Finally, my grandmothers camera... and some pix

[bueh]

I knew quite some time that my grandmother had always liked to take

pictures, especially in her younger days. Before she died last year at

the age of 89 I had visited her often and sometimes tried to have her

recall what kind of camera(s) she had owned. She still could remember

some camera names when asked or even when only shown a camera. For

instance, when my friend brought her Nikon F801 (N8008) she asked:

"Oh, is that a Leica?", I had to know: "Sweet, you remember what a

Leica looked like...! Did you have had one once?" - "Of course not!" I

showed her a Yashica-Mat 124G (maybe she had had a Rollei or another

TLR...), but she would always vehemently deny having owned such an

expensive brand.<p>

I asked my mother, but she also couldn't remember what model or what

kind of camera her mother had had. She said because my grandma had

always been very economical (she had been a accountant/file clerk) it

had possibly been nothing fancy. So until last weekend her camera

seemed to be lost.<p>

It was my grandmother 90th birthday, her daughters and me visited her

grave and had a chat later. I brought again the issue of the lost

camera(s) when my aunt told me that she had been given my

grandmother's old folder camera some thirty years ago! Finally, the

mystery was solved.<P>

Well, it turned out be a cheap off-brand folder indeed. Because I have

never heard about this one and because there are only a few

information available on the net, I share this with you.<p>

The camera is a Beier Voran with a Rodenstock Trinar-Anastigmat 10,5cm

f/3,8 and a Compur-Rapid shutter. Negative format is probably 6x9,

with a mask for 6x4.5, which my grandmother apparently used all the

time. According to my internet research it was produced from 1937 to

1941, so my grandmother must have been in her early twenties when she

bought this camera. Value today is 18-25 Euro (about $30). The

condition of the camera I now have is quite poor: The shutter

mechanism seems to be rusted shut and cannot be cocked (so only T and

B works). When viewed from the inside, the lens is cloudy with a large

fingerprint on the rear element. Overall cosmetic condition is not

that great, it has some dents and rust and is a bit dirty.

<p>

Because I don't have a digital camera, here is only a flatbed scan of

this camera:<div></div>

[bueh]

Inside the camera was still a roll of film. "Must be from a Lanzarote vacation thirty years ago," my aunt claimed. It turned out to be an "Agfa Isopan Super Special" (Agfa ISS 100). To make a long story short, my pro lab developed it in its usual Ilfotec soup like an Agfapan 100, pushed one stop.<br>

But it wasn't a roll my grandmother had shot (as I had hoped), but pictures my aunt had taken took when she had been in her early twenties. Oh well...<p>

So here are some examples from this "found film". The old negative film still looks quite good, although contrast is weak. Despite the three-element lens the pictures are quite sharp, but keep in mind that these pictures were taken in bright sunlight.<div></div>

[bueh]

This guy was the boyfriend of my aunt at the time. They were together for a couple of years. He was in his hippie phase then and later became a tax consultant.<div></div>

[bueh]

Lanzarote is of volcanic origin and much of its landscape is covered with dark grey lava rocks.<div></div>

[gene m]

Wonderful story.Beier was founded in 1923. McKeown's does not list a Voran. It lists three folders made by Beier. None of them sound like yours. The guy is carrying a cheap looking camera case. Wonder what the camera was.

[dean_williams]

Bueh; Thanks for sharing some of the stories of your Grandmother and her camera. I'm glad the camera has come to you, being an enthusiast yourself. Knowing some of the history of the camera you now have is a even better since it is from your own family. Wouldn't it be great to be able to use it someday? I hope you are able to revive this old piece and make some more family history!

[david_bedell]

I think that's a decently spec'd camera. Too bad it's not in better shape.

 

Now if only your aunt had gone topless rather than Dieter...

[david_m]

A great thread apart from the previous rather insensitive post.

 

That camera case looks very much like the case of my Bilora Bella which was a German camera. Its amazing how those old films hold up.

[mdanger]

Great memories and thank you! Mary

[david_bedell]

You're right, David. My apologies.

 

Is there a moderator in the house?

[bueh]

I am glad you enjoyed this story. Although I'd love to have this camera repaired and brought into "!EXCELLENT+++!!!one" condition, it's not going to happen until I win the lottery. I think it's not easy to fix this camera, the lens elements are probably damaged by fungus and the shutter needs to be completely replaced. I am not that wealthy, but when I get the money it will became a great picture taker again, I promise. The same applies to the old Bessa 6x9 from my father's grandparents which is still working, but badly needs a CLA and adjusting etc.<p>

I once tried repairing an old folder I bought on an internet auction site and it wasn't such a good idea. At that time I'd thought "Well, lets see how hard this can be, eh." I ruined the shutter mechanism and dropped the front element while cleaning it (<i>crack!</i>) and probably screwed it back on the wrong way. You folks must be wizards when can do this stuff, but I learned my lesson. Better not try this with a family heirloom.

