Best Under $50 120 Camera? (no 620 or 127) (no Holga)

Frank Petronio

Frank Petronio

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Like it says... I just tried an Agfa Clack and was disappointed by the slow fixed shutter speed (1/30 or slower) and hard-to-hold-steady shutter release ergonomics. Nice design otherwise though.

Are there some sleeping old Kodaks or Anscos or something hiding out there? I'd like Holga or slightly better quality but perhaps something that is easier to handhold without shake?
 
Brownie Hawkeye Flash?

EDIT: Sorry! it says right there no 620! Brain cramp!
 
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Diana!

Sorry couldn't resist. Are TLR's in the consideration? I've seen some Yashica TLR cameras go pretty cheap.

oops didn't see the 120RF folder. I'm out of ideas.
 
UGH no hipster cameras! That means no Dianas or Holgas or Seagulls or Yashica Mats! Just to trendy.... ;-)

And no, I don't want to respool 120 onto 620. Done it. PITA.

Did Kodak make any consumer 120 cameras post WW2?
 
Braun made a 120 camera called the Paxina. There were two versions. One has a collapsible square lens panel. The other has a better lens on a collapsible tube.

Under $50, you should also be able to find some early Zeiss Ikon Nettars with either the Nettar Anastigmat or the Novar.

From Kodak U.K., there is the Kodak 66. It shoots 6x6 and used 120 film. There were three models: Kodak 66, Kodak 66 Model II and Kodak 66 Model III.

Once Kodak introduced 620 film, it stopped production of 120 cameras. The Kodak 66 is the only exception, from what I can tell.

In TLRs, there is the Voigtlander Brilliant, a zone focus camera with a Voigtar (triplet).

You might be able to find a Peerflekta, which was made by Welta.

And there's a small chance that you can find a Rolleicord II with a Carl Zeiss Jena Triotar.
 
And I might add that there is the Zeiss Ikon Box Tengor -- a box camera. For 120, there are 6x4.5 and 6x9 prewar models and just one 6x9 postwar camera. I think the postwar camera is a bit better, and it would fit within your budget.

And there is also the Tengoflex, a 6x6 TLR box camera, but it's way above your budget.
 
Zeiss Ikon Nettar folders would be my bet. I've bought two 6x6's for about $15 each. Image quality far superior to Agfa Click/Clack and Box cameras.
 
Some of the Zeiss Nettars and Ikontas would likely be the best bet. They are very common, and have decent lenses. With very few exceptions, Kodak stopped making 120 cameras in the 1930s.

Other options would be Voigtlander Bessas and Perkeos. You can sometimes pick them up for less than $50, but you might need to have them serviced (same with Zeiss Nettars and Ikontas, however).
 
Definitely the Nettars -- really well made cameras, and the Novar lens is actually pretty darn good if at f11 or smaller.
 
Two pictures made with my $15 Nettar 518/16 with the Novar lens on Reala:
2267049458_a6b097f7ef.jpg


2266260651_28b092584f.jpg
 
Seagull sell for more than $50 now. Not really trendy.

For TLR, there's still the Ciro-flex. At least it offers more shutter speeds and f/stops than the Agfa clack.

Second the motion for the folding Agfa Isolette. The V is about 4 steps up the evolutionary ladder over the Agfa-clack. Anastigmat focusing lens, three shutter speeds (25, 75, 100 ?) and lens maxes at f/4,5.

The Moskwa-5 is also great. 6X9, full range shutter, Tessar-type lens, and rangefinder coupled focusing. But only when in perfect working condition. Holes in the bellows, misaligned lens boards and uncoupled RFs can be hard to fix. Avoid the 6X6 cm adapter for this camera. Got my Moskwa-5s (have two) for about $20 and $30 each.
 
If you can find one on your side of the ditch, look for a late model Agilux Agifold. It has an uncoupled RF and a reasonably good lens (it's even got an extinction light meter). The lens is interesting used wide open, and stopped down a bit to f8 or so, pretty sharp. It feels quite well made too.

Camera:
y27xht.jpg


Stopped down a bit:


Wide Open:


(click the pics for larger versions)
 
I feel really sorry for you americans, seems so hard to find decently priced folders on your side of the pond :) On german ebay I can pick up all sorts of decent folders for less than 20 Euros. The best deal was probably a Weltax, with a wonderful Tessar lens.
By the way, my personal experience that a CLA is usually not needed with these cameras. Faster shutter speeds are usually alright (on such a camera i never needed anything slower than 1/25 s), lens surfaces might be dusty, but very rarely scratched or fungus infected, bellows are usually in good condition as well (as long as you're careful with those Isolettes).
I might just be lucky :)
 
I've always been scared of folders because I live near Rochester and all the antique shops have tons of moldy, broken pre-WW1 Kodak folders and Brownies, few of which work and most smell bad and look shabby.... (not knocking Kodak, it's just that people abused these cameras and they have little value.)

So I bought this one just now, it was easy to find:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160406365370#ht_4292wt_909

a Zeiss Ikon Nettar 515/2

It went $1.33 over my $50 budget but shipping cost almost 60% of that! The camera was only 14.99 GBP.

It looks like it should work fine, it might even be worth fixing if it has a gummy shutter or a leaky bellows. Quite a good deal I think.

I was also tempted by a Zeiss Ikon Box Tengor, the cool looking 1950s model, but none of the closer distance portraits looked very focused to me. But they sure look like nice cameras.

Thanks!!!
 
The postwar Box Tengor with the chrome trim has three distance settings. They're roughly accurate, although the photo won't be as sharp as what you can get with a Nettar.

But it's cooler looking than a Nettar. Well, maybe. Depends on how you view folders and box cameras, I guess.
 
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