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on Mar 6, 2016 3:43:27 GMT
Last Edit: Mar 6, 2016 21:20:24 GMT by biggles3
The Contax Preview is a very odd camera indeed. It is a huge brick, inside of which is a Yashica FX-3 shutter mechanism (long before the FX-3 appeared!), no meter and a waist level finder that required a Right-Angle Finder to get an image that was not inverted. And of course, the reason for the brick shape is a Polaroid instant film back which is the raison d'être for the camera.
It was only ever intended for use by professionals in studios or where lighting or perspective conditions needed checking before shooting with what then would have been a Contax RTS or Yashica FX-1 or FR.
I was delighted to find this copy, boxed with its papers, here in the UK. I have a Preview with a serial number starting 002xxx and it is all black with the revised Polaroid back; until now, I had not owned one of the original ones from 1976 which had the silver back. Like many of the low volume specialist items in the Contax Range, this comes in a plain white box.
My only regret is that I sold my Preview II - a much uprated camera with a 1:4000 top speed and the flash sync speed was doubled to 1:250; it used the same shutter as the S2/S2b and unlike most of the Preview I's, it was supplied as standard with the Right Angle Finder.
With Fuji instant film still being available and some Polaroid film being produced again, it's a fun time to grab a Preview; and don't forget the trick: take 1 photo, then pull the film part way out and take a second - that way you get 2 images on the same piece of film and save a bit of money!
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on Mar 6, 2016 23:51:16 GMT
Posted: Mar 6, 2016 23:51:16 GMT
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Group: Moderator
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on Mar 7, 2016 0:38:35 GMT
Posted: Mar 7, 2016 0:38:35 GMT
I had been expecting bad news about Fuji instant film - though I did not expect it for another year - and have been filling up my refrigerator with packs of FP100B and C, and 3000.
I gather that production ends in May but that product will be widely available for some time yet as stocks are quite high. Thank goodness that Polaroid film is available again, albeit under the Impossible label; I wonder if they might extend the size of film beyond that for the old 600 cameras to make up for the loss of Fuji?
Yet another film option bits the dust...  |
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on Mar 7, 2016 3:20:49 GMT
Posted: Mar 7, 2016 3:20:49 GMT
Unless someone in the very near future wants to hand over a check for the factory, workers, and process rights, I think pack pull-apart film is a dead issue. But I'm okay with that. Went through the same thing when the Polaroid roll film went out of existence, and since I could never find a 180 or 195 at a decent price, I just never got that much into it's replacement. Especially since most of the cameras were somewhat low IQ producers.
Glad you have a good stock. What was it, a few years ago when they killed off the B&W version?
PF
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Group: Moderator
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Status: Long, long time Contax and Yashica user; glad to be here and hope to contribute.
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on Mar 10, 2016 15:33:00 GMT
Posted: Mar 10, 2016 15:33:00 GMT
I have fond memories of the Polaroid instant 35mm film system - I found some of my old slides a month or two back and in the same box was the entire film processing kit. I used to love it as it was a great party piece - you'd shoot a roll of 35mm slides, pop the roll into the processor and in a few moments you had the results ready to feed straight into a projector for everyone to share. It was expensive and was never going to gain mass appeal - I think it was only available for about 3 years...
The great thing about the FP100C - and its Polaroid predecessors - was that not only did you get your instant print but you could also retrieve a negative from the peeled-apart backing paper with the judicious application of a little bleach in the kitchen sink.
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on Mar 12, 2016 2:46:42 GMT
Posted: Mar 12, 2016 2:46:42 GMT
I have fond memories of the Polaroid instant 35mm film system - I found some of my old slides a month or two back and in the same box was the entire film processing kit. I used to love it as it was a great party piece - you'd shoot a roll of 35mm slides, pop the roll into the processor and in a few moments you had the results ready to feed straight into a projector for everyone to share. It was expensive and was never going to gain mass appeal - I think it was only available for about 3 years... The great thing about the FP100C - and its Polaroid predecessors - was that not only did you get your instant print but you could also retrieve a negative from the peeled-apart backing paper with the judicious application of a little bleach in the kitchen sink. I had one of those 35mm processors. I liked doing B&W slides with it. PF |
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