Vintage cameras..

mapleleaf56

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Name
Keith Horkins
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Over the years I’ve been collecting vintage cameras I have around 20 or so. Anyway I’ve only ever photographed them when I was using Nikon so I thought I would re-shoot them with my Sony and share with you..
The first one is a Russian made camera produced between 1950-1980 The Lubitel 2..
The second one is a Kodak Eastman vest pocket camera series 3 which was produced between 1926-1934..
AECF6724-B309-44B4-8F87-96B250BF0131.jpeg
  • ILCE-7RM4A
  • FE 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS
  • 90.0 mm
  • ƒ/5.6
  • 1/100 sec
  • ISO 100
097B6579-A400-461F-B9D1-684A9D8A7737.jpeg
  • ILCE-7RM4A
  • FE 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS
  • 90.0 mm
  • ƒ/5.6
  • 1/100 sec
  • ISO 100
 
I've got one or two, including a Lubitel and the odd Kodak.....

View attachment 25223View attachment 25224View attachment 25222
That is a few more than one or two, nice you have the space for them:)
Over the years I’ve been collecting vintage cameras I have around 20 or so. Anyway I’ve only ever photographed them when I was using Nikon so I thought I would re-shoot them with my Sony and share with you..
The first one is a Russian made camera produced between 1950-1980 The Lubitel 2..
The second one is a Kodak Eastman vest pocket camera series 3 which was produced between 1926-1934..View attachment 25218View attachment 25219
Good idea Keith I was forced kicking and screaming,by the wife to get rid of all my oldest cameras, I know brownie has collection.
 
That is a few more than one or two, nice you have the space for them:)

I'm very fortunate to have a. An old listed house with a Georgian wig room, what else can you do with one of them? and b. A very kind and understanding wife.
 
I'm very fortunate to have a. An old listed house with a Georgian wig room, what else can you do with one of them? and b. A very kind and understanding wife.
Well, my wife would have filled that wig room with clothes as would most others so yes you are fortunate, I guess the collection will keep growing?
 
Well, my wife would have filled that wig room with clothes as would most others so yes you are fortunate, I guess the collection will keep growing?
Steadily, these days I'm strapped for space, so something has to be real quality or very quirky these days to catch my eye. It's a one in, one out situation, so any change will be slow now.

I've been collecting them for over thirty years now.

Just out of interest, my books on the subject take up quite a space. Imagine that, books!
IMG_20220914_082758.jpg
  • JSN-L21
  • 5.4 mm
  • ƒ/1.8
  • 30000000/1000000000 sec
  • ISO 100
 
I was looking at these things a couple of months ago, but I thought I'd leave it alone as it will just end up being another obsession..! I love these things though, really quite amazing!

Dave! That is extraordinary! 🤩
 
Dave definitely wins the best camera collection award ;D Amazing collection of beautiful cameras.
 
The problem is a small collection like mine is very attainable. Unless you need/want something collectible, you can buy them dirt cheap. It leads to a lot of time on eBay spending $10 here, $20 there. Before you know it in you're in waist deep!

The Baby Brownie Special in my avatar was $16 or so, shipped, with the original box and instructions. The beautiful Argoflex E in the photo below was less than $30, shipped.

Argus Argoflex E by telecast, on Flickr

Here's a photo from the Argoflex:

000458340004 by Shotglass Photo, on Flickr

I bought the case to display them in our formal dining room, and came to the immediate realization that I have more cameras than will fit in the case! There have been more added since I took the pics, to the pint of bulging at the seams.

It's a very fun hobby, but IMO it's TOO AFORDABLE to be safe! :ROFLMAO:
Tim it's a plus the camera was cheap and it works really quite well
 
What are the raw file sizes on those ancient things..? 😜

Kids these days would lose their minds if you told them it won't plug into a computer, or take a memory card!

A few years ago I was at a company digging through a room in the hope of finding some machine drawings when I came across some 3.5" floppy discs. The young fella I had with me had no idea what a floppy disc was..!
 
It is a bit off subject really, but I guess when these cameras were made which is clearly over a long period of time, there must have been many more makers than now and clearly these cameras must have been bought in huge numbers hence the availability now. And going full circle to today where camera sales are possibly at an all-time low given the camera phone, and there are maybe half a dozen well known makers now.
 
You're spot on, the mcKeown's on my book shelf runs to well over a thousand pages and it isn't totally comprehensive. Just out of interest, it's a very expensive book in it's own right at over a hundred pounds.

IMG_20220915_085543.jpg
  • JSN-L21
  • 5.4 mm
  • ƒ/1.8
  • 40000000/1000000000 sec
  • ISO 1250
 
Another slight diversion.....

