.

 Thank you for taking a few minutes out of your day to read about this early Hasselblad camera. I plan to use it for more shoots in the upcoming months.

 Until next week, please be safe.

Reference:

Hasselblad Website: https://www.hasselblad.com/about/history/first-consumer-camera/

Minolta Six Camera

It seems like I purchase items from camera auctions in "lots," and there is always a treasure hidden in the background that you either didn't notice at first, is hidden within all the photos of the items, or, in this case, the camera wasn't taken out of the case, and the case was obscured, so there was no visual evidence that the camera was.

 As I unwrapped the cameras won from the auction, one brown case caught my eye. It bore a striking resemblance to the Mamiya Six in my collection. But upon closer inspection, the name 'Minolta Six' was revealed. I initially thought it might be similar to the Mamiya Six, but the truth was far more exciting, as I'll reveal when I introduce the camera.

History:

In an earlier post, I did on the Minoltaflex CDS, I did a brief history of the company, which read, 

Kazuo Tashima founded Minolta in Osaka, Japan, in 1928 as Nichi-Doku Shashinki Shōten, which means Japanese-German Camera Shop. In 1931, the company updated its name to Minolta, which stands for Mechanism, Instruments, Optics, and Lenses by Tashima. In 1937, the company was reorganized as Chiyoda Kogaku Seikō, K.K. They are now introducing their first Twin Lens Reflex (TLR) camera, the MinoltaFlex, based on the German Rolleiflex cameras. The MinoltaFlex was only the second TLR introduced from Japan after the Prince Flex by Neumann & Heilemann. In 1947, Minolta introduced rangefinder cameras like the Minolta-35, and in 1959, the Single Lens Reflex (SLR) SR-1 camera. In later years, they signed agreements with Leica and came out with the first autofocus SLR, The Minolta Maxxum 7000, which carried on to several in their autofocus system.

 To expand slightly from the above text, in the early years, there was a big German influence on the Minolta company, which was known as Nichidoku Shashinki Shōten, which means Japanese, German camera shop. In the early years, the company received help from camera technicians Billy Neumann and Willy Heilemann, and the shutters and lenses were supplied from Germany. Their first camera was the Nicarette, which was released in 1929.

In 1931, the company was transformed into a stock corporation named Molta Gōshi-gaisha. Molta is an abbreviation of Mechanism, Optics, and Lenses by Tashima. Neumann and Heilemann left the company in 1932, returning to Germany to start their own company, and the German influence left with them. In 1933, the name Minolta was adopted. In 1937, the company became Chiyoda Kōgaku Seikō K.K and expanded the production of cameras into TLR and press cameras similar to the Plaubel Makina. 

Minolta Six in the July 1938 catalogue and price list by Asanuma Shōkai. Scan by A. Apra. (Image rights)

 In 1940, the famous Minolta Rokkor lens was produced, but it was only used for the military. Consumer camera production ended in 1943 to concentrate on the war effort. Three of its four plants were destroyed by Allied forces during WWII. Soon after the war, Minolta released the Semi Minolta III, and throughout the 1950s, Minolta expanded its line of cameras to include folding cameras, TLRs, SLRs, and rangefinder cameras.

 In 1958, the SR-2 was released, and it was Minolta's first system camera. This reign of SLR system cameras included partnerships with Leitz in the 1970s, which helped produce CLE cameras. Minolta had a full line of autofocus cameras, the Maxxum line of bodies and lenses, and Minoltas final SLR camera ended in 1995 with their X-370.

 Minolta produced many different 35mm, APS, and DISC cameras and partnered with Konica in 2003, but by 2006, the camera company had discontinued camera production and relied heavily on the copier business.

My Camera:

Opening the case and looking at the camera for the first time, I was surprised by the Minolta logo and text on top. Since it was made in 1936, it has a genuine Art Deco design in the look and feel of the camera. My biggest surprise was when I initially pulled the lens out from the body and found the camera didn't have a cloth bellows. Instead, it has a series of stacking cubes that pull away from the camera body, AND these boxes are reinforced with another Art Deco element, metal brackets that resemble an "M" when the camera is laid on its back with the lens pointing up. WOW, Just a fantastic design.

