My Bolsey C camera
Very early in my camera collecting career, the Bolsey cameras have been a steady companion in my collection. I believe this goes back to when, in my 20s, I'd go to local Flea markets, which were usually held in older Drive-in theatres due to their expensive areas, and find Bolsey cameras. Usually, they were the B2 models and generally in fair to poor condition.
Every once in a while, I'd find one in working condition, which was a rarity. The thing that drew me to these cameras was the odd shape they have. They are generally smaller than the standard 35mm camera. Still, they have an odd shape where the front of the camera is much broader than the rear. The corners of the cameras are rounded off, giving them a sleek and modern look for their time. I compare them to the shape of automobiles of the time, which generally had rounded curves and were comfortable to use.
The Bolsey C was a camera that I've always had my eye on to add to my collection for many years. I can remember looking through the Bible of all camera collectors, McKeown's camera guide, and seeing the Model C and the other Model B and Jubilee models, with thoughts that someday I'll have one in my collection. That day was about 4 years ago when I purchased another "lot" of cameras with the Model C within that lot. To my surprise, the camera was almost mint and had a working shutter. Even the fitted case was in excellent condition. The camera appeared almost unused for 70-75 years since the camera was initially introduced in 1950.
History:
Bolsey Camera Company can be traced back to Yakov Bogopolsky, a trailblazing figure in the early 20th-century photographic industry, who played a pivotal role in the evolution of compact cameras. Born in 1895 in Ukraine, Bogopolsky left for Switzerland in 1913-14, where he studied medicine in Geneva. Due to the Russian Revolution and WWI outbreak, he could not return to Russia. While studying medicine, he worked as a portrait photographer to earn money. During his time in Switzerland, he changed his name to Jacques Bolskey. While in Switzerland, his passion for photography grew. He even invented a camera that photographed the beating heart of a dog, which was used in surgery.
One of Bolskey's earliest successes was the Bolex line of cameras he designed while working for Paillard, a Swiss company. These cameras, primarily for motion pictures, became highly regarded for their precision and durability. While in Switzerland, he also worked as a designer at Swiss watchmaker Pignons S.A., which produced the first Alpa camera.
After 22 years in Switzerland and being denied citizenship there, he eventually immigrated to the United States in 1939, changing his name to Jacques Bolsey. Bogopolsky's most significant contributions were realized through the Bolsey Camera Company, which he founded in the 1940s in New York.
Bolsey's hallmark was producing user-friendly, affordable cameras that maintained quality. His most iconic designs were the Bolsey B series of cameras, which debuted in the mid-1940s. These cameras, such as the Bolsey B, B2, and Jubilee, were compact and housed in durable cast aluminum bodies. They featured a coupled rangefinder and a fixed-focus lens, making them accessible to amateur photographers. The Bolsey cameras were marketed as an ideal solution for everyday photography, emphasizing ease of use and portability.
One of Bolsey's key innovations was incorporating a built-in flash synchronization system, a feature uncommon in consumer-grade cameras at the time. This innovation further solidified the company's reputation for blending functionality with convenience. The cameras became popular in the United States, particularly among families looking to capture moments during the post-war era.
Despite its early success, the Bolsey Camera Company struggled to compete with emerging Japanese camera manufacturers in the 1950s and 1960s. Companies like Nikon and Canon began producing more advanced and competitively priced cameras, dominating the global market. Bolsey's commitment to simplicity and compact design became less appealing as photographers demanded more advanced features.
By the mid-1960s, the Bolsey Camera Company ceased operations. While short-lived, Bolsey left a lasting impact on camera design, particularly democratizing photography. The company's cameras remain collectors' items today, valued for their unique blend of aesthetics, engineering, and historical significance. Jacques Bolsey's vision and ingenuity continue to be celebrated in the world of vintage photography.