<p>

On a lighter side, I guess my aunt won't mind that indecent post. She is to much a fun person herself. I called after I got the film back and she is eagerly awaiting this trip back in time.<br>But imagine me when went to the lab and saw the contact print with pics of this half-naked guy: "Uh, I guess these pictures weren't taken by my grandmother after all... At least I hope so..."

[awahlster]

The new edition of McKeown's lists this camera and lens shutter combo on page 120 and 121. Sets the time frame as 1933-37 and the value at 40-60.00 USD

 

Also notes it was 6X9 or 4.5X6 on 120 film. it says it used a mask for 4.5X6

 

Looks to be from a pretty decent company that made a lot of different models of cameras.

[red_buckner]

David, I thought the joke was okay. After all, it's his aunt, not his mom. And anyway, that's a very good-looking aunt! Too bad she had a taste for demure-looking guys.

[silent1]

Bueh, it may be easier than you think to put that old Beier back in working condition. The Compur-Rapid is a very common shutter in folding cameras, and it's very likely you can find another in working condition that will fit the camera's front standard, simply by buying a suitably equipped 6x9 off eBay. You may find that the elements from your Trinar-Anastigmat have compatible threads -- sometimes the shutter was the standard to which the lenses were matched, and sometime the other way 'round; if not, it would be possible to use the camera with a different lens, though certainly preferable to have the original. Removing a shutter and replacing it are pretty simple operations, especially on folding cameras without body release, as are cleaning up the glass and transferring it to another shutter (assuming threads match).

 

The only tricky operation is loosening the retaining ring that holds the shutter to the front standard (without scratching it or the inside of the standard, leaving bright marks that can scatter light and create flare), but that would need to be done to clean the shutter you have, anyway. That shutter may not be completely dead, either -- but if you're not comfortable disassembling it, you might try contacting Jurgen Kreckel (eBay ID Certo6) to ask what he'd charge for a simple CLA or alternately to replace that shutter. There are others, too, who can do that work. If it were my grandma's camera, I wouldn't hesitate -- but I've cleaned a number of shutters and lenses before, the first time more than 30 years ago (a focal plane shutter in SLR, without a manual).

[mike_elek]

Bueh, completely off topic, can you send me your address offline to melek[at]fptoday.com? I still have a roll of Agfapan 25 I'd like to send to you.

[gene m]

The aunt is hot. It may not be politically correct to note this but I don't really care about being PC.

[mskovacs]

Rodenstock lens, compur shutter: couldn't be that cheap of a folder. It ought to be a decently made triplet and the shutter is top of the line. If its rusted, that doesn't sound too good. If its simply gummed-up, that's an easy fix that many here could guide you through.

[stephen_w.]

Cool story with a trip back on the time machine. I can just imagine the feeling when getting the photos back. BTW, I'm going to Frisco for my Grandmother's 100th next month. It'll be the first complete family reunion in decades.

[silent1]

Something else that occurred to me -- if the T and B close promptly, it's likely there's nothing major wrong with that shutter, it just needs cleaning and might have become jammed so that it won't cock. Most of the problems with rusted shutters (of that type) come in the form of excessive friction in the leaves that will make them stick open at all speeds, but close when cocked. It's even possible that it simply has a self-timer that's stuck, and would work normally without the self timer if you could get the timer unstuck.

 

However -- continued attempts to operate a shutter that has an internal jam can bend or break internal parts, so it's probably best, if you're not comfortable opening it (and I can understand that after your previous experience) to ask around for who might be willing to look it over for a reasonable price. It seems very likely, to me, that the shutter is not only repairable, but would be fixed by a basic cleaning service.

[bueh]

Thanks for your help regarding this camera. Believe me, I won't try to tinker with this camera. Maybe in a couple years when I have tried my repair skillz often enough on unsuspecting folders from that auction site I might want to take a look at it again, but for the time being this is not an option.<p>

More tech details for all interested: The shutter has no self-timer and no flash connector. The camera has a convenient shutter release on the body, a small reflex finder and a flip-up optical viewfinder with a mask for the two formats. It has no frame counter, no double-exposure prevention, no rangefinder and no hot/cold shoe. But I do have a matching leather case and a yellow-green filter for it.<p>

I'll post again when I've talked with my aunt about the scans I mailed her. Maybe we will learn more about Dieter.<div></div>

[connealy]

Great story. That very sharp portrait at minimal focus distance with a long lens shows that your aunt knew how to handle the camera. Will look forward to the next chapter.

[kenb]

I have just bought a similar camera from a charity shop in England . It is a Beier folding camera with a compur shutter and a Meyer Garlitz f 4.5 Trioplan lens. Everything is working ok and have a nice quality feel , no film inside however