Agfa

The camera body is all metal. The camera's rotary shutter has one instaneous (I) shutter speed, I assume around 1/30 -1/60 second. It also has a bulb (B) setting. The switch is on the bottom of the lens assembly. There is a single aperture that measures approximately 7mm in diameter, about the same as the eraser on a pencil. The focal length, the distance from the lens center to the film plane, measures approximately 110mm. The f-number is hence 110 divided by 7 which equals approximately f16 which sounds reasonable. The lens actually focuses to some degree. You move it to the F for Far and to the N for Near. The instruction manual at page 8 available at butkus.org says near is for subjects from 6 to 15 feet. For subjects further than 15 feet you should use F. The lens screws further out for Near and screws in for Far thereby increasing and decreasing the distance between the lens and film. The instructions have you go all the way to N or F, although I don't see why you couldn't use intermediate settings. The camera also has a yellow filter which is controlled by a lever near the top of the lens assembly. When the switch is up and in as far as it will go there is no filter. When the lever is down and as far out as it will go, the filter is in place. The instructions state: "The built-in yellow filter is especially useful when photographing landscapes, sunny beach scenes, bright snow scenes and cloud effects." A yellow filter is often used in black and white photography to increase the contrast between the sky and clouds. It is often good for photos of people against an environmental background. (See thedarkroom.com.)

The shutter wasn't working right initially on my camera. It would just operate on bulb whatever you did. Recognizing that the camera had neither the value nor complexity of a Haselblad, I started taking things apart! First take out what they call the film cone. You will then see two flat head screws. When you unscrew these completely, the lens comes off in front and you can take the metal plate off the back. I played around with the shutter assembly in front trying to get it to work on instantaneous. Eventually, it started working. The red shutter button then got stuck, however. I learned you can pull it off with a pliers. There is a small felt washer and a small metal washer below the shutter button and ring that fits into the top of the camera. The red shutter button fits into that ring. There is a bent wire that fits into the shutter button. The other looped end fits into a pin on the shutter assembly inside the back of the camera. When the shutter is pressed, that moves the circular piece that triggers the shutter. It is a simple rotary shutter but it's pretty complicated for me. I then put the metal plate back, and screwed things together again. It works! I prepared this YouTube showing the lens and shutter mechanism. While I had the lens off, I cleaned both surfaces which were a little hazy. I also took off the plate that covered the viewfinder. There is a screw on each side. I could then clean both sides of each viewfinder lens. Be careful if you do this because the lenses pop out. I also gave the camera a good cleaning. I'm quite happy that I got the shutter working and everything back together. I don't recall where I got this camera. It was many years ago and probably from a garage sale or estate sale. While the Chief is a cool camera, the Clack below is more practical today since it takes 120 film.

Ansco

My camera comes with Tripar 130mm f11 uncoated lens. It has a focus scale from 5 feet to 100 feet. The 100 feet is for anything 100 feet or over. It has a Plenax shutter. The shutter speeds are 1/25, 1/50, 1/100 second plus B and T. The lens/shutter assembly says it is "Made in America by Agfa Ansco Corporation Binghamton, N.Y." The back of the camera has two red windows to show the exposure numbers depending whether you are taking full frame or half frame photos. I couldn't find the manual for this specific camera model. CameraManuals.org (Butkus.org) has the manual for the Agfa Ansco PD 16 Antar manual which is a similar 616 film camera but with a simpler shutter. Butkus.org has the manual for the Agfa Ansco PB 20 Plenax camera which is a 120 film camera with the same shutter and lens as the PB 16 Plenax camera. That manual states at page 6, "To use the camera as a fixed-focus camera, set the lens barrel at 15 feet. When the camera is used as a fixed-focus camera, set all indices on figures in red [1/25 second, f16]. Sharper pictures will result, however, if the lens is focused according to the index." The use of the "brilliant" waist level finder is explained at pages 11 and 12 of the Plenax manual. My camera appears to be in generally good cosmetic and operating condition. The bellows are intact although slightly wrinkled in one area. The lens is clear except for a small speck of something under the front element. The aperture and shutter work. The shutter speeds sound generally correct. The vertical footrest to stand the camera up vertically has broken off. The finder was dirty. I took the top lens of the finder off and cleaned all the surfaces with isopropyl alcohol and cotton swabs. The finder has a mask which lifts up for full frame photos and goes down for half frame photos. My mask had broken off. I can snap it back on but it is not hinged like it is supposed to be. Inside my camera has the half frame film mask and the take-up spool. I may have purchased my camera with the Agfa Clack above. Art Deco Cameras has information on this model with a different shutter.

