Gomag Holly Camera

My Gomag Holly Camera

As I declared February as 'Box Camera' month, I found myself gazing at the camera collection on the shelf above my desk. Tucked away in the back corner was a hidden gem, the Gomag Holly camera, a treasure I had forgotten about until I reached my hand back there. The joy of rediscovering this unique piece of history was overwhelming, and it brought back a flood of memories.

 Looking back at my records, I purchased this camera in late 2010 or early 2011 from an online auction with a few other box-style cameras. What intrigued me about this camera was its unique design, with two viewfinders built into one camera, and its ability to set both shutter speeds and aperture, which was unusual for a simple box-style camera. The rarity of the Gomag Holly camera added to its allure, making it a prized possession in my collection. 

 Another thing I liked about the Gomag Holly camera was the rounded corners, which gave it a less industrial look and a more refined appearance—something you'll want to pick up and use. When I picked up the camera to start writing about it, I heard something rattling around in it. My initial thought was that the camera wouldn't be usable. Still, I opened the camera and found one of the film transport rollers lying in the back of the camera.

 When I initially purchased the camera, I can't remember if I noticed that three of the sockets that hold the two rollers on the back of the camera, which prevent the film from scraping across the film plane, were missing. If I remember correctly, I didn't think much of it then because I thought, "I'd never really put the camera to use," as it was mainly for the show in my collection. That was until recently when I viewed the camera and wanted to write about it for my weekly blog post.

The Company:

I've done exhausting searches on the web. I cannot find anything about this camera or its manufacturer. I did come across an article from the Photographic History Society of Canada named The Holly and the Ivy that did a very short article about this camera, and in the article, they state the camera was made by Allgäuer Kamerwerkstatte Gomag, which roughly translates to (Allgäuer) a region in southern Germany, (Kamerwerkstatte) Camera Workshop, (Gomag), which is my guess of the company that produced the camera. They were located in Pfonten, Germany.

Holly camera logo

The only other information I can find about this camera comes from McKeown's Camera Guide from 2005-2006 on Pg. 361, which states there were actually two versions of the camera. The first version was from Gomag and had "HOLLY" embossed above the lens in 1950. Then, the company was purchased by Dr. Riemerschmid & Co., and the later version without the embossed name and with different lenses and shutters was shown at Photokina the same year but was not released until 1952. According to the McKeowns' Guide, the earlier Gomag version has Emylar or Gomar lenses, and the later Riemerschmid has the Rictar lens. They also state that the last version has "Riemerschmid & Co. Munchen" around the shutter face. Still, my camera doesn't have that, so there must be different versions, or I didn't bother with this camera.

 I've looked at several websites about camera manufacturers but cannot find any information about them. If you're reading this and do have information, please write to me and let me know. I'd love to add that information as an update when I have it.

 The one thing that I enjoyed reading the article on the camera was that the camera they were writing about was red. Now, that excited me, as I'd love to have a red version of the camera. The thought of owning a rare and unique red Gomag Holly camera keeps me hunting for the odd and unusual cameras. There may be a red version somewhere that they won't appreciate and will let me purchase for a reasonable price. My fingers are crossed.

My Camera:

My Gomag Holly camera is a bakelite camera that measures 4.25" tall, including the viewfinder in the collapsed position, by 3.5" wide, including the winding knob, by 4" deep, and it weighs 11.3 oz. The Gomag Holly camera has an 80mm f3.5 Rictar lens; mine has serial number 1886T. The camera has three different shutter speeds: 1/200, 1/50, 1/25, and "B" for timed exposures. The shutter speeds are set by sliding a ring around until you get the black pointer pointing to the desired speed. There is a small knob on the shutter speed ring that makes moving the shutter speed dial easier. You'll need to cock the shutter t, which is above the shutter speed setting ring and is pulled in the counterclockwise motion to cock the shutter. The shutter release is in the upper right-hand corner as you hold the camera to fire. There is a flash PC outlet on the other side of the shutter release, which I find somewhat odd, especially for a box-style camera.

