Favorite folding 120 cameras for shooting and collecting

I have always loved the older folding cameras. I started collecting not too long ago and decided I would start

with a few common ones in the best condition I could find. Now that I have a couple, I want to find a few that

will shoot 120 film, have good lenses and are capable of great results if I do my part correctly.

 

I would like to find some 120 shooters in good condition from France, Germany, Italy and so on.

 

Can anyone tell me what their favorite 120 shooter is and possibly post a photo taken with it?

 

A friend recommended a French Lumiere and I thought I might start watching out for one along with some of the

less famous post war Japanese 120 cameras, like a Zenobia or others.

 

zing

Plaubel 6x9 Makina

Good choice William!

 

I've always liked the German Zeiss Ikon stuff, in particular the less elaborate models. I have a couple (OK...3) Nettar

518/16's, two Nettar 515's, a Nettar 516/2 and my personal favorite my Mess Ikonta 524/16. I'd love to get my hands

on a Mess Ikonta 524/2 with the Tessar lens, Compur shutter...Anyone out there got a good one???

 

If you go to my portfolio you can see some photos taken with these cameras.

 

http://www.photo.net/photos/Roseberry%20Guitars

 

Keep us posted on your selections.

I too have a little Zeiss Ikon 518 with a Tessar/Compur and I love it for 6 x 4.5. But for full 6 x 6, it's a Voigtlander Perkeo II, Skopar/Compur. It's tiny, sharp, and reliable, and just about the cutest package you'd ever want to see, IMO.

I have a Zeiss Nettar BOB 510/2. Also, while it is a 127. A Zeiss Ikomat 520/18, with a Compur shutter.

I really like the first one I got this past spring; the Zeiss Ikon 515 Nettar. The Novar f4.5 lens really surprised me with sharpness and the build quality is impressive 70 years later. It's no Ikonta but I like it a lot!

I only have one 120 camera so by default it is my favorite and I have yet to take a photo with it. It is a Zeiss super Ikonta 532/16 and it is in like new condition. It has a f2.8 80 mm lens. The weather has not been great here in Seattle so far, and I can't find a lens shade for it. Plus a lot of other excuses, most revolving around my difficulty in walking. It is a truly beautiful camera, the rangefinder is great and the lens in clear. I have only had it for a few months. I have about 70 other cameras I have not yet used including Leica M2. M3, M6, Nikon F, F2, F4s, F100, FE2, FMn2, Nikkormat FT, FTn, and FT3. I went crazy on collectibles a few years ago, and if Ivor Matanle liked it, I had to have it.

I've recently acquired a Super Ikonta 321/16 as well, I did have the pleasure of shooting a roll of film through it. I was very pleased with the results! Mine came with the war-time black shutter frame and the camera was in a 'like new'-condition

 

There's a Kodak No.2 Folding Brownie in the display case, I need to fix the bellows before I go out shooting with it again.

 

I still miss my Zeiss Ikon Nettar. It was the first classic camera I bought 4 years ago.

Hi,

 

The next one ... I've been looking at an Agfa Billy 6x9 in great shape .... I was so enamoured of Luis

and Russ with the 645 Zeiss folders...had to have one ..It's fleet and petit for a 70 year old camera ...I just haven't

conquered the light leaks. I have a post war Super Ikonta 6x6 with the 2,8 lens and rangefinder and double exposure

lock.. It's a bit rough all around, but does it's job. I quess this has to be the fav... because I've had it so long! Tough

question! A pristine Zeiss 6 x 9 with a Tessar... mmmh would be hard to resisit I*'m so in to the big negative. Ikonta

never came in 6x7?

For collecting, none.

 

For shooting, 2x3 Graphics. One needs a 2x3 Speed and a Century or 2x3 Crown to be able to use lenses in barrel and long lenses (Speed) and short lenses (Century/Crown). Cameras with fixed lenses are much more, um, constraining.

Ah, how quickly we forget. For postwar German folders (say Day-Day-Err), we must remember the Weltax (6x6 or

4,5x6), the Belfoca, and the Ercona, the latter two either 6x9 or 6x6--if you are lucky enough to still have the

masks to convert.

 

These are "based on" (=hardly changed) more famous pre-war German folders. They are all good shooters, though.

I love shooting with my new-to-me AGFA Isolette (circa 1945) with a 4.5 Apotar.

