Re: Vintage film cameras
 

Hey Johnny, do you have any photos of the Certo repair?

Sent from my Xperia T

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

Yep will upload them sometime soon, I'm on late shift next week so often use that time to annotate them. If you can upload yours it would be good. Will have to have another fiddle, not tonight, and maybe open up mine to see if there are any obvious differences. I found a displaced spring for example, just had to hook it back in to the right place, that sort of thing.

Blimey Yokes that's an epic trip! Will be interesting to hear what you get up to out there.

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

Already up Johnny. The main problem I found was a ring wasn't engaged properly. You'll see it in one of the photos. Don't mess yours up for the sake of mine.

Sent from my Xperia T

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

Yoko, any interst? The same guy has more ads too
http://www.gumtree.com/p/video-camer...al-/1189511848

Will take a look Kenzie, thanks

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

Would love that SRT101 bundle. Even the MTL3 with the Pentacon lens. Shame its so far away!

Sent from my Xperia T

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

I'll see if I can find anything in the flea markets.

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

That is such a tempting deal Johnny, the SRT and the Prakticas. I don't know if I have time to get down there.
Also, I need to save up for a few SV bits; had a little mishap today.

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

Thought you were at Leeds uni? Also sounds like bad news?

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

Just seen the title and the description of the Certo Album.

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

I am at Leeds Uni, but I live up in North Yorkshire and usually commute by train. It's too much hassle to drive and just a little too far to ride in on a regular basis. If I lived in Leeds, it would be no problem.

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

Weather looks nice next week - is the axe rideable?

That good or bad Kenzie? I'm sure I'm paraphrasing at least two quotes there but I can't place the second one.

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

It's funny. Then I saw the description. Did you open the package and think wtf has he sent me?
I'll send you a roll of 120 to test it.

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

Yes and no, I'm not prone to over-optimism but it was a pleasant surprise to find several bits still connected to each other. I did think that when I saw the Canonet! I guess you lost the element of surprise this time. I'll save the crowing for when it can take pictures though. It's amazing how few screws have to come out of them. I read a short while ago, a chap had overhauled his camera, think it was a Cocarette but can't be sure, it only needed one screwdriver. That was one from the early 20th century, before these ones. I love these old things, when clever engineering had to solve problems that couldn't be done by just adding electronics.

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

Yeah I stopped when I tried to lift the escapement out and it pretty much split in two. Really hope you can get it running as it looked a good bit of kit and surprisingly hard to find. Hope Yoko's problem doesn't involve not taking a disc lock off. I've only done that once!

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

I've done it three times I think, definitely more than once. First time while standing on the pegs ready to ride down a kerb - amazing how little distance you need to get your balance! No chance of saving it from up there.

I hope so too. The action on B is good so it should be a matter of figuring out what is sticking or catching on what. Might soak the escapement to clean it, haven't actually done that. It runs nicely but could be different when there's load on it. Yes quite rare but top notch in their day, bit of a Lotus sort of brand I guess. I don't know anything about the lens but they didn't make anything budget so it should be good (even as a triplet), end be interesting to see it wide open. The flash sync looks to have been added later as it is a bit crude, although on mine where the rangefinder tab attached to the shutter casing, it looked very rough, like they'd done it on the built shutter and left all the swarf in. Who knows, it is said that maybe a third of Contaxes didn't work when they left the factory - maybe times haven't changed so much!

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

I did mine on my TS125R at school. I came to a sudden halt and gently laid the bike down on the ground and my leg! Nicest finish I've seen on a camera is the Voigtlander Vito B. Still trying to get a Vito ii.

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

Forgot to say, did you see the Certo has a rudimentary auto frame counter on the film advance knob? I can't remember how to use it off the top of my head, something like, once it's lined up at 1, you do a full turn then continue until the next number lines up with the pointer. They are spaced to account for the roll getting fatter as you get further on. I had no joy with mine TBH, and I can't remember how to set it to 1 when you see it in the red window, so I just use the latter. It may not suit newer, thinner backing paper, but there are ways around that, but a nice touch all the same. Shame it probably won't work quite right.

