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Show off your C&V Cameras
What, you might ask, do cameras have to do with bicycles. Not much, except for the fact that the camera took off with the mainstream public around the same time the bicycle did. The Folmer & Schwing Manufacturing Company of New York City started out manufacturing bicycles and gas lamps, and in the early 1890s started building camera. Shown below are my four Cycle Cameras (so called because they were fairly small and portable). Two made by F&S between 1895-1905, and two made by the Manhattan Optical Company of Cresskill NJ during the same timeframe. They dont get much more C&V than that.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...d98e7bedaf.jpg |
Konica III, maybe from 1958 (poor man's Leica).
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...cc03dce3d6.jpg Konica IIIA (made 1959 I think). Slightly less poor man's Leica. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...d7aff09f22.jpg Nice big rangefinder on the IIIA. |
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I used to collect 35 mm cameras. I stopped using them a few years ago, when you could still drop film off at the 1 hour processors. I sold a lot of them for much more than I paid, but I still have quit a few. Here is a small sampling:
This Kowa SeT was one of the few leaf shutter SLR cameras. The 50 mm lens is fixed. Since the shutter is in front of the mirror, the mechanical sequence to take a picture is quite complicated. First, the shutter closes, then the mirror lifts up, the aperture closes down to the f stop, the shutter opens to take the picture, then closes, the aperture opens back up, the mirror drops, finally the shutter reopens. All in as little as 1/500th of a second. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a42abf5d50.jpg Kowa SeT from the 1960s I found this old Minolta at a local thrift store for a small sum. I have not put film in it, but it appears to be fully functional. I had to replace the view mirror due to loss of silver on the original. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...7e85ffe076.jpg 1937 Minolta TLR I go this one to replace the first 35 mm camera I ever used. It is an early 1950s Voigtlander Vito II. It is actually a good camera for carrying on the bike, due to its compact size when folded. It could fit in a jersey pocket. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...89e7773cb2.jpg 1950s Voigtlander Vito II |
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whats a camera? Isn't that an app on my phone ...:D
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https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...55ac122e96.jpg
Actually one of my favorite things to do in the whole world is to cruise around town with my bike and stop to shoot on film every once in a while - not with the above-pictured camera though :D (Pentax MX is what I mostly ride with) Here's the ol' Monark shot on Kodak Portra 160 film last summer: https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a35b0a8a3b.jpg |
I have a few. Digital has made me a bit lazy but I still occasionally use the Nikons and Yashikas as well as drag out my developing gear to do a little B&W processing and printing. The last time I used the Bolex was for my film final in college, I used to love working with 16mm back in the dark ages...
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...7ed8d65a9d.jpg |
I have a couple of old Speed Graphics. I really want an Aero Ektar lens, but mainly because of the cachet, so I probably won't actually get one. The nice thing about the Speed Graphic is it's infinitely configurable and CHEAP. You can mount up pretty much any lens regardless of whether it has a shutter or even an aperture, and just use the back shutter to control your work. You can take pictures on almost any film, including X-ray film and printing paper, if you can shove it into the film holder or Grafmatic film changer. It's kind of a bit too much room for creativity, at least for me, so I often can't cope and just *don't* take pictures. Which is admittedly silly.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...9ede1dcfea.jpg I've been taking photos with it on the peel-apart Polaroid 669, of which I found a nice cache in a biology lab that was closing down and had used it for cell imaging back in prehistory. It was very nicely expired and creates some neat effects. Also luckily found the Polaroid back, with the rollers for processing the film and all that stuff. The neat thing about Polaroid 669 is that you can blot the part you normally throw away, on a hot plate with some watercolor paper, and get even more neat effects. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b5184d1cc9.jpg I also have about a hundred of those old magnesium flashbulbs that someone gave me for free, but no idea what to do with them besides play practical jokes by putting them in friends' car dome lights and such. I need to find a cave to photograph the inside of. |
This is a great thread!! I've had many older cameras pass thru my hands over the years. I'll start with this Canon FT QL. Came with camera case, camera bag, flash and two Canon lenses. Bought it at a yard sale for $15. Unfortunately it didn't do a lot better on eBay.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...7aa9f2f835.jpg Canon FT QL SLR Cheers, Scott |
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Haven't used either in a while. FE and FG20.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...651027a38e.jpg |
Timely thread. The flash on my DSLR is becoming unreliable, and it still does not work well with my feeble mind. I have everything set to as basic as it can get, including manual focus, but the good ol' Pentax MX is still my preferred machine. Been around the world with that camera and know how to use it really, really well. Of course, it is a manual camera so there is not much to know to make it work! The view finder in the MX is filthy, and needs to be cleaned. Not sure anyone around here does this type of stuff any more.
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Originally Posted by TiHabanero
(Post 21295231)
The view finder in the MX is filthy, and needs to be cleaned.
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An old photo (scanned) of an old camera made with an old camera. Photo is of a US Camera Reflex II. Photo made in the mid to late 80's with a Pentax K-1000 when I was into photography as a hobby. The K-1000 was bought in '83 but I understand this all-manual camera was basically unchanged from '76 to '97. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentax_K1000
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...45c5426a53.jpg |
No Fuji cameras, Deal4Fuji ? There was I time when I wanted one of those Fuji 6x9 rangefinders ("Texas Leica").
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There is a parallel with bikes for me.. its mostly 70's and 80's Japan built stuff. Both for bikes and cameras. And then one or two European ones.. for both. I think I might have more cameras than bikes actually. Mostly Canon 35 and Yashica 120, a couple of Agfa 120 models. Oh, a couple Polaroids too.
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https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...af25cb87ce.jpg
Prestwich 'Patent Kine 5' 35mm cine camera, c.1905 |
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Glad to see this thread get some traction. Lots of cool old cameras still around. Here are two more from my collection. A 1907 Auto Graflex and a late 1950s 4x5 Pacemaker Speed Graphic. The Speed is one of three I own and the only one properly cammed to use hand held as a rangefinder. The viewfinder is set up to use it 6x9 on 120 film.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...87175e6253.jpg |
And this one is a pre-production (1912-ish) Speed Graphic
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4b0009e1ae.jpg |
Originally Posted by martl
(Post 21295476)
is this C&V yet?
https://www.npr.org/2019/07/13/73531...-how-we-see-it |
Here's mine, a Nikon F ca. 1968, shot with a Canon(!) Got the jones for one of these in high school, but never had the cash to buy. I think I paid $80 for this one. It's a little rough around the edges (a testament to its work history no doubt) but it still works, even the "Photomic" prism meter, though I'm not sure how accurate it is. One of my daughters used it in high school for B&W photography. She got some good shots with it. The back is not hinged: it comes off whole to change film! Hasselblad is on my camera grail list. I'd also love to find a nice view camera.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...075c3828a2.jpg |
Sadly this is all that is left from my 70’s photog adventures. An early Petri Racer was always in my sack or saddle bag while I roamed around Okinawa.
I have kept the wide and telephoto screw in mount lens in case I ever run across another Petri https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6c8b02a9c.jpeg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...045768edd.jpeg |
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