My Father's Autocord

W

Way

Guest
My father was a quiet man and while I knew that he enjoyed stamps and coin collecting, I did not realize that he had a small collection of cameras. When Dad passed away my brother got his cameras and used them once in a while.

My brother and I got to talking about my father's cameras and I found out that he had given my brother a Minolta Autocord (CDS III model, 12-24 exposures, battery meter). Well, it was hardly used and since my brother isn't into medium format, he gave it to me. It needs a CLA (a helix relube, mostly) so it will be off to Karl Bryan.

It will be great to be using my father's Autocord. I started photography only a few years ago, after my father passed away. While he was alive I knew that he liked cameras but he never really shared them with his family. I really love the Autocord that I currently own but now being able to use my father's camera, I feel an even closer connection to him.
 
If I hadn´t got my mind set on a Rolleiflex, the Autocord would be a prime suspect. Lovely camera. Congratulations.
 
Tony - pics of the camera coming soon. No photos from the camera until the CLA is done.
Ezzie - I have a nice stable of TLRs: Rolleiflex 2.8f and two 3.5f. Also a Mamiya 330 and now two Autocords. All great cameras, but I use the 3.5f and Autocord the most. I love the versatility of the Mamiya but it's big.
 
It's a very good idea to keep and maintain your father's camera.
Some months ago I bought a lot of Leica which used to belong to one man who passed away. His son was selling everything and It was really sad that he did not at least keep one of the cameras.
 
My father bought a Rolleicord V in -57 as new. He had just married and he knew that there were babies coming along he wanted to photograph. He used the Rollei as his only camera for many many years. My older brother had the camera in his closet for 30 years but never used it. I managed to wrestle it out of his hands some years ago. I've used it regularly for the last 3-4 years. It's a great camera.

Here is a recent shot:

5567406352_5cf5ff29c6_z.jpg
 
Autocord models throughout their range were pretty consistently excellent cameras. During the relatively short time they were produced - roughly the decade from 1955 to 1965 -- they varied mostly in the details and additional features such as meters and 220 capability. The remarkably excellent optics were unchanged, except for improved coatings, and there were no major functionality developments. I think the Autocord I models and later were marginally (but just barely) the best of the line, of which the final model is the one Way has and Dave had. Personally, however, I don't set much store by the onboard metering features -- the meters are uncoupled, the selenium models are getting long in the tooth and useless for low light work, and the CDS models were made for now-extinct mercury cells. The non-metered models were sleeker and trimmer.

Nevertheless, bravo for getting it serviced and restored, both to use and as a connection to your father. It's a treasure. Karl Bryan is an ace and can provide you with an adapter to use current batteries, although their use may require some adjustment or interpolation to get accurate readings.
 
The one difference I noticed is that the Optiper and Seikosha shutters had 10-bladed apertures while the Citizen had an 8-bladed aperture.
 
They're not so hard to come by, except for ones in primo condition, which are highly prized. Pristine examples are gorgeous machines. I could go on. Must. Stop.
 
My other Autocord is a non metered version and is much lighter and sleeker than my father's camera. His almost has the heft of a Rolleiflex. One of the things I love about the older Autocord is that it's so light and easy to carry.
 
Way said:
My father was a quiet man and while I knew that he enjoyed stamps and coin collecting, I did not realize that he had a small collection of cameras. When Dad passed away my brother got his cameras and used them once in a while.

My brother and I got to talking about my father's cameras and I found out that he had given my brother a Minolta Autocord (CDS III model, 12-24 exposures, battery meter). Well, it was hardly used and since my brother isn't into medium format, he gave it to me. It needs a CLA (a helix relube, mostly) so it will be off to Karl Bryan.

It will be great to be using my father's Autocord. I started photography only a few years ago, after my father passed away. While he was alive I knew that he liked cameras but he never really shared them with his family. I really love the Autocord that I currently own but now being able to use my father's camera, I feel an even closer connection to him.
Click to expand...

That's great. You have something your dad apparently treasured and now you're going to bring it back to life and use it. I'm sure he's pleased, wherever he is.
 
goodtimes said:
It's a very good idea to keep and maintain your father's camera.
Some months ago I bought a lot of Leica which used to belong to one man who passed away. His son was selling everything and It was really sad that he did not at least keep one of the cameras.
Click to expand...

My wife will consider my cameras a burden to get rid of and would just as soon throw them in the trash. Fortunately my daughters will keep what they want, and properly sell or donate the rest. It is conforting to know that.
 
A couple of years ago, I suggested to my wife that I sell some of the cameras where I am not using or which are duplicates or almost duplicates. Her reaction was that I should keep them all for our grandchildren.
 
Zathros said:
That's great. You have something your dad apparently treasured and now you're going to bring it back to life and use it. I'm sure he's pleased, wherever he is.
Click to expand...

I was going to say something in this vein but Zathros said it much better. ;)
 
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