The Minolta Six camera measures 6 inches in width, 4.75 inches in height with the finder up, 3.75 inches with the finder closed, and 4 inches in depth with the lens out, or 2.25 inches with the lens closed. It weighs 1 lb. 5.7oz. without the case or loaded with film. The camera's body is made from a bakelite or plastic material, covered in a high-quality leatherette.

 To pull the lens out to take photos, there are two grips, one on either side of the lens, that you grab onto to pull the lens out and away from the body. You need to expose three stacking cubes before the camera is ready to take the photos. Under the lens are two curved chrome bars you can slide down to prop the camera up so that when the lens is out, it doesn't tip forward and keeps the lens level.

Around the top of the lens is Patents-Nippon, and below is Crown, which is the shutter on the camera. The actual lens is an 80mm f5.6 Coronar Anastigmat Nippon lens. Around the lens is a manual focus ring that focuses from under 1 meter to infinity. The focus line to judge distance is a protruding tab with a line at approximately 10 O'Clock on the lens face. The lens also has a stopping screw that prevents the lens from rotating past the infinity mark on the tab.

 

My camera has only four shutter speeds: 1/150, 1/100, 1/50, and 1/25, along with "b" and "T" for timed exposures. On the top of the camera is a pop-up viewfinder with etched or lined crosshairs to line up horizontal or vertical subjects as needed. The back of my camera sports three red windows with different numbers, which are used to line up with the number on the paper backing to get to the proper frame number. In later cameras, they went to a single window system, which is more common with current 6x6 format cameras using 120 film.

 

To open the back of the camera, there is a latch behind the strap on the left side with an arrow pointing down. Slide the button down, and the camera's back opens. The chrome winding lever was used on the older models. Later they went to a plastic or bakelite knob in the later models. My first thought when I looked at the back of the camera was that it was not a full-frame 6x6 camera, but that was because I was looking at the retracted plastic cubes from the bellows. It is indeed a full 6x6 format camera. Load the film on the right side and bring the leader to the left to take up the spool. The knobs on the bottom of the camera pull out so you can put in the film and take up the reel easily.

 The case for my camera is in great condition. There's a pretty cool instruction tab on the inside of the case, which was made for the three window cameras.

 The crown shutter doesn't have a cocking mechanism. There's just the shutter release to take the photos. I loaded the film. I pulled out the cube below and started to take pictures of the neighborhood with my trusty light meter. Once I reached the end, I unloaded the film and processed the negatives.

My Results:

Here are some of the photos taken with the Minolta Six camera. The photos were a bit flat in exposure and contrast.

Conclusion:

I enjoyed shooting with the camera, but I am still primarily impressed with the innovative and beautiful bellows system in the camera. Not only is it functional, but it is very light and tight and only wears out slowly compared to the style bellows. The flip side is, if something happens to this bellows, the replacement is hard to replace due to the material. I wished there were faster shutter speeds, but I was using 125 iso film, and with the aperture range of the lens, I didn't have an issue.

 I have a great and fun camera for next week's blog post, so I hope you'll stick around to read that one, too. Thank you for your time, and please be safe until then.

Update:

According to Andrea Apra, who corrected and let me know initially, a small cardstock table was provided with this camera. This table was used to calculate the Depth of Field. The card I have in the case with the wrong translation is just instructions for using this table provided with the camera, which I don’t have.

The table has a horizontal scale at the top with the various distances on the focus ring: 7, 5, 3, 2, 1.5, 1 Mtr.

Then, on the vertical column, the diaphragm has various apertures: F 5.6, 6.3, 9, 12.5, 18, 25.

Two pairs of values, the minimum and maximum distance of the DoF, are intersecting at the table's intersection.

This explains how to read the table.

This is the text translated in its original graphic structure of the text.

Zeh Zeca-Flex Camera

This camera combines the compactness of a folding camera with the quality and handling of a twin-lens reflex camera. The Zeh Zeca-Flex is just the camera mentioned above, and I've had my eye on it for many years. However, the rareness and price have always eluded me until I went into a great used camera store in Salt Lake City, UT, Acme Camera.

 The first time I went into Acme Camera, they were in their older location, and the store was filled with photo knickknacks. I struck up a conversation with the people there who were selling used gear, servicing cameras, and renting for the local photo community. On my second visit, back in one of the cases was the Zeca-Flex I currently have. The camera was in excellent condition, with clean optics and a working shutter. I offered a trade for the camera, and they accepted. I was elated to have the camera so I could do a blog article on my Zeca-Flex.