Argus

Beattie

Beauty

Ciroflex

Fotochrome

Ken Riley Photographics states it was made by Petri Camera of Japan. See also FOTOFEX CAMERA's PAGE, Flickr - Bill Strong - Fotochrome Camera, Flickr - John Kratz - Fotochrome Camera, www.stronghorses.com, Fotochrome - Chinese Site, Petri - Camerapedia (has photo of "Petri Fotochrome" but Fotochrome is not otherwise discussed in the history or in camera list). Petri made quality rangefinder and single lens reflex cameras as can be seen in those sections of the museum. The facts specified in court cases seem to cast doubt on whether the Fotochrome camera was made by Petri, however. The court in Fotochrome, Inc. v. Copal Co., 517 F.2d 512 (para. 2) (2d Cir. 1975) (http://www.altlaw.org/v1/cases/549959) states: "Fotochrome, Inc. ("Fotochrome"), a Delaware corporation with offices in the Eastern District of New York, and Copal Company, Ltd. ("Copal"), a Japanese corporation, neither present nor doing business in the United States, entered into a contract in 1966 under which Copal would manufacture cameras in Japan according to specifications provided by Fotochrome, and Fotochrome would purchase the cameras for distribution in the United States." The case involved a Japanese arbitration brought by Copal seeking payment for cameras it made for Fotochrome. Fotochrome counter claimed alleging that delivery was not timely and cameras were defective. Near the conclusion of the arbitration, Fotochrome filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on March 26, 1970. Thereafter, an arbitration award was issued in favor of Copal. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the decision of the District Court, 377 F.Supp. 26 (E.D.N.Y.1974), which found, after examining numerous international law and personal jurisdiction issues, the Japanese arbitration award was valid even though it was issued after the filing of the United States bankruptcy case. There is no mention of Petri in the case. Likewise there is no mention of Petri on the box, camera, or manual. Copal is a Japanese manufacturer of shutters. Copal - Camerapedia.

Fotron

Besides the film cartridge, Fotron cameras were innovative in at least two important ways - it had a built in electronic flash and it had built in electronic film advance. To my knowledge, it may have been the first camera with a built in electronic flash. I took my camera partially apart. In the interior photo you can see part of what I believe is a large rechargeable battery. Electronic flashes were available at least by 1953. (See, e.g., "Amazing Tower Speedlight" in 1953-54 Sears Camera Catalog, and Page 45 of 1960 Sears Camera Catalog.) Miniaturization of electronics was still progressing, however, and the units at the time were pretty big. To fit in the large battery and all the electronics resulted in the Fotron being a big camera. It was years ahead of its time, however, since the first built in electronic flash in a 35mm camera did not occur until the 1974 Konica C35 EF. It may have also been the first camera with built in battery powered electronic film advance, although several cameras by the 1960s had spring wound film advance.

Despite the innovation with the built in flash and film advance, the Fotron is often viewed with disdain. (See, e.g., The Abominable Triad Fotron.) While I can't find specifications, the Fotron seems to have a very small aperture lens, possibly one element. Even if the lens is any good, there is a transparent plastic cover over the lens. It appears to have perhaps two shutter speeds - one for indoors and one for outdoors. There are two shutter release buttons which appear to also change the focus range. One is for "close" - 4 to 8 feet. The other is for "Far" - 8 feet to infinity for outdoors and 8-12 feet for indoors. Pushing on the "close" shutter seems to push the lens mechanism out slightly further. While it looks like there might be a light meter surrounding the lens, I think this is for just for looks and the camera does not have a light meter. Therefore, while its advertising emphasized no ASA, aperture, shutter speed or focus to set, these were not innovations. Rather, the Fotron simply didn't have many adjustments, automatic or otherwise. It only took 10 photos per roll. The flash took a long time to charge. The instruction manual is available at butkus.org. It says to charge the flash for 18 hours for one film magazine. If more than one magazine is to be used, they recommend charging the camera for 72 hours or longer! The instruction manual recommends just leaving it plugged in all the time. As indicated above it is huge with a width of about 21cm, a height of 12cm and a depth of about 7cm not including the film cartridge. The film had to be sent to Fotron to be developed.

Perhaps the biggest complaints were the price and sales methods. The Fotron was exclusively sold door to door with prices from $150 to nearly $500. (See, e.g., Fotron - Wikipedia.) The basis for the lower figure is not known. Gustavson, Camera, page 299 (George Eastman House 2009), says it was priced at up to $415. Since it was sold door to door, perhaps the price varied depending on what the salesman could negotiate. A class action lawsuit was brought in California on behalf of over 100,000 buyers. The class was all buyers after December 31, 1966 who purchased the cameras under identical installment sales contracts for $491.60. Plaintiffs claimed the reasonable value of the camera was $40. The trial court sustained the defendant's demurrer to all causes of action. The California Court of Appeals in Metowski v. Traid Corp., 28 Cal.App.2d 332 (3d App. Dist. 1972) reversed allowing the action to go forward on several of the causes of action. I'm not aware of the final outcome. $491.60 was a huge amount of money in the mid 1960s, however. $491.50 in 1967 has the same buying power as $3,208.78 in 2010! (I don't know if the $491.60 included the finance charges. Even if it did, the cameras were expensive!) A professional quality Nikon F with original Photomic metered prism and 50mm f1.4 lens was $447.50 in 1967 as indicated in my Manual SLR Page. The Fotron was more expensive and clearly not equal to a Nikon F in photographic quality. Then again Nikon wouldn't have a built in flash and built in automatic film advance for two more decades!

Door to door sales would have likely focused on stay at home "housewives" at the time. Triad's advertising materials bear this out. As indicated in an ad in the March 8, 1968 Life Magazine shown at Marc's Classic Cameras, the Fotron was "ideal for 99 out of 100 wives who refuse to fuss with their husbands' cameras." That sounds pretty sexist even in 1968. The same slogan was used in their brochures that can be viewed at Junk Store Cameras. That site also has some photos in a Fotron photo album. The photos look similar to those produced by Kodak Instamatic and other 126 cameras.

