Is it ok if I just want one real bad?
If there were only one definition of a '50s camera,
this would probably be it. It has afabulous "neat-o" factor built right into it and is hard to beat, appearance wise. It's fun to use and anyone who
sees you using it that doesn't
turn their head for a second
look is probably sleepwalking.
To open it just push up on the ledge at the bottom of the sliding lens cover, and the viewfinder wings open along with it. It's reminiscent of a '50s television with its square viewing lens and two dials at the bottom. One is for a close up lens and the other for a yellow filter. Turn the dial and the chosen accessory comes up in front of the lens. The winding knob is hard to miss and just adds to the "look". You don't wind it 'round and 'round either. It's a ratcheting affair that only has a 90 deg. throw. On the first turn (back towards you when holding the camera) the shutter button pops out, and you continue ratcheting back and forth until the next frame number comes up in the ruby window on the back. Take your picture and the shutter button stays in until you wind it again. The lens is a doublet. Aperture f11.
The single shutter speed is about 1/30.
The only thing going on back
here is the window. The release
button to open the back is inside the
viewfinder enclosure. No accidental
openings here. Takes 620 film.
Because of the color you
may think this rig is made of plastic.
No way. It's all metal with an
excellent enamel finish.
The view from the top. This is a nice big
finder...you could fit an ear in there
too. The red button is the back
release.
I took some photos, natch. Some of these are on Plus-X.
Some are on JandC Pro 100. Both started out as
120 film that I rolled onto 620 spools. Both films
developed in Rodinal 1+25 and printed on
Arista EDU RC.
Here's the barn shot. Bit overexposed, and it looks like I should
have pulled development about 15%. This is up by a little town
called Clearwater, about four miles from the Clearwater River.
This is the shore line of the Clearwater River (southfork). The
water is just starting to freeze, and the snow is getting hard in
the high country, so the river is dropping.
I tried out the close up lens on this stump.
I don't know what the optimum distance for
this lens, so I tried about 3 1/2 ft. Not bad.
This is an old footbridge piling that used to go across
the river to the cabins you can see on the other side.
There are still bridges like this in use. One family on this
river uses one. They can't drive across, only foot traffic.
Gives bringing in the groceries a whole new meaning.
This is about 10 miles down creek from the shoreline shot above.
Back up creek to where the ice is forming. It's about a half inch thick right now, but will get thick enough for elk to walk across, and will be supporting about four feet of snow by the end of winter. The circle shaped piece of ice in the lower right quarter of this photo started out about four inches in diameter. There's an eddy there and as the little circle of ice spins it gets big. This one's about 9-10 ft across and has been trapped by the floe ice around it, so it's stopped spinning. I've seen them as large as about 25 ft across in some spots. Sometimes there will be dozens of them about 18 in. diameter all spinning independently. It was pretty cold out. My tripod was starting to get sticky by the time I got done here.
This is our city park. It has a swimming pool that can't be seen in
this shot. The building in the distance, straight out from the near
table sells sodas and ice cream to the kiddies in the summer. Many
school kid have their first jobs here as lifeguards.
Nice frosty cold morning on the farmlands near
Clearwater. There are a lot of cattle here, along
with hay and wheat fields. Gravel roads like
this one cut across the parcels. Some seem to go on
with no end in sight.
water is just starting to freeze, and the snow is getting hard in
the high country, so the river is dropping.
I tried out the close up lens on this stump.
I don't know what the optimum distance for
this lens, so I tried about 3 1/2 ft. Not bad.
This is an old footbridge piling that used to go across
the river to the cabins you can see on the other side.
There are still bridges like this in use. One family on this
river uses one. They can't drive across, only foot traffic.
Gives bringing in the groceries a whole new meaning.
This is about 10 miles down creek from the shoreline shot above.
Back up creek to where the ice is forming. It's about a half inch thick right now, but will get thick enough for elk to walk across, and will be supporting about four feet of snow by the end of winter. The circle shaped piece of ice in the lower right quarter of this photo started out about four inches in diameter. There's an eddy there and as the little circle of ice spins it gets big. This one's about 9-10 ft across and has been trapped by the floe ice around it, so it's stopped spinning. I've seen them as large as about 25 ft across in some spots. Sometimes there will be dozens of them about 18 in. diameter all spinning independently. It was pretty cold out. My tripod was starting to get sticky by the time I got done here.
This is our city park. It has a swimming pool that can't be seen in
this shot. The building in the distance, straight out from the near
table sells sodas and ice cream to the kiddies in the summer. Many
school kid have their first jobs here as lifeguards.
Nice frosty cold morning on the farmlands near
Clearwater. There are a lot of cattle here, along
with hay and wheat fields. Gravel roads like
this one cut across the parcels. Some seem to go on
with no end in sight.