Box cameras

[stonecutter]

You could try an Argus 40. Speed and aperture settings but a pseudo TLR.

 

[aizan]

did anyone ever make a box camera, wood with leather coverings, that shot 6x6 on 120? i see a lot of 6x4.5 and 6x9...

 

[carbo73]

Thanks carbo73.

Do I take it that to use the aperture selector, you have to pull it up and move it to one side or the other?

Yes, you pull it up to choose between three different size holes. Usually the larger aperture is the most used, with this kind of cameras, not very fast, indeed.

 

[seany65]

Thanks carbo73.

 

[Muggins]

did anyone ever make a box camera, wood with leather coverings, that shot 6x6 on 120? i see a lot of 6x4.5 and 6x9...

I can't think of many 6x6 full stop, never mind wood and leather. The only ones that come to mind, in fact, are the Ensign Ful-Vue series.

Adrian

 

[nhchen]

did anyone ever make a box camera, wood with leather coverings, that shot 6x6 on 120? i see a lot of 6x4.5 and 6x9...

I’ve got a Ihagee roll paff reflex box camera. It takes 6x6 on 120 film. Mine just has a meniscus lens, and three aperture stops. No focusing. It’s made of wood with leather or leatherette coverings
Nathan

 

[tunalegs]

The original Brownie was 6x6, on 117 film, but 120 will fit. 117 was a 6 exposure roll vs. 120's 12, so the spool flanges are a bit smaller, but with a little trimming you can get 120 spools to fit. The Ensign Box Form camera I posted earlier is also a 6x6 on 117 camera, and I've run many rolls of 120 through it.


Untitled by Berang Berang, on Flickr


It's actually quite well made, although a bit difficult to use because the lens is focused well nearer the camera than the hyperfocal distance.

 

[carbo73]

Taken with the Kodak Nr.2 Brownie, model F (made in 1931) I've shown here:

 

[mconnealy]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the "Leica" of box cameras, the Genos Rapid, which uses 120 film ( check out that threaded cable connection). The camera has a brilliant finder and toggles for two apertures, a yellow filter, and instant or time shutter.

Mine was missing the carrying strap, so I added a custom neck strap made from a bootlace. Of course, there is little point in shooting anything in a box camera other than Fuji Acros.

 

[carbo73]

This Genos Rapid reminds me of the Houghton Ensign Ful Vue, which I don't have... still.

 

[13Promet]

The simplest, with meniscus lens, fixed shutter speed, fixed focus and three apertures: Kodak Brownie 2F (1928)

Lonely cart (Scalo Romana - Milan) by Alessandro Saponaro, su Flickr

Street Photography with 1928 Kodak Brownie by Alessandro Saponaro, su Flickr


Zeiss Tengor 54 (1934): double cemented lens + one for the far and farther focus settings, three apertures, I had the shutter spring modified to get to 1/100'' instead of the very hard to use default 1/25.
It also sports much better viewfinders than the Brownie.

Classy reading at the park (Milan) by Alessandro Saponaro, su Flickr

 

[carbo73]

Great pictures, 13Promet !!!

 

[carbo73]

One of the last produced Kodak Bull's Eye, model D. This camera was a Kodak copy of the Boston Bull's Eye, the first camera with back red window and frontal spools (in a box camera). Kodak first licenced these patents, then bought all the company (as usual). In this case, my camera surely was made in 1913, because it's serial number is one of the highest I've seen for these models. So discreet outside and lavish on the inside that somebody said it's like a beautiful camera in with a burka.

All works, but I've still to try it with film. It's a bit tricky, yet there are adapters for 120 format to this camera.

 

[13Promet]

Thank you, Carbo!

 

[seany65]

I've not used my Gevabox yet (too many other cameras to test first), so I've no idea what sort of images it'll give, and this is going to seem odd to some and possibly blasphemous to others, but I've been wondering about the practicality of changing the plastic meniscus lens on my Gevabox for a glass lens from some other 6x9 box camera, if indeed there were glass lenses in any 6x9 box camera.

I think I remember Tunalegs saying it may have a slightly wide-angle lens due to the depth of field indicated for f8 at the marked focused distances. If this is true then I presume the DOF would be lessened if I did swap the lens.

All I'd have to do is unscrew the lens "barrel" to change the lens. I suppose it would be impractical to put in anything other than a meniscus lens, due to the lens's thickness stopping the barrel being screwed all the way back in for "Infinity".

While we're at it, what's the best way to cover the red window while still being able to look at it when winding on? I presume whatever method used has to have a bit that doesn't stick to the window.

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[seany65]

Oh dear! No replies to my last post. It seems I've upset the other "Boxies" of the forum with my blasphemous question about swapping the lens of my Gevabox.😱😛

 

[tunalegs]

I don't know why you're asking questions about the lens, when you haven't used it and consequently have no idea what it does, and so no reason to even begin asking these questions.

As for could you? No you can't.


The red window, just view it in shade, such as in the shadow of a building, tree, or your own body. Now go take some photos.

 

[seany65]

The possibility of changing the lens just occurred to me, that's all. Curiosity, nothing sinister.

Well, knowing that my Ferrania Elioflex Mk1 has a coated, glass single element lens and the Gevabox also has a single element lens, though it's plastic and uncoated probably caused the idea.

 

[carbo73]

A Kodak No.0 Brownie, made c.1928-1935. This one was manufactured in Canada and uses 127 format. Here's the camera an some of it's pictures.