History:

In the early 1900s, around 1901-1902, Paul Zeh produced camera parts like shutters in his workshop in Dresden for some of the other local camera companies in Germany. In 1913, he started producing cameras, and by 1922, the company Paul Zeh Kamerawerk was started. In the early years, the company mainly produced folding plate cameras or cameras that took images on glass plates, which was very common at that time period.

During the 1920s, the company did very well. At this time in photo history, roll film was starting to become more popular. The photographer or photo enthusiast didn't need to carry bulky film holders. All the photographer needed to do was put in a roll of film and get 8, 10, 12, or 16 different photos on the same roll of film without the hassle or inconvenience of loading and carrying the film holders. 

The Pilot Reflex camera, produced in 1931 by Kamera-Werkstätten Guthe & Thorsch in Dresden, has a very similar style and appearance to the Perfekta and the Super Perfekta; you can see a review by Mike Eckman of the Pilot.

 During the late 1920s and 1930s, the company expanded production into folding roll film cameras. These cameras were more compact and allowed the photographer to travel with less equipment, so their popularity grew.

 By 1937, Zeh produced the Zeca-Flex, a folding, twin-lens reflex camera. Its design is very similar to that of the Welta Perfekta, which was produced in the 1933-34 timeframe, and the more robust Super Perfekta introduced in 1935. The Perfekta and Super Perfekta were made by Welta Kamera Werk, which was in Freital, a very close town to Dresden. 

I'm confident Zeh wanted to compete with Welta on this camera style. Unfortunately, this camera style didn't catch on with consumers. Hence, with all three cameras, the Perfekta, Super Perfekta, and Zeca-Flex were the only cameras made and are rare and somewhat expensive.

 WWII took a toll on Dresden as the Allies leveled the city due to its large manufacturing capabilities. By 1948, the Zeh plant closed, and the company went out of business. My guess is that some of the Russian companies took some of the camera manufacturing machines to produce some of the after-war cameras. This is just my guess, though.

 

My Camera: 

The condition of my Zeca-Flex is unusually excellent for a camera that is almost 90 years old. The metal is still shiny, and all the functions move like when the camera was first purchased in the late 1930s.

 The camera measures 7.5" long without the light hood open. When the light hood is open, it measures 9.25" tall. The Zeca-Flex is 3.75" wide and closed; it's 2.5" from the front of the viewing lens to the rear of the camera. When the camera is open, it measures 4.75". The Zeca-Flex weighs 2lb—5.2 oz.

The lens on my Zeca-Flex is a Schneider Xenar 7.5cm (75mm) f 3.5 in an F. Deckel Compur Rapid shutter. The shutter speeds go from 1/400 to 1 sec with both "T" and "B" settings. Since I don't have a proper shutter tester, all the shutter speeds sound accurate to my trained ear. The viewing lens is a Sucher Anistigmat f2.9 lens.

To open the camera, there is a small button on the left side as you hold it to take a photo. Press that small button in, and the lens door unlocks. On my camera, you need to pull out the lens to put it into the taking position. There are knurled grips on the sides of the lens door to pull the lens out. Also on the lens door is a flip-out stand that allows you to stand the camera up, which is very common in folding cameras.

Note the small button on the side of the camera used to open the lens.

To close the lens, there are two buttons on either side of the backdoor. You press in towards the camera body, then slide the lens back into it and close it until you hear the locking "click" sound, which means the lens is back and locked in the camera body.

 On the back of the light hood, there is a sliding bar you slide over to open the light hood for viewing purposes, and on the side of the light hood is a switch you can flip up or down the magnifying glass for critical focusing.

There is a latch at the top of the back door, which you slide up to open the film door to load and unload film. In my camera, there is a roll film holder you put the roll of film into before putting it into the camera. The film holder is something I've never seen before, and on the first roll, I needed to figure out which way the film rolled across the shutter, but it was easy to figure out. Now that I've done it, it makes sense, and I won't have difficulty in the future.