I purchased my Fotron at a La Mesa, CA estate/garage sale on May 22, 2010 for $1.75. It comes with the Fotron leather case and the charging cord. There was no film or documentation. It is in good cosmetic condition. The shutter does not fire, but it may need film or charging, although I think it is a simple mechanical shutter. I have not plugged it in. The leather case is in good condition except the leather strap is deteriorating on the underside. By the time I left the estate sale I was covered in fine brown leather dust!

My conclusion - The Fotron probably produced photos similar to an inexpensive Kodak Instamatic or similar 126 camera. While its electronic flash was innovative and would allow better indoor photos than an Instamatic with a flash cube, it resulted in a large and very expensive camera. The built in electronic flash would make more sense when introduced over a decade later once electronics were further miniaturized. The Fotron makes a great conversation piece today, however.

Graflex

The Pacemaker Speed Graphic 2 1/4 x 3 1/4 sold for $338.20 in the 1955 Sears Camera Catalog. That's equal to $2,680 in 2008 dollars. This was therefore clearly a professional level camera. The 4 x 5 Speed Graphic sold for only slightly more at $356.75. The Crown Graphic models without the focal plane shutter of the Speed Graphic models sold for $315.85 for the 4 x 5 model and $318.90 for the 2 1/4 x 3 1/4 model. The only cameras in the 1955 Sears Camera Catalog selling for more than the Speed Graphic cameras was the Hasselblad with the 80mm f2.8 Kodak Ektar lens selling for $476 and some of the Zeiss Contax 35mm rangefinder cameras which ranged from $336 to $412 depending on the lens they came with. The Nikon 35mm rangefinder with Nikkor f2 lens and Leica mount was a bargin at $269.

Manufactured by Graflex, Inc., Rochester 8, New York, U.S.A. The shutter and lens were also made in the U.S.A. by Eastman Kodak, also located in Rochester. I believe the camera will take either sheet film or roll film. These were also made in 4" x 5" and 3.25" x 4.25" models. Cosmetically, it is in excellent condition. There is some paint loss near the name "Speed Graphic." The rangefinder works. The lens looks clear and free of scratches. The leather is good. It opens by pressing a button under the leather just in front of the top of the handle. This took me quite a while to find out and apparently is one of the most frequently asked questions about the Speed Graphic. I have not fired the shutter yet since I need to figure out how to cock it. I haven't spent much time with the camera yet, and it is indeed a pretty complicated looking piece of equipment which, of course, just adds to its extreme coolness! I'm going to study up on how to operate it so as to not break anything. I purchased it with a bunch of other camera equipment for a total of $75 on 2-1-09 in Chula Vista, CA from an ad on Craigslist. This was by far the most valuable item and we allocated $50 to it. The seller had acquired the items as part of a large collection of things in an apartment contents auction. The original owner was an elderly gentleman in his 90s who had to leave the apartment for medical reasons. A super cool camera which I will be exploring more in the future!

Hasselblad

Imperial

It is a very simple camera. Measuring from the lens to the film plane, I get a focal length of about 75mm. The single aperture diameter is about 5mm. That yields a f-number of 75/5 of f15 or let's call it f16. A small aperture is needed to achieve sufficient depth of field in a fixed focus camera. The subject should be at least 8 feet away. (See Manual for Imperial Debonair recommending being at least 8 feet away at camera manuals.org.) It has a simple, one element lens. The film plane is curved as is true in many inexpensive cameras of the 1950s and 1960s to partially correct the spherical aberration in single element meniscus lenses. (See Nicholas Lindan comment on Photrio Forum.) It has a single shutter speed likely between 1/30 to 1/60 second. You can remove the front of the camera by removing two screws revealing the rotary shutter. I did a one minute video showing the operation of the shutter. (See also Imperial Mark XII - Pentax Forums.) I think I purchased this camera with a large lot of other cameras many years ago. It is in good cosmetic and working condition.

What grade should the Imperial Mark XII get? A for marketing with its space age design, flashy color choices, low cost, fancy name, ease of use and Scout endorsement. C- for photo quality. Sample photos on the Internet are not very sharp and people complain of light leaks. The viewfinder is very small and many complain that it is not very accurate.

The instruction manual is at butkus.org. The marketing continues in the manual for this "sensational new camera with the famous M-2+ flash unit." "Your Debonair camera is a fine precision instrument, designed to take consistently clear and beautiful pictures."

The camera is a good example of changes in styling as a marketing device, which was also seen in the cars with fins also in the late 1950s and early 1960s. (See generally, Vance Packard, The Waste Makers (1960).) I find the styling gimmicky, although others may disagree. Daniel J. Schneider finds it "a stunning example of Streamline Moderne industrial design." He continues: "What really wins you over with this camera is the beautiful Art Deco lines and asymmetric design." "The best single feature, visually, is the beautiful chrome shade over the lens. It reminds me of a machine-age traffic light, and it's a really great element to round out the Streamline Moderne design (one of my favorite schools of Art Deco)."

In my opinion one should pay somewhat more for a better camera even for a child. Looking at a 1961 Sears Camera Catalog it looks like it cost somewhere between $1 and $4 for a roll of film and processing depending on whether black and white, or color, and depending on who processes it, Kodak being more costly than Sears. If one is spending that much on film, it seems to make sense to pay more for a better quality camera. Again, others may disagree. In the comments to the Daniel J. Schneider page, a gentleman writes that the Debonair was his first camera that he got for selling Christmas cards in 1959. He used it until 1966 and it led to a lifelong interest in photography. (See also Junkstore Cameras giving a favorable review.)