 When  I first picked up the camera for this blog post and started to fire the shutter, I noticed that the shutter was lagging. It would fire, but the speeds seemed very slow. One thing I learned early on was to "exercise" shutters, so I spent the next ten minutes cocking and firing the shutter, which seemed to work well. After just a few minutes, the 1/200 was working as it should, and all the shutter speeds seemed to spring back to life and were firing at what sounded like the correct speed.

 The aperture setting ranges from F3.5 to F16. It is set under the lens, indicated by a silver pointer indicating which aperture is being set. The focus on the lens ranges from 1 meter to Infinity. It is stated on the top of the camera by a black triangle, along with the depth of field scale on either side of the focus mark.

A dial on the side of the camera is turned counterclockwise to open the back to open the camera. A small red dot on the dial points forward when the camera is locked and to the rear of the camera when it is unlocked, and the camera body can pull away from the lens to load the film.

Since my camera was missing the two rollers that the film rolls across during transport, I didn't want the roll of film to drag across the shutter, causing scuffs and possible static on the film during transport from frame to frame. I wanted to add felt to the sides of the film opening to decrease the possibility of scratches. I didn't have felt in my bag of tools, etc., but I did have some very old and expired rolls of 35mm film, which I use as test rolls. I thought these canisters were made of felt material, so I took the canisters apart and peeled the felt from them. Unfortunately, the felt on the 35mm canisters is too short, so I needed a couple to cobble together.

Once I took the back off the camera and pulled the felt off the 35mm canisters, I did have some excellent double-sided tape, which I cut into strips and placed on the top and side of the film opening. After that, I cut the felt from the film canisters into lengths that would fit onto the back of the film area, and since I needed two to cover the area, I staggered them on different sides of the film chamber. I probably didn't need to stagger them, but in my mind, it was the right thing to do.

 Once the film was in place, I let them adhere for a few minutes. I took an Exakto knife and trimmed any excess from the film area so I didn't have straggler hairs from the felt hanging over the film chamber. I wanted a clean edge between frames. Once I had that done, I loaded the camera with a roll of 100 ISO/ASA film into the camera. I proceeded to advance the film until I saw the "start" on the film backing. I put the film back onto the camera body and locked the back in place, then proceeded to wind to my first frame, looking through the closable window on the back of the camera.

On top of the camera are the viewfinders. There are actually two on this camera. In the back of the collapsed viewfinder is a small ridge. You pull back, and the "sport" finder pops up. You can pull up a smaller glass finder within the more extensive sports finder. A round glass lens is on the bottom of the rear portion of the sports finder. When the glass finder is pulled up, you can view your subject through the rear glass lens, which looks clever for a simple box-style camera and does a fantastic job when viewing through. To collapse the glass finder, push it down, and a clip will hold it into place. Then, you can close the "sport" finder's back portion and the larger front folds to keep them in place. It is a straightforward but valuable addition to the camera.

My Results:

Now that I have the camera loaded with film, it's time to walk through the neighborhood and see what results I can get from it. Since the camera has a "B" setting, I wanted to see how it would do on some longer exposures, especially since, living in the Northwest, we don't get much sun between November and March.

 Here are some of the results I achieved with the Gomag Holly Camera.

Conclusion:

The camera did an outstanding job. The images were sharp, well-exposed, and very good for a relatively simple box-style camera. The camera was very fun to use, and I had a fun time getting the camera in the proper shooting condition. The felt on the back of the film chamber worked well, especially since the two film rollers were missing. I'll need to get a small swatch of felt to keep in my bag of tricks in case I need to do the same to another camera I come across. If I go to sell the camera, I can always take the tape off along with the felt and have the camera back in the condition in which I purchased it.

 Thank you for taking a few minutes from your busy schedule to read about a very unknown but fantastic camera.

 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.

