Group: Moderator
Post: 2,033 (561 liked)
Join date: April 2014
Status: Long, long time Contax and Yashica user; glad to be here and hope to contribute.
|
|
on Jan 28, 2023 14:43:48 GMT
Posted: Jan 28, 2023 14:43:48 GMT
...It features a superb 42mm f2.8 E.Zuiko lens of 5 elements in 4 groups - it's a real beauty!... A real beauty indeed, very nice camera and in an excellent condition, congrats! I think it is the same lens used for the 35RC, here is a picture of the one I have, it is one of my favorites: That 35 RC is delightful - and you're right about sharing the same lens. One of the lovely things about the 35 RC is just how compact it is; thanks for sharing...
|
|
Group: Moderator
Post: 2,033 (561 liked)
Join date: April 2014
Status: Long, long time Contax and Yashica user; glad to be here and hope to contribute.
|
|
on Jan 28, 2023 14:45:55 GMT
Posted: Jan 28, 2023 14:45:55 GMT
Those 70s era Olympus viewfinder/rangefinder cameras are all very nice. My preference is for the 35DC & 35RD which share a wonderful 40mm f/1.7 lens. Oh no....two more cameras to check out... If I had to choose just one of the two you mention, which would you suggest? (Times are hard just now)
|
|
Group: Member
Post: 272 (39 liked)
Join date: July 2014
Status:
|
|
on Jan 28, 2023 19:20:32 GMT
Posted: Jan 28, 2023 19:20:32 GMT
Those 70s era Olympus viewfinder/rangefinder cameras are all very nice. My preference is for the 35DC & 35RD which share a wonderful 40mm f/1.7 lens. Oh no....two more cameras to check out... If I had to choose just one of the two you mention, which would you suggest? (Times are hard just now) Same lens on both, but the RD has shutter priority control the DC is auto only, like a souped up trip. As it happens I like my point and shoot cameras to be simple to use and never quite liked shutter priority either so when I had both I preferred the DC.
|
|
Group: Moderator
Post: 2,033 (561 liked)
Join date: April 2014
Status: Long, long time Contax and Yashica user; glad to be here and hope to contribute.
|
|
on Feb 7, 2023 15:19:03 GMT
Posted: Feb 7, 2023 15:19:03 GMT
Having acquired the stunning Contarex 'Bullseye' and a few of its lenses, the opportunity to grab its baby brother, the Zeiss Ikon Contaflex Super BC, was too much temptation to resist. Contaflex Super BC kitHere we can see the camera with two of its three Pro-Tessar accessory lenses (the 35mm attached and 115mm on the left) plus its in-built Tessar 50mm f2.8. The remaining lens, an 85mm, is on its way. The Pro-Tessar lenses are installed by removing the Tessar and substituting the relevant piece of glass. This is a superb camera - built like a tank - and was the 'cheap' hobbyists' alternative to the Contarex which was intended for professional use. What is amazing is the photo below which shows them side-by-side; even though the Contaflex is the size of most SLRs of the period, it is absolutely dwarfed by the behemoth that is the Contarex with its 50mm f2 Planar lens. Contaflex_ContarexA lovely brace of Zeiss Ikon classic models.
|
|
Group: Moderator
Post: 2,033 (561 liked)
Join date: April 2014
Status: Long, long time Contax and Yashica user; glad to be here and hope to contribute.
|
|
on Mar 1, 2023 20:31:02 GMT
Posted: Mar 1, 2023 20:31:02 GMT
Here's a fully working, 87 year old camera - the Zeiss Ikon Nettar 510/2. Nettar 510/2What amazes me is that despite its age, the bellows are flawless, the rather basic Gauthier shutter is working properly and the 10.5cm f7.7 Nettar Anastigmat lens is crystal clear. It's classic Zeiss Ikon build quality. The camera produces 6x9cm images.
|
|
Group: Moderator
Post: 2,033 (561 liked)
Join date: April 2014
Status: Long, long time Contax and Yashica user; glad to be here and hope to contribute.
