fidget
Lemon magnet
If you do a search on Kershaw cameras on the bay, you will be sure to find heaps of Penguins or "King Penguin". This is a very simple 6x9 folder with a meniscus lens and a performance to match. Kershaw made much better cams too.
A range of 6x6 folders named after the max aperture is frequently seen on the bay. The smaller the max aperture, the simpler the shutter.
The Kershaw 110 is a very simple cam, the 630 has selectable aperture and shutter. The "top" of this range (AFAIK) is the Kershaw 450.
The 450 has an aperture range fro f22 to f4.5 and its Velio shutter is speeded B, 10, 25, 50, 100 and 200. Wow! The lens is an 80mm Anastigmat 3 element "Otar". Nicely made but not expensive looking.
They have a simple shutter release button (which can take some time to find if the user is not familiar with it) that gives a nice direct feel to the release.
My example had a sticky shutter, removed from the body and flushed out, it now works very well, (except the 10th). No light leaks, bellows are a plasticy fabric which seems to have held out well and has that smell of old impregnated electrical insulation tape (Blakely tape?)
This was one of my first folding cam purchases and has spent time in a box, then as my car cam. It's now one of my favourite cams. I like the look of the images it can make.
Park bench (again) showing some of the swirly oof area building.
Kershaw made a range of folders with names based on birds, Raven, Curlew, Peregrine. Some of these were top class cams. Anyone got one to show off?
A range of 6x6 folders named after the max aperture is frequently seen on the bay. The smaller the max aperture, the simpler the shutter.
The Kershaw 110 is a very simple cam, the 630 has selectable aperture and shutter. The "top" of this range (AFAIK) is the Kershaw 450.
The 450 has an aperture range fro f22 to f4.5 and its Velio shutter is speeded B, 10, 25, 50, 100 and 200. Wow! The lens is an 80mm Anastigmat 3 element "Otar". Nicely made but not expensive looking.
They have a simple shutter release button (which can take some time to find if the user is not familiar with it) that gives a nice direct feel to the release.
My example had a sticky shutter, removed from the body and flushed out, it now works very well, (except the 10th). No light leaks, bellows are a plasticy fabric which seems to have held out well and has that smell of old impregnated electrical insulation tape (Blakely tape?)
This was one of my first folding cam purchases and has spent time in a box, then as my car cam. It's now one of my favourite cams. I like the look of the images it can make.
Park bench (again) showing some of the swirly oof area building.
Kershaw made a range of folders with names based on birds, Raven, Curlew, Peregrine. Some of these were top class cams. Anyone got one to show off?
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fidget
Lemon magnet
The detail possible is quite a surprise.
This was around f8, the distant background is nicely soft.
Dave..
My scanner is leaving a line on the scans, apologies for this...
This was around f8, the distant background is nicely soft.
Dave..
My scanner is leaving a line on the scans, apologies for this...
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Stephen S. Mack
Member
You sure fooled me! I do have a Kershaw, but it's a pocketknife!!!
With best regards.
Stephen
With best regards.
Stephen
fidget
Lemon magnet
You sure fooled me! I do have a Kershaw, but it's a pocketknife!!!
With best regards.
Stephen
Ah! No doubt it's sharp too!
Dave
oftheherd
Veteran
Interesting. I don't recall seeing them before. Nice old look to the photos.
Silva Lining
CanoHasseLeica
The Kershaw cameras were made in Leeds, England if I recall correctly.
I have two; a Kershaw 630 takes 6x6 negs
and a Kershaw Curlew II takes 6x9 negs
Great cameras capable of quite good images!
I have two; a Kershaw 630 takes 6x6 negs
and a Kershaw Curlew II takes 6x9 negs
Great cameras capable of quite good images!
fidget
Lemon magnet
Nice cams Phil. Particularly nice Curlew.
Are those strap lugs on the Curlew? These are rare on folders aren't they, I've only seen them on the Ensign 1220.
Are those strap lugs on the Curlew? These are rare on folders aren't they, I've only seen them on the Ensign 1220.
Muggins
Junk magnet
Hi Fidget, I guess that answers my question!
Here's my Kershaw 450.
As you can see there's a nasty bellows misfold, which probably limits to f5.6 and narrower - I don't think I've ever tried it fully open.
I'll have to dig out a snap as I've only put two rolls through it - neither very inspiring, more due to me than the camera.
Kershaw of Leeds sounds familiar - I believe that the Peregrine Falcon was a coupled rangefinder 6x6 folder, and probably pretty rare.
Adrian
Here's my Kershaw 450.
As you can see there's a nasty bellows misfold, which probably limits to f5.6 and narrower - I don't think I've ever tried it fully open.
I'll have to dig out a snap as I've only put two rolls through it - neither very inspiring, more due to me than the camera.
Kershaw of Leeds sounds familiar - I believe that the Peregrine Falcon was a coupled rangefinder 6x6 folder, and probably pretty rare.
