Classic Camera Contest

[david_richert]

OK I've been thinking of another "Classic Camera Contest" I was born

in 1955 and turn 50 in June it's my half way point. So how about a

contest open to all makes and models of cameras made in that decade

1950-1959. I'm open to a theme and would like to see suggestions

posted here. I will be coming out with a few guide lines to ease the

process along with the theme soon. I would take any suggestions to

improve over the last "Classic Camera Contest" I am not the best on

the digital to digital file to web page. I use FrontPage for my web

design and used Photo Shop 6 to compress to make them web ready. I

tried to load the pages so they would not crash those on dial ups.

Also Mike Kovacs and Ben Cochrane have come up with cameras for

prizes if you have a prize let me know. I wanted to drop a line to

Mihai Costea one to thank him for the vote tally and to see if he

would put up a signed print of his winning picture from the last

contest. A link to page on my web <a

href="http://davidrichert.com/us_camera_june_1955.htm">US Camera

June 1955</a><div></div>

[alan_gage]

Hi David,

 

"I was born in 1955 and turn 50 in June it's my half way point."

 

I guess you're a glass is half full kind of guy, huh? ;-)

 

Everything sounds good to me. I don't think any of us should have a problem coming up with a camera from the 50's. I wasn't involved in the last contest, but from the outside looking in it looked to go smooth. The posted images looked good to me and I thought you did a fine job.

 

Alan

 

BTW, if you want to do this again (after this one of course) I had a good idea for a theme; if I can just remember what it was... I'm sure I could come up with a prize too.

[titrisol]

How about classic cameras shooting something from the same era as the camera about) or the same era as the photogrpaher was born?

[smooch]

<b>Architecture.</b><p> How about taking pictures of classic 1950's buildings/houses etc. with 1950's camera's</p>

[dean_matsueda]

Sounds great! I think in honor of your birthday and age, how about a "50" theme.

Something broad enough to allow our creativity to run wild and yet something that ties all

the photographers, cameras and images together.

 

50 could mean a picture of something from the 1950's; 50 objects in a shot; something

that worth USD$50 or 50 in whomever's native currency; etc.

[Troll]

Let's all get costumes and put on a show, Judy.

[lesged]

Fine idea, but must the picture be taken now. I have loads of pictures taken with cameras current in those years, taken in the 1950s, but sold the cameras (Leica IIf and IIIf) in the late 60s.

 

BTW, interesting that the cover of June 1955 US Camera had Gine Lollabrigida on the cover. When she stopped acting she switched from acting to photography for her creative work. Anyone seen her works?

I have and was possitively impressed.

[awahlster]

Well as a Collector of mostly 1950's era rangefinders and other camera's the camera choice is fine with me. As to the referance to the year of birth at 48 I'm close enough to deal with 50. As to the 1950's era subject I think that could be very interesting and I'd be pumped up to try this one.

 

Let me know the details.

[lesged]

What I meant I to say was I didn't currently have a camera made in the 50s, but I forgot I have a wonderful Zeiss Contessa thanks to Mike Elek. That will be a good time to put it to real test and match it against its camera contemporaries. BTW, I haven't shown any photos taken with it yet on this forum. I will in a new thread before heading home to Framingham. MA. this Friday.

[michaelging]

David, I have a 1951 contax RF ,which was made the year I was born. I am excited to take part in the endevor. I too like the 50 theme idea.

let us know in this thread what's up when you decide.

[CosteaM]

Hi David,

I will also turn 50 few months later than you and I would be happy to help you make this event memorable. I could do the tally again if every one is ok with the system. I don't think I will compete this time since I don't have a camera made in the fifties but I would be honored to sign a print of my winning picture for the next contest.

[monochrome11]

how about using the 50 theme but not limiting it to cameras made in the 50s and instead opening it up to anything pre-60 as these cameras would have 'witnessed' the 50s so to speak... would open it up to more participants as well

[david_m]

How are we supposed to know when our cameras were made?

[andrea_ingram]

Great stuff. I'd like to be in since I'm 50 this year too :-(.

Theme on 50 is fine by me too - with any pre-50s camera so as to have as many contestants as possible would be nice.

[jeffpolaski]

I turned 58 last week, and that's MY half-way point.

[silent1]

David, how to date a camera is a long study in itself, especially for some models, but if you post here with information about a possible candidate, there are almost certainly folks on this forum who can help.

 

As a first approximation, uncoated lenses (other than in simple or bottom-end cameras) are almost always pre-WWII, while coated lenses are *almost* always post-War (a few pre-war lenses had very early soft coatings on internal surfaces only, or were after-market coated to upgrade an existing camera -- at the time it was a lot cheaper than replacement). Most Bakelite cameras are pre-1960, though where were quite a number of such made before WWII. Nearly all German and Japanese medium format folding cameras are pre-1960 as well (the Super Ikonta and a couple Japanese 6x6 models carried over to the mid-1960s, but the numbers are nothing compared to earlier production, before 35 mm took over so much market share). And there were very, very few 6x9 cameras produced after 1960; even the Soviet Union had dropped 6x9 in favor of 6x6 and 35 mm when the Mosvka line came to and end in 1959 or early 1960.

[mskovacs]

My Rolleiflex is 1950s vintage. I have a broken Contaflex IV that I really need to rescue that is also 1950s.

 

My prize camera isn't quite there yet. Lets just say that it has some focus issues currently. If I sort things out, for sure the Ikonta will be given away.

[janice_mackay]

Sounds great David, I look forward to hearing the details when all is finalised. I have several 1950's cameras in working order, so it will be a good opportunity to run some film through them.

 

Re the website - appreciate your consideration for those on dial-up connections (I'm one).

[Matthew Currie]

Oh boy! My recently acquired Argus C-4 is right on the money at 1951-59, though I don't know if I should subject such a showpiece to the rigors of actual outdoor shooting...<div></div>

[Sandeha Lynch]

Matt, that looks like it's still underwater. Shouldn't you take it out now?

[vrankin]

Here's one from my $10 Ebay Kodak Retinette taken recently on Superia 100 with a scan from Wal-Mart on their Frontier. I find the Retinette to be cheap & good!<div></div>

[larry davis]

I couldn't resist posting this one. This was the first of my own photos that came to mind on reading about this upcoming contest, which I think is a fun idea. I personally like the idea of shots taken with a 50's camera of something from or about the 50's. Since this shot was of the 50's but not by a 50's camera, I couldn't enter it, anyway. But any guy that was at least 6 years old in the 50's knows what this is and remembers when they were new.<div></div>

[miguel tuna]

I'm sad because I want to enter is this contest but I don't have any scanner:(

[smooch]

<i>I'm sad because I want to enter is this contest but I don't have any scanner:(</i><p>Take your film to your local photo place and they'll scan it and put it on a disk....simple!</p>

[michaelging]

Earl, I was going to suggst the same thing, but he lives in Portugal and they might not have a place there where he can have it scanned. Miguel you might try making a print and photographing it with a flatbed scanner or copying it with a digital camera. You can get pretty good quality if the origional print is good. This is too good of a contest not to find a way to enter.