Kinax

Kodak

The camera is fixed focus. Subjects 11 feet away and further will be sharp and subjects 8 feet away will be acceptably sharp for practical purposes. There was the Kodak Portrait Attachment available for subjects closer than 8 feet. With the Portrait Attachment the subject must be exactly 3.5 feet away. The camera has one instantaneous shutter speed which is probably around 1/30 to 1/60 second as explained above. By pulling up on the slide on the top front of the camera, the shutter will remain open for time exposures. Pages 11-13 of the manual give suggested times for indoor photos which can be from several seconds to minutes. The film speed is not given but it must have been quite slow. (ASA Film speed ratings were not developed until 1943. Film Speed - Wikipedia.) The focal length is not specified but measuring from the approximate location of the lens to approximate film plane is about 105mm or a little over 4 inches. That's pretty close to a "normal" lens using 6mm x 9mm film. (See Shoot It With Film.) The diameter of the lens is about 7.5mm. The f-number would be the lens focal length divided by the lens diameter, or about 105mm divided by 7.5mm equals f14. (See generally, Photography and Math.) That sounds reasonable since a small aperture is required to give sufficient depth of field with the fixed focus lens. Curiously, the name of the camera model is nowhere on the outside of the camera. The leather strap says "Brownie." The inside of the camera back reads: "No. 2 Film Pack Hawk-Eye 2 1/4 x 3 1/4 Patents Pending MADE IN U.S.A. BY Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N.Y."

I think I purchased this camera from a Craigslist sale with numerous other cameras many years ago. This camera and several others were in the storage box with a handwritten identification number taped to each camera. The camera is in generally good condition. The lens is clear. The shutter works fine including both the instantaneous and timed exposures. The front comes off revealing the shutter mechanism. There are two viewfinders - one for vertical photos and one for horizontal photos. Each viewfinder has a lens pointing towards the subject. The image from the lens hits a mirror at a 45-degree angle. That reflects the light up to a piece of ground glass. The viewfinder lenses were quite dirty, but cleaned up well with a cotton swab and isopropyl alcohol. The ground glass in one viewfinder is missing. I cleaned the other ground glass with a cotton swab and isopropyl alcohol. The mirrors are missing much of the silver coating. I tried lightly cleaning them with a cotton swab and water. (I did not want to use isopropyl alcohol to avoid causing harm to any surface coating.) While that got rid of some dust, the silver coating is still missing. You can still see an image somewhat if the subject is in bright light. The leather strap on top of the camera is present but torn apart at one end. I glued it together with Super Glue.

The camera is quite compact when folded with dimensions of about 12cm wide x 6cm tall x 4cm deep. Kodak Anastigmat Special 48mm f4.5 lens. Shutter speeds of 1/25, 1/50, 1/100, 1/200 plus B and T. The viewfinder pops up. The camera unfolds by the button by the winding knob. The shutter is cocked by a switch just in front of the right side of the folding cross bar. Focusing from 2.5 feet or less to infinity by estimation. Apertures are f4.5 to f16. Mine is in very good cosmetic condition and comes with a leather case. I have not tested the shutter since the camera still have film in it. It is on the fourth exposure. I think I will try and shoot the rest of the roll sometime and process it myself. While film is no longer available, you can respool your own as described at Art Deco Cameras. (See also Resurrected Camera - My Grandfather's Camera.) The owner's manual is available at butkus.org. The camera's price in the 1947 Montgomery Ward Photographic Catalog at page 6 was $40.40, or over $550 in 2023 dollars. The case was an additional $5.50. Mine may have been purchased with the case as part of a collection of 35+ vintage consumer cameras for about $200 from an ad on Craigslist on 6-27-08 in Oceanside, CA.. Conclusion: a very cool and compact camera which in its day could take some pretty nice photos.

The Starflash was sold in 5 different colors at different times during its run: Black (March 1957 - June 1965), Red (March 1958 - October 1960), White (March 1958 - August 1962), Blue (March 1958 - February 1962), and Coca-Cola promotional design (October 1959 - December 1961). (Starflash - Brownie-camera.com, Kodak Starflash - Wikipedia.) The cameras were made in the United States and France. According to Starflash - Brownie-camera.com the price was $8.50. As I write this in January 2023, that's equal to about $90 adjusted for inflation. The 1957 Montgomery Ward Camera Shop sold the Starflash Outfit with camera, 2 rolls of film with two 75 cent processing mailers, 4 M-2 flashbulbs, and batteries in gift box. The Starflash Outfit is even one of the cameras featured on the front of the Catalog. The manual is available at brownie-camera.com. The manual at page 3 recommends Verichrome black and while film (ASA 80), Kodacolor color print film (ASA 32), or Ektachrome color slide film (ASA 32). The ASA values are from the 1957 Ward Catalog, pages 75 and 76. Accounting for those low film speeds, page 4 of the manual states: "The best color snapshots are made in bright sunlight or with flash. Kodak Verichrome Pan Film can be used on sunny or hazy days." It also said to "Keep at least 5 feet away from your subject when using the 13 setting [color film] - at least 4 feet with the 14 setting [B&W film]." A roll of film took 12 snapshots. The exposure number shows up in the red window on the back of the camera.

