Another mystery camera

[jcb4718]

In 1964 I went on a school trip from the UK to the USSR (as it was then). My camera I remember was pretty basic. It only had 2 shutter speeds (maybe 1/60 and 1/250) and I remember it only had 2 apertures: 'open' and 'stopped down', the latter being set via a lever that rotated into place a disc having a circular hole of the right size! Of course exposure and focus were set manually. I'm certain it was 35mm because I shot 35mm slides and still have them. The above shot of Novodevichy Convent in Moscow shows that for all its limitations, the camera was capable to taking reasonable photographs! it is long gone and I have never seen or read about one remotely like it. Do any of you folks recall such a camera?

 

[Johngwill]

Perhaps something like a Kodak Colorsnap 35?

 

[oftheherd]

I have a folder I don't even know where I got it. It also has the two aperatures and the shutter speeds as you mentioned. I never put any film through it. It has been is storage for a couple of years so I can't even tell you its name. Not helpful I know, except to acknowledge that such creatures existed. I think I also have one with two aperatures but only one shutter speed. There were a lot of old cameras that produced good photographs if the photographer was a little skilled.

 

[charjohncarter]

No idea, but good image.

 

[oftheherd]

No idea, but good image.

True charjohncarter. I am sorry not to have mentioned it myself.

I did notice it but got too wrapped up in my answers.

 

[Doug]

Yes, I think that kind of capability was pretty common... In about 1963 I got a Kodak Super-27 brick that had Waterhouse stops as you describe; "shadow" and "sunny" or some such. And when the flash door was open the shutter went to a slower speed even if no AG-1 bulb was present. Worked well, within its limits.

 

[CMur12]

I remember some snapshot cameras that had two apertures, for "color" and for "black and white."

- Murray

 

[oftheherd]

Yes, I think that kind of capability was pretty common... In about 1963 I got a Kodak Super-27 brick that had Waterhouse stops as you describe; "shadow" and "sunny" or some such. And when the flash door was open the shutter went to a slower speed even if no AG-1 bulb was present. Worked well, within its limits.

Interesting, if I understand you correctly. I always understood waterhouse stops to be a strip that was manipulated with a strip that was slid from side to side, and that it had several holes. What my camera had operated by as I recall, a lever actuated from the bottom of the lens. Was that type of arrangement also called a waterhouse stop? Not that it matters much, just curious. Also mine was not set up to use a flash.

 

[raydm6]

Is that the original full size image scan? Proportionally, it seems pseudo-panoramic for 35mm although it could have a wide film gate. I don't know what 35mm camera would offer that but I plead ignorance 😛. I was thinking maybe a 127 film camera but you do remember shooting 35mm slide. I am interested to know.

Lovely image nevertheless.

 

[jcb4718]

I cropped the slide. Too much river showing. Here is a an uncropped photo taken during the same trip. Its a reconstruction of the Vostok capsule:

There is a story about this photo. As I was about to take it my teacher came up and said 'Don't bother. It's too dark'. I was extra pleased with the way it turned out!

 

[raydm6]

Another great image! Nice capture. Optics look to be really nice in this camera (whatever it is)?

 

[Doug]

Interesting, if I understand you correctly. I always understood waterhouse stops to be a strip that was manipulated with a strip that was slid from side to side, and that it had several holes. What my camera had operated by as I recall, a lever actuated from the bottom of the lens. Was that type of arrangement also called a waterhouse stop? Not that it matters much, just curious. Also mine was not set up to use a flash.

Waterhouse stops are seen in various configurations, with the term referring to the concept of a thin sheetmetal plate drilled with a fixed aperture opening. Originally this was done with a single-aperture sheet that slid into a slot in the lens, one of a set of these with various aperture diameters. Later on there were multiple-aperture plates that either rotated or slid to more conveniently choose an aperture size.

 

[oftheherd]

Waterhouse stops are seen in various configurations, with the term referring to the concept of a thin sheetmetal plate drilled with a fixed aperture opening. Originally this was done with a single-aperture sheet that slid into a slot in the lens, one of a set of these with various aperture diameters. Later on there were multiple-aperture plates that either rotated or slid to more conveniently choose an aperture size.

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[mpaniagua]

It sounds like an Agfa to me. Several Agfa folder I used had the same configuracion.

 

[Shafovaloff1]

The u-shaped antenna on the sphere remind me of this TV antenna for weak signals.... I think the max duration provided for is 14 days for this space craft, with one human aboard exceeding my tolerance for closed spaces by a lot! Orientation on re-entry depending upon CG. They say, simplicity is sign of genius!

 

[Shafovaloff1]

Kodachrome?

 

[farlymac]

Sounds like an early Japanese "Plastic Fantastic" style of camera. Some of them had curved film planes and could produce good images with just a single Meniscus lens. The Agfa Clack was a box camera that also used a curved film plane for an image size of 6x7 on 120 film, with waterstop exposure control, and a swing lens element for closer focus range. By the way, the word "waterstop" comes from plumbing, where plates of various size holes could be introduced in a flange to temporarily control the pressure of the water without the use of an expensive valve.

PF

 

[jcb4718]

The Vostok was a replica but next to it, on the floor, they had an actual spherical capsule, all charred on the outside! They had a mannikin inside. Even though it is about 57 years ago, I can still remember feeling slightly queasy at how cramped it looked!

As for the slide-film type, I can't say. My parents bought the film and got it developed (remember I was only 14 at the time). I fitted the slides into plastic mounts where they are to this day...but it only clamped a slide a little bigger than 24x36mm so I had to cut all round with scissors. There is just a tiny black border and no information about the film type.

The colours are quite rich though so it would not surprise me if it was Kodachrome.

 

[xayraa33]

Boots in the UK sold the inexpensive Beirette 35mm cameras for a long time.


http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Beirette

 

[Doug]

...By the way, the word "waterstop" comes from plumbing, where plates of various size holes could be introduced in a flange to temporarily control the pressure of the water without the use of an expensive valve.

PF

Interesting, so the waterstop word is essentially self-descriptive. For waterhouse stops, Wikipedia says "This apparatus was invented by the pioneering 19th-century photographer John Waterhouse of Halifax in 1858."