 The frame counter resets to number 1 when I close the back of my camera, or at least it was there when I put film in it. There is a button on top of the frame counter. When I slide that button over, the frame counter goes to number 5, so my guess is that isn't correct. I can't find an instruction manual for this camera online, so I'm not 100% sure of the correct way to get maximum frames from the camera. 

There is a red window on the back, which I'll use in the future, as I did miss a few frames at the beginning of the roll when I shot with it. The film advance is on the bottom of the camera and is directly tied into the frame counter, whether you have film in it or not. The frame spacing on my camera was good once I got to the first frame and used the frame counter to find the next frame.

 To focus the lens, as you hold the camera to take photos, there is a wheel next to the viewing lens. I rolled my finger across it one way or the other to achieve proper focus, which was the easiest and made the most sense to me.

This is the focusing wheel. I used my finger to slide back and forth to focus.

Results:

Now that I had a roll of film in the camera, I took it out and walked around the neighborhood to get some photos.  Here are some pictures I took on my walk with the stunning Zeca-Flex camera.

 

Conclusion:

The viewfinder wasn't the brightest, and achieving good focus was difficult even with the magnifying glass up. Another negative about using the camera is where the shutter release is placed. There is no shutter release button, so you need to cock the shutter and then release it with the shutter release button, which is in an awkward place and thought my finger would be in the photo, but it wasn't.

Besides these two items, the camera was a joy to shoot with, and I feel lucky that my camera is in such good condition. I will use it again, but I'm putting it back on the shelf and trying something different for next week's blog post.

 Thank you for taking a few minutes to review some of the cameras in my collection.

 Please be safe, and I hope to hear from you soon.

Primarflex II by Bentzin

I have been excited to do a blog post on this camera since I acquired it a couple of years ago as part of a group of cameras from an auction. The camera came as a kit with the case, extension tubes, lens hood, and film holders. When it arrived in excellent condition with a working shutter and clean lens, I was anxious to put some film in it and take a walk around my yard snapping photos.

History:

Bentzin has always been known as an innovator and a company that excelled in quality cameras like Primar, Primarette, and Primarflex. Carl Bentzin was born in Görlitz on February 8, 1862, died on May 23, 1932, and is buried in grave number 260, Old Görlitz Cemetery. He opened his first factory in 1989, located at Rauschwalder Strasse 28 in Görlitz, Saxony. He changed it in 1893.

 

In 1899, Bentzin entered into negotiations with Carl Zeiss regarding a collaboration with Dr. Paul Rudolph, who had developed their anastigmats: Planar, Protar, and Ulnar lenses. Zeiss was looking to build cameras so they could put these lenses on them, and Bentzin had the expertise of the time to do so.

 The "Aktiengesellschaft Camerawerk Palmos" was founded in 1900. They produced cameras at the Zeiss factory in Jena and the Bentzin factory in Görlitz. In late 1900, the "Film-Palmos 6x9" camera was produced at the factory. In 1901, the bank ran into financial difficulties, and Zeiss took over production in Jena. Bentzin ran their own company, run by Carl Bentzin, in Görlitz.

 In the following years, the Carl Bentzin Company produced many high-caliber SLR cameras and even cameras for companies like Voigtlander, Emil Busch, and other German camera companies.

Soon after WWI, Carl started having his son Ludwig take over more of the day-to-day operations of the company, where he honed his manufacturing and business skills. In 1928, Carl turned the company over to his son Ludwig, his daughter Helene, and Helene's husband.

 Carl Bentzin died in 1932 at the age of 70. From 1928, Helene and Ludwig ran the company together until Ludwig's death in 1945. After Ludwig's death, the company went through several different reorganizations as part of the state-owned system, ending as VEB Feinoptisches Werk Görlitz.

The Camera:

Upon my first encounter with the camera, I was immediately drawn to its unique layout. All the controls and settings are conveniently located on the right side, including the film advance, shutter speed control, shutter release, frame counter, self-timer, and flash sync terminals. This thoughtful design, detailed in the manual, makes it easy to navigate the camera's functions.

The camera exudes a sense of robustness and reliability. It's more compact than a Hasselblad and larger than a Twin Lens reflex, striking a perfect balance. As an SLR camera, it offers the unique experience of focusing and observing the depth of field through the lens, a feature I particularly appreciate.