Folding Vito? I see lots of ads, no idea what a decent price is. They have a massive long shutter button I think? Nice-looking though. The Vito B is lovely, the coating on the lens looks proper BO, very purple.

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

And where's my ruddy Contessa... if I click through 3 different package tracking screens (how doe all this get paid for? seems awfully busy) I find out it's now at the sorting office of 13ten or Citipost though I can't figure out which, in Wednesbury. I was in Wolverhampton all day, mainly waiting for something to happen. Could have popped out!

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

No, to be honest I hadn't noticed. Will take a look when I get it back. I meant to ask yesterday where your present had gone.

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

My Kowa arrived today. Lens is good, meter works. Just needed a good clean. Case is split but no biggie. I completely forgot I even bought it. Also bought a lot of expired film which includes a sealed 126 film cartridge.

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

Cool! My Contessa finally arrived! Be interested to know how the Kowa is.
https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5115/2...87b72493_z.jpgZeiss Ikon Contessa 35 by John Rodriguez, on Flickr
Needs a bit of polish. There is a little fungus but not bad at all, meter is accurate, shutter is a little hesitant but it's probably usable as is. RF spot is bright and seems accurate. It is worth giving a proper CLA before use so I will do that.

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

Nice looking bit of kit there, not jealous at all! The Kowa is a pretty solid lump of camera. Weighty but not excessive and and meaty sounding shutter/mirror slap. Easy to hold and all controls are on the barrel. Lens is not removable though. ISO reaches all the way to 800.
How much was duty and vat or did it not apply? Been put off of buying in from the States.
Yokohama, where abouts in China are you going? Is it business or pleasure? Just making sure all my gadgets are charged before we go.

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

It can be a bit confusing TBH. If you bought something you'd have to pay VAT on it on import if it's over a fairly small value, plus a £6 or so handling charge. Through ebay they have some sort of programme whereby it says that you won't pay any more in import charges - this doesn't mean the shipping price you see is the only cost! There is purchase, shipping, and a third amount for customs, like this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Zeiss-Ikon...-/262610840907
$99.99 plus $14.06 shipping plus $25.97 import charges, so not about $114 but actually $130. On the plus side it means you know up front what it's going to cost, and after you've paid $130 then there will be no nasty surprises. Mine seemed to have no import charges, must have been below some threshold, although I thought it was less than the amount mine went for. If you bought from e.g. Etsy then you'd pay VAT on import, been there, all you can do in advance is work out how much it'll be.

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

Seems a bit complicated which is why I don't bother. Don't want any surprises on delivery!

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

You just have to look at the items and add it up. On the search listing it has purchase price and delivery price (which is not always right) but not the import charges, that's in the listing itself. After that it's easy as you know the bottom line amount before you pay for it.

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

Is anyone else lurking here or is it just us three?

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

I do wonder!

So far overlooked for a rubbish headline photo:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MINOLTA-70...-/252544447357
in Letchworth, or there is
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4-JOBLOT-O...-/182282829300
Lordy!

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

Might take a punt on the Minolta, quite like the bag.

Sent from my Xperia T

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

That's a very pretty little Contessa Johnnny. Looks like it was worth the wait.

Kenzie, I'll be in Chengdu, which is in Sichuan so lots of spicy food. It's work but I hope to get a couple of weekends away. I was out there for a couple of weeks last year but never had time to explore the city at all. Taking my TZ along with the OM10, Tamron 35-135, and the Trip.

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

Looks like you will come back with some great shots, just did a search on the area. I'm using 400 iso film and some have said it should be ok through the scanners apart from hold luggage. Although the box my film is in says protect from x-rays. Will have to see what happens!
Is your Contessa a 120?

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

Hi! I'm lurking - I sold all my Mamiya kit recently, which I do regret a bit, but still interested. My wife has a couple of Rolleicords, a Leica and I bought her a MPP MicroPress (4x5 large-format) camera for her birthday this year which is an amazing piece of kit.

She takes a lot of infra-red film (which the Rollei TLRs are perfect for as you don't need to screw on a filter after composing).

