Early M.I.O.M. Camera

My early MIOM camera

This blog is a journey into the world of a camera I stumbled upon during our European escapade last year. Whenever we venture to a new destination, I make it a point to unearth the local flea markets, a treasure trove of unique cameras and photo items that are often elusive in the US. The thrill of discovering these items, especially being on the West Coast, where European finds are a rarity, is an experience in itself. 

 One of my favorite flea markets was just outside Prague, and my wife and I went to it. It was in an industrial area, and we took the train to get to it, but it wasn't so much the cameras and photo items found as the atmosphere of the place that made it memorable. I did find some great cameras there, too, that are harder to find on the West Coast of the US.

 While in Brussels, my wife and I went to a flea market in a square or small park in town. There were about 40-50 vendors there. Most of the items were in boxes with many other items, so you needed to rummage through a lot of items to find what you were looking for. I didn't have much time to look as my wife was under the weather, and it would start to rain later in the morning. I picked up a few Rollei parts for a reasonable and fair price along with this MIOM compact bakelite camera, for which I paid 1-2 euros.

The Company:

Let's delve into the intriguing history of MIOM, a brand that has left an indelible mark on the world of photography. The journey of MIOM begins in 1887 with architect Félicien César and engineer Fabius Henrion, who founded the local lighting distribution company: 'Fabius Henrion et Cie,' with a capital of 100,000 francs in the Nancy and Lorraine region. Despite facing numerous challenges, the company's legacy was preserved when it was acquired by the CGE, Compagnie Générale d'Électricité (General Electric Company), in 1898.

 MIOM, an acronym for Manufacture d'Isolants et Objets Moulés, (Manufacture of Insulators and Molded Objects) was a subsidiary of the Compagnie Générale d'Électricité (General Electric Company) which started in 1929. As the MIOM name suggests, It was created to produce electrical components for the company. 

 As photography grew during this time, MIOM created a photographic department in 1937 that molded simple cameras in "Cégéite," which was similar to what we now call bakelite. The name derived from the name of the parent company: the Compagnie Générale d'Électricité.

MIOM's early cameras were very similar to the model I have. They were very flat in appearance and used 127 film to produce 6x4.5cm negatives. Some of the other early models were the Rex and Lec Junior. I believe the model I have is only known as the MIOM, which is printed on the back. There is no camera name produced on the camera like the REX or other cameras of that time.

MIOM Ad in the 1930s

Then, in 1938, the cameras took on a different appearance, resembling the Czechoslovakian Pyonyr cameras, designed by Fritz Kaftanski, who had recently moved to France to get away from the war problems taken on within that region during the late 1930s. It's suspected that Fritz Kaftanski was involved in the design of the newer Photax camera.

 The Photax cameras had a larger negative area, used 620-size film, and produced 6x9cm negatives. The Photax design had a lens that rotated out from the body on a helical and included a very simple shutter that only worked when the lens was in the extended position.

This new system was beneficial to amateur photographers at the time. It prevented the camera from accidentally taking a photo if the lens was retracted. The new Photax camera also included lenses from Boyer, a French optical company that produced wonderful optics.

 Photax cameras were the best-selling cameras in France for 20 years and produced cameras well into the 1960s, with the Photax VI released in 1966. However, like many European camera manufacturers of the era, MIOM faced significant challenges in the 1960s with the rise of Japanese brands such as Nikon, Canon, and Minolta.  

 Today, MIOM's legacy lives on in the vintage camera market, where its models are sought after for their distinctive design and the quality of their optical systems. The story of MIOM reminds us of a golden age in photography when craftsmanship and innovation defined the industry.

My Camera:

This description should be straightforward and short, as this camera is simple without many bells or whistles. However, its simplicity and unique design make it a valuable addition to any vintage camera collection.

 My MIOM camera is 3.5" tall, including the viewfinder, by 5.5" wide, including the strap lugs, and 3" deep, weighing 9.4oz. It is very lightweight and compact. On the front of the camera, there are two shutter options. These settings are on the top and bottom of the 60mm Rexor lens, serial number 3147, on the camera. The camera has a crinkle finish within the acrylic, which makes the gripping easy and somewhat drop proof.

