Post your "old camera collection" photos

lucky7 wrote in post #19040641
That's one I've never seen before! What a beauty! Put it to work!

Thanks. I remember the Contax RTS (I, II, and III) was considered to be rather "fragile" back then compared to the workhorse Nikons with the more common mechanical shutters, mostly because if the battery died the shutter did as well. Although the battery wasn't rechargeable (it used a 6.2v silver oxide 4G13), it lasted much longer than today's battery packs. Ironic that today our digital cameras' shutters all die when the battery does.

Here it is on the camera mount.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2iMF​i87

Cuypers1807 wrote in post #19042777
Here it is on the camera mount.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2iMF​i87 Kodak Monitor Six-16 with Service Rangefinder by Gene, on Flickr

A beautiful combo. Love the fact you sneak your name onto the shutter.

Thanks. I enjoy the challenge of trying to find a spot to 'sneak' my name into most of my images.

As clean as the lens looks on this camera, shining a light through it has shown me otherwise. I'm going to have to clean the lens elements before I'll be able to use this camera. I have a lens spanner on order through eBay and have been fortunate to find s decent description of how to remove the lens for cleaning. I've never done this before so it will be interesting, to say the least.

Zeiss Contessa, Tessar 1:2.8 45mm lens, 1 - 1/500 sec + B Compur Syncro shutter, selenium meter. A compact, beautifully made (1953 - 1955) camera. My uncle bought this while in the Air Force during his time in Japan. Later he gave it to my dad who used it for family pictures until the selenium meter stopped working. I inherited it a few years ago when Dad passed away. I remember Dad's face behind it, fiddling with the meter and exposure settings every time I look at it. Bitter-sweet camera memories.

-Dennis

Goerz Taro Tenax folding bed plate camera (1912 - 1926), 210mm 1:6.8 Goerz Dagor lens, 1 - 1/150 sec compound shutter, double extension, 13 x 18 cm plates. The double extension largest plate version with polished nickel "Goerz" on the bed. In 1926 the German branch of Goerz merged with ICA, Contessa-Nettel and Ernemann to form Zeiss Ikon.

Eastman Kodak No. 4 Series D plate camera, 1901 - 1903. Bausch & Lomb Rapid Rectilinear f/4 lens, 1 - 1/00 sec (+ B & T) Unicum pneumatic shutter, long bellows extension, 4" x 5" plates, double swing back, rising/falling/sliding front lens. Only 2100 made.

I have no idea what camera this is, it was being used as a prop at an outdoor fair.

say_cheese wrote in post #19045796
I have no idea what camera this is, it was being used as a prop at an outdoor fair.

Hosted photo: posted by say_cheese in
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forum: Still Life, B/W & Experimental

I would guess it's simply an art object made to look like an old camera, possibly made from a few spare parts. It appears neither the front nor rear standards are adjustable, so with older lenses the camera could not be focused. The bellows also appear to be made of material unfamiliar to me (possibly paper), not the usual texture or sharp folds of common bellows. The bulb and pneumatic hose appears to be attached to a single piece of wood that could not contain a shutter mechanism as shown. I've seen a few of these at Renaissance faires, some real, and some props like this one. And I've won a few authentic ones at auction that were used in plays and films then auctioned to the public through eBay to recoup the original cost.

The Kodak Service Range Finder came in a box with a leather pouch and instruction booklet. I scanned the booklet to make a pdf version which you can get here if you'd like.

https://www.ussoriskan​y.us …e_Rangefinder_b​ooklet.pdf

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2iQk​s7V

navydoc wrote in post #19046370
The Kodak Service Range Finder came in a box with a leather pouch and instruction booklet. I scanned the booklet to make a pdf version which you can get here if you'd like.

https://www.ussoriskan​y.us …e_Rangefinder_b​ooklet.pdf

I've never seen one of these - very nice. I suppose one would have to have the dedicated mount on the camera to use it, but would holding it, aligning it with the film plane marking work?

-Dennis

electronpusher wrote in post #19046504
I've never seen one of these - very nice. I suppose one would have to have the dedicated mount on the camera to use it, but would holding it, aligning it with the film plane marking work?

-Dennis

The booklet shows the woman hand holding one so I would think you could check distance with the rangefinder that way and then adjust the focus to that distance on your camera, assuming the distance scale on the camera is acurate. I bought this rangefinder for my Kodak Monitor which has a dedicated mount for it.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2iMF​i87

Sanderson De Luxe Hand & Stand, 1906. Quarter plate (3 1/4 x 4 1/4"). Rochester Optical Premo Shutter (1 - 1/100 sec, T, B), f/4 rapid rectilinear lens. Rack & pinion rising front. Designed by F. H. Sanderson (1856-1929), a cabinetmaker and photographer specializing in architectural subjects, designing the Universal Swing Front (Patent 1895). Cameras were made and sold by Houghtons Ltd.

electronpusher wrote in post #19046554
Sanderson De Luxe Hand & Stand, 1906. Quarter plate (3 1/4 x 4 1/4"). Rochester Optical Premo Shutter (1 - 1/100 sec, T, B), f/4 rapid rectilinear lens. Rack & pinion rising front. Designed by F. H. Sanderson (1856-1929), a cabinetmaker and photographer specializing in architectural subjects, designing the Universal Swing Front (Patent 1895). Cameras were made and sold by Houghtons Ltd.

They sure loved to make the cameras shine!!! Look at me!!!

Inspeqtor wrote in post #19046725
They sure loved to make the cameras shine!!! Look at me!!!

The most ornate cameras of the day seemed to be made by the British/Scottish (Sanderson, Houghtons, Lancaster, Lizars, etc.). The craftsmanship and ingenuity were fascinating - most were made of beautiful mahogany with lacquered brass fittings. The picture really doesn't do it justice - the high gloss and deep shine on the 100+ year old camera is a work of art. Often teak was used for "tropical" versions meant to be used in hot, humid environments. The wood was finished using the "French polish" process involving repeated application and polishing of shellac, often comprised of a secret formula to give a unique look. The brass was lacquered as well, often with a shellac containing Dragon's Blood, a color tint contributing to the appearance of a deep, reddish gloss. These were cameras for the advanced amateur - the price back then was 10 pounds sterling when the average school teacher annual wage was about 328 pounds.

electronpusher wrote in post #19046880

Inspeqtor wrote in post #19046725
They sure loved to make the cameras shine!!! Look at me!!!

The most ornate cameras of the day seemed to be made by the British/Scottish (Sanderson, Houghtons, Lancaster, Lizars, etc.). The craftsmanship and ingenuity were fascinating - most were made of beautiful mahogany with lacquered brass fittings. The picture really doesn't do it justice - the high gloss and deep shine on the 100+ year old camera is a work of art. Often teak was used for "tropical" versions meant to be used in hot, humid environments. The wood was finished using the "French polish" process involving repeated application and polishing of shellac, often comprised of a secret formula to give a unique look. The brass was lacquered as well, often with a shellac containing Dragon's Blood, a color tint contributing to the appearance of a deep, reddish gloss. These were cameras for the advanced amateur - the price back then was 10 pounds sterling when the average school teacher annual wage was about 328 pounds.

I never heard of any of these: Sanderson, Houghtons, Lancaster, Lizars. They sound marvelous by your description! So there really WERE Dragons back in the day!! Kool!

Thank you!