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on Jul 13, 2022 1:24:11 GMT
Posted: Jul 13, 2022 1:24:11 GMT
Now the weather is a little warmer and brighter, it's time to get out the larger cameras; this is my favourite 6x9, the Fujica G690BL (Breech Lock) but here we see its new, wide-angle lens, the Fujinon SW S 65mm f5.6. Fujica G690BL 60mm f5.6This is an improvement on the old Fujinon 65mm f8 which featured 6 elements in 4 groups; this lens has 8 elements in 4 groups and most importantly, the faster aperture. Although the camera dates from 1969, this faster version of the 65mm wide-angle was only introduced in 1974. Sadly, it has become increasingly difficult to find the lens complete with its dedicated Finder, seen here attached via the cold shoe. My only wish was that Fuji had provided a lock for the Finder as the spring in its base is fine in a studio environment but when carrying the camera outdoors, it feels all too vulnerable to the risk of detachment when moving about. Despite the size of the camera and its combined weight of just over 2kg (4.5lbs) it balances nicely and is a pleasure to use. As with most of the medium format cameras, it makes you slow down when shooting and really contemplate the light and composition. This is purely a mechanical camera and it has no electrical components (except when using the AE 100 f3.5 lens) so a light-meter is a desirable addition to the kit-bag. After I traded a box of P&S cameras for the M645, Graham, I traded another box of them for a GW690. Had to get a third-party hood for it as the originals are either non-existent, or come with a camera attached, and I certainly don't need two of them. I keep most of the weight on my left hand so it's even easier to handle than the M645. Just not as versatile. Wish I'd gotten the Model II though to gain the locking shutter release button. PF
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on Jul 13, 2022 10:29:39 GMT
Posted: Jul 13, 2022 10:29:39 GMT
Hi ridgeblue99 The GW690 is a superb piece of kit and that 90mm lens is a stunner! It sounds like you enjoyed a couple of very good trades... If you wish to find an original hood, you might keep an eye on www.fromjapan.co.jp which is a proxy bidding site for Japanese auctions where they pop up regularly.
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on Aug 3, 2022 18:44:57 GMT
Posted: Aug 3, 2022 18:44:57 GMT
Sometimes it would helpful if cameras had passports like people do. These two have very little history coming from their sellers, but it would be interesting to know how they came to show up on my doorstep... especially the one on the right! These were both introduced in May of 1959, but aimed at two very different buyers. I'm still astonished that the 1.9 showed up for sale, and no one got it before it made its way to me.
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on Aug 4, 2022 10:29:47 GMT
Posted: Aug 4, 2022 10:29:47 GMT
Hi lumiworx They make a handsome pair. The faster YL is a pleasure to use as the lens is a delight, backed up by the Copal SVL shutter instead of the earlier MXV version found on the f2.8. Well done on grabbing the f1.9 model - they are getting harder to find although it pays to be observant as many people simply sell the model as a Yashca YL and have no clue as to the lens attached.
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on Aug 4, 2022 22:30:52 GMT
Posted: Aug 4, 2022 22:30:52 GMT
Hi lumiworx They make a handsome pair. The faster YL is a pleasure to use as the lens is a delight, backed up by the Copal SVL shutter instead of the earlier MXV version found on the f2.8. Well done on grabbing the f1.9 model - they are getting harder to find although it pays to be observant as many people simply sell the model as a Yashca YL and have no clue as to the lens attached. In this case, I too would have missed it from the description alone, so it was a good thing I got curious. The lens may be faster, but it may be quite some time before it's possible to see if that's a good thing. The 1.9 was a parts/repair listing and the seller even showed the bag of parts it would include. The good news was that they were for the bottom rewind lever - which is now fixed - but the bad news is the lens itself was focus twisted past the end of travel, and is off the helical, with no attachment to the rangefinder mechanism either, so there's some serious issues under the skin.
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on Aug 5, 2022 9:02:57 GMT
Posted: Aug 5, 2022 9:02:57 GMT
Hi lumiworx They make a handsome pair. The faster YL is a pleasure to use as the lens is a delight, backed up by the Copal SVL shutter instead of the earlier MXV version found on the f2.8. Well done on grabbing the f1.9 model - they are getting harder to find although it pays to be observant as many people simply sell the model as a Yashca YL and have no clue as to the lens attached. In this case, I too would have missed it from the description alone, so it was a good thing I got curious. The lens may be faster, but it may be quite some time before it's possible to see if that's a good thing. The 1.9 was a parts/repair listing and the seller even showed the bag of parts it would include. The good news was that they were for the bottom rewind lever - which is now fixed - but the bad news is the lens itself was focus twisted past the end of travel, and is off the helical, with no attachment to the rangefinder mechanism either, so there's some serious issues under the skin. Looks like a good project for the lengthening autumn (from where does that American term Fall come?) nights. How on earth does someone end up twisting the lens beyond the maximum point of focus? One can only imagine a juvenile with more strength than brains... Once you've sorted out the focusing helicoid and re-collimated the lens, I think you'll find it will have been worth the not inconsiderable effort. Good luck!