Above the lens are your shutter settings: "I" for instant, which has a shutter speed of approximately 1/50 sec., or "P" (B) for timed photos. Below the lens are two options for aperture settings. Looking online at other information on the Photax camera, the settings are 1 (Grand Diaphragme) for f16 or 2 (Petite Diaphragme) for f22. The words in the paratheses are written inside the camera's back door.

There is no latch or lock to hold the back onto the camera to load the MIOM camera with film. The back is held onto the camera's body with friction, and the back fits snuggly onto the camera's body. On either side of the camera are a couple of protrusions. I put my fingernail in between these nubs and pull, and the back will pull away from the body. You must do this on both sides so as not to crack the plastic and render the camera useless.

Once you get the back off the camera, I notice there are two red dots on the protruding nubs, which indicate which side fits together. The camera winds to the left, so you put the empty spool from the previous 127 rolls from the right side to the left and put the fresh roll of 127 films into the right side. Break the tape on the roll and bring the leader to the empty spool. Thread the leader into the spool slots and wind the film a few turns to ensure the film is lining up on the spool or until you see the arrows on the paper backing pointing outwards. Once you reach this point, it's time to put the back onto the camera. Once the back is on the camera, wind the film until you see the number 1 in the red window. Now you're ready to take the first photo.

 Once you take the photo and wind to the next frame, you'll get eight exposures on each roll of 127 film. Now that all the frames are taken, it's time to take the back off the camera and process your film.

My Results:

For total transparency, I had three rolls of older VP 127 film in my drawer. One roll's expiration date was June 1971. That roll went through the camera fine, but when I rolled the film onto the developing reel, something went array, and the film didn't process correctly. I loaded one of the other two rolls I had left, dated Sep.1968. This roll got jammed within the camera, so I'm unsure if I didn't load it properly or, due to the age of the film, it broke, but the film was very crinkled when I went to process it, and none of the images came out.

 It was an operator malfunction, and I didn't load it properly. Five rolls of film are arriving today from one of my favorite camera stores, Glazer’s Camera, in Seattle, WA, so I'd like to take the film, process it, and scan the images today.

I received the film, loaded the camera, walked through the neighborhood, and took images. Luckily, this roll turned out, and you can see the results below.

My Conclusion.

I'm writing this portion of my conclusion before I have images from the camera, so at this point. In contrast, the camera is compact, and an earlier version of the MIOM cameras made, the film issues have made the experience somewhat frustrating. Once I get the images, I'll complete my conclusion and give you an honest assessment of the camera.

The images confirmed my suspicions. The camera was made to put cameras in the masses hands and for them to go and take photos of friends, family, and memorable moments. This camera did a decent job for a camera almost 90 years old. The plastics are rugged and on my camera, I’m missing the rear viewfinder glass so it was a bit more difficult to fame the images, but overall a decent camera.

 Thank you for taking a few minutes from your day to read about this early version of the MIOM cameras.

 Until next week, please be safe.

Bolsey Model C-Twin Lens Reflex

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.

Ansco Memo Camera

My Ansco Memo camera

The Ansco Memo camera is this week's camera that I'm spotlighting, and it's a camera I've been itching to use for a while now. It's also the second time I've owned this particular camera. The first time was almost 35 years ago when I came across it at a camera show and was struck by its vertical design with the small round viewfinder on top. At first, I thought it may have been a small, odd box camera, but upon further inspection, it was a fairly early 35mm camera.

 My camera collection is constantly evolving, and I had sold the Memo camera I owned. However, my fascination with the Ansco Memo camera persisted, leading me to seek out another one a few years back. This time, I was on the lookout for the Boy Scout version of the Memo camera, a rare find that commands a price twice that of the standard version. 

 I found the current Memo camera online at an excellent price. The purchase was during the lost COVID years. The camera came with a significantly worn leather case, but it didn't have the needed film cassettes to use the camera. The Ansco camera was introduced between 1926-27, and the regular 35mm cassettes we're accustomed to now weren't standardized until 1934. Any camera manufacturer that made 35mm cameras during this time period had their own 35mm cassettes to use in their cameras. There is another Memo camera that's made by Agfa, which has similar cassettes and is somewhat interchangeable with the Ansco version. Still, I'll talk more about that later in the post.

