The Fellsphoto Vintage Collection

 

"We do not remember days ...... tricolour collie Gael sitting watching you..... we remember moments"  Cesare Pavese

 

new addition July 7th 2009:   Franka Solida III on mini tripod  Franka Solida III with Rodenstock lens  view from Loweswater Fell

more photos added Nov 11th 2009:  thumbnail: Buttermere from Fleetwith Pike

 

 scroll down for the '50's Classic Camera collection, the Kodak and Voigtlander Collections and much else

 

added August 22nd 2009:  rare Agfa Standard  thumbnail: Agfa Standard with Compur shutter  with Compur shutter and Trilinear lens

new addition November 9th 2009:   link to Solida IIR with Ennagon lens Franka Solida IIR with Ennagon lens with 3 panoramas

added 15th December 2009: lots more photographs taken with a Kodak Retina 1B  link: Kodak Retina 1B

new addition: Franka Super Frankarette:  thumbnail: Franka Super Frankarette

 

 

Rolleiflex Automat 4 with f3.5 Xenar lens

 My Twin Lens Reflex Cameras

 

 

Zeiss Ikon Ikoflex with f3.5 Tessar lens

 

 

 

Franka Solida IIL with f3.5 Xenar lens

 

Classic Folding Cameras of the 1950's

Franka Solida III with f2.9 Radionar lens

 

Using a folder is painstakingly particular. I quickly found that I actually need all of that fiddling before taking a photo. It slows me down, giving me time to think about the shot. It takes several seconds to reset the camera, making each shot more precious. I find myself waiting longer for just the right moment and considering the composition and subject matter much more thoroughly. In fact, I've discovered that shooting with this rig is a meditative experience like no other I've ever experienced. My photography is much better for it.

  from 'My Pocket Hassy' by Dave Bias 

 

Voigtlander Bessa Rangefinder with f35. Heliar lens

     

my Voigtländer collection

1924~63

 

three Voigtlander 1920's Rollfilm cameras

 

 

1948 Kodak Special Six-16

 

 

my Kodak collection

1918~56

 

 

my 1921 Kodak no.3

 

  



 

 Agfa's etc:

    Agfa's 1920/30's 'Standard':  

 

           1930/40's Billy Records:  

 

and the beautiful French Pontiac Bloc-Metal 45 :   Pontiac Bloc-Metal camera





The Irresistible Charm Of A Folding Camera

I finally went out shooting with this beauty. I had the impression to reproduce the gesture of ancient times and thought about the people who used this camera before me.

I thought that this was what I like about old cameras. They're the spirit of the past. And all former users of this camera had left something in it. And now it’s my turn to use it and put my emotions in the pictures I take.

How many people could have owned this camera? And what kind of pictures had the lens seen and taken before? That’s the sense of history.

These cameras are witnesses to changing hands and changing times.
But the memory of the past is there.

And people are curious when they see such a camera. I heard a mother telling her young son:

“Look! That’s a very old camera. That’s how the people took pictures a long time ago.”

taken from a contribution by vicuna to lomography on using his  thumbnail: Pontiac Bloc Metal 41 Pontiac Bloc Metal 41

 



 


and how it all started:

1939 Kodak Vest Pocket 127

Kodak VP127 and link to: my early years

 

~ ~ ~ 

For conversion of obsolete film-format cameras to 120 film see:

  Kodak No.3 red-bellows    & making the spool spacers

~ ~ ~ 

 

e-mail the photographer    Callum Grant of Fellsphoto

 

other Fellsphoto Vintage pages:

and the guide:   How to describe a vintage camera for sale on ebay

testing shutter speeds

answering the ebay seller's question: Why did they make them so complicated?

also: a source of affordable film

 

learn more about classic folding camerasAgfa Isolette restored by Jurgen Krecke with brassed metal, green leather and tan bellows (links to lots of interesting websites)

 

Price comparisons are taken from measuringworth.com