|
|
on Mar 1, 2023 20:49:59 GMT
Posted: Mar 1, 2023 20:49:59 GMT
This camera has something I'd never come across before. It's a Voigtlander Vitoret F viewfinder camera. The Vitoret models were the low-cost alternative to the more sophisticated Vito range of cameras. Voigtlander Vitoret FBut what sets it apart from other cameras is the tip-up accessory shoe. When in the position you can see in the photo, you can place an AG-1 flash bulb in the recess which has a mirrored surface for maximum reflection. The camera uses a 15v battery (mercifully still available) to power the flash. When the accessory shoe is in the standard, down position, you can pop a flash gun onto it and operate the camera conventionally using its flash sync socket. Has anyone here come across a camera with a similar style of accessory shoe?
|
|
Group: Moderator
Post: 2,033 (561 liked)
Join date: April 2014
Status: Long, long time Contax and Yashica user; glad to be here and hope to contribute.
|
|
on Mar 3, 2023 15:52:51 GMT
Posted: Mar 3, 2023 15:52:51 GMT
This has been a bucket-list camera for quite some time and it's taken a while to find a really good one at a sensible price: the Zeiss Ikon Contessa 35 (533/24). Contessa 35 - first versionI was very fortunate to find it at an obscure British auction. It is compact, beautifully engineered, 70 years old (it is the first version) and fully working; even the selenium-powered light-meter is working to within a quarter of a stop. The lens is a stunner; it's the Zeiss-Opton Tessar T* 45mm f2.8 and features a 9-bladed aperture. The camera arrived complete with a Zeiss Ikon filter, leather case and an Ikoblitz-4 bulb flash gun. The Compur Rapid shutter offers a healthy top speed of 1/500s and it's whisper-quiet. It's definitely been worth the wait to find this beautiful little camera.
|
|
Group: Moderator
Post: 2,033 (561 liked)
Join date: April 2014
Status: Long, long time Contax and Yashica user; glad to be here and hope to contribute.
|
|
on Mar 21, 2023 20:01:13 GMT
Last Edit: Mar 21, 2023 20:01:58 GMT by biggles3
Carrying on with an appreciation of art-deco styling in cameras, here's the latest one: the Zeiss Ikon Simplex. Zeiss Ikon SimplexIt is unique among Zeiss Ikon's cameras in being the only one which used Bakelite for the body. It dates from 1935, uses 120 film to shoot 6x9cm images, and features a Nettar Anastigmatic 10.5cm f6.3 lens. This model has the Derval shutter but there was another, rarer version which features a Telma shutter that has a higher top speed of 1/125s; the Derval's fastest speed is 1/100s. The styling of this when closed is a delight. There is a beautiful hexagonal cartouche on the back leathers which surrounds the Zeiss Ikon logo - very art-deco. And the use of Bakelite has enabled this camera to have delicately rounded corners and moulded detailing which continues the styling cues. It also has one of the easiest mechanisms for closing the bellows and shutter assembly; that tab you can see on the base below the lens is simply pressed and the front folds up. So much neater than having to work out which two braces by the bellows need to be manipulated to have the same effect - one tab and a simple push.
|
|
Group: Moderator
Post: 2,033 (561 liked)
Join date: April 2014
Status: Long, long time Contax and Yashica user; glad to be here and hope to contribute.
|
|
on Apr 1, 2023 17:37:46 GMT
Last Edit: Apr 7, 2023 10:05:32 GMT by biggles3
OK - chalk off another bucket-list camera: the art-deco inspired Purma Special. Purma SpecialThis enigmatic camera was made in Great Britain in 1937. It uses Bakelite for its body and lens housing and was the very first camera to employ plastic optics (for the viewfinder). Glass is used for the Beck Anastigmat 2¼ inch f6.3 lens (when was the last time you saw a focal length in inches ‽) The lens is sprung - removal of the screw-on cap releases it.