 My Memo camera appeared to be in good working condition, with a functional shutter, so I was eager to use it for this post. I reached out to my friends in the camera-collecting community, and one of them, who had acquired a substantial collection in the past, came to my rescue. He not only had the empty cassettes I needed but also a roll of Agfa pre-loaded film in a cassette that would fit my Ansco camera. His generosity was overwhelming, and I was now fully equipped to use my camera.

My Ansco Memo camera with very worn case.

The Company:

The Ansco Camera Company has a fascinating history and is a key player in the evolution of photography. Its roots can be traced back to 1842 when Edward Anthony, a prominent photographic supplier in New York, established E. Anthony & Co. Initially, the company focused on importing and selling daguerreotype supplies, but as the industry progressed, it began producing its own photographic equipment.

 In 1854, Edward's brother, Henry T. Anthony, joined the business, leading to its rebranding as E. & H.T. Anthony & Co. The company thrived during the American Civil War by supplying cameras, chemicals, and photographic plates, which were critical for documenting the conflict. By the late 19th century, Anthony & Co. was one of the largest photographic supply houses in the United States.

 The pivotal moment in the company's history came in 1902 when it merged with the Scovill & Adams Company, a long-time competitor. This merger resulted in the formation of the Anthony & Scovill Company, which adopted the name "Ansco" for branding purposes. Ansco emerged as a significant player in the early 20th century, producing cameras, film, and related accessories.

Ansco Memo Ad.

 Ansco's fortunes were closely tied to innovation and competition. It introduced popular products like the Ansco Memo in 1927, one of the earliest subminiature cameras, and the Anscoflex in the 1950s, a unique twin-lens reflex camera designed by the famous industrial designer Raymond Loewy. Its cameras were known for reliability and affordability, appealing to amateur photographers.

During World War II, Ansco faced a significant challenge due to its ties to the German company Agfa. Ansco was owned by the German chemical conglomerate IG Farben, leading to its seizure by the U.S. government under the Trading with the Enemy Act. Post-war, the company was Americanized, and its assets were sold to General Aniline & Film (GAF) Corporation in 1943.

Under GAF, Ansco continued to produce innovative products, including cameras and color film. However, by the 1960s, it struggled to compete with industry giants like Eastman Kodak and Polaroid. GAF eventually shifted its focus to industrial applications of photographic film, and Ansco's consumer products gradually disappeared from the market.

 Despite its decline, Ansco's legacy endures in the history of photography as a company that made significant contributions to camera technology and film production. Its influence is still appreciated by collectors and photography enthusiasts who treasure its vintage cameras and historical impact on the field.

My Camera:

My Ansco Camera is 5" tall, including the round viewfinder, by 2 3/8" wide, including the shutter release, by 2 5/8" deep, and weighs 13.8 oz with two empty film cassettes in the camera. The original Ansco Memo camera wasn't leather-covered like mine is or has the shutter release guard. It was a stained wood camera with just a knob ion a lever sticking out of the camera to release the shutter. It wasn't until later in the camera's production that Ansco covered the camera in black leather and then added the shutter release guard to help prevent unnecessary shutter tripping. A wire handle on top of the camera makes it easy to carry the camera when you're not shooting.

 The camera has a Wollensak Velostigmat F6.3 lens with an unknown focal length and fixed focus. The camera only has three different shutter speeds, 1/25, 1/50, and 1/100, along with "B." The lens does offer aperture control that goes from f6.3-f16. Both the shutter speed setting on top of the lens and the aperture settings on the bottom of the lens are set by a small slider arm. The shutter release is on the right side of the camera and is protected by a small curved piece of metal intended to help with unexpected double exposures when you're not using the camera. It was more of a nuance than a help. The viewfinder on the top of the camera is easy to look through but doesn't give you an actual rectangular image. It has a more square look, so you must keep that in mind when framing your images.