My Camera:
My Bolsey Model C is two cameras in one. It's a twin-lens 35mm camera that incorporates both a waist-level finder and rangefinder into the same camera body. The camera is 3.75" tall with the chimney down and 4.75" tall in the up position, 4.25" wide by 2.5" deep, and weighs 1 lb 2.6oz. The camera is made from aluminum and has a gleaming finish. The camera has a Wollensak Anastigmat 44mm f3.2 lens in a Wollensak shutter. My Bolsey C also still has the red round Bolsey emblem intact on the viewing chimney. So many Bolsey cameras are missing this, as they are easily lost.
The camera has a waist-level finder with ground glass at the top for focusing and is parallax corrected to 2', which is also the minimum focusing distance. According to the Instruction manual, the waist-level finder is "exactly as you will shoot it. "The waist-level lens is also the same as the taking lens.
The camera also has a coupled rangefinder with split image capability built into it. It has the best of both worlds for focusing. Both the waist level and the rangefinder on my camera are bright and accurate. The separate viewfinder is offset on the right side of the camera for framing purposes. Also, on the back of the camera, there are two sockets on the left side made for the flash unit that snaps into them. A flash with a normal PC cord won't work on this camera.
To load the camera, the back is removed from the camera body by switching a lever on the bottom of the camera to the "open" position. The back slides off, exposing the standard 35mm camera film chamber. You slide in a 35mm film cartridge into the open area on the left, bringing the leader over the roller and the drive gear with the sprockets, and slide the leader into the take-up spool. IMPORTANT: wind the camera; you need to pull the winding lever up slightly before the camera will allow the camera to advance to the next frame. If you don't do this step, you'll tear the sprocket holes from the film because the drive gear is locked until you pull the winding lever up before winding. Put the back onto the camera and lock it. At this point, lift the winding lever and advance two times to get it to the first frame. On the back of the camera is a depth-of-field scale.
One other function of the winding lever is cocking the shutter. The Bolsey Model C uses a bar to prevent users from taking double exposures. The shutter release is a lever on the right side of the camera. Behind the shutter release is a bar with a red dot on the end. After you take a photo, the bar with the red dot springs forward, preventing the shutter release from returning to the normal "taking" position. After you take the photo, lift the winding knob, and advance to the next frame, the bar with the red dot is pulled back into the camera, allowing the shutter release to move back to the "taking" position and cocking the shutter. If you try to take a photo with the red dot showing, the shutter doesn't trip, and no exposure is made. Not all Bolsey cameras have the red dot bar to prevent double exposure. I have several other Bolsey cameras (B2 Special in red and a grey B3) that don't incorporate this feature.
The camera only has 5 shutter speeds, 1/200, 1/100, 1/50, 1/25, and 1/10, along with "B" and "T" for timed exposures. The 1/25 and 1/20 are in red, warning of slow speed to use a tripod or some way to keep the camera steady. The control of the shutter speed is a slider bar above the speed indicating which speed will be used. The aperture settings go from f3.2 to f22. These are controlled by a separate sliding bar under the lens with a pointer pointing at the set aperture.
Close up of shutter spped and aperture controls on Bolsey C camera
My results:
Where I live, it's usually overcast and raining, but I had a few hours where the sun almost poked its head out, so I loaded a roll of film into the camera and drove to two different places close to my home to take photos. The first was a local park with a playground, and the second was a home with a massive Christmas display. The display mainly consists of plastic figures on the front of the house. I figured I get a few good photos here. Here are the results of the photo journey.
Conclusion:
I need to admit, I wasn't sure how this camera would perform or if I would like to use this somewhat oddball camera. I have to admit, the camera worked great, and it was really fun to shoot with. I really enjoyed the waist-level finder and thought it was bright and accurate in its ability to focus sharply. I also tried the rangefinder, which performed just as well. On a scale of 1-10, I'd give this an 8, maybe even an 8.5, in its usability, a joy to use, and results.
You can get good results using either the rangefinder or waist-level finder. It's the best of two worlds built into one camera. If you don't have one, you should add this to your collection. Try to find a good working example to take out and use. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Thank you for taking a few minutes to read about this fantastic camera.
Until next week, please be safe.