Kodak does not give the aperture or shutter speed specifications. The 13 and 14 refer to exposure values. With respect to the somewhat similar Brownie Flash-20, artdecocameras.com states: "The aperture control is labelled with the numbers 13, 14 and 15. These are not F values but EV values based on the film ISO at the time. This was Verichrome Pan with an ISO of 80. My measurement reveal that EV13=f/11, EV14=f/16 and EV15=f/22. The shutter speed is 1/100s." A Flicker entry about a Starmite camera refers to a 1/50th rotary shutter speed. I assume the shutter speed of the Starflash is hence around 1/50 or 1/100 second and the apertures are f11 and f16 selected by the 13 Color and B & W 14 switch at the bottom front of the camera. Those exposures are around the classic "sunny 16" rule. The camera has a plastic, uncoated, simple single element Dakon lens. Camerapedia states: "In the 1950s, Kodak began making simple lenses from acrylic plastics. These were often labeled Dakon (a recycled brand name formerly used on simple shutters). Performance of these early plastic lenses left much to be desired, but they helped keep camera costs down." There is no focusing mechanism. With the small apertures, there is sufficient depth of field for the distance ranges given above. The specifications in the manual do not state what the focal length is. Roughly measuring from the lens to the film plane seems about 45mm, which would be a pretty wide angle lens for this format and appropriate for the fix focus. The camera takes two 1.5 volt AA batteries for the flash only.

My camera had two vintage batteries in it. They leaked somewhat but did not appear to cause damage. My camera comes with the original outfit box and one unused flash bulb. The camera and box are both in excellent cosmetic condition. The camera seems to work fine. It's so simple, there is not much not to work! As I write this in January 2023, I think I probably got this at a garage or estate sale many years ago.

Kowa

Mamiya

Minolta

Omega

Pentax

The Pentax 6x7 had a long run of twenty years. It was introduced in 1969. The newer Pentax 67, sporting an electronically controlled shutter, was not introduced until 1989. Finally, the Pentax 67 II was introduced in 1998 with matrix metering and autoexposure. All Pentax lenses for the 6 x 7 format can be used on any of the three models. Pentax also offered a medium format camera with a 6cm x 4.5cm format. Since it is like a large 35mm SLR the Pentax 6x7 has a much different look and feel compared to the typical medium format SLR camera such as a Hasselblad or Mamiya RB-67. It also has a focal plane shutter and hence has a flash synch of only 1/30 of a second. Film loading is also slow compared to cameras with interchangeable backs. Cameras like a Hasselblad or Mamiya RB-67 have, therefore, typically been favored by portrait and wedding photographers. The Pentax 6x7 is a favorite of many nature photographers, however.

My Pentax 6x7 was purchased at a La Mesa, CA garage sale around April 2008. It belonged to the seller's father. He lead nature workshops and was a semi-professional nature photographer with photos published in Arizona Highways Magazine and other publications. The seller and her husband had just sold their house and were moving to Oregon. I had bought a couple of old photography books and an A-16 tent at the sale. Knowing of the photography books, I asked if there were any cameras. It was then that the seller brought out the Pentax "Professional Trunk Case" with the camera including the wooden handle, a Super-Takumar 105mm f2.4 lens, and the metered prism. Also in the case were four additional Super-Takumar lenses: a wide angle 55mm f3.5, a 135mm f4 macro, a 165mm f2.8 and a 200mm f4. (Photo.net has an article on Equivalent Lens Focal Lengths For Different Film Sizes.) Also included were a Pentax R2 red filter, a Pentax 056(2) orange filter, and a Promaster Polarizing filter (all in 67mm diameter). There are three Pentax lens cases. (Case Open.) Everything is in great condition. The husband and wife I think could sense my joy. I told them about my long interest in photography, my collection and my online camera museum. I told them I could pay $300 with a trip to the ATM or we both could think about it further. She accepted the $300 knowing it would go to a good home. I use to pour over the pages of a Pentax 6x7 booklet which I got at a library book sale maybe 15 to 20 years ago. I still have the booklet. It took the digital revolution to make the actual cameras and lenses affordable.

I haven't had time to do this Web site entry and start learning about the camera until the summer. This wonderful camera system is still a very useful tool even in this digital age. Even without the great deal I got, these cameras today are much more affordable than when new. They produce a very large negative which can produce a larger digital image when scanned than any of the digital 35mm full frame SLRs today. Further, while there are medium format cameras today with digital backs, the cameras and backs are very expensive. The Pentax lenses are known for exceptional quality. 120 film and processing is also still widely available. Black and white processing of the film can be done at home with no darkroom. (See the following photo.net discussions: Processing 120 film compared to 35mm, B&W 120 film developing, 120 film on it's way out?, New To B/W Processing-How Practical?, How to develop 120 B&W film?. Processing 35mm and 120 film and The Black and White Darkroom have tutorials on film loading and processing.) Also, I have an Epson 3170 scanner that scans medium format images. ($5 in near new condition at a La Mesa garage sale in 2007.) Therefore, I can scan the photos and publish online or print without a darkroom. The full manual is available on the Internet at butkus.org. Photoethnography has an excellent article about the Pentax 6x7 system including "Myths and Truths."