During this era, 35mm film was mainly used in motion picture cameras. The Ansco Memo uses 35mm, which travels vertically in the camera instead of horizontally, which is more commonplace nowadays. To transport the film across the shutter, the camera utilizes a "claw" method of grabbing the film sprockets on the edge of the 35mm frame and pulling it down across the shutter. The back of the camera, which is removable to lead the film, has a claw mechanism. The film doesn't need to be moved very far as the Ansco Memo isn't a full frame 35mm camera (24mmx36mm). It has a half-frame size of 18mm x 24mm and is in the horizontal format when holding the camera. The film only needs to move about 19-20mm to get to the following exposure.

I was gifted two different cassettes for this camera. I received an original Ansco cassette with a curved side and a fully loaded Agfa cassette, which is the squared-off version. Due to how the camera is made, you can put the Agfa version on top of the Ansco camera. The top is for unexposed film, and the take-up of the cassette with the curved side needs to go on the bottom of the camera. If you look at the camera's take-up area, there are some wooden braces that don't allow the squared-off cassettes into it, but the curved cassettes fit as they should. At this point, I put the unexposed Agfa cassette into the top of the camera and put the film leader into the take-up cassette, and we're ready to go. 

 To open the film cassettes, one of the sides comes off the cassette. The easiest way to open it is to slightly pince the corner of the cassette; this will release some pressure, and the cap will come right off. Inside the cassette is a coiled wire, which is used to guide the film into the cassette and not have it bunch up. When loading film into the cassette or unloading it into my processing reel, the film would move very smoothly, and there was no problem getting the film in or out, which was a worry when I first started.

To open the camera to load the film, on top of the camera is a slider that you push over, and the back of the camera comes off. Due to the smaller frame size, the Ansco camera takes 50 images on a pre-loaded roll of film. The frame counter on the camera advances up to 50. To advance the film to the next frame, you slide the advance bar on the back of the camera down once, advancing the film to the next frame. Similar to the current 35mm camera, the camera is in the horizontal format, and to take a vertical image, you need to turn the camera. This is awkward, but it wasn't bad when I ran some film through the camera.

My Results:

I put the roll of Agfa Rapid film into the camera and shot about 50 images of walking my dog around the neighborhood. I didn't have a good sense of processing time since the film was close to 90 years out of date. I did a lot of exposure bracketing for each image and exposed the film as if it was around ISO 5 due to the time past prime. After I processed the film, it was completely black, so I figured it was either at some point opened, but there was absolutely nothing on the frames. I looked under a very bright light to see if I could see anything that resembled an image, but absolutely nothing. Not even on the film's perforations.

 I have another roll of 35mm film, a roll of Tri-X, which came with another lot of cameras purchased, and on the cassette, it said fresh roll, and knowing that this roll may be bad, I thought I'd load it into the cassettes and give it a whirl. I pulled out the dark bag and loaded this roll of film into the cassettes. This was very easy, and I went through the neighborhood, taking more images. I got home and processed this film roll. I know that Tri-X has been an older film. I did some push processing, and the film turned out OK, but it wasn't a fresh roll of film, and there were other exposures on it.

I didn't want to postpone this post any further, so some of the images have double exposure. I picked the images that either had one or very little, so upfront, my humble apologies for the images from this camera, but overall, these aren't that bad.

Conclusion:

This camera did a fantastic job for a camera approaching 100 years old, and you need to remember it's a half-frame camera.

 Besides the bad film on the first roll taken and the double exposures on the second, the camera was fun to shoot. The film cassettes were easy to load with some current film. Now, I'll need to get a fresh roll and try it for the third time. Just knowing the shutter is working and the camera takes images is 90% of the battle. Now I can take my time and update the post with cleaner images once I get some film for the holidays, shoot images, and repost them here.

 Thank you for taking a few minutes from your day to look over this post. I can't tell you how much it means to me. Please feel free to email me if you have questions or concerns.

 Until next week, please be safe.

Seagull 4 Twin Lens Reflex Camera

It's been far too long since my last blog posting. I will do better by bringing cameras from my collection back to the forefront of my camera collection.

