Old Cameras

**Derek** · 17th May 10, 08:13 AM

Needing to clean our loft out we came across our two old school days cameras, Mine was a Kodak 127 and Elaine was a Coronet 66. Just wondered if anyone else still had their old cameras.

Iechyd Da
Derek

**walkerk** · 17th May 10, 09:56 AM

The Brownie 127 is fondly remembered as my first camera at about the age of seven. Still have a couple of old ones:

http://www.crocuta.com/petri/index.html

http://www.crocuta.com/yashica/index.html

**auld argonian** · 17th May 10, 10:41 AM

My dear fella, not only do I have my old cameras, I've spent a good deal of time and, fortunately, not a good deal of money picking up other peoples'.

Against all logic, I've picked up several nice 127 cameras along the way and actually have some black and white film for them. I had to pick up a special tank and reel to develop the film and found the 127 (4X4 cm) neg holder for my enlarger but it's been worth it. You're lucky that you live in the UK because 127 was taken a bit more seriously there and many of the best cameras that shoot that format are to be found in the used market and probably at a good rummage sale (jumble sale...isn't that the UK term?). Looked dicey on getting the film since it was being manufactured by one plant and that was in Yugoslavia and we all know what happened to Yugoslavia...though I still don't know just how many pieces it got broken into. Thankfully, you can still get film now though it's going for about $5 US a roll.

It's fun to shoot with since you have twelve frames and you have to make 'em count. None of that "infinite number of digital images on a four gig card" thinking that goes on now. One of my best is a Bell and Howell 127 camera that has automatic exposure thanks to a very old cds lightmeter assembly where what would be the needle in a regular meter is an aperture control for the lens. Primitive, only two or three optical elements but very nice results.

Always worth finding a serviceable old camera and using it to shoot some vintage stuff. Let me see if I can find the very cool website...

http://www.junkstorecameras.com/

...this is a fantastic site full of those "hey! my grandma had that camera" things.

Best

AA

**Livingston** · 17th May 10, 12:57 PM

I will have to post pictures of mine later. I have a Kodak Vest Pocket Jr among other cameras from the 'teens, twenties and thirties. No, I'm not that old, just collect them.

**Darkislander** · 17th May 10, 03:59 PM

Could be the antiques of the future. Working in a photo lab myself I can say that the technology has moved on, but the classic photo taking mistakes still live on !.

**Livingston** · 17th May 10, 08:03 PM

Well, with 2 moves in the last year and everything having been in storage for over 6 months I just not sure where those cameras are right now. I'll have to search them out and post later.

**GMan** · 19th May 10, 01:34 PM

I do love to see the old cameras as I have several myself.

**Kilted_John** · 19th May 10, 09:28 PM

Derek,

I don't have anything that old, but I still use my 35mm Nikon gear almost daily. As well as a 1964 vintage Pentax. In fact, my favorites are my Nikon F bodies (have two, one with meter, one without).

There is a forum that would be of interest to those of us who still have analog gear and either use it today, or have thought about starting to use it again.

http://www.apug.org

It's the Analog Photography Users Group, or APUG. I post over there as "John_Nikon_F".

-J