Pho-Tak - United States Camera

Polaroid Instant Print Cameras

Pull Apart Film Cameras

While the price was a major selling point, $19.95 was still a decent amount of money in July 1965 equal to about $192 in April 2023 dollars. Film was originally $1.99 for eight exposures or about 25 cents per print. That's equal to $19.10 or about $2.39 per print in April 2023 dollars. Prints were relatively small at 2.5 x 3.25 inches. The manual is at butkus.org. While the television commercials and ads show people rapidly taking photos in fun situations, it was actually a fairly complicated process to load the film and to take out and develop the photos. This includes letting the film hang outside the camera without moving for 15 seconds before peeling apart the paper the film. You had to straighted the print by drawing the print face up across a smooth straight edge. Finally, you had to coat the photos within two hours. This fixed the image which would otherwise fade away. Sam Davisson shows the process with some old film as well as the large amount of waste material created with the process. 52 Cameras has an eleven minute video explaining the camera and showing how he used 120 film in one. "By 1970, sales went down because young people did not like the quality of the photos, and those who did buy the camera used two rolls of film on average." (Wikipedia - Polaroid Swinger.)

By the turn of the 21st century digital photography in many ways gave the best of both worlds - high quality photos instantly with virtually no extra cost once you purchased the camera. Smartphones have taken over the inexpensive consumer camera market. People use smartphones a lot like they used Polaroid cameras in the 1960s commercials. They take a lot of photos with their friends and share them instantly - now through text messages and apps and websites like Instagram. People have even come back to instant prints with a resurgence in Polaroid branded cameras sold at retail stores like Target and Walmart and online on Amazon.com. The film still isn't cheap. Five packs of color i-Type Film with 8 exposure per pack costs $70 on Amazon or $1.75 per print.

Polaroid had a wide range of cameras in terms of quality and expense during the time the Swinger was made. The Polaroid Land Camera 180 (1965-1969) above with a 114mm, f/4.5 4-element Tominon lens sold for $189.95 or nearly ten times what the $19.95 Swinger sold for. $189.95 in 1965 equals about $1,825 in April 2023 dollars. According to Michael Beschloss, The Polaroid Swinger: Changing the Market in an Instant, N.Y. Times July 2, 2015, Edwin H. Land, the founder of Polaroid, "always worried that selling inexpensive cameras like the Swinger might damage Polaroid's esteemed reputation. And initially his ad people feared that the strait-laced Land might veto the Swinger's mildly salacious name and ad campaign. But Land was also very competitive. And although the Swinger's appeal was soon to fade, it immediately became what was, at that time, the fastest-selling camera that Polaroid had ever produced."

I don't recall where I got my Polaroid Swinger Model 20. It was many years ago. It is in good cosmetic condition. Mine is made in the United States and is therefore likely one of the earlier ones. The two AA batteries don't seem to fit very tightly and I have not gotten the meter to work yet. The shutter also does not fire. I don't know if it needs film to fire. Film is no longer available.

As stated at the Polaroid Support Site: "The MP4+ Multipurpose Camera System is a unique, versatile, instant photographic system which features a modular copy stand system with multiple lens, lighting, and camera head options." The manual, available at butkus.org, states: "The Polaroid MP-4 Land Camera is an unusually versatile photographic unit. Its uses in industry, education, the graphic arts, and in a vast variety of other fields are almost unlimited. They include photomicrography, photomacrography, wall chart copying, slide making, X-ray copying, small object photography, gross specimen photography, and many others." The camera can also be used with a microscope. Essentially, the system is a heavy duty copy stand with a 4x5 inch view camera mounted to it. The camera can also be removed and replaced with "Universal Camera Mount No. 44-85" which allows you to mount most cameras with a standard tripod mount. My system came with the universal camera mount. There was also a "tripod adapter 44-81" which I do not have. According to the manual, it allows "the MP-4 [to be] converted into an excellent studio camera for portraiture, large-scale copying, and many other uses which do not demand the availability of camera swings and tilts." Some sites also indicate you can use the lenses on other 4x5 view cameras, but they will not have full coverage if you use swings and tilts. There are also two arms which come out to attach lights. My system came with two Polaroid 760-SG halogen 300 watt lights. The lights plug into electrical outlets in the baseboard. In discussing the lighting, the manual states the system can provide "magnifications up to about five times life size." The camera has a 4x5 inch polaroid instant sheet film back. The view camera does not have front and back movements. There is a reflex viewing head which sits over the ground glass viewing screen. There was a fixed camera head and a sliding camera head available. With the fixed head you have to remove the film holder to view the subject and then replace the film holder to take the photo. With the sliding camera head you can view the subject and then simply slide the film holder into place. My system has the sliding film holder. The shutter is independent of the lenses. It has shutter speeds from 1/125 second to 1 second and bulb. The shutter is self cocking. It cocks as you slide the film holder into place. It has a cable shutter release. While I have not tested the speeds, the shutter appears to work. Six different lenses were offered by Polaroid. I thought I originally just had one lens - a Tominon 105mm f4.5. When I was rummaging around the drawer attached under the base of the unit, however, I found four more lenses. The other four lenses I have are: (1) Tominon 135mm f4.5, (2) Tominon 50mm f4.5, (3) Rodenstock-Eurygon 35mm f4, and (4) Rodenstock-Eurygon 35mm f4. The system and lenses are made in Japan, except the two Rodenstock lenses are made in Germany. All lenses appear to be in good shape and have front and rear caps. My system also came with two "Macro Extension No. 44-45" units that appear to be made of cast Aluminum. The extensions fit between the camera and bellows to give even more extension between the camera and lens for very high level magnification macro photographs.