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/

Zeiss Ikon Super Nettel

Upon my first encounter with the Super Nettel camera, I was immediately drawn to its understated elegance and subtle Art Deco influence. This is my second Super Nettel, having previously owned the Super Nettel II, a similar model with a few distinct modifications.

My Zeiss Ikon Super Nettel Camera from 1934

 When my wife and I were in Paris earlier this year, I always enjoyed visiting local flea markets to look for anything photographic, whether it's cameras, lenses, old negatives to digitize, daguerreotypes, or just photo nickknacks or accessories. I made my way to their larger flea market area on a Saturday morning, and in one of the stalls, a lovely gentleman had some Leicas and other rarer cameras. I would have liked to purchase more than I did, but I'd pick up this very nice looking and working Super Nettel camera. In the back of my mind, I always pictured myself doing a blog post on it, especially since the camera was in good working condition, especially for a camera built 90 years ago.

 The Company:

Zeiss Ikon, a company formed in 1929 through the merger of four prominent camera companies in Germany, including Ernemann, Goerz, Ica, and Contessa-Nettel, was a significant investment by the Carl Zeiss Foundation. The company had two main divisions: the camera and the optical. 

 With the new company's formation, almost all of the cameras had Carl Zeiss lenses, and the other companies that had optical manufacturing, like Goerz, had to shut down their optical divisions. With the formation of the new company, almost all of the cameras were using Compur shutters, and like the optical companies, the majority of the shutter companies were also absorbed within the new company.

This group was one of the biggest manufacturers of cameras and lenses in the world, producing many top-quality 35mm cameras like Contax and several high-quality folding cameras like Super Ikonta, which to this day are highly desirable due to their workmanship and quality optics. Until WWII, Zeiss was also a major manufacturer of movie cameras and medical optics.

The cover of the instruction manual. Thank you Pacific Rim Camera.

 After WWII, Zeiss was split into East and West German companies. The company was in Stuttgart in the West, and there were disputes with East Germany about the trademark. The West German ceased production of cameras in 1972. In East Germany, many of the factories were dismantled and sent to the Soviet Union. The Soviet camera manufacturer Kiev received much of the equipment, and in 1948, the Zeiss company became government-owned

 In 1948, the company introduced the new Contax S model, which had a different look from their earlier line of rangefinder cameras, but due to the split between different countries, there were trademark and naming disputes with West Germany, so in 1958, the company changed the name to VEB Kinowerke Dresden and later was rolled into Pentacon.

 After Germany's unification, Carl Zeiss reintroduced the Zeiss Ikon name and produced a rangefinder camera that was introduced at Photokina in 2004. The camera was built by Cosina in Japan and had the Leica M mount for lenses. Like the Contax G and G2, there were lenses made in both Japan and Germany for the camera.

My Camera:

For me, the reason I enjoy shooting with a Rangefinder 35mm camera is due to a few different reasons. The cameras are smaller and more compact to carry. They are less noisy to photograph due to the shutter system and not having the noise of the clunking mirror flopping up and down. Granted, the rangefinder focus is more challenging to use. It takes some time to get used to, or the ability to see what you're getting when you put on different lenses, so there is a trade-off between an SLR and a Rangefinder-style camera.

 The Super Nettel camera was made in 1934 as a "less expensive" camera to their Contax line. To open the front door to expose the lens system, there is a button on the top center of the top plate you press in, and the lens, which is attached to the bellows, pops out. My camera has the less expensive Carl Zeiss Jena 5cm (50mm) f3.5 Triotar lens. The camera had a more expensive Zeiss Tessar 5cm f2.8  or 5cm f3.5 lens. Around the lens are three screws in the 2 O'clock, 5 O'clock, and 8 O'clock positions, which are for holding on an accessory filter or the lens hood.

When closed, my camera measures 5.5" wide by 3" tall by 1.5" deep. When the lens is exposed, it is 4" deep, including the front door, which folds down. The camera weighs 1 lb, 6.3oz. 

