Brownies!

FallisPhoto said:
Are you talking about the bakelite box camera? .
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Yes- weren't all Hawkeye Brownies boxcameras? I was asking if you had referred to a Hawkeye Brownie variant with sophisticated shutters, since box camera shutters don't have what is mentioned in your post:

You're probably going to need to clean the shutter blades and escapements too. Set your shutter for 1 second, look at the second hand on your watch, and trip the shutter. It is probably way off, and that means it is a cinch the other speeds are too. Fortunately, it is an easy fix.
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:)
 
ZorkiKat said:
Yes- weren't all Hawkeye Brownies boxcameras? I was asking if you had referred to a Hawkeye Brownie variant with sophisticated shutters, since box camera shutters don't have what is mentioned in your post:



:)
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Technically, nearly all of the early Kodaks were Brownies. The box cameras were Hawkeyes. There were dozens of variants, all box cameras, and I don't have all of them. Here are a few: http://www.browniecamera.nl/hawkeye/ He doesn't have all of them either. I don't know what kind of shutters are in all of them. Apparently neither does he, since he left that piece of info out on several cameras. I assume the different variations are more or less... well, ... different. Box cameras have all sorts of things. Some box cameras were a lot more sophisticated than others. For example, Zeiss made box cameras with multiple shutter speeds and apertures. Some box cameras had a selection of lens filters built in. Some box cameras had focusable lenses. Etcetera.
 
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Hello Brownie Rangefinders

I recently bought a wonderful Popular Box Brownie on ebay and have discovered on www.brownie-camera.com/respool clear instructions on respooling 120 film onto a 620 spool.

Could someone let me know what speed ASA film is best to use in daylight ?

Oh, and I also reckon a Brownie forum is a great idea!

All the best

Chris
 
Hi Chris,

The shutter speed of your Brownie is going to be somewhere around 1/30th of a second (not an exact figure by any means, more a reasonable assumption that seems to work). That's pretty slow, so you don't want to use too fast a film unless it's quite gloomy. For a first roll I'd use 100, and wait for reasonably bright light. Or, if you have a light meter, set it to 1/30th and f10 and see how often it is bright enough to shoot. I wouldn't try 400 for starters, as it's too likley to terminally over-expose. If you've got a model with the lens behind the shutter, you could even try colour film - there's so much camera preventing unnecessary reflection on the lens that flare is unlikely to be a problem.

You also need to remember that that same slow shutter speed makes it awkward to hold still. I find the best way to keep it still as you press the shutter is to prop it against my belt. However I'm slim so less-waif-like shooters might have to modify the method...

Good luck, and show us the pics!

Adrian
 
Muggins, those are good points. I've used color 100 film just fine, and you do have to be careful about camera movement. The shutter release on the Hawkeye is fairly easy to use, so movement is easier to control. The Hawkeye also has a flat broad bottom, so you will have an easy time setting it on something for movement control.
 
My wife bought me a Holga for Christmas, just after I bought myself a Hawkeye. The Holga has made me appreciate the build quality of the Brownie.

21st century Chinese craftsmanship is a joke compared to Rochester in the 50s.
 
If you think the Kodak is better quality than the Holga, you should buy an All-Distance Ensign. It's got light seals for heavens sake!

Adrian
 
crawdiddy said:
My wife bought me a Holga for Christmas, just after I bought myself a Hawkeye. The Holga has made me appreciate the build quality of the Brownie.

21st century Chinese craftsmanship is a joke compared to Rochester in the 50s.
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Well, a Holga will make you appreciate the build quality of pretty near anything else.
 
finally got my hands on a brownie hawkeye...did the lens flip and took it out for a spin, nothing amazing but i love the effect!
 

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Here are a few shots from the first roll of my recently acquired Brownie Hawkeye.

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Film, Delta 400, developed with HC-110 dilution B.
I'm happy how it turned out.
I will try the flipped lens next time.
 
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Hi, I'am happy to have found this forum! Gave me a lot of very interesting information and a lot of help for working on my old camera's.

I have a Hawkeye as well:
http://www.pbase.com/jle56/image/101470360.jpg
but after cleaning I put it on the shelf...
Yesterday however I reversed the lens and put a roll in it.
Can't wait to see the results...
Aperture is 16 ? the opening seems to be 5mm and focus 80mm...
 
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malkmata said:
Here are a few shots from the first roll of my recently acquired Brownie Hawkeye.

Film, Delta 400, developed with HC-110 dilution B.
I'm happy how it turned out.
I will try the flipped lens next time.
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Beautiful shots. These do not look like they came from a toy camera.
 
crawdiddy said:
Beautiful shots. These do not look like they came from a toy camera.
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They certainly don't! I particularly like the wall plaque, with the perspective making it look in horror at the vanishing point.

Must get a darkroom set up so I can do some roll-your-own 620 in my French Hawkeye... but in a rented flat?

Adrian
 
crawdiddy said:
Beautiful shots. These do not look like they came from a toy camera.
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Thanks, guys. I tweaked the contrast a little bit after I scanned the negatives.
My Hawkeye accepted the 120 rolls without re-spooling them, I just had to use the 620 spools for the take-up end.
 
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