To open the back, just behind the viewfinder is a knob that has duo functions. To open the finder, you slide the knob back towards the rear of the camera. Then, open the back to load the film. While the knob is back, you press it down, and the back door opens, revealing the film cassette, which is removable to load the film. To remove the film cassette, you'll need to pull out the winding lever just a bit like you would any film advancing knob to release the gear from the body and the film cassette is easily removable by holding the center handle and pulling it away from the body of the camera.

Loading the film onto the cassette is straightforward for any medium-format camera. Put the empty spool onto the top area where the gear for the film advance is located. Load the new film onto the other area and bring the leader over the pressure plate so the black paper backing is facing out or towards the shutter when you put the film cassette back into the camera body. Put the end tab into the spool slot and wind it a bit until you know the film won't pop off the spool and is starting to take up on the take-up spool. I like to advance the film until I see the arrows of the paper backing, and then I put the film cassette back into the camera. The manual says to reset the frame counter, turn the counterclockwise until it stops, and lift it. DO NOT FORCE IT. A red "zero" appears in the window, then advance the film until the number one appears, then you're ready to go. Unfortunately, my camera reset on the frame counter didn't work, so I advanced until I thought I was at number 1 and started shooting.

Now that I have the film loaded, the viewfinder or light hood, as they call it in the manuals, has a couple of different variations. You can remove it for cleaning. It does have a magnifying glass folded down on the rear of the hood if needed for fine focus. Just lift the magnifying lens into position and focus. It also has a "sports" type finder, which many medium format cameras have, where you can lift a portion on the hood and look through the rear opening through the front opening to get a general sense of composition for quick action photos. If you're going to use this, be sure to pre-focus the camera and use a smaller aperture to allow the depth of focus to compensate for any missed focus.

Focusing the lens and setting the aperture is straightforward. The lens doesn't have an automatic aperture, so you need to open the lens to focus and then manually stop the lens down to the desired and needed setting for proper exposure. A "locking" mechanism for the aperture is used to help with this. You pull back the collar with the red dot and turn it to the desired aperture setting. Releasing the collar "locks" the lens into that setting, which means you cannot go past that setting when you turn the collar back and forth. This lock allows the photographer to open the aperture for brighter focusing, then quickly turn the dial back to the "locked" aperture setting to take your photo. It's easy, and the benefit is that when the lens stops down, you'll see the actual depth of field you'll get in your photograph. When I turned the advance lever, the mirror returned as it should, and to cock the shutter; there was a little extra turn needed to get the shutter cocked again. Having the additional amount to turn is standard, as It did the same function every time I advanced to the next frame.

When I received the "camera lot," it included a set of 4 extension tubes for the camera and three separate cut film holders. I'm very familiar with extension tubes and love shooting with them, but what would you ever use 6x6 film holders for when using this camera? I've never heard of a 6x6 cut film ever produced, so I'm curious how you'd even use them. Doing a bit of fussing around with the camera, the only mention I found was the availability of the cut film holders, but nowhere in the manual does it say how to load them. 

You'll need to open the back of the camera to use the film holders and take out the cassette. A silver clip is at the back of the light hood (Viewfinder). When you slide that clip back towards the back of the camera, you can slide up an insert with a couple of tabs on the top and a couple of small rollers within the insert. At that point, you can slide the film holders into that slot and take out the dark slide, exposing the film to the shutter and, eventually, the light when the shutter opens/closes. After using the film holders, you can put the roller insert back and slide the silver tab towards the lens, locking the insert into place so the film cassette works as it should within the camera.

The lens is a Carl Zeiss Jena 105mm T f3.5 lens, and it has threads on the back, which you use when using the extension tubes, but to put the lens onto the body, there is a red dot on the front of the camera at the 10 o'clock position. All you need to do is line up the red dot on the lens and turn it to the right or clockwise, and the lens locks into place by pressure. To remove, grab the lens and turn counterclockwise; the lens comes off after about a quarter of a turn.

The fitted case is exceptionally well-built. When you open it, the right side of the case folds down so you can access the different operation dials, which is very handy. While my strap is broken, I do see where it's attachable in several places to hold and distribute the weight evenly. The case can be held tightly in the case by a hook on the front and looping into the rear of the case.

Results:

I walked around my front and back yards using my light meter to get the proper exposure for each shot. The shutter works great, and as mentioned above, the aperture and focus move smoothly, so taking the photos was relatively easy.

