Vintage film cameras

[yokohama]

291776924798 outbid in this one now. Don't think I'll pursue it.

[johnnyrod]

Tricky one, best I could come up with is someone's suggestion of a Canon F-1N and/or a Nikon F3, you can see one on the dashboard in the truck
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dmCpOjYL8b...9.40.15+AM.png
You'll have to take it from there though! You might like this;
http://petapixel.com/2012/07/10/top-...nikon-cameras/
We also spotted a Yashica Electro 35 in one of the recent Spiderman films, though apparently the original Peter Parker had a Leica - not bad for a schoolkid.

Many people are unable to figure out how to check a lens properly for any marks, growths etc. so unless someone guarantees it's clean and they sound like they know their onions, I assume everything I buy will need some attention. You can get hydrogen peroxide from Superdrug and ammonia from The Range, mix these 50/50 and use for cleaning off fungus, even coated lenses, though I would be very careful if you do ever own a Leica as their different types of glass are said to be quite soft. I was also told to leave a camera case in the sun to let the UV kill any spores; be careful leaving a cloth-shutter camera in the sun without a lens cap though as holes have been burned through in the past.

Tenax - I'd go up to a tenner but only if the meter works - read the manual and send the seller a simple question so they can check it for you. I've found this works well if you keep it simple, like set it to f2.8 and 1/15 and see if the meter moves back and forth when you cover up the front. Not sure how the Tenax works though, and it's not obvious from the pictures.

I can't get a handle on the price of Mess Ikontas, I paid £30 which seemed fair, and the seller had been using it so could tell me a lot about it. I think the 6x9s are more, and for sure the asking prices are ridiculous, but that goes for a lot of things!

One tip for the Certo, don't c-ock the shutter if you are using B or T, just operate the shutter.

[Kenzie]

Johnny, do you offer a cleaning service? Can't figure out how to unscrew the front ring without damaging it. Got the front group out. Won a Comet S for £1.10 plus post. Left the fed 4 uncapped in the sun yesterday, will check the shutter when I get hime tonight.

Sent from my Xperia T

[johnnyrod]

At least set the focal distance to the shortest so the sun is as unfocused as possible.

To be honest I'd be worried about damaging things that aren't mine, I've graunched the odd screw and there was the Ikonta incident. It's all part of the fun though! Erm... What you probably need is one of those rubber cone things, you fold the narrower end inside until you get the diameter you need, I would get one if I fiddled with more SLR lenses but for smaller cameras a good rubber bung will do instead.
http://www.micro-tools.com/product.h...2017&cat=14017
or for clamping the outside:
http://www.micro-tools.com/product.h...1134&cat=14015
Some of these things can be stupid tight but very hard to get a grip on. The one I damaged on my Ikonta was so tight I was starting to wonder if it was reverse thread.

Cheap Comet! Is it the bargain season?

[Kenzie]

It must be, or my luck is in! Just seen a ring tool on Amazon, need to measure what size I would need. There is a lens service kit on ebay for £20 odd. Ikonta incident?

Sent from my Xperia T

[johnnyrod]

Yeah, that's how I damaged part of it, idiotic really but had my brain off that day.

[Kenzie]

Oops.

Sent from my Xperia T

[johnnyrod]

I know. I'll try to fix it one day, but it's going to gather quite a lot of dust first I think. Only cold comfort is that I paid a little more than you would for a broken one, but it was mint, aside from being too sticky to use. I really want a 120 folder with combined viewfinder and (coupled*) rangefinder. I fancy a Mamiya Six which is how I got looking at Japanese imports a while back. Am just looking now and again to see if a bargain comes along.

* there are a few with combined VF/RF but uncoupled rangefinder - strange arrangement and hard to tell just by looking at it and counting the windows. One of the (British) Agifolds I think, also one of the Welmy Sixes IIRC. Not a great help as often a separate RF has some magnification to make it easier to use

[Kenzie]

You and and your rangefinders!
121950728788

Sent from my Xperia T

[johnnyrod]

I know, showing my SLR roots, do it all through the viewfinder. I'd love a go with a MF SLR but they're expensive and the mirror slap is said to be quite something