I purchased my MP4+ system in Mission Valley, San Diego, from an ad on Craigslist on August 13, 2012 for $40. The seller was the son of the former owner of an electrical company that made various electrical components. The camera was apparently used to photograph the compenents and perhaps circuit diagrams. The entire system appears to be in excellent working condition. I was reluctant getting it since it is so large. It is interesting enough, however, that I couldn't pass it up. I did pass up another unit, a Bencher M2 system, which appeared to have some sort of older digital camera attached to a thick parallel port cable. It was mounted to a large metal camera and was much too big for me.

Several sites discuss the Polaroid MP4+ system. At www.magnachrom.com there is an article about using the MP4+ system with a digital scanning back. Apparently, 4x5 digital scanning backs are $6,000 and up, however! Photo.net has an article about possible uses of the MP4+ and early MP-3 cameras. I found a 1971 magazine ad for the MP-3 Polaroid camera on eBay. A discussion in Large Format Photography Forum discusses the differences between the MP-3 system and the MP4+ system. There is also an article on using the viewer on a Speed Graphic camera. Likewise, Photo.net has a discussion about using the reflex viewer on a 4x5 Crown Graphic camera. Largeformatphotography.info discusses the MP4+ as an economical copy camera. Repair of shutters is discussed in a APUG Forum discussion. The lenses and shutters in the MP4+ and MP-3 are discussed in this Largeformatphotography.info forum. Largeformatphotography.info has a discussion of using the MP4+ lenses in general photography. Butkus.org has an owner's manual for the Kenro MP-810 8 x 10 camera which could be substituted for the Polaroid camera on an MP-4 stand. Largeformatphotography.info discusses the Kenro 8x10 camera as well as well as an 8x10 Polaroid back made for the MP4+ system.

SX-70 Film Cameras

500 Film Cameras

600 Film Cameras

Spectra Film Cameras

Ricoh

Rolfix

Rollei

Instructions on use of the Rolleikin 35mm film adapter are at F. and S. Marriott Cameras. The instructions for the camera (or another similar Automat) are at butkus.org. Manufactured from October 1949 to May 1951 with serial numbers 1.100.000 to 1.168.000 according to Rolleiclub. Mine is serial number 1150810 falling within the range above. The dual film back was an option. The taking lens is a 7.5cm (75mm) Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar f3.5, serial number 3313209. F-stops from f3.5 to f22. Compur Rapid shutter with speeds from 1/500 second to 1 second plus bulb. Self timer. Made by Franke & Heidecke, Braunschwig, Germany. Comes with a cool mirrored twin folding lens caps, and leather case. The price for the similar, but later, Rolleiflex Automat with Zeiss Tessar f3.5 lens was $249.50 in the 1955 Sears Camera Catalog. Adjusted for inflation, that's equal to $1,977.61 in 2008 dollars. The same camera with a f3.5 Schneider Xenar lens was slightly less at $234.50. The Rolleiflex with a 2.8 lens was $299.50. The Rolleicord IV was only $149.50. The Rolleikin II 35mm Adapter was $35.78.

Purchased on 2-6-09 from an ad on Craigslist in the Pacific Beach/Mt. Soledad area of San Diego for $100, the asking price. The seller said it had belonged to his father. Shutter, aperture, focusing, and self timer all appear to work. The shutter speeds vary as they should although I have not tested the precise timing. The taking lens appears to be clear with no scratches or fungus. The viewing lens, which is not marked with the lens information, has some internal fungus on the edge. Looking into the viewing lens reveals that the mirror has significant areas where the silver covering has come off. The image through the viewfinder is still reasonably bright, however. The focusing screen appears to be in decent condition. It has a 9 rectangle grid pattern. The surface of the brown leather case is in decent condition, although the stitching on one side of the back has come completely apart. It also has a slight musty smell. The function and use of the camera is very similar to my two Yashica Mat cameras. The Yashica Mat 635, which I do not have, has a similar 35mm film adapter.

Additional Images: Top, Case, Back, Back Open, Back and Bottom While Open, Front View with Top Closed.

Soligor

Universal

For a simple camera, it has several controls. It has one shutter speed labeled I (instantaneous) and a B (bulb) setting. The Instruction Booklet is at butkus.org. It does not specify what the actual shutter speed is. The camera has four apertures of f/11, f/16, f/22 and f/32. There is also a focusing ring from 5 feet to infinity. The

The film advance knob is on top. There is a red window on the back to keep track of what exposure you are on. It takes 12 photos on 620 film. 620 film is the same size as 120 film but has a smaller diameter spool. While 620 film is not generally available today, you can rewind 120 film onto a 620 spool and use it in this camera. The back of the camera does not open. Rather, you move the lever on the bottom to open and then pull out the bottom which is part of the "loading chamber." You load the film onto the chamber and then slide the chamber back into the camera and close the latch on the bottom. You then wind the film until the 1 appears in the red exposure window on the back of the camera. Before taking a picture, you have to pull out the lens about 1.5cm. A little pin prevents you from pushing the shutter until you pull out the lens compartment.

The viewfinder window is on top. To the left is another window. This is for the "extinction meter." Until this camera, I was not aware of what an extinction meter was. The instruction book describes the meter as follows:

No guesswork is necessary with the exposure meter. Simply look through the exposure meter window at the area to be photographed.

