Oldest camera?

Oldest camera?

  • Yes

    Votes: 548 80.7%

  • No

    Votes: 131 19.3%
  • Total voters
    679
The oldest camera that I have is probably my Kodak Vest Pocket Autographic, which had to have been made in 1915. (The original owner bought it for the Pan-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco.) I have a few Brownies that could be as old as 1901, but as "new" as the 1930s. The oldest one I've actually used is a 1931 Voigtländer Jubilar.[SIZE=-1]
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My oldest is a Zeh Zeca from 1937. It's a folder that uses 9x12cm sheet film or glass plates. I've got some old plates too which I will get round to shooting once my Paterson Orbital arrives.

I shot these the other week with it (Efke 25)

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My oldest isn't anything special - a Zorki 1 from 1955 and I use it sometimes. For the fun of using a bottom loader...

my oldest lens is a Sonnar 5cm 1:2 from 1936. I haven't used it yet, but when I finish CLA on my Kiev I'm planning to try it...
 
Oldest Camera

Oldest Camera

My main user is a Fed 2 from the late 50's. My oldest slr is a Petri Flex V from 1961 which has a really sharp lens. My oldest view camera is an Argus A from the late 1930's, I've put a couple rolls through it, it has an okay lens, but very flare prone.
 
An inactive Argus AF with a light leak around the lens. Useable but it sits on a shelf. Sometime in the late 30's, like me.
 
Avotius,
The 4x5 back is for the #4 Cartridge Kodak not the 3A Kodak. I do have a sheet film back for the 3A that Kodak made. It uses 3 1/4 by 5 1/4 sheet film in special holders. You insert a frame with a ground glass to focus and then replace it with a holder. The focus scale on some 3A's flips up to give the focus for the sheet film back. I don't use sheet film much but have cut down 4x5 to 3 1/4 x 5, it is so much easier to use 120 roll film. Did you build a new film gate for your camera? Once again nice work.
Bill
 

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Avotius, is that the standard aspect ratio for that camera or are those shots cropped? Fabulous shots...
My oldest camera is the Agfa Ambi Silette, doesn't get used much but will do now that its going to be my only film camera...
 
The two oldest cameras I actually use are my Zorki 2c and the Kodak Retina IIc I bought recently. The Zorki is from '56 and I'm pretty sure the Retina is also. Both have had a lot of use in the past few weeks. In fact, they are the cameras I've used most in the past few months. I also have a Moskva-2 which is possibly a little older -- from the early 50s. I use that occasionally.

I have one older camera, a Zeiss Box Tengor 54 which, I believe, is a very early version. From around 1929. I've used it a couple of times. The pictures were surprisingly OK. In fact one of the few photos I've taken that my wife chose to frame was taken on this.

I haven't used it in a long time, though. So it'll probably get sold as I don't really keep cameras I don't use.
 
Terao said:
Avotius, is that the standard aspect ratio for that camera or are those shots cropped? Fabulous shots...
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Thanks a lot, I altered this camera to shoot 120 film so now the thing spits out a negative that is 6cmx15cm. So all the shots are not cropped besides the one shot of the guy which I cropped, then printed to 30 inches and looks great for a 100 year old camera if you ask me!
 
BILLC said:
Avotius,
The 4x5 back is for the #4 Cartridge Kodak not the 3A Kodak. I do have a sheet film back for the 3A that Kodak made. It uses 3 1/4 by 5 1/4 sheet film in special holders. You insert a frame with a ground glass to focus and then replace it with a holder. The focus scale on some 3A's flips up to give the focus for the sheet film back. I don't use sheet film much but have cut down 4x5 to 3 1/4 x 5, it is so much easier to use 120 roll film. Did you build a new film gate for your camera? Once again nice work.
Bill
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very interesting, I need to look more into this it looks like. I always wondered what the flip up thing was for on the focus thing, seemed kind of weird to have it on their twice, but now I know. Now if I could fix the latch so it would stay closed without a rubber band.

I did the stupid lazy thing and just cut the tops off two ilford film cans to hold the 120 film in place. Not quite flat, not quite perfect but gets the job done as it would seem. Plus I have been working on taking the lens off another junker 3a and am going to meld it to my canon 20D. Test shots so far have shown the lens to be extremely sharp for something so old.
 
While not the oldest in my posession, thats an ancient Kodak Hawkeye.
This camera was bought new as a present from my father in 1954, it was my only regular camera for 10years, then only used occasionally after I got my Fed2 in 1964. It still takes great pictures, but they are on 127 film, so I can't scan them in my film scanner. four speed metal focal plane shutter, and a Beck Anastigmat lens. So I've had this camera for 53 years:)
 

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Hi, John!

I guess I would buy a cam from you any time. You seem to treat your gear well. This Hawkeye looks mint, even after 53 years!
 
tedwhite said:
How old is this one?
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Would like to have one of those . . seems to be a perfect music festival camera ;)
Have you worn it down like that yourself of was it a "user" when you bought it ?

vha
 
It belongs to a close friend, photographer Matt Cook, who apparently bought it new and just used it, pretty much on a daily basis. He's had it CLA'd a few times but obviously never cared about the camera's appearance. He loans it to me whenever I want to shoot with that great Super Angulon lens.
 
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This Balda Baldax is the most venerable camera in my collection: early 1930's, as far as I can deduce. I have fed it one roll of film, but, candidly, I need considerably more practise - or a tape measure - using zone focus. :(

Runners-up, age-wise, are a lovely Agfa Sychro Box generously given to me by G'man and Yankee Doll (I posted the results on RFF once-upon-a-time) and a Coronet 4-4, also a gift, from a favourite friend. I intend to use the latter for some sprocket hole images, and have longed to do so since I read this article:

http://filmwasters.com/blog/archives/date/2006/08

Oh...and the many-faceted filmwasters site is definitely one to bookmark!
 
Kent said:
Hi, John!

I guess I would buy a cam from you any time. You seem to treat your gear well. This Hawkeye looks mint, even after 53 years!
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Sorry my bad grammar, The Haweye is another camera this is the 1954 Purma Plus a British ( well made in Wales actually) camera. I found out later it cost my father three weeks wages, a hell of a lot of money at the time. Also my father died four years later so it has been very well looked after as it has great sentimental value. I would never sell it!!! I also have the original box, instructions, Focal guide, and advertising flyer, and receipt. When not being used it sits in a cabinet in my den. I also have the original lens hood and filter set in a little leather case. It started me on the long downward spiral into photography. At school I bacame the official class photographer, and made enough money from this to keep me in films chemicals and paper. Happy uncomplicated days.:)
 
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