One of the most unusual aspects of the Purma range is the use of gravity shutters; the Special has 3 speeds: 1/25, 1/150 & 1/450s. The speed is determined by the orientation of the camera which was not a problem as it provides images in a square format. With the ready availability of 127 film again, I can't wait to try out this most distinctive camera.
|
|
Group: Moderator
Post: 2,033 (561 liked)
Join date: April 2014
Status: Long, long time Contax and Yashica user; glad to be here and hope to contribute.
|
|
on Apr 2, 2023 20:41:35 GMT
Posted: Apr 2, 2023 20:41:35 GMT
I have to admit to a developing interest in Zeiss Ikon cameras which is, I hope, forgivable for a fan of the Contax RTS and those wonderful Zeiss lenses. While there is no camera that matches the frightening majesty of the Contarex 'Bullseye' (a free hernia repair kit with every camera), the enthusiasts' range of Contaflex models is also proving a joy to use. Zeiss Ikon ContaflexesThese 4 beauties are well-engineered SLRs; unlike the Contarex which can take a good variety of interchangeable lenses, the Contaflex cameras can only change the focal lengths of their glass by using accessory Pro-Tessar lenses. You simply remove the front section of the 50mm f2.8 Tessar and replace it with one of the accessory lenses but, despite that limitation, the IQ of all the Pro-Tessars is very good. The cameras are: Rapid (left), Super BC (rear), Beta (right) and Super (front). The Rapid is the only one without a light-meter; fortunately, the selenium meters in the other three models are all working beautifully. There is a common thread between these icons of the Zeiss Ikon marque and the Contax RTS, Yashica FX-1 and FR series - top quality engineering combined with exemplary build quality (leaving the FR frame counter to one side).
|
|
Group: Member
Post: 410 (88 liked)
Join date: March 2017
Status:
|
|
on Apr 7, 2023 10:07:32 GMT
Posted: Apr 7, 2023 10:07:32 GMT
I have to admit to a developing interest in Zeiss Ikon cameras which is, I hope, forgivable for a fan of the Contax RTS and those wonderful Zeiss lenses. While there is no camera that matches the frightening majesty of the Contarex 'Bullseye' (a free hernia repair kit with every camera), the enthusiasts' range of Contaflex models is also proving a joy to use. Zeiss Ikon ContaflexesThese 4 beauties are well-engineered SLRs; unlike the Contarex which can take a good variety of interchangeable lenses, the Contaflex cameras can only change the focal lengths of their glass by using accessory Pro-Tessar lenses. You simply remove the front section of the 50mm f2.8 Tessar and replace it with one of the accessory lenses but, despite that limitation, the IQ of all the Pro-Tessars is very good. The cameras are: Rapid (left), Super BC (rear), Beta (right) and Super (front). The Rapid is the only one without a light-meter; fortunately, the selenium meters in the other three models are all working beautifully. There is a common thread between these icons of the Zeiss Ikon marque and the Contax RTS, Yashica FX-1 and FR series - top quality engineering combined with exemplary build quality (leaving the FR frame counter to one side). Very nice set you have there, enough metal to build a small car I like the Contaflex line of cameras and accessories, I have a Super BC with some lenses, but the cameras are too complicated. The position of the controls and other details, like the mirror locking up only when loaded, are making them uncomfortable to use, or at least less intuitive.
|
|
Group: Moderator
Post: 2,033 (561 liked)
Join date: April 2014
Status: Long, long time Contax and Yashica user; glad to be here and hope to contribute.
