Vintage Camera Stuff

"gmctavish needs more space" (gmctavish) 05/04/2020 at 15:44 • Filed to: photography

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A friend of mine saw a box of cameras on LetGo for $10, and snagged it even though he doesn’t know cameras, he figured they had to be worth more than $10. He was quite right, these are some gems. I’ve got them to test out what I can, and try and figure out pricing.

Those two I’ll be film testing this week, everything is working and the lenses are clean.

The Crown Graphic has no ground glass, and I have never handled sheet film, so I probably won’t be testing this one. It’s too bad, it looks like the Wollensak Raptar 127 mm is capable of lovely things:

And here are the two Mamiyas with my Mamiya. These were all produced in the same era, but they are wildly different.

wafflesnfalafel > gmctavish needs more space 05/04/2020 at 15:59

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where do put the memory card?

Jim Spanfeller > gmctavish needs more space 05/04/2020 at 16:26

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Are vintage camera enthusiasts a thing? To me, old photographs often give off a certain warm, nostalgic feeling which “filters” on modern cameras never quite seem to get right. Everyone thinks I’m insane for wanting a vintage camera... They don’t understand why I would want a camera that takes crappier photos, but they would be crappy in the perfect way! Crappy in a cool, retro way that modern cameras can’t replicate . Or maybe I am insane...

The Ghost of Oppo > wafflesnfalafel 05/04/2020 at 16:27

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memory cylinder* 

Thomas Donohue > wafflesnfalafel 05/04/2020 at 16:36

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Technically, there’s an aftermarket digital back for the RB67. So you can insert a memory card......

vondon302 > gmctavish needs more space 05/04/2020 at 16:38

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Score!

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > gmctavish needs more space 05/04/2020 at 16:40

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You have a very wise friend 

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > gmctavish needs more space 05/04/2020 at 16:53

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Wow, I always wanted one like the one on the right. When I lived in Japan I built a working plastic model of one like that. I have an old Bolex film camera that was my grandfathers, it needs to be totally cleaned, I wonder how much that would be. 

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > Jim Spanfeller 05/04/2020 at 17:19

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on my Lumix digitals I’ve started to use B&W mode more— really good tonal range, close to that of an old emulsion based photo.

Seems backwards but its nice

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > gmctavish needs more space 05/04/2020 at 17:20

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That c330 is nice, really nice. Not quite in the same league as your RB67, but those (and the Rolleis) were a staple of photo journalism for decades.

Great finds all the way around.

Chariotoflove > gmctavish needs more space 05/04/2020 at 17:28

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That is so cool!

gin-san - shitpost specialist > gmctavish needs more space 05/04/2020 at 17:29

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What a steal! I don’t know much about old-school cameras, I only got into photography when digital SLRs starting becoming more mainstream, I still have my 6MP Nikon D40.

wafflesnfalafel > Thomas Donohue 05/04/2020 at 18:00

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interesting!  Y ou ever play with anything converted like that? Wondering how the images turn out - does it look “digital” or do you get some of the character still.  

Both my cars are XJs > gmctavish needs more space 05/04/2020 at 18:16

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MaMamiya... 10 bucks! That’s the deal of the week/month/century... I’d pay that for jsut the C330 :)

Someone asked if vintage camera enthusiasts were a thing... yes, yes they are. And just as Nerdy as any other group of enthusiasts, but also Artistic! :)

I have a Zeiss-Ikon Super Ikonta 532/16 ( made from 1937-1955) . I believe the one I have i s from the early ‘50s, a replacement that’s a number of years newer tha n my grand dad’s original which I los t, but is mostly identical ....

gmctavish needs more space > Jim Spanfeller 05/04/2020 at 19:28

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Oh they are absolutely a thing. So much so that Kodak is ramping up production, they can’t keep up with demand for certain film stocks to the point that shops can’t estimate when they’ll have them. They also came out with a brand new Ektachrome, and Fuji reintroduced a film for the first time in years.

Film camera prices are up across the board, many have jumped in value like crazy. Film also isn’t necessarily worse quality, depending on what cameras you’re comparing. One of the main draws is the tone, I mainly shoot film now because I’m happy with the photos with very minimal editing, but I have to spend a lot of time editing digital photos to be happy with them.

Tl;Dr, film, and vintage cameras are enjoying a resurgence in much the same way that vinyl is.

gmctavish needs more space > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish 05/04/2020 at 19:30

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The C330 definitely feels more archaic than the RB67, but it is much lighter, and I’ve seen a lot of great images from that 80mm f2.8. That said, my RB was $120 and this C330 is likely worth $700, so as much as I like it, I won’t be buying one any time soon

gmctavish needs more space > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. 05/04/2020 at 19:31

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He may not know old cameras, but he has good instincts about deals

gmctavish needs more space > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 05/04/2020 at 19:36

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That’d be my RB67, probably the most plentiful medium format camera. Mine was only $120 since it’s cosmetically rough, they’re cool to use, very mechanical and satisfying.

Ooh a 16mm? People still use those, but it’s quite expensive to get the film developed and digitized, all for 3min of footage at a time I believe

Jim Spanfeller > gmctavish needs more space 05/04/2020 at 21:18

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W oah. So there are other people who share my weird obsession with old photos! I could see myself doing photography with a vintage camera as a hobby... It’s probably expensive though...

Bryan doesn't drive a 1M > Jim Spanfeller 05/04/2020 at 22:05

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Not at all, unless you’re a brand snob. Some amazing deals to be had if you want something to use and not just collect.

gmctavish needs more space > Jim Spanfeller 05/04/2020 at 22:11

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It is expensive, but the initial cost of buying a very capable 35mm camera is quite low. It’s the continuing film, development, and scanning costs that add up. With digital, the up front cost is high, but then other than a memory card, taking photos is free.

Look into film, dev, and scanning costs for 35mm film where you are. Where I am in Vancouver they’re relatively high, but many places in the states have lower costs than us in Canada.

I pay approx $5/roll for consumer grade negative film, and $22 for dev/scanning. Approx $12/roll for pro negative film, and the same dev/scan cost. Slide film is approx $18/roll, $12 dev, $16 scan.....keep in mind that’s CAD.

All that said, my first serious camera and lens was $50, and with Kodak Ektar film you need a proper DSLR with a good lens to match the quality.

If you do decide to get into it, start with cheap film like Kodak Gold 200, I get it for $14/3 rolls at walmart, and just google good starter film cameras. Lots of good sites like 35mmc, CasualPhotophile, and Japan Camera Hunter with reviews and recommendations . It’s a bit of a rabbit hole

phenotyp > wafflesnfalafel 05/04/2020 at 23:19

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You definitely get some of the quality just with old glass; I have adapters for my grandfather’s Leica lenses that I use on my 5D2. I love love love how much more depth you get with those lenses. Only major drawback is that I end up missing a ton of shots fiddling with everything, especially at the track when I’m going from the pit to the track and back. 

Jim Spanfeller > Bryan doesn't drive a 1M 05/05/2020 at 00:13

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I don’t know much about camera brands or how to tak e good photos, other than mutter at the camera, “focus, darn you”. So I’m not likely to be a brand snob