New Olympus Six

[Rodchenko]

Sorry this isn't a rangefinder, but it is a 120 folder, and I think it's beautiful.

It's a 6x6 or 645 folder (though I don't have the mask for the 645 🙁 ). It weighs an absolute ton. Almost twice as much as my Nettar, I think.

Olympus didn't make many medium format cameras - basically, there was the Semi, the Six, and the Chrome Six (of which there were some RFs 😉 ), but they were abandoned in 1956. The Six, anyway, was made from 1940 to about 1948, and the ERC is marked as 'made in occupied Japan'. It feels good to use, and the shutter speeds feel about right. Aperture very smooth. Lens isn't fabulous, but it cleaned up OK. I've loaded it up with Delta 100 and will take it for a stroll Friday (I've got a meeting which will fill up tomorrow's daylight hours, sadly).

EDIT: A bit of research on the net shows that this is, in fact, a mid-period Chrome Six I. I've identified it by the Galilean finder (hence a Chrome); f3.5 lens (hence I rather than II, which had a 2.8 lens), a diecast accessory shoe (hence not an early I), and the Made In Occupied Japan embossing, which places it somewhere around 1950ish.

The bellows look to be in surprisingly good condition, and I'd appreciate any advice as to how to keep it that way.

Anyway, here's some pics:


P2190079 by TJ Clarion, on Flickr


P2190077 by TJ Clarion, on Flickr


P2190074 by TJ Clarion, on Flickr


P2190073 by TJ Clarion, on Flickr


P2190071 by TJ Clarion, on Flickr


P2190002 by TJ Clarion, on Flickr

 

[Rodchenko]

I'm quite chuffed that the ERC logo isn't, as I firdt thought, the Olympus Tokyo, but Olympus OIC (Optical Instrument Company)

 

[hanskerensky]

They were so famous that they even were depicted on tiles :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29504544@N08/2969107367

 

[GaryLH]

Nice. Have u shot your first roll yet?

Gary

 

[Rodchenko]

They were so famous that they even were depicted on tiles :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29504544@N08/2969107367

WANT!!! 😀

 

[Rodchenko]

Nice. Have u shot your first roll yet?

Gary

Not had a chance. Postman tried delivering on Tuesday; I picked it up (in the dark) after work on Wednesday, and checked it over & cleaned it up and loaded; yesterday, I had a meeting, so I couldn't get out for my normal lunchtime stroll; today is much the same.

Tomorrow, however... 😉

I can barely wait. It's got a roll of Delta 100 in right now.

As an aside, I emailed the seller (a charity), to ask if they had seen the 645 mask (I described it to them, as it's not obvious if you're not a camera geek). may have been lost long ago, but, if they do have it (they know who the camera was donated from, and what other items they got in the batch), they'll let me know, which is nice. Fingers crossed!

 

[hanskerensky]

WANT!!! 😀

Alas, sold it allready some years ago. But they surface quite frequently on internet markets in Holland and Germany.

 

[Rodchenko]

Ah well. I've not got anywhere to put it right now anyway. I guess having the camera means I don't need a picture of it to look at. 😀

 

[Retrotech68]

Well, that was a nice find. Please keep us posted on the results once you get the first roll done.

 

[Rodchenko]

I intend to shoot a roll tomorrow around and about. I have to go shopping, but we might get a wander somewhere interesting as well. And I've got some other films to send off for dev, so I'll post that lot when I'm done.

I'll report back after, unless they all come out wrong (boring I make no excuse for - that's me) because of something wrong with the camera.

 

[oftheherd]

Not had a chance. Postman tried delivering on Tuesday; I picked it up (in the dark) after work on Wednesday, and checked it over & cleaned it up and loaded; yesterday, I had a meeting, so I couldn't get out for my normal lunchtime stroll; today is much the same.

Tomorrow, however... 😉

I can barely wait. It's got a roll of Delta 100 in right now.

As an aside, I emailed the seller (a charity), to ask if they had seen the 645 mask (I described it to them, as it's not obvious if you're not a camera geek). may have been lost long ago, but, if they do have it (they know who the camera was donated from, and what other items they got in the batch), they'll let me know, which is nice. Fingers crossed!

I think they would be fairly easy to get a machine shop to make. If Olympus made their inserts like Welta and Fuji, they are a rather thin metal, cut just a little longer on the ends to fit under the the film runners.

 

[Rodchenko]

I might chance my arm if one comes up for any make. It's a very straightforward part.

How I wish I still had the links I once did to small engineering works, where we could get something knocked up for bobbins - sometimes at lunch hours or quiet night shifts.

 

[oftheherd]

I might chance my arm if one comes up for any make. It's a very straightforward part.

How I wish I still had the links I once did to small engineering works, where we could get something knocked up for bobbins - sometimes at lunch hours or quiet night shifts.

Yeah, as thin as those things are, you might even be able to make one from thin plastic. If I don't forget, I will try to mike out my two.

 

[driver]

I just picked up a copy. Not perfect but cost about as much as a plastic Holga. Nice build quality.

 

[citizen99]

Very nice.

 

[John E Earley]

I would love to own one. Great find. Can't wait to see pictures.

 

[Rodchenko]

Very cool.

Heavy, ain't it?

 

[RattyMouse]

Where are the pics????

 

[Rodchenko]

I wasn't happy with the first roll, but that might have been the processing. Thanks for the reminder I need to get off my arse and shoot another roll.