 

My dad gave it to me, and I fixed it up. These are common enough/simple enough that there is a lot of information on the web, and I learned how to do a complete CLA including disaseembling, cleaning and collimating the lens!

 

This little pocket-sized camera is a joy to snapshoot with, and delivers lovely pictures.

 

My example doesn't have a shoe mount, so my little rangefinder accessory stays in my pocket alongside my light meter. Otherwise I would say this camera is perfect. I just have to ALWAYS be careful, there is no double-exposure protection. Having grown up shooting on a Spotmatic, winding film and cocking shutters are a naturally integrated process for me. With the AGFA, I have to talk to myself through every shot, reminding myself to wind on right after taking the shot. Then, cock the shutter right before the next shot.

 

The crude viewfinder, with no parallax correction, makes for the odd surprise, but it is nice and bright!

Ikonta C is a fine camera as well. First rate leather bellows, likely to be in good shape, and of course a first-rate German shutter. More expensive than the Nettars, due to better shutters, and maybe more sturdy?

 

There were some good No. 1 Kodaks, especially the Specials, but the bellows are hit or miss.

 

The Kodak Vigilants and Monitors are excellent cameras, at least with the fast lenses, but they are 620, so that's a hassle.

JDM is right about the Weltax. I had one of those for a while too, it had a mask to get down to 4.5; built like a Mack Truck, it was (albeit a bit heavy), and also had a Tessar/Compur, from what I remember. The other one I really enjoyed was the Certo 6, what a piece of engineering, with parallax correction and couple rangefinder, but also a bit of a beast because of its weight. Mine had a gorgeous Tessar 2.8 in a Compur Rapid--razor sharp results at 5.6 and smaller. The only ones I've kept are the little lightweights--Perkeo II and Zeiss 518--pure loveliness.

I like my Welta Weltur with the coupled rangefinder.<div></div>

<p>For folding cameras, I've tried to restrict myself to Zeiss Ikon and Agfa Isolettes and some of the

Kodak/Nagels -- the reason being that you can spend an enormous amount of time and money (mostly money) buying

them.</p>

<p><b><i>Favorites</i></b></p>

<p>-- <b>Super Ikonta 531 with Tessar:</b> Compact little folder that you can slip into a coat pocket. Very easy

to use, although the van Albada viewfinder is a bit dim for my taste. Even so, outstanding build quality, and a

sharp Tessar lens.<br>

<a target="_blank" href=http://elekm.net/pages/cameras/sikonta531.htm>Mini-review</a></p>

<p>-- <b>Super Ikonta 532/16 with Tessar:</b> Solid camera, excellent lens. You give up one frame to the

autospacing mechanism. Typically Zeiss Ikon in build, which is to say that it's large, somewhat heavy and screams

quality. The 533/16 has an integrated, uncoupled selenium light meter and is a monster-sized camera -- I need to

service mine before I use it.<br>

<a target="_blank" href="http://elekm.net/pages/cameras/sikonta532-16.htm">Mini-review</a></p>

<p>-- <b>Mess Ikonta 524/16 with Tessar:</b> Excellent coated lens and very easy to use, even with the uncoupled

rangefinder.<br>

<a target="_blank" href=http://elekm.net/pages/cameras/ikonta_524-16.htm>Mini-review</a></p>

<p>-- <b>Mess Ikonta 524/2 with Tessar:</b> Another Zeiss Ikon classic. You can't beat 6x9.<br>

<a target="_blank" href=http://elekm.net/pages/cameras/ikonta524-2.htm>Mini-review</a></p>

<p>-- <b>Ikonta 520/2 with Tessar:</b> Hands-down, one of the sharpest lenses that I've encountered. Its ability

to resolve fine detail is amazing. From f/8, its scary how much information it records.<br>

<a target="_blank" href=http://elekm.net/pages/cameras/ikonta520-2.htm>Mini-review</a> (Check out the two Zoomify

samples)</p>

<p>-- <b>Super Ikonta 530/2 with Tessar:</b> Another excellent camera with the added benefit of a rangefinder.<br>

<a target="_blank" href=http://elekm.net/pages/cameras/sikonta530-2.htm>Mini-review</a></p>

