Brownies!

the inverted lens looks very nice! (as does your wife)

Regarding using 120 to feed it, the problem is that you have to now carry a roll of film plus a second 620 spool if you plan on reloading while out with it... which kind of negated the hassle of just reloading before going out for me.
 
Sanders McNew said:
I've heard that the chromogenic
B+W films handle underexposures
well, and hold detail in night scenes.
Have you found this to be true?
What EIs do you shoot it at, and
what kind of results do you see?
Click to expand...

I've not shot it enough to make a good judgment, but I have found that BW400CN holds up well when underexposed so far. (KW Pilot-6 1/20th - f/4.5, at least a stop underexposed if I recall correctly
from my VC II meter)

I always try to stick to an EI equal to the speed rating of the film unless the camera has limited settings like most brownies do. Before I used the BW400Cn film I used a bit of Tmax, and a lot of Adox and Ilford black&white films with slower ratings.
 
I said I'd post my shots taken with a Brownie Hawkeye lens (flipped) and mounted on my Pentax 6x7. Here are my first two:

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Sorry no portrait subjects available.
 
Steve, yes I did it both ways. The normal way is was just a little too good, for my tastes. I decided if I'm going to haul the Pentax 6x7 out, I might as well use something way out, rather than something just in the disposable camera class. At the moment I'm mounting my favorite portrait lens, a Polaroid Colorpack II lens, on another body cap for the Pentax 6x7. I'll send you the results. I know you have a 6x7 Pentax, if you want to try it out after seeing it let me know.
 
Opening the Beau Brownie

Opening the Beau Brownie

Last night I got a chance to open up my Beau Brownie to access the viewfinders. As the attached photos show, you only need to remove two nails (one on each side as indicated by the red pointer) in order to remove the faceplate from the camera.

To remove the nails, I inserted a putty knife below the outer casing of the camera and applied a gentle pressure to lift the nail head just enough to where I could slip a tack puller under the nail head. I placed a thin piece of cardboard under the tack puller to avoid marring the leatherette. Once those two nails are removed, the faceplate can then be lifted off (It may require inserting a small screwdriver underneath to get it started). Now you can access the viewfinders and lenses.

When cleaning the lenses, I decided to access the front of the rear element through the shutter to avoid further disassembly of the camera. As soon as I replace one of the viewfinder mirrors, it will be as good as new.

BTW, this is the No.2 that takes 120 film. Yeah!
 

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Good to see the fruits f my labours being put to use. That is a delicious looking camera, Photomat, I am quite green! I can't see from the picture, but the slide for the Waterhouse stops looks like the one on my No2 in which case I guess there are three of them? If so, and if the body is as long as the No 2 Brownie, you should get really good depth of field - on a no 2 the -stops are about f10, f20, f30.

I am told - I haven't done it myself - that cheap powder compacts from accessory shops are a good source of thin mirror glass. Hope that helps, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what you get pics-wise

Adrian

(got the contacts back from the Ensign - they're not bad. Must get a mo to scan them!)
 
BW400CN is great at over exposure... starts going to crap pretty quickly above 400 IMO... not as bad a XP-2 Super, but it gets bad. Maybe you can pull off 1-stop if you are lucky, but best not to count on it.
 
Yes, Steve, you can trim down a 120, but I have an extra if you want it (send me a PM, I won't get to it until after Dia de Gracias). By the way, I just finished with my Pentax 6x7 homemade lenses project. I have on Brownie lens flipped and one normal, and both can be reversed for macro. I also hacked a Polaroid Colorpack II lens to a body cap for the same camera. Next is an off center flipped Brownie lens onto a Pentax K mount body cap, and a Instamatic lens to fit my Bessar/LeicaIIf. I like the idea of off center.
 
Thanks John. I spent a few minutes with a file and I now have 2 120 rolls that work in my brownies.
I'd like to see pics of your pentax set up. I frankly haven't gotten much use out of my beater 6x7. Amazing how gear lust gets you.
 
I'm with you the Pentax is a lot to take out. The Brownie is frankly the right size and weight. I just did those crazy lenses for the 6x7 to get though a roll faster. The offer stands on the 620 spools if yours don't work out.
 
PhotoMat said:
Last night I got a chance to open up my Beau Brownie to access the viewfinders. As the attached photos show, you only need to remove two nails (one on each side as indicated by the red pointer) in order to remove the faceplate from the camera.
Click to expand...

I just got back from a trip to Virginia
to find this post. I know what I'll be
doing today. 🙂 THANK YOU!

Sanders
 
Did a clean up of a Brownie Hawkeye last night and then flipped the lens.
The lens part was easy, but getting all the front end pieces back together after cleaning was not. I could have used a third hand.
Lots of little pieces.
 
Here's a couple of quick-and-dirty scans from the Ensign contact prints. Nothing as interesting as Sanders finds, sorry chaps!

Adrian
 

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I just pulled my Brownie Bullet off the curio shelf and bought some 127 film. I took it apart as much as I could, but cannot "reverse" the lens, so I will go at it as the good lord intended.
 
Six-16

Six-16

Using some spacers from the hardware store, I outfitted my Brownie Six-16 to take 35mm. I obviously had some exposure issues, but overall am very pleased with the results!
 

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If I get a mo at the weekend, I'll see if I can dig out the print and get a slightly better scan - this is one is a bit over-fiddled with. But this is about as sharp and interesting as I've got.

IIRC it was Ilford FP4, and using the smallest stop on my No2 Model F Box Brownie, I reckon we're looking at around 1/30th at f30. I was obviouly holding it good and still that day! It was also quite challenging to get any contrast - the tractor is light grey, it was parked on weathered wheat stubble with very chalky soil and it was a hazy autumn day. So everything was plae grey. Hats off to Ilford - I think we upped the contrast in the darkroom by one grade of filter and that was it.

Adrian
 

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