Collapsible lens foibles

[wlewisiii]

Just got my first shots back from using my new to me pre-war Sonnar 50/2 collapsible. Nothing really worth scanning and posting - all just test snaps really. But I had to laugh, and I'm sure all of you with collapsible lenses know just what I'm laughing at, at the shots where I hadn't pulled the lens out of the body. Whee! Talk about abstract expressionism! Much more fun mistake to make than leaving a lens cap on.

😉

William

 

[RML]

I have a collapsible Industar and yes, I too got similar results. 🙂 Got me rather annoyed at the time as I used the lens to take photos of my wife and little girl when they were visiting me in Holland.

 

[doubs43]

Re: Collapsible lens foibles

But I had to laugh, and I'm sure all of you with collapsible lenses know just what I'm laughing at, at the shots where I hadn't pulled the lens out of the body.
William

Many years ago there was a story in one of the photo mags about a photographer covering an event in Hollywood. He had a Leica with collapsible lens around his neck. Mickey Rooney knew him and stopped to talk a few minutes. Suddenly Mickey asked if he could use the Leica to take some pictures of something or other. Did he know how to use it? But of course..... so the photographer handed it to him. Mickey ran off and finished the roll of film. The photographer promised to send him prints but Mickey never pulled the lens out and there were no pictures to print.

Walker

 

[peter_n]

I've done the lens cap thing (aaargh - the battery's dying) but so far not the collapsed Elmar thing. Just a matter of time... 😉

 

[GeneW]

I'll have to try this out deliberately at least once with my Industar-50 collapsible. Then I'll know what caused my 'accidents' 😀

Gene

 

[FrankS]

It's kind of funny when you pull the film off the developing reel and see those blank frames - great shots of the back side of the lens cap.

 

[Nikon Bob]

So far not the collapsible lens trick but a few of the back of the lens cap ( more than I would care to admit to ).

Bob

 

[nwcanonman]

LOL - LOL - LOL.
Been there, did that! Ain't bein' human fun?

 

[FrankS]

LOL - LOL - LOL.
Been there, did that! Ain't bein' human fun?

Well, it sure beats being lots of other things. Maybe a good definition of "human" is having the ability to laugh at oneself.

 

[jdos2]

Anyone want a picture or several dozen of black bears in dark caves? Like you said, at least you get something, not like if you LEAVE THE DARKSLIDE IN FOR THE ENTIRE ROLL OF FILM!
And then figure out what you did and INSIST on inside-the-lenscap ("underexposed," of course) photos. All the while the significant other is laughing at you behind her hand...

 

[Tim]

my best effort so far has been the standard not loading film - which is why i now assidiously check the turning of the rewind knob. and a few times in the early days of rangefinder use i just forgot about focussing.
and yes, i too have wondered why the meter was indicating low light even at f2 & 1/15th.......then taken a blank shot anyway.
i guess it's only a matter of time before i forget to extend the lens....

funny, isn't it? part of the appeal of using manual gear that doesn't think for you.

one of my mates has managed to put the 120 film into his mam 645 backwards. odd, really, how the film doesn't expose thru that paper backing.....

tim

 

[denishr]

one of my mates has managed to put the 120 film into his mam 645 backwards. odd, really, how the film doesn't expose thru that paper backing.....

tim

Heh, tell me about it... 🙁

I did the same just a couple of months ago with my Speed Graphic and its 6x9 roll back. The only excuse I can offer is that I haven't used the darned thing for some time...

Denis

 

[Roman]

Yeah, did the same thing with my M645 - and not on the first roll either....

Roman

 

[l.mar]

"It doesn't work"

"It doesn't work"

I picked up a virtually untouched Agfa Isoly (a simple 6 x 6 120 film front-cell-focusing camera from the 50's) on ___-Bay. These cameras have a collapsible lens with an interlock which prevents the shutter from operating when the lens is collapsed. The sellers told me the camera was very clean, but that they couldn't figure out "how to click the shutter." When I got the camera, I pulled out the lens and, voila, a perfectly working camera!

I paid $1.39 for it.😉