I'm taking a bit of a break from film at the moment, but if I see a nice Hasselblad going cheaply, I've always lusted after one of those ...

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

Hi daktulos, welcome to the mad house! Be careful as reading this thread may cause GAS as Yoko has found out! I listen to the Film Photography Project and they do a lot of large format photography and they have also started talking about infra-red. I would be interested in giving it a go but unsure where to buy the film from and how to get it processed. Don't have a darkroom yet so I can't look into doing large format yet, but would like to give it a go.

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

Buying IR film can be a little tricky as a lot of it isn't sold any more. The responsiveness can also be a problem as really some of the films don't have very good response to IR, just the high visible spectrum. Efke IR820 is one of the better films and is still (just) available, I think Lomo is selling some old stock. Whatever film you have, you need a filter to match it, so with a 720nm filter, the Efke works well, but some of the films top out closer to 720nm (Ilford SFX at about 750nm) so you get barely anything - you'd need a filter which lets more visible spectrum in so get less IR effect.

If it's not a TLR, you also have to remember to put the filter on before taking the photo :-D

As for dark rooms ... we have a very small one! As long as you're only doing film development (and scanning) and not paper development, it works perfectly and folds flat!

https://www.calphoto.co.uk/product/C...oom-Bag/RM1000

Other than that, it's just chemicals, a tank or two and somewhere to hang the films. It's quite rewarding as the different developers, timings etc. make a big difference to the result.

That said, I personally liked using slide film most - Velvia 50 my favourite. I sent that away for development, but always scanned it myself.

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

I have stuff to do black and white but haven't tried colour yet. I use Ilford ID11. Not tried slid film yet but will try it out soon.

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

Hi Dak, you sound quite the connoisseur! What's the attraction of IR photography?

The Contessa is 35mm, it was the last folding 35mm camera they did before realising rigid bodies were simpler and not really much larger, and allowed easy connection of the shutter to the meter for coupling, automation etc.

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

Ah, it looked like a 120 for a second there. Can't wait to see what it can do! Have you finished pulling your hair out over the Certo yet?
I think it's the look of ir but never tried it.

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

It does, it's about the size of an Ikonta 35 or a Contina. Am going to test some shutter speeds this week and see how it is. Certo is plodding along, got both B and T working, and found one of the levers that's dragging on something. I don't want to bend it too much, especially as it's a casting, so need to spend a bit longer figuring out if that's the right thing to do. The T setting, though I doubt you'll use it much, is a little hit or miss. Latching the shutter open works fine most of the time, on B it doesn't have to do this. The same lever comes over and should release it but to do so it's diverted upwards, the spacings of the bits inside to do this are far from clear-cut, and one tab was fairly bent at an angle to try to make amends. The lever that's dragging though is one of the bits troubling the shutter timing, hopefully there won't be many more! I have the shutter on mine open now for comparison, which I'm afraid to say is obviously their premium line (Compur Rapid) but I think also a little newer in age and design. Yours is fine but I think it's a bit of a Friday night one, but it'll work in the end - why bits are dragging or seemingly wonky where they don't have much stress makes little sense otherwise.

Slide film is supposed to give the best colours etc. but is also a bit more unforgiving in terms of exposure I think, never tried it. I think most people shoot it then scan rather than use it as slides.

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

Daktulos, don't follow the links these two post up on here, it's a slippery slope. That being said though, I now have nice sets of Minoltas, Olympuses and Pentaxes + lenses.

Kenzie, have a great holiday. I bet that Harley ride will be awesome.

found this.

http://cameracollector.proboards.com.../cameras-china

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

Not so much me as my wife. I have taken a few, though:

https://c3.staticflickr.com/1/258/20...950e3ea7_z.jpg

It's not a great example, but you can get a ethereal feel due to the way objects reflect IR light differently to visible light.

Re: Vintage film cameras
 

Won't be taking the Harleys over to the Grand Canyon as its nearly five hours away. However we will be visiting the Hoover Dam and Red Rock Canyon instead. Liking that shot Dak. Like the look of the Shanghai 201 Yoko, reminds me of my AGFA Silette.