 Around the lens is the aperture control, which goes from F3.5 to f22. The Super Nettle incorporates the same or a very similar rangefinder system as the Super Ikonta cameras. Around the outer rangefinder window is a knurled ring that you turn to focus the rangefinder system, bringing the two images together to get a focused image. On the outside of the knurled ring is the focus distance in meters, along with a small depth of field scale.

Note the three screws aaround the lens to hold the accessory filters and hood.

 To retract the lens and close the front door for travel, there are two knobs on the outside of the door that you press in, and at that point, you can press the lens back into the camera body, which will also close the front door, which will lock once pushed in.

 On the back of the camera are two windows. The window on the left is the viewfinder for composing the photo, and the window on the right is the rangefinder window for focus. They are both pretty small windows, but they do an adequate job.

The left window is the viewfinder, and the right is the rangefinder.

On top of the camera is an accessory show for putting on an accessory viewfinder, which has a few different options according to the instruction manual. Next to the accessory show is the frame counter, and next to the frame counter is the advancing knob which also incorporates the shutter speed settings and cocks the shutter. Inside the winding knob is the shutter release. On the far left side is the camera's rewind knob to retract the film when you're finished shooting the entire roll of film. In between the frame counter and the winding knob is a small button. This button unlocks the winding sprocket, so when you rewind the film into the canister, you don't rip off the sprockets of the film.

From left to right are Rewind knob, Viewfinder window, Accessory Shoe with Opening button in front of AS, Frame Counter, Rewind unlock, Winding knob with Shutter Speeds.

To take the back off to load the film, you'll need to look at the bottom of the camera, where there are two handles on either end of the camera. Flip up the handle and turn the handle 90 degrees. One knob will go clockwise and the other counterclockwise. The back will slide off the camera, exposing the incredible metal rolling curtain-style shutter system, the same as the Contax and other Zeiss cameras have incorporated into them.

 You load the camera like you would any other 35mm camera with the film canister going on the left, pulling the leader to the take-up spool, and making sure the sprockets are engaged with the "advancing" sprocket, which is advancing the film across the shutter. Once on the take-up spool, I always take up the slack on the rewind knob, so when I put the back on and advance the film, I watch for the knob to turn when the film pulls out of the canister s. I know the camera is loaded correctly. To put the back on, slide the back into the camera and turn the locking handles the opposite way, and the back is locked into position.

My results:

I need to practice what I teach. I only got a few good photos from this roll of film, as after the sixth frame, the film sprockets tore, and the film didn't advance through the camera. However, the frames I did get were well-exposed and very sharp.

Conclusion:

What another fun camera to shoot with! I enjoyed the camera's ability to focus and handle when out and about shooting. Since I had a mishap with the film tearing, I wanted to get the blog out. I will add more photos down the road when I take the camera for a trip some weekend, and I want a great-quality camera with a very sharp lens to be creative.

 I already have the camera picked for my post next week, which I hope you'll come back to look at at your leisure. 

 Until next week's post, please be well and safe.

 

Lark & Kandor "Sardine Can" Cameras

When I was younger and starting to collect cameras, I can remember looking at the Lark Camera in McKeown's camera book, the bible I use regularly, and seeing this odd and unusual-looking camera that appears to have been made out of a sardine can. The funny thing is, that's what they called this style of camera coming from the Irwin Company of New York.

 Another fascinating item about this camera is that few of them come up for sale on eBay, and when they do, they sell in the $100.00 range. My guess is because of their unusual design and looks, along with the popularity of Lomography that's taken place in the past twenty years and the rise of film photography again.

Recently, I had the opportunity to pick up not only the Lark camera in three different versions but also its twin brothers, the Kandor Camera, which came in different versions, too. The price was right for all five cameras and a few other camera gems. I snatched all five cameras and decided to write a blog post since you don't see much about them online.

