Rapid Omega 100 6x7 Rangefinder - Part Deux

<p><strong>Rapid Omega 100 6x7 Rangefinder</strong><br>

1975<br />Kadlubek Nr. KON1760<br /><br />I have previously posted on this camera at<br /><br /> http://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00YatJ <br /><br />Since that time, I had got a 120 magazine for the camera in addition to the 220 it came with, from which a couple of test shots were shown at the end of the post.<br /><br />Here is the camera, showing a 49mm>Series VI double-threaded adapter on the left, and some 49mm screw-in filters to the right. Although the film box is only for scale, I actually shot Fujifilm 400 C41 color-negative film.</p>

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<p>The history of the camera is covered in the previous post, so this one is just to show off the Hexanon 90mm lens and the rangefinder in the context of, of, YES! <br /><br />more <strong>water towers!</strong><br /><br /><br />Here at the turn off US 51 to Makanda, Illinois, is the Makanda smiley-face water tower [under my revised tax plan, the "Value-Subtracted Tax" (VST), this would incur the maximum penalty].<br>

Makanda was the home of Senator Paul Simon, quondam candidate for POTUS, and his signature was wearing a bow-tie -- hence the one on the water tower.<br /><br /></p>

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<p>Here on the downtown sidewalk (the only one) of Makanda is an open sign repeating a certain motif.</p><div></div>

<p>If you are in the <a href="http://villageofmakanda.com/events.html">Makanda neighborhood, Saturday 19 or 20, 2013</a>....</p>

 

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<p><br />Saturday, October 19, 2013 from 11 am to 7 pm and Sunday, October 20, 2013 from 11 am to 6 pm in Downtown Makanda. This event ends at the scheduled time and camping, alcoholic beverages, and fires or fireworks are strictly prohibited.<br /><br />Black vultures and turkey vultures fly and swoop in the skies surrounding Makanda each fall. Local residents await their return each fall as an end to the hot summer and the beginning of cooler fall weather. This event is a celebration or the vulture's annual migration with live music and displays by local artists for purchase.</p>

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<p>Others have swallows, we got vultures!<br /><br /><br /><br>

Makanda is also the "gateway to Giant City State Park", and I have previously shown many pictures of its unspoiled natural scenes, as well as its remarkable preservation of a major CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps, a sort of American Reichsarbeitsdienst) works ( http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/parks/r5/gc.htm ). It's a wonderful spot for spring or fall (when the temperatures are cooler) up in the unglaciated Shawnee National Forest with canyons, prehistoric stone fort, and many other hiking trails. Reservations for the lodge cabins need to be made well ahead, however. Also wonderful fried chicken at the Lodge restaurant.<br>

<br />Could any major Southern Illinois attraction not have a water tower?</p><div></div>

<p>Here is a view of the forest (and the lodge swimming pool) from the platform on the water tower.<br /><br /></p><div></div>

<p>The underbelly of this water tower - at least it's not anatomical.<br /><br /></p><div></div>

<p>JDM, that camera... it's a beeeeast. I've been drooling at some of them for a while.</p>

<p>These 6x7 cm negatives were scanned on a Canoscan 9000F using Vuescan at 1200 ppi.</p>

<p>Minor adjustment of exposure and some touch-up of dust specks are the only modifications.</p>

<p>See what your thoughtless ribbing me for my polyspheroid water tower pictures has made me do. :(</p>

<p>Some of you may be surprised also to see that not quite all of Illinois is flat farmland, just the glaciated part.</p>

<p>I wish that 220 film were easier to find these days, since the main drawback is the 10 images per 120 roll. I do have some in the 'fridge, though, so I'll be getting back to this camera.</p>

<p>It's actually a very handy camera, works more like a 35mm RF than most medium format cameras do. If the Nikon F hadn't come in, this camera could have taken on 4x5 press photography, since it's so easy to use and handle.</p>

<p>Finally, as I have noted elsewhere, this camera is one of many shown in the movie <em>Close Encounters of the Third Kind</em>. I'm not sure if it was "product placement" or just an idea that this is the sort of camera the scientist/UFOlogists should have been using.</p>

<p><br /> ENUF/</p>

<p>Now that is an impressive beast, and a plethora of water towers...made my day! Seriously, those towers are quite attractive and your last shot of it's...um..private parts, makes a great abstract.<br>

I've never clapped eyes on that Koni-Omega, but it sure looks impressive and I would imagine that the pics would be equally so. The closest I have come to something like that is the Mamiya press of which I still have a battered Polaroid version around the place.<br>

Great work again and we look forward to many more pictures of those poly-whatsit water towers :)</p>

<p>I don't think I can top Tony's comments on the towers, <strong>JDM</strong>, but accept my heartfelt thanks... Nice exposé on the Koni-Omega, never one of my favourite cameras but one which can certainly produce great images, with those excellent lenses. I found the camera clunky and rackety to use, though they <em>were</em> a favourite of wedding photographers. I used one extensively for aerial photography, always hoping the damn thing wouldn't jam up in the confusion of the moment. Thanks for another interesting and informative post.</p>

<p>I agree that the camera produces great images but it is a little akward to use if you are used o a smaller Nikon. I have one of these and used it once but I had some pretty severe negative overlap. Does anyone know where to send the magazine for repair or is that not feasible?</p>

<p>I think negative overlap is common to many medium format cameras -- in this case, I had no actual overlap, but two images were divided by only a thin line. As with many 6cm film cameras, these seem to be very sensitive to how you load the camera.<br /> If you keep tension on the take-up and film spools as you load, the problem is at least minimized.</p><div></div>

Nice shooting. Playing to the home crowd here the water tower theme. eh? Very nice results. I have this camera too. I keep forgetting the model differences. They are so similar. I think mine is the Rapid M. I too have this very sharp and very nice Hexanon. I may have told this story on your previous post. Back in 1991 or so I was working and living in Paris. Before I left I wanted to shoot the sights in MF and decided this was the camera. A French friend had just bought an EOS something for an upcoming USA trip and wanted to try out his new rig. He was laughing at me with my big ol Koni. So we went out shooting together He quit laughing when we compared photos. He was really shocked that the Hexanon performed so well. I think his expectations were quite low. Now maybe I ought to take mine out ..been about a two years since I last shot with it!