Adrian
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Muggins
Junk magnet
As promised, here's two pics from my 450. Apologies for the rough-and-ready scans, still trying to sort out for Christmas. And yes, I do really need to dust my scanner!
Hanging it over a balcony without strap lugs was probably a dumb thing to do...
Adrian
Hanging it over a balcony without strap lugs was probably a dumb thing to do...
Adrian
fidget
Lemon magnet
Nice work, hope that you get to enjoy more of it. I like the perspective of the second shot.
Dave
Dave
Silva Lining
CanoHasseLeica
Thanks
Yes they are strap lugs, although the strap is attached to the case it came in. The Curlew was in bits and in pretty bad shape when I got it, So I recovered it and gave it a CLA - The roll I took was all out of focus, so I guess I have some adjustments to make somewhere It as a nice solid quality feel to it.
Muggins
Junk magnet
Looks like we three are the Kershaw owners club, then...
Adrian
(offline for Christmas in about an hour - have a good one!)
Adrian
(offline for Christmas in about an hour - have a good one!)
hans voralberg
Veteran
Interesting cameras, tis a shame there's not a decent one on ebay right now
citizen99
Well-known
"Looks like we three are the Kershaw owners club, then..."
And now can we be >= 4 please ?
I've just had the prints+CD back of the first film I put through my 450. Recently acquired off ebay, I cleaned it up, especially the shutter escapement to bring the low speeds back into line, and love it for its well-made, no-frills simplicity and pocketability. With a Fuji 400 film, using the faster speeds to minimise shake (I can't be bothered to cart a tripod around - I'm just a 'snap-shotter' ) the very decent Otar triplet can be quite well stopped-down giving daylight results as acceptable as many a more complex, 'renowned' camera. Here's a seasonal (Boxing Day) picture, focus was set for the foreground ...
Er, no there isn't yet - I have to go away and compress the file massively before uploading - I hope to be back later.
EDIT: I posted it on Flickr instead
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43334883@N03/4248343948/
And now can we be >= 4 please ?
I've just had the prints+CD back of the first film I put through my 450. Recently acquired off ebay, I cleaned it up, especially the shutter escapement to bring the low speeds back into line, and love it for its well-made, no-frills simplicity and pocketability. With a Fuji 400 film, using the faster speeds to minimise shake (I can't be bothered to cart a tripod around - I'm just a 'snap-shotter'
) the very decent Otar triplet can be quite well stopped-down giving daylight results as acceptable as many a more complex, 'renowned' camera. Here's a seasonal (Boxing Day) picture, focus was set for the foreground ...Er, no there isn't yet - I have to go away and compress the file massively before uploading - I hope to be back later.
EDIT: I posted it on Flickr instead
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43334883@N03/4248343948/
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Muggins
Junk magnet
Oooooh! Four of us!
Do you think the boss will give us our own subsection like the L***a types have got?
Nice sheep.
Adrian
Do you think the boss will give us our own subsection like the L***a types have got?
Nice sheep.
Adrian
citizen99
Well-known
Can you have too many cameras? I don't think so . Like the look of the Purma Speed!
. Like the look of the Purma Speed!
Muggins
Junk magnet
It could pass for an early Barnack - in the dark with the lights out!
Once the darkroom is set up, and the viewfinder is screwed back down, I'll run a film through and start a Purma thread. Somewhere - where does a fixed-focus 127 camaera fit, I wonder?
Adrian
Once the darkroom is set up, and the viewfinder is screwed back down, I'll run a film through and start a Purma thread. Somewhere - where does a fixed-focus 127 camaera fit, I wonder?
Adrian
fidget
Lemon magnet
"Looks like we three are the Kershaw owners club, then..."
And now can we be >= 4 please ?
I've just had the prints+CD back of the first film I put through my 450. Recently acquired off ebay, I cleaned it up, especially the shutter escapement to bring the low speeds back into line, and love it for its well-made, no-frills simplicity and pocketability. With a Fuji 400 film, using the faster speeds to minimise shake (I can't be bothered to cart a tripod around - I'm just a 'snap-shotter'
Er, no there isn't yet - I have to go away and compress the file massively before uploading - I hope to be back later.
EDIT: I posted it on Flickr instead
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43334883@N03/4248343948/
Nice pic, good detail in the foreground and in colour too!!!
Home dev'ed B&W for me. Hope to see more of your pics from this cam.
I hope to get some good use out of mine this spring, partly as it will be my holiday cam (although the first place must go to my digi), this makes a very good cam for the rucsack.
Dave....
shadowfox
Darkroom printing lives
I know of another famous Kershaw,
Here's an in-action video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIBzbdo2LjU
Here's an in-action video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIBzbdo2LjU
Muggins
Junk magnet
Funny you should mention him, Will - he used to be my sister's "next-door" neighbour (rural Essex - so next door was about half a mile). And t'other half and I saw him at Cropredy last year. Surprisingly good, actually.
Adrian
Adrian