HISTORY

Before I dive into the cameras I purchased and some of the refinements, Let me tell you what I know about the Irwin Corp. of NY, Irwin Corporate History which made these interesting cameras. The folklore of how the camera company started is that an American sailor was in France in the early 1930s and made a camera from a sardine can. After his release from the service, the sailor moved to Chicago and teamed up with some mobsters who helped him import sardine cans to manufacture these cameras.

This is a charming and far-fetched story, especially since the Irwin Corporation was located at 27 W. 20th Street in New York. After doing a bit of digging, I found where someone admits he made up that story. You can find it here: French Site

 In my opinion, there must have been some link between Irwin Corp. and some of the Chicago camera companies during this timeframe, as the faces of the cameras on the Lark and Kandor cameras are very similar to those of companies like Falcon Camera Co. and Herold Mfgr. My guess Utility Mfg Co, which had ties in NY and Chicago, was somewhat involved.

 Irwin Corp also made a few fundamental TLR cameras, as seen from the website above.

THE CAMERAS

When the cameras arrived, and I started taking them out of their bubble wrap, the first thing I noticed was how hefty they were. I was expecting a very tinny and flimsy camera, but these cameras have a bit of heft. Maybe sardine cans were heftier in the 1930s and 40s, but it surprised me.

Simple screws holding the lens barrel in place.

The camera measures 5" wide by 2.75" tall body, then another 1/2" for the viewfinder, which brings the total height to 3.25", and from the back of the camera to the front of the lens is 2.5". The Lark and Kandor cameras are a very oddly built camera with the lens barrel screwed onto the body by two screws placed on the top and bottom of the lens flange. As mentioned above, the face of the camera has a very similar look to the cameras from Utility Mgf. Co. 

Lark Camera showing viewfinder and Art Deco Design

 Another wonderful design of both the Lark and Kandor cameras is the beautiful Art Deco look to their faceplates and each model's unique design and look. Some of the cameras are somewhat plain, while others have chrome stripes on the body and elaborate faceplates, which just exude the look of the Art Deco period.

The front of the camera does not list a maximum aperture, but it does state that it has a 50mm Eyvar lens with shutter settings of either time for "bulb" or long exposures or Inst for normal snapshots. My best guess is that the "inst" shutter shoots at around 1/50 shutter speed.

More robust viewfinder on one of the Kandor cameras

The camera has a simple viewfinder strapped onto the top and held into place by two small chrome rivets. On the front, there is a chrome fitting with a rectangular mask, and on the rear, there is a chrome fitting with a round mask. The Kandor Classic has a more elaborate chrome-fitted viewfinder, so this must have either been a later model or just a more robust version.

To open the back of the camera to load the film, you unscrew a thumb screw on the back of the camera. The Kandor camera doesn’t have the screw on the back, but a more simple “press on” method. The back of the camera wraps around the body and has some foam where the body meets the back plate. The camera produces 1.25" x 1.75" size negatives on 127-size roll film. Two red windows on the back of the camera show the numbers printed on the film's paper backing, so you know what frame you're on when taking photos. On the top left of the camera, as you're holding the camera to take a pictures, is the winding knob to advance the film to the next frame.

I wish I had some 127 film to take photos with these cameras, but if/when I get some, I'll add to this blog post. For now, I don't have images I can share.

CONCLUSION

While these cameras aren't elaborate, as they are just the opposite, they are essential and just a step up from pinhole cameras. They are very well-constructed cameras, but their shining point is the look of the cameras. They are a real bright point to put into your collection, and while I've been looking for these for a while, to get five of them at one time and for a reasonable price, I plan on keeping them for a bit to spruce up the collection.

 I plan to do more writing and blogging in the future. I took a few years off to run a few photo companies, but I plan on retiring soon and getting back into writing about my camera collection again. 

 Thank you for taking time from your busy schedule to read my blog. I appreciate it. Until my next post, please be safe and well.