Several of those cameras have a bit of me in them. The Praktikas were mine, at school we had photography as an art studies option, we had a darkroom and two Praktika mtl50's, so it was natural for me to go down that particular East German road.

Then the olympus cameras took their place as I developed a bit more spending power. The logic behind going down that avenue was simple, David Bailey was an extremely cool guy and as a young man, I couldn't help but notice all the beautiful women he got to hang out with. Made sense at the time.

The Leicas always bring out the sentimental in me, we had a proper "professional" burglary a few years back and they took all of my east European knock off Leicas and left the two real ones. The knock offs are very common conversions of fed and zenit cameras. Often made to look like world war 2 momentos with U boat and luftwaffe insignia on them. At the time they went for thirty to forty quid, it was quite a relief to see the slightly more expensive Leicas still there.

The "spy" cameras are my favourites, some quite ingenious, especially the slightly chunky looking fob watch on the top left shelf.
 
That is an amazing collection! The only two I have are from my past. A Kodak Instamatic 44 and Minolta X-370. Both are part my early years. I had no idea my mom had held on to them until I was going through storage boxes after her passing.

A7400296.jpg
 
The X370 is a fun camera to use. I got one in a tub full of camera stuff I bought from a guy on CL. It was nasty and cruddy. I had to replace the light seals and mirror bumper and give it a good cleanup, but it works great. I've put several rolls of film through it. The batteries are no longer available, but you can substitute a smaller one that's the same voltage. Let me know if you want the battery size and I'll open mine and check.

Yours has the better 1.7 lens, mine has the cheaper f/2 lens.

X-370 by telecast, on Flickr
Very cool! Mine doesn't get used anymore, although the last time I checked it it did work. It now sits in a model car display case along with that Instamatic 44 on my desk.
 
You're spot on, the mcKeown's on my book shelf runs to well over a thousand pages and it isn't totally comprehensive. Just out of interest, it's a very expensive book in it's own right at over a hundred pounds.

View attachment 25232
I would be interested in this book .. could you share the title please..
 
I would be interested in this book .. could you share the title please..
McKeown's Price Guide to Antique & Classic Cameras

There are quite a few editions, get the most recent you can find / afford. Quite a few available on line in the states.
 
I have a sort of strange collection of old cameras, there are the ones that wre an important park of my career, there are ones I lways wanted from back in the day and never bought and ther are those that i just am amazed by. Here is a brand that I am fascinated with the Robot brand of cameras, one of the earliest line of motor drive cameras, done with spring winding. here are few of them
Robot JR tpsm.JPG
  • X-Pro1
  • XF35mmF1.4 R
  • 35.0 mm
  • ƒ/5
  • 10/2200 sec
  • ISO 1600
Robot Royal 24 sm.JPG
  • X-Pro1
  • XF35mmF1.4 R
  • 35.0 mm
  • ƒ/4
  • 10/2500 sec
  • ISO 1600
Robot Luft 75 1sm.jpg
  • DSC-RX100M4
  • 25.5 mm
  • ƒ/4
  • 1/160 sec
  • ISO 5000
Robot Royal 36s 2 sm.jpg
  • DSC-RX100M4
  • 20.6 mm
  • ƒ/4.5
  • 1/100 sec
  • ISO 640
 
Some older Nikon, Contaxand Leica rangefinders
NikonS2frtsm.jpg
  • X-Pro1
  • XF35mmF1.4 R
  • 35.0 mm
  • ƒ/5
  • 10/1600 sec
  • ISO 1600
Leica M4 tpsm.jpg
  • X-Pro1
  • XF35mmF1.4 R
  • 35.0 mm
  • ƒ/5.6
  • 10/1800 sec
  • ISO 1600
Leica IIIa ftsm.jpg
  • X-Pro1
  • XF35mmF1.4 R
  • 35.0 mm
  • ƒ/5
  • 10/1400 sec
  • ISO 1600
Leica IIIF 15tpsm.jpg
  • X-Pro1
  • XF35mmF1.4 R
  • 35.0 mm
  • ƒ/5.6
  • 10/2000 sec
  • ISO 1600
NikonSftsm.jpg
  • X-Pro1
  • XF35mmF1.4 R
  • 35.0 mm
  • ƒ/5
  • 10/1200 sec
  • ISO 1600
Contax ftsm.jpg
  • X-Pro1
  • XF35mmF1.4 R
  • 35.0 mm
  • ƒ/5
  • 10/1700 sec
  • ISO 1600
 

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