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on Aug 5, 2022 21:06:22 GMT
Last Edit: Aug 6, 2022 21:27:23 GMT by lumiworx
I'll fully embarrass myself with this story, but it might serve some purpose to others along with the telling. After acquiring a mint example of a Yashica 55mm f/2.8 Macro lens, I was frustrated to find that the filter it had was locked on tight. My first tools to grab would have been a pair of generic filter wrenches that usually sit on my work table, but I only found one, and thought I'd still be able to make it work alone, assuming that the threads weren't crossed and it just needed some gentle persuasion.
I had a movie on at the time and thought I'd keep watching it while loosening the filter, but that let my focus slip away, along with the gripping point of the wrench as it slid itself down onto the barrel. Absentminded insistence on getting it unstuck led to a major effort until something broke free and I continued to twist while not really paying attention. Once there was a massive angular shift in direction, I looked down to see the whole was now two halves. I still have them in that same condition as a reminder to never lose my focus for what should have been a minor task. A bit of Goo Gone at the thread line loosened the grit & grime enough to easily unlock the filter. Lesson painfully learned.
I'm just guessing what may have happened, but I've noticed in the past that old rangefinders can sometimes have a screw hidden in the barrel that locks down the position of the front element group, and if they become too loose over time, the whole lens front can wobble or come off. It's possible that if that's the same setup here, the screw may have come partially out enough to let the front spin, and in an effort to get it focused, the user kept going right into the helical threads themselves with the tip of the screw, and it tore a new grove where there shouldn't be one, and now it's stuck in place. It will be a back burner project for awhile - I need to get back onto the body covering issues on a bunch of naked cameras.
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on Aug 6, 2022 16:45:54 GMT
Posted: Aug 6, 2022 16:45:54 GMT
Hi lumiworx A cautionary tale....ouch! Looks like you are going to be busy for a while...
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on Aug 7, 2022 9:15:37 GMT
Posted: Aug 7, 2022 9:15:37 GMT
I'm just guessing what may have happened, but I've noticed in the past that old rangefinders can sometimes have a screw hidden in the barrel that locks down the position of the front element group, and if they become too loose over time, the whole lens front can wobble or come off. It's possible that if that's the same setup here, the screw may have come partially out enough to let the front spin, and in an effort to get it focused, the user kept going right into the helical threads themselves with the tip of the screw, and it tore a new grove where there shouldn't be one, and now it's stuck in place. It will be a back burner project for awhile - I need to get back onto the body covering issues on a bunch of naked cameras. I bought one a while ago that was in two pieces with the helicoid separated. Is that how yours is? I don't know how it happened but there was nothing broken except for the aperture coupling but that didn't seem related. I completely dismantled it before reassembling. It wasn't a difficult lens to work on - just a bit of guesswork as to where to start the helicoids. There is no such screw as you mention. To get in to the front of the lens, you need to remove the dress ring. There are screws underneath. The front group comes out along with the deep baffle. You don't need to remove the dress ring to remove it, just a rubber tool to get inside the baffle to grip it.