 Here are the results from the camera.

Overview:

WOW, what a fun camera to shoot with. When I looked through the finder, the images were bright and clear. The focus was sharp, and using the "locking" mechanism on the lens was intuitive and straightforward. I didn't use the extension tubes on this shoot, but I plan on trying them out on an upcoming post for my blog, so keep tuned for that experience.

 Thank you for taking a few minutes to review this posting on a wonderful, well-built camera that should rival any medium-format SLR camera. 

 Until next time, please be safe and well.

Bolsey-Flex Trio Camera

As I was sitting at my desk a few weeks back as I was figuring out what camera to write about next, I looked down at a box of cameras I have in my office, and on top was the Bolsey Flex Trio, which is in the box and complete with the instructions. As I started putting together my thoughts about the camera, I had to pull out the camera, and many different ideas came into my mind.

My Bolsey-Flex Camera & Instructions

My Bolsey-Flex Camera & Instructions

The camera for its age isn't in great shape but does work. The camera uses 120 size film, which is a HUGE benefit to me since the film is so readily available. I decided to load a roll of Black and White film in it to shoot as I walked through my neighborhood. I processed the film and was somewhat impressed by the Bolsey-Flex. It's a Pseudo Twin Lens Reflex camera, which means it looks and feels like a TLR camera but works more like a Box Camera due to its simplicity.

Camera Research

I was researching the camera, only to find that a friend of mine, a brilliant writer and camera collecting blogger, Mike Eckman did a blog post on the same camera just a few months ago, which you can read here. With that said, Mike has quite a bit of information on the designer, Jacques Bogopolsky, and camera companies he worked for. The famous movie camera, Bolex, was named after Jacques Bogopolsky, and he also designed cameras for Pignons S.A., the original company that made Alpa Cameras.

For my blog post, I want to concentrate on the experience of using the camera, the image quality, and my overall thoughts on how such a beautifully designed camera handles out in a natural shooting environment. I want to offer a few facts on the camera in general. The camera is an all-aluminum cast body with beautiful light green coverings. In the box comes all you need to take the camera out into the world to take photos.

The Camera

The camera measures 4.75" tall without the viewfinder in the closed position and 6" with the finder in the "up" position. The camera is 3.75" wide, which includes the width of the knobs. It is 3.75" deep, including the lens in the focused to the closest focused position, and 3.5 with the lens focused to infinity. The Bolsey-Flex incorporates an elementary zone focusing lens which can focus from 5 feet to infinity. The focus on the camera is strictly a "guess focus" style. While this is a Psuedo TLR camera, the top lens does nothing more than frame the photo in the camera. There is no focusing capability when looking through the viewfinder.

On the Bolsey-Flex shutter, you have the capability of "I" for an instant, which shoots the shutter at 1/50th of a second shutter speed, and "T" for a time exposure. The camera does have a synchronized shutter which couples with the flash attachment. The camera also has an 80mm lens with three aperture settings, F7.7, f11, and f16. 

The flashgun takes 2-"AA" batteries to power the Type No.5 flashbulbs that fit the top. You unscrew the bottom of the flashgun to put the batteries into it. It would be best if you took the camera case off the camera to use the flash. The flashgun fits into the camera synchro port, which is below the lens and held by the screw that holds the case into place. When you trip the shutter, the camera sends a signal to the flashgun, which fires the flashbulb. 

My unit seems to be in good working condition. Unfortunately, I didn't have bulbs when I loaded the camera with film and did all my shots outdoors. It would have been fun to shoot with bulbs. I'll need to test another camera that uses a flashbulb in a future post, not that I have some bulbs to try.

To load film into the camera, there is a knob on the left side of the camera with "Open," Close" on it. Turn the knob to "open," and the top of the back swings down open to load the film into the camera. Nothing special here as the. Put the empty spool on the top and film onto the bottom area. The shutter won't fire until the winding lever is turned to advance the film. On the back of the camera is the red window with a sliding cover to see when the film is advanced to the following frame number.

 Images

Here are some of the images I took with the Bolsey-Flex camera.

