Hongmei HM-120 6x6

These have been around for a long time. I had an old 1985 issue of Modern Photography magazine that had an article by Jason Schneider about Chinese cameras. This was long before Japanese camera companies began building their lower-priced models in China. Chinese cameras then were all homegrown, and mainly were poor copies of decades-old Japanese cameras.

This folder was in the article, as was a couple of compact rangefinders similar to the Olympus RD and Canonet-type models that we often trade here in the classifieds.

There was also a 35mm SLR called the Seagull DF-1, which was a copy of a 1950s-era Minolta (The SR1, I think). It had no meter, like the Minolta is was copied from, but was still made in the 1980s! I actually have one that I bought on ebay a decade ago and its build quality is AWFUL. The lens it came with is incredibly good though!

The article also featured the Seagull TLRs that were later imported into the west, and are still made. I had one of those a long time ago too, right after they began importing them in the USA. Like the DF-1 35mm SLR, the Seagull 4A109 TLR was a poorly built camera with a very sharp lens. The body died after just 6 rolls of film! The lens was SHARP.
 
I have a Hongmei HM-1 in red colors. Probably the red color was added (homemade) later. It seems to be closely related to the Seagull 203-I as it shares the same body type. See my page on Flickr for more details :
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29504544@N08/4626981829/

Unfortunately the red bellows are shining through so it will remain a shelf-queen. This is such an enormous fault that i don't think that red bellows were factory fitted. "Normal" Hongmei's are black colored.

4626981829_9a488af835.jpg
 
Raid, thanks for the suggestions !

Guess paint probably will start to flake after a while. I use sometimes a rubber paint called "fluid electrical tape" but that is only good for fixing pinholes. Best would be to replace the bellows with a genuine black one.
 
Hi Will, mentioning Sandeha for bellows is a good tip indeed, he is a real craftsman. He made a blue one for one of my Agfa Isolettes :

5252343962_9aef84a811.jpg
 
Cool, Hans.
If those two camera shots are on flickr, please consider adding them into a group that I maintained called Camera Parade.
 
raid said:
I know a woman called Hongmei.
Does Red Plum refer to pink cheeks?
Click to expand...

that would be the most direct explanation (like if she was born with a pink skin).

in old Chinese poetry, red plum usually symbolize "spring" (hence "new year"), "chasteness", "righteous"...oh and mostly "heroic", if used on revolution figures.
also, a Sung Dynasty (~10th century) Chinese poet used "Plum" as a metaphor for his wife.

there should be more but that's all i know.:p
 
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According to Douglas St Denny's Cameras of the People's Republic of China, the Hong Mei 1's date of manufacture was unknown to him, nor the number produced. However, he relates it was manufactured at the Changzhou Camera Factory in Changzhuo; was a 120 folding viewfinder with scale focusing; having a coated 5c, f/4.5 three element lens in three groups, with scale focusing from 1.5m to infinity; having a manually set, between the lens shutter, 1/10 to 1/200 sec plus B, self time, and PC synch. The serial number would be on a stamped piece of paper stuck to the back. It had internal masks for 6x6 or 645, with windows on the back, and an accessory shoe on the top plate. In the remarks, he related, "This folding 120 camera was very popular a few years ago. It filled the market left vacant when the Shanghai 202 ceased production. Though now out of production, it still can be found new on manhy smaller camera store shelves." His book was published in 1989.

EDIT: Oh, he translates Hong Mei as Red Plum Blossom. There was a thread here on RFF several years ago on Chinese cameras, including the Hong Mei as recall. There was also mention of St Denny's book. As I recall, a poster had several copies of the book, and I think that might be where I got mine.
 
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