Vintage photography

[Mojave Jack]

Certainly, it's just fine for prop purposes. That's a good attitude: given the chances that it requires an obsolete size film, has an inoperative shutter or aperture, or that the bellows are no longer light-tight, there's a good chance that it won't be a good "shooter" (vs. a display piece).

Oh, and sorry I didn't answer your questions yesterday - I couldn't get my kids off the computer!

No worries! I figured I have a lot to learn, and this one may be just the thing to learn on. If it works, great, but if not I have my prop and something to reference as I figure out if I really want to try and take pictures with one! I really like my digital camera....

 

[MrBern]

film

For those looking for 120 pr 127 roll film AS well as 110 & 126 instamatic, & a few other goodies
http://www.frugalphotographer.com/

Also, B&H has 120 & 220 in print as well as slide & Sheet films too.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/category/7224/Film_120_220_Sheet_Film.html

Happy shooting.
-bernard

 

[MrBern]

a 30's shot of MBW shooting a graflex in NYC

a decent shot of that style camera

MBW in `26 with camera

 

[pamina]

i have tried to find a film for that kind of camera

this isn't mine. that's one from 1935. i've got one from 1936. it seems it still works, but i can't find a film for it !

and this little cute thing hase had my grandpa with him in ww2 in france. he took pictures of almost everything. i'll post some pics later...

(this isn't mine too. mine is a little bt crapy, the leather is fuzzy ... and the little thing you watch through if you take pictures seems to be lost ... )

 

[MrBern]

tintypes

a story on photographing modern cowboys in a vintage manner.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/arts/design/20kenn.html

The pictures — made by exposing and developing the metal plates after they have been coated with a light-sensitive solution of silver nitrate — are a kind of ideal meeting of subject and style. Many of the cowboys pine to have been born in the 19th century. And the tintypes, with their sepia tones, blurred peripheries and ghostly aura, take the cowboys back to the era when such photographs were taken by traveling commercial photographers

 

[freebird]

I lucked out and picked up a vintage Yashica tlr at an estate sale for 5.00 last summer. So far I haven't found any film localy to try it out.

 

[MrBern]

retro things

Retrothing.com has a couple articles on old style photography

pinhole cameras
http://www.retrothing.com/2008/04/tortuga-5-panor.html


bolex 16mm mopic
http://www.retrothing.com/2007/02/bolex_double_su.html

 

[Two Gun Bob]

I spent two years in WWII re-enactment portraying Sergeant Bert Hardy of the British Army Film and Photographic Unit. I used the following cameras on location and "in action", which may be of interest. I still have these and will be using them in WWII re-enactment this year, this time portraying a civilian photojournalist :

Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta B 532/16 Folding Rangefinder Camera (120 roll film, 6cmx6cm) with 80mm f2.8 Tessar lens.

Shutter: Compur Rapid 1 - 1/400 sec., B. The Super Ikonta was standard British Army issue to stills photographers - but it was slow in operation.

Rolleiflex Twin Lens Reflex Camera (120 roll film, 6cmx6cm)

This 1939 Rolleiflex New Standard is one of the more affordable yet high quality models of the time. The taking lens is an uncoated Zeiss Tessar f3.5/75mm, Shutter: Compur - Rapid, 1 - 1/500 sec., T & B.


Zeiss Contax II Rangefinder Camera (35mm film) with uncoated 50mm f1.5 Zeiss Sonnar lens.

Shutter: vertical metal focal plane, unsynchronised, 1/2 - 1/1250 sec., B. This is quick to use especially in low light and tight corners when you have no time to fiddle! These pre-war Contax cameras are hard to find in working order, as their complexity makes them susceptible to shutter problems when they wear. I found it necessary to have shutter overhauls performed on both my Contax II's.

In addition to all these 1930s cameras I have successfully used a 1939 Weston Master exposure meter, translating the Weston film speeds into modern ISO settings.

A few photos taken with the Contax II below for interest

and one of me...