|
|
on Apr 8, 2023 9:43:07 GMT
Posted: Apr 8, 2023 9:43:07 GMT
Hi Ariel That Super BC is a lovely sight! I suppose the operational complexity of the Contaflex cameras is something that an old fogey in his 70s is used to as they were contemporaneous with my early days in photography. But you are right - when one stands back and thinks about the way they function, there are certainly many, many cameras that are much more intuitive to use. It's quite fun though looking at the way different engineers approached the same objective: taking consistently good photographs. Sometimes complexity gets in the way, like Yashica's lovely but flawed Electro AX, as there is a greater risk of failure when you have interconnected systems - just one small glitch and the entire camera fails... Perhaps one of the hardest things is 'unlearning' how we normally use a camera or lens. That applies particularly to the use of different manufacturers' products; the classic being the direction of focusing or aperture selection on a lens... I just checked my inventory and was able to see that cameras from 34 different manufacturers are still in use and, leaving Yashica and Contax to one side, there are up to a dozen or more individual models from some of those manufacturers. Thinking about Yashica for a moment, ponder the different photographic techniques employed on film cameras as diverse as the 35, Sequelle, Rapide, YF, Electro 35, Pentamatic II, Atoron, Minister 700, Electro AX, FRII, FX-A, Oral-Eye, FX-3 Super, Samurai X4.0, 124G, T4 and AF 230! Being able to take 120 film and put it inside a 1920 Kodak Box Brownie, a Yashica 124G or a Fuji GX680III and have the fun of using some of the most basic cameras through to some of the most complex is part of what makes our hobby so interesting. And the fun is that sometimes, a 100 year-old camera with a simple meniscus lens and a single shutter speed can match the quality of an image from a camera with the most sophisticated and complex engineering available - because, at the end of the day, it all boils down to your eye, your understanding of composition and light and an awareness of the qualities or limitations of your camera...
|
|
Group: Member
Post: 410 (88 liked)
Join date: March 2017
Status:
|
|
on Apr 8, 2023 10:35:57 GMT
Posted: Apr 8, 2023 10:35:57 GMT
You are right, and I agree with everything, but even if I put myself in the shoes of a person from 1953, when the Contaflex was first released, then maybe there is a way to justify how the engineers approached its design. However, the Super BC was released in 1965 and the S model in 1968, by then the design was obsolete, after more than 10 years in the market, in comparison with some other cameras/brands, especially the Japanese ones. Keeping in mind the huge differences between the cameras, the operational complexity of the Contaflex reminds me the first impression when tried to use an Olympus OM-1, at first glance it looks like any other SLR, but everything is in a different place. Never a dull moment when using different cameras, from different times and brands.
|
|
Group: Moderator
Post: 2,033 (561 liked)
Join date: April 2014
Status: Long, long time Contax and Yashica user; glad to be here and hope to contribute.
|
|
on Apr 11, 2023 19:35:20 GMT
Posted: Apr 11, 2023 19:35:20 GMT
This camera is the model which followed the Purma Special seen earlier; it is the Purma Plus. Purma Plus_ final versionIt dates from 1958/9 as it is the third and final iteration of the Plus. It differs from the Special in 3 respects: firstly, it uses aluminium instead of Bakelite for the body. Secondly, it has a Purma Anastigmat 55mm f6.3 lens, replacing the Beck Anastigmat 2¼ inch (57mm) f6.3 of the Special. Finally, while it still uses a gravity shutter, its top speed has risen from 1/450s to 1/500s. Again, as with the Special, the lens is sprung and is released once the cap has been unscrewed. This came with an instruction manual as well as a very pleasing leather case.
|
|
Group: Moderator
Post: 2,033 (561 liked)
Join date: April 2014
Status: Long, long time Contax and Yashica user; glad to be here and hope to contribute.
|
|
on Apr 12, 2023 22:24:45 GMT
Last Edit: Apr 12, 2023 22:44:46 GMT by biggles3
This small camera has a special place in the history of photography; it is the Ensignette made by Houghtons of London and this one is from 1910. Ensignette What makes this so special is that it brought snap-shot photography to the common person for the very first time. It is small enough to fit into virtually any pocket and was very affordable. Many found their way to the trenches of WW1. It is very basic, using an achromatic, meniscus lens behind the shutter with aperture stops of f11, 16 and 22; the Ensignette offers a speed of about 1/40s plus a T setting. It's a strut folder and the entire body is made from several metals and the bellows are of fine leather. Although every part of this camera is working, I'm not sure if film can be found; it takes 38x57mm pictures and used Kodak 128 film which produced 6 images on a roll. It would be wonderful to be able to run film through it again.
|
|