Look, it followed me home...okay?

[amateriat]

Being a freelance computer tech has its share of occupational hazards. Computers that won't stay fixed. Computers that should've been given their last rites two years ago, but which the client can't possibly part with for emotional reasons. (I'm talking PC users here...Mac-heads like me get attached in a way as well, but to the operating system, not necessarily a particular machine.)

So, while working on an iMac for a new client tonight, I espy a somewhat familiar-looking camera lurking just behind it. I inquire as to whether this camera is what I think it is. The client acknowledges in the positive, and follows with, "Had it for forty years, haven't used it in half that long. Was going to throw if away."

I reach for the camera, toy with it a little, and talk a bit more about it. Then I get back to the work at hand.

When I'm not too far from completing the job, the client says, "It's yours if you'd like it."

Here I go. Another "mouth to feed" as it were. And, I've had a half-frame camera or two in the past. But I haven't ever owned one of these:

The VF and lens optics need some external cleaning-up at the very least. But the selenium meter seems to have life left in it, so there might be fun and games in store. Everybody needs a hobby, right? 😉


- Barrett

 

[murpograph]

congrats. Nice little camera. I owned one and gave it away because my lab didn't want to print the negs.

 

[MCTuomey]

good, barrett. a very nice 'lil freebie. enjoy it - post some shots if you get a chance.

 

[oftheherd]

Wow, what a find.

 

[amateriat]

congrats. Nice little camera. I owned one and gave it away because my lab didn't want to print the negs.

Thanks. Fortunately, lab prints aren't a problem, since the most I've had any lab do for me in the last decade is process the film; scanning and printing are done strictly "on premises." 🙂

Last half-frame I owned was a Konica FF p/s. Really novel little camera, but I never totally got on with it. This camera seems to be simultaneously more carefree (batteries not required) and far more substantial in build...this thing is not built like a toy. Funny to think that most cameras were built this way on account of nobody knowing better...

Film-speed ceiling is ASA/ISO 200, but I can deal. I'll pick up a roll of Fuji and pack it in my tech bag today. The little Holga might be lonely for a while.

Also just realized how ingenious the frame counter is: It's highlighted for 20- and 36-exposure rolls (right, we didn't move to 24 until sometime in the early 80s), but you can manually dial in any frame number you want. Was this an early nod to the bulk-loading crowd? 😉


- Barrett

 

[john neal]

Barrett,

I have one of these - super lens and very discrete if you have big hands.

As to scanning, I have had fun in scanning 2 frames at once in a standard 35mm frame - you sometimes get interesting juxtapositions this way. Let's see some of yours 😉

 

[Mr_Flibble]

Free stuff is always the best kind! 😀

Looks like a fun little shooter.

 

[shadowfox]

One of the most carefree street-photography camera ever, and a potent diptych machine as well. Good find!

 

[MartinP]

I have one of those too. It has been my colour-film companion on a few long trips, with bigger b+w cameras as the main tool.

The metering is by trapped-needle running off the cells, so you can point the camera at something having the "right" exposure, half press the release, then compose to choice. A sort of exposure-lock effect. On this model the needle isn't very well damped though, so don't swing the camera rapidly else the inertia will give you the wrong exposure (this was a warning from a repair-tech more than 20 years ago, and seems to be right). If needs be, the aperture scale intended for flash will work with a shutter speed of 1/30 or so, while the usual speed is about two stops quicker.

There is no focussing to worry about, but that didn't seem to be much of a problem for the usual subjects. Interesting point about the exposure counter - it counts down, not up ! So you do need to have a decent idea of how many shots you started with. Probably two times the marked full-frame length, plus four would be about right. The exposure accuracy can be checked running a few shots at the start of a roll of E6, using each of the speed settings (goes down to 10asa!), before transferring it to a full-frame camera to finish off.

Has the foam died, around the removable back ? I had to replace mine eventually but it's easy to do.