Old gear

[Grahamb]

Morning all

I was sorting out some camera gear and came across, what i forgot i got,

one is a brownie No2, and the other is a coronet / twelve 20, both to my surprise, the shutters still work.

Need some tlc though, any one got one of these, or both.

 

[oilman930]

Top of the morning to you.

I have a few No.2 Brownies. I use them a few times a year. Simple lens in the camera, but clean the lens before using the camera. The big problem I find when using the brownies, the viewfinder mirrors now are useless from years of decay.

Flickr has a page for Brownie users.

Go forth and take pictures.

 

[Grahamb]

Great find, they have both of them on flickr, and some are still in use, as you say yours is.

The viewing glass is looking a little sad for it self, i will have a go with them.

 

[Mr_Flibble]

I also have several No.2 Box, folding and pocket Brownies. I find they often produce nicer images than the younger box cameras from the 1960s.

Antwerp Zoo, Tmax 400 with No.2 Mod F Box Brownie

 

[Grahamb]

What and good shot, who would of thought a, and the wife likes it too, only because of the elephants,

 

[Mr_Flibble]

The No.2 that took that picture was the first Box camera I ever bought. Now I can probably build a house with all the ones I own. 😉

 

[Muggins]

A house? Or perhaps a henge? http://www.flickr.com/photos/gray1720/3704307847/in/set-72157615594775003

The No2 Brownie is a lovely piece of kit. Considering it's a meniscus lens, if you stop it down in bright light with the Waterhouse stops on the slider, you don't need to worry about focus as the depth of field is ridiculous.

I don't know what attention Graham's need, other than the viewfinders, but I'll put my oar in here as if it doesn't help you it might help the next person. If it's a metal bodied version (the No2 Model F), the front can be carefully levered off, and I suspect that the mirrors will have either desilvered or come unglued. Either re-glue or replace - you can buy small mirror tiles from art shops, Hobbycraft etc, that can easily be cut to size with an ordinary glasscutter. While you are in there, clean the viewfinder glass as well (some had ground, rather than clear, glass in the viewfinders, so try not to polish ground glass until it's clear!).

If you pull out the slider that will hold the shutter open, you can clean the lens from the front, through the shutter, and do the same from the back as well. A cotton bud will be fine - there's no coating to damage and its low contrast anyway so you will have to try quite hard to damage it.

That's about it really. Cardboard ones are a bit different - this thread here will help:
https://www.flickr.com/groups/boxcamera/discuss/72157634087072092/

General box camera guide: http://junkstorecameras.com/BoxCameraBasics/BoxCameraBasics.htm

And someone servicing a metal box camera - not a Kodak, but I suspect good enough for inspiration. Most of them are pretty similar!

I'm afraid you are on your own with the Coronet as I've never used one. Sorry!

Hope that helps, is of interest, etc!

Adrian

 

[Mr_Flibble]

Heh, "Boxcamerahenge". I like it!