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on Aug 8, 2022 17:35:02 GMT
Last Edit: Aug 8, 2022 17:36:17 GMT by lumiworx
I bought one a while ago that was in two pieces with the helicoid separated. Is that how yours is? I don't know how it happened but there was nothing broken except for the aperture coupling but that didn't seem related. I completely dismantled it before reassembling. It wasn't a difficult lens to work on - just a bit of guesswork as to where to start the helicoids. It's been quite some time since I had it in front of me to be accurate, but essentially I unscrewed the entire outer barrel right off the helicoid. I was furious with myself for being so utterly careless, but when you mention the coupling, I do remember a rather long piece sticking out that I have to assume now is that same aperture control piece. I'm just guessing what may have happened, but I've noticed in the past that old rangefinders can sometimes have a screw hidden in the barrel that locks down the position of the front element group, and if they become too loose over time, the whole lens front can wobble or come off. It's possible that if that's the same setup here, the screw may have come partially out enough to let the front spin, and in an effort to get it focused, the user kept going right into the helical threads themselves with the tip of the screw, and it tore a new grove where there shouldn't be one, and now it's stuck in place. It will be a back burner project for awhile - I need to get back onto the body covering issues on a bunch of naked cameras. There is no such screw as you mention. To get in to the front of the lens, you need to remove the dress ring. There are screws underneath. The front group comes out along with the deep baffle. You don't need to remove the dress ring to remove it, just a rubber tool to get inside the baffle to grip it. Thanks for that detail @peterr . Aside from an Electro 35 that I'd replaced and rewired the battery holder on that was badly corroded from an earlier (and nasty) leak, I probably haven't done much in the way of internal fixups on rangefinders to have a good grasp on what to look for. I may have to build up my confidence on a less exotic f/2.8 version before I'll be brave enough to crack that one open. For now I'm just happy to have it in its current state, and can look forward to a rescue sometime later.
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on Oct 5, 2022 14:55:41 GMT
Posted: Oct 5, 2022 14:55:41 GMT
It's fun sometimes to go right back to the very basics of photography. Today, this lovely old British camera from 1951 arrived; it's a Coronet-Conway though this one has the unusual all-metal body instead of the more common bakelite/metal mix. Coronet-ConwayIt's about as basic as you can get: a shutter that offers B and 1/35s; a 110mm f14 meniscus lens that shoots from 10ft to infinity, plus a close-up lens for shooting from 4-9ft. It also has a retractable green filter. It takes 120 film and produces 6x9 photos. You can see the two flaps which cover the portrait and landscape format viewfinders in the open position. That's about it. It's going to be fun popping a roll of fast b/w film through it.
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on Oct 5, 2022 18:18:18 GMT
Last Edit: Oct 5, 2022 18:18:53 GMT by lumiworx
Having two separate ond oriented viewfinders seems to be unique for a box camera, and I like the idea of producing 6x9 framing for 120 film too - which is something else I don't recall being a regular feature on box cameras. Are there two tripod screw holes, or (hopefully not) none at all?
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on Oct 6, 2022 9:21:19 GMT
Posted: Oct 6, 2022 9:21:19 GMT
Having two separate ond oriented viewfinders seems to be unique for a box camera, and I like the idea of producing 6x9 framing for 120 film too - which is something else I don't recall being a regular feature on box cameras. Are there two tripod screw holes, or (hopefully not) none at all? Hi Randy, I can confirm that the camera is wholly without holes for a tripod socket or two. With a maximum shutter speed of 1/35s, and despite the Cold War and imminent nuclear Armageddon, it seems that people must have been very calm and steady back in 1951 to be able to hand-hold at such a low speed. Respect...
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on Nov 18, 2022 15:56:55 GMT
Posted: Nov 18, 2022 15:56:55 GMT
An M42 mount Petri SLR in satin black - what's not to like? This is the Petri TTL, accompanied by the much-celebrated Petri Orikkor Kuribayashi 50mm f2 lens. Petri TTL Kuribayashi Orikkor 50mm f2 This is a basic, uncomplicated 35mm SLR from 1974 that was built to last. This is in part attested to by the top shutter speed (1/1000s) registering at 1/978s after all those years and a long period in storage. Its body is an all-metal construction and weighs a substantial 880g (almost 2lbs) with the Kuribayashi lens attached. The only negative associated with this model is the ease with which you can exhaust the battery powering the CdS light-meter if you are not careful. X-sync is at 1/60s, and speeds run from 1s-1/1000s plus Bulb. As you can see, it sports a self-timer which can be considered the only luxury on this spartan camera. It arrived without a case so that's my next quest...
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on Nov 22, 2022 17:46:07 GMT
Posted: Nov 22, 2022 17:46:07 GMT
Here's an interesting TLR from the early 1950s, the DelMonta made by Montanus of Germany. DelMonta TLROn the face of it, there's not that much to talk about. It uses 75mm Pluscanar Anastigmat lenses - f3.2 for viewing and f3.5 for taking; it has a Velio shutter with speeds from 1/10s to 1/200s plus Bulb; and it shoots 6x6 images on 120 film. But it does have one feature which I really like and that's behind that large, black, metal cap at the base of the side of the camera: a compartment to hold a spare or used roll of film. Now, that is very handy; why did so few TLRs adopt this idea?
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