I bought a new camera and need help

[matthew_hudson1]

I bought a camera and there isn't much about it on the internet and I wonder if

anyone knew anything about it.

 

This is a TLR called "Auto Forty" by American Camera Company, but is made in

Japan. The camera is in near mint condition, fully functional, and I am

looking for any information about possible manuals or what it may be worth.

 

Oh, do you re-wind these thigns, ro just keep shooting until it winds the film

onto the other reel.

[bueh]

It's worth what people pay for it. Which is probably not much, I'd guess around $30-40 if you're lucky. I can't help you with the manual, but it seems to be run-of-the-mill early Rolleicord copy, so look for generic info on that camera. By the way, your camera was also sold as Accuraflex.

 

Yes, you wind the film completely onto the take-up spool, tape it shut and give the exposed roll to your lab.

[gnashings]

I have to say that asking what something is worth AFTER buying it is just silly. First of all, you spend your hard earned money on something you can't place a value on, secondly... once you did, what difference does it make?

Then there is eBay - go to eBay, look at completed auctions - there is your set of prices that will give you a ver close idea of value. That simple.

 

Now, as to using the camera - as has been said by Bueh, your camera is a knock off of a successful, and much copied design. There were dozens (or more likely hundreds) of cameras very much like yours. Some levers may be different or in different places, but if you know how to work ANY manual camera, you should be able to decipher what does what and go from there.

Do you know how to handle 120 film? If you do, just play around with the camera, don't force anything, and it really is very self explanatory. If you don't, google it. You can't break it if you don't do something ham-fisted.

[peter_evans4]

<p>However bad it is, it's probably a lot better than a Holga. And

look how excited people are about Holgas these days. Indeed, I think

old no-name Japanese TLRs are greatly underrated -- as long as you

don't mind the murky focusing screens.</p><p>Treat it with respect.

You'll have to cock the shutter before you fire it. If something

(shutter, focusing control, etc.) seems to be gummed up, that's

because it's gummed up. Don't force it and don't attempt to fix it

yourself;

leave this to somebody who knows what they're doing. I recommend <a

href="http://www.deansofidaho.com/">Dean's of Idaho</a> from

first-hand experience with my own cheapo Japanese TLR: his rates are

reasonable and he doesn't look down on cheap cameras (or their

owners).</p>

[SCL]

You might check www.butkus.org. He maintains several hundred old camera instruction manuals there.

[peter_mounier]

Craig's Camera has about 80,000 instruction manuals for cameras and photo equipment,

including your AutoForty. Go to the very bottom of this page...

http://www.craigcamera.com/ib_a.htm

 

Peter

[cenelsonfoto]

Seconding Evan's suggestion for Dean Williams as a point of servicing should you require same. Dean is a founding/contributing member of our community (As is Evans) at Nelson Foto Forums - you might wish to register and post further queries for info there as we have an esteemed group of collectors and users who may well have all the info you wish to possess.<p>

 

As to the camera in question: Sounds like you nailed <a href=" of these beauties.</a> If so, I would think it perfectly capable of making nice images, provided it is functional.<p>

From http://www.tlr-cameras.com/American/index.html, the following:<br><i>US Camera Corp Auto-Forty

 

Not really American - bought in from Japan - an Accuraflex under the skin. but quite a nice camera, with a "space-age" nameplate. But who made it? I've never satisfied myself on the origins of he Accuraflex and its several siblings under different names. Go to my "Japanese" page and link to "Mystery TLRs" to explore this one.

Taking lens Tritar 80mm f3.5

Shutter "Synchronized" 1/25 - 1/300</i><p>

 

My only input regarding price is to be comfortable with what you paid for it. It's done. Load some film in it, and take her for a spin, see what she can do.<p>

Best,<br>

CE Nelson<br>

<a href="http://nelsonfoto.com/v">Nelson Foto Forums</a>

[cpj]

Actually, your Auto Forty (imported by United States Camera Corp. of Chicago) was

considered a pretty good twin lens reflex for its day--the early 1950s. It has an automatic

film stop and an exposure counter, so after shooting you just wind until the film stops. At

the end of the roll, wind it all up on the take-up spool.

 

If it is in excellent shape, it is probably worth $70 to $80 to someone who would use it

and perhaps less, as someone else said, as a collector item. It is similar to the Rolleicord

but probably has the Tritar Anastigmat lens which wouldn't be as good as the Tessar or

Xenar on a Rolleicord.

[matthew_hudson1]

Hi everyone and thank you for your answers. The camera is really fantastic! So far I've only shot one roll of tri on it, but the images were pretty good (a bit soft, but I think that was me, will know on the second roll). I also found that it has a PC socket that I can use to trigger studio strobes. I've not tried it yet, but may in the next few days.

 

One issue I had with the film was that it was streaked and fogged in the center of the film. I looked and there does not appear to be a light leak through the shutter, but the fogging is pretty noticable. The center of the unexposed film is misted. Any ideas?

[richard_pike]

Possibly leak around the perimiter of the lens mount? Also recheck the light seals around the back & the Viewfinder.

 

Good luck!

 

Richard