Rocks

Rocks

Backyard Aspen

Backyard Aspen

Evergreen Tree

Evergreen Tree

Dogwood

Dogwood

Conclusion

I thought the camera did a very excellent job for a pseudo-TLR camera. It's not much more than a glorified box camera. The camera was easy to hold, the exposures were good, thanks to my sunny 16 rule when exposing to sunlight. The lens vignettes a bit, but I enjoy that. The ease of operation and see the frames in the red window when advancing were spot on. I'd recommend this very well-built camera to anyone.

 Thank you for taking some time to look over this post. Until next time, please be safe.

Pouva Start

Whenever my wife and I travel, I'm always looking to see if the country we're going to has a flea market or someplace where there might be a possibility to find cameras. It might be in a run-down antique store in Vietnam where I found a few cameras. One of my all-time favorite places was a flea market outside of Prague, Czechoslovakia.

My Pouva Start original model with sport finder opened and lens out.

My Pouva Start original model with sport finder opened and lens out.

The flea market itself was a wild experience. The people-watching and the different items at the vendor's tables was pretty fantastic in itself. I didn't know how many cameras I would find but figured there'd be a good mix of Russian and European cameras. I was correct on both counts, and one of my favorite cameras found there was the Pouva Start. In my opinion, this is a classic 6x6 format Lomography camera. Something compact, well built, and extremely simple to use. Let me tell you a bit about the camera and the company that made it.

Karl Pouva

The Pouva Start camera was built by Karl Pouva AG, who first started his company making simple Bakelite slide projectors in Freitel, a city near Dresden, Germany, in 1939. After the war, that area of Germany was a part of East Germany. In 1951, with his experience with Bakelite, he decided to build a simple camera. Something easy to use, low cost, and a camera to get the youth started to take photos. At the time, the camera cost 16.50 Deutsche Mark (east), which was very affordable for young people.

There have been several different changes in the Pouva Start camera over the years. I am starting with the camera I have, with the pop-up sports finder. Later, in 1956, they updated the design to incorporate an optical viewfinder into the camera and symbols for aperture settings. A sun symbol for smaller aperture settings, and clouds for larger aperture settings. The one thing that stayed constant on the cameras was the screw out lens, which acts as a locking mechanism for the camera.

The Camera

This camera has a very classic design, with a spiral threaded lens system, which is very similar to the Kodak Bullet cameras built in the early 1930s. When the lens is threaded back into the camera body, the shutter mechanism is locked so you cannot take unwanted photos. Once you wind the lens into the taking position, the shutter firing system engages with the shutter button, and the shutter now fires.

On the lens are just four settings, two for the shutter and two for the aperture settings. There is a toggle switch on the shutter side that goes from "Zeit" for timed exposures and "Moment" for a regular shutter speed of 1/30 second. On the aperture side, there is another toggle between "Sonne" Sunny or F16 and "Trub" Cloudy F8. In the later versions, as stated, they used symbols for sunny/cloudy. The camera incorporates a Duplar F8 lens, which has two elements in two groups for simplicity.

On top of the camera is the pop-up sports finder, the shutter release button, a cable release button to thread a cable release into and trigger the shutter: the film transport winding knob, and two metal levers. One of the levers is next to the shutter release button, which you can slide over to lock the shutter for time exposures. The second is by the film winding knob. This lever opens the back of the camera for film loading.

That lever is the one that stumped me for the longest time. I kept wondering how to open the back to load the film. I pulled and twisted several different areas without success. Then I pressed the lever forward, and the back started to come off. The back is held into place by friction and seats tightly onto the camera very well. The lever is attached to a small piece of Bakelite that, when pressed forward, separates the back from the camera, allowing you to take the back off. Ingenious!!!! I love this. So simple.

Photos from the camera:

Lake-Quinault-9-2020_047.jpg
Lake-Quinault-9-2020_001-copy.jpg
Lake-Quinault-9-2020_045.jpg

Conclusion:

The camera is enjoyable to use and doesn't take a horrible photo. I was surprised at how the pictures turned out. They're not the sharpest photos I've taken, but for a simple lens, they're not bad. If you like the Lomography style of cameras, I search out this camera and try it out, as I think you'll enjoy using it and the photos that come from it too.

 Thank you for taking a few minutes out of your day to read this post. I always enjoy it when I hear from you, so please feel free to email me any questions or comments about this or any other camera I've written about. Until next week, please be safe.