<p>-- <b>Agfa Isolette III with Apotar (triplet) or Solinar (Tessar-type formula):</b> Lightweight yet sturdy

camera with a great uncoupled rangefinder. That dial is the way to go. This camera has a high "fun" factor.<br>

<a target="_blank" href=http://elekm.net/pages/cameras/isolette-iii.htm>Mini-review</a></p>

<p>-- <b>Voigtlander Bessa (6x9):</b> Lightweight camera with the Voigtlander focus-by-dial. Nice shutter release

and good build. Viewfinder is far to the right, while the rangefinder window is in the middle. Typical

Voigtlander oddities when it comes to ergonomics. Mine has the Helomar -- a well-designed triplet. Sorry, no

review.</p>

<p>-- <b>Kodak/Nagel Duo 620, Series II:</b> Great folding cameras with uncoated, sharp lenses. The shutter

release travel is a bit too deep, I think. Plus, you have to respool 120 -- not a huge pain, but an inconvenient

truth (when it comes to 620 cameras).<br>

<a target="_blank" href=http://elekm.net/pages/cameras/duo620.htm>Mini-review</a></p>

<p>Certainly, there are other quite capable cameras, including the Voigtlanders, Balda, Welta, Ihagee, a number

of Kodaks and a couple from Konica and other Japanese makers.</p>

Mike Elek, it is good to have you posting once more. Where have you been?

Zeiss Ikon Super Ikomta IV.

 

Ciao.

So far I have found that the simplest are the handiest. I avoid the collectible models like the Bessa II and the Super Ikonta with Tessar because the cost differential between them and the simpler Bessas, Nettars and Ikontas (often a factor of 10x) does not seem to me proportionate to the functional or optical differential. Especially if you get one of the better lens/shutter combos on the simpler cameras.

 

For me the most fun to use have been the Ikontas with 4.5 or 3.5 Novars in Vario or Pronto shutters. A serviceable one can be had for under US$40.00. The very low-end models with the 6.3 or 7.7 lenses in Derval and similar shutters are too limiting. The Mess-Ikonta is a little more expensive but also good.

 

I like the Bessas, too, but my Bessa I 6x9 is not so much fun. It's awkward and I don't like the way the multiple exposure prevention works. The Baby Bessa 6x6 is a delight.

 

I have an Agfa Isolette I with what appears to be a good bellows and if I ever get the front element of the Apotar unstuck, it feels as if it will be a handy little camera. But I still don't think I will like it as much as an Ikonta B.

My only 120 folder was my father's:

 

1930's British Ensign Greyhound. Getting pin-holes in bellows, will have to

paint over them, but still works fine. Negatives are great for contact printing.

 

/Clay

Kerry, after trying out the F4s, would you mind reporting back to the question:

 

Is it a heavy weight camera or a light weight bludgeon?

 

:)

 

ps, I had one, it was my favorite camera and was able to bribe my girlfriend to carry it, for food.

My favorite is the Agfa Super-Isolette with Solinar lens and coupled RF. <br>

<a href="http://s8.photobucket.com/albums/a11/julio1fer/Super-Isolette/?action=view&current=6.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a11/julio1fer/Super-Isolette/6.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Kerry, after trying out the F4s, would you mind reporting back to the question:

 

Is it a heavy weight camera or a light weight bludgeon?

 

Good question. It is the heaviest of all my 35mm cameras. I have never held a Nikon 5, and the 4s may be even heavier than the 5. As a person with degrading eyesight, I will say that the F4's built-in diopter is the best I have yet come across in a camera.

There really are a lot of fine cameras available. Thanks for linking your photographs, Scot!

Very Nice.

 

It took a while to check them all out on-line and the review links were awesome.

 

My friend said he noticed over the last year or so the prices of the a lot cameras mentioned have gone up a good bit on the auction site.

 

I have to admit that if I had to choose between a collectible and a shooter, I'm more interested in a shooter !

 

Thanks for the replies so far.

 

zing

I thought of a couple more questions after reading the replies again.

 

One is from Dan Fromm's reply about the 2x3 speed graphics and the crown. I've never seen a crown in any size, but I do have a speed graphic in 2x3. I don't understand why the speed would be for longer lenses.

 

Do the bellows have different lengths?

 

Julio, did you use a filter to get the photograph so clear close up and still see the fog or haze in the distance?

I really like that one!

 

zing