My camera with great leather case.

Last fall, sometime around October, I spotted a very underused and, more so, underappreciated camera on my shelves. It's from a camera company I rarely see written about. I'm writing this post about the Shanghai Seagull 4 Twin Lens camera.

HISTORY:

In my research on the Shanghai Seagull Camera Co., There's not a lot of information on the company. The camera industry in China is new and rarely shown due to the country's small number of camera companies. At least this is true in the Western world due to the Cold War and the frosty relations we had with China before Nixon's visit in 1972.

From the information found, the Shanghai Camera Company started in 1958 in Shanghai, China, and is considered the oldest camera company in China. They made several different cameras, from Twin Lens Reflex to 35mm cameras, which my father brought home for me back in the early 1970s, to folding cameras. There were many upgrades to the Seagull TLR line, and I'm not 100% sure of my model, but it's early. Most likely, it was sometime in the late 1960s or early 1970s.

Front view of Seagull 4

A new Shanghai Seagull Digital Camera Co. Ltd. started in January 2011. They state they absorbed the R&D and manufacturing of Shanghai Camera General Factory, which has a nearly 60 years history. They manufacture UAV digital cameras for observation and tactical planning, so I'm guessing they are drones.


THE CAMERA:

I've always enjoyed shooting with twin-lens reflex cameras. It was the first type of camera I owned. I shot weddings with TLR, and still, to this day, I enjoy looking through the viewfinder and popping up the magnifier to double-check focus.

To open the back to load the film. You pull down a small locking pin before turning the dial to open the back of the camera. This is a nice feature, so you don't accidentally turn the dial to open the back, exposing your film. I've not seen that on other cameras, so I'm unsure how helpful this is. When you open the back, the frame counter, which is located on the right side of the camera as you're holding it, resets to "0".

After conventionally loading the film, move the empty spool from the bottom of the camera to the top and put the fresh roll on the bottom. I am then threading over the lens area and onto the top spool. Turing the winding lever until you see the arrows from the paper backing pointing outwards. I close the back of the camera and wind the transport lever until the winding stops, and looking at the frame counter, I'm at number 1.

Here's where the camera gets a bit odd, and you'll need to determine the best way to proceed with your shooting. There is no double exposure prevention mechanism on this camera. I had maybe 7 or 8 double-exposed photos the first time I shot with it.

On the front of the camera is the average shutter speeds ranging from 1/300 to 1 sec. Along with "B". The shutter speed is set by sliding a button up or down until the marking along the lens points to the desired shutter speed. On the other side of the lens is a similar button with aperture settings from f3.5 to f22. You slide up or down to get to the desired aperture setting. This camera has no meter, so an external meter is needed.

Next to the shutter speed button is a longish bar with a knob on it which you press down to cock the shutter. Once cocked, you can press the shutter release button on the bottom right of the camera to expose your film. As mentioned above, you can do this as many times as you want to on the same photo. You'll need to either wind to your next frame, then cock the shutter and fire, or wind to your next frame just after taking a photo.

Camera Logo with Model and Serial number above.

MY EXPERIENCE:

On my first roll of film, there were many times when on a hike, I'd put the camera away after taking a photo, then walk to my next area to shoot and cock the shutter and take another on top of the last one. Once you realize there is NO DOUBLE EXPOSURE lock, you'll learn. The next time I use it, I will shoot, then wind. Walk to my next area to shoot, the cock, the shutter, shoot, and wind. Something I'm sure you're more intelligent than me and will remember.

My Granddaughter at the beach

My son, daughter in Law and Granddaughter enjoying the beach.

My wife and granddaughter headed to the beach.

Conclusion:

I enjoyed using this camera. The Seagull 4 is inexpensive, and the results are decent. It would be a great entry-level camera for someone wanting to get into medium format. I don't know if parts are readily available to fix it if it breaks down, but it's a fun camera to take photos with for now.

I appreciate you taking a few minutes to read my blog post. I have the next camera picked for the next blog post, and it won’t be long until I finish it. Until next time, please be safe and enjoy the never-ending hunt for fantastic cameras.