The meter consists of a disc of eight equal sections with a number in each section. Each of these sections is darker than the preceding one. For example, numbers 1 and 2 are very light while numbers 7 and 8, are fairly dark.

Look through the exposure meter for approximately five seconds, and determine the highest number you can see clearly. . . . The highest number you see clearly is the key number to use on the exposure calculator.

Once you have the meter number, the table on the top of the camera shows you what f/stop value to use for the film you are using. The table has four Weston film speeds of 25, 50, 100 and 200. Looking at the Camerapedia article on Film Speed, you increase the Weston speed by about 25% to get the ISO rating. I tried it briefly and it yielded approximately the same exposure as indicated by the "Sunny 16" rule, although I'm not sure exactly what the shutter speed is. Since extinction meters are purely optical, they do not have batteries. There were also more sophisticated hand held extinction meters. See Classic Light Meters - Photoethnography.com and How Does An Extinction Meter Work - Photo.net.

I purchased my Meteor at a La Mesa, CA (Dallas Street) garage sale on April 3, 2010. It was one of several cameras and photography items I purchased. Probably about $5 was allocated to this camera. It is in good cosmetic and working condition. It comes with the case which is also in good condition except for a broken strap. I think the case is some sort of fake leather.

Voigtlander

Yashica

Mine was purchased in November 2008 for $100 with three other cameras and two large cases. This was the most valuable of the cameras. It is in good cosmetic and operating condition. The shutter and aperture both appear to work well. The meter works, although I think it may be reading a stop over-exposure. I will probably use a hand meter instead. It comes with a nice leather case in good condition. Truly a classic twin lens reflex patterned after the German Rolleiflex cameras. Even the lens cap is cool. It is a hinged, metal, one piece design covering both the taking and viewing lenses.

Yashica began making cameras in 1953 according to Yashica 6x6 TLR Development History. Yashica is noted for its Yashica-Mat twin lens reflex cameras, Yashica Electro 35mm rangefinder cameras, as well as autofocus compact 35mm cameras such as the Yashica T4 Super. (See Yashica section in the 35mm Rangefinder and Other section of Mr. Martin's Technology Museum.) In 1975 it also began producing cameras under the Contax name, which was a brand originally produced by Zeiss Icon. (Contax - Wikipedia.) Yashica became a subsidiary of Kyocera in 1983. Kyocera quit all production of cameras in 2005. (Kyocera - Wikipedia.)

127 film was first introduced by Kodak in the 1920s. It made a comeback in the 1950s usually in inexpensive box type cameras. The Rolleiflex and the Yashica are higher quality exceptions. (See 127 film - Wikipedia.) The 4cm x 4cm format allowed the film to be inserted into 2 inch slide holders which could be projected using a standard 35mm slide projector. These slides were sometimes called "Super Slides." Kodak quit making 127 film in 1995 and most other manufacturers followed suit. It is now available again through a few sources including Frugal Photographer, B & H Photo and Freestyle Photographic Supplies. The Yashica 44 LM operates pretty much like the Yashica-Mat LM above.

I purchased mine on April 10, 2010 at a La Mesa, CA garage/estate sale on Amaya Drive. I paid $110 total for it and the Rolleiflex Automat K4A above. The Yashica 44 LM appears to be in excellent working and cosmetic condition. The lenses are clear. Shining a light through the viewing lens reveals that the mirror appears quite dusty, however. Sometime I may see how difficult it would be to clean that.

Zeiss Ikon

The Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta C 530/2 is a folding 6cm x 9cm (2.25 x 3.25 inches) rangefinder camera which uses 120 film. It also has an insert which allows it to take 4.5cm x 6cm images. The viewfinder also has a second pop-up screen for framing the 4.5cm x 6cm images. As you hold the camera in the horizontal position, the 4.5cm x 6cm images are vertical. There are also two red windows in the back to show the exposure numbers for the two different formats. The camera takes eight 6x9cm images or sixteen 4.5x6cm. It's all a pretty cool arrangement. There was also a Super Ikonta A with only a 6 x 4.5cm format, and a Super Ikonta B with a square 6 x 6cm format.

My Super Ikonta C camera has a Carl Zeiss Jena Nr Tessar 10.5cm f4.5-32 lens. It has Compur shutter with speeds of 1/250 to 1 second plus B and T. The apertures work well. The shutter works but the longer speeds are slow to close. Close focusing is 5 feet. Focusing is with a wheel on the side of lens. The focusing wheel seems to be stuck. The lens looks clear. The bellows look in good shape. The covering is coming off or buckling in many parts of the camera. The manual for I believe a somewhat later version is available at butkus.org. That link also has the manual in German for a version that I think is closer to mine. I believe mine is even older, however, because it does not have the slide switch on the back for choosing one of the two red windows depending on the format used. Looking at the manuals, I believe that camera is supposed to have a hinged back. If so, the hinge on my camera is broken although it seems to fit tightly.

I purchased my Super Ikonta C at a garage sale advertised on Craigslist in May or June 2011 in La Mesa, CA. I bought it and perhaps ten other cameras for a total of $160. The cameras had belonged to the seller's father-in-law who had a camera shop in San Francisco. There were several nice cameras including a Minolta SR-M and a Voightlander Bessamatic. There are several excellent websites discussing the Super Ikonta C including Mike Elek and Vintage-Photo. It is wonderful camera model with its Zeiss lens, large negative, multiple formats, rangefinder and use of 120 film.