Still waiting for my F7!

[Andrew Garrard]

Ah - I'd not realised the SL66 was an SLR. (Clue is in the name, I guess.) Sounds a little like a medium format version of the Contax AX, maybe? (Or the TECHART Pro, or indeed TC-16A.) Although I suppose it's also a lot more like a field camera. :-)

 

I believe you about the noise of any medium format SLR, particularly with a focal-plane shutter. Even my "little" Pentax 645 (which has a vertical cloth shutter that in theory shouldn't move much further than a Leica's horizontal one) sounds like I've broken something every time the shutter fires - both from the mirror slap and shutter combination and with the film wind. It's really not a wildlife camera unless you want only one shot per day. But then I remember when they tried to enforce beeping noises on cell phone cameras to avoid the spate of covert photos in locker rooms; my first experience was scaring off a mouse that happened to have wandered close enough to get captured (or would have done if I'd had more than one shot before it bolted).

[Dieter Schaefer]

Contax AX

Way before the AX. SL66 = Single Lens (Reflex) 6 x 6 format or 1966, the year the camera was introduced at the Photokina. Heidecke (of Rollei) had died in 1960, ending the gentlemen's agreement with Victor Hasselblad that consisted of Hasselblad not making any TLR and Rollei not any SLR; apparently it took a few years for Rollei to develop the SL66.

[rodeo_joe1]

"Heidecke (of Rollei) had died in 1960, ending the gentlemen's agreement with Victor Hasselblad that consisted of Hasselblad not making any TLR and Rollei not any SLR;"

- I never knew about that agreement Dieter. I think Hasselblad definitely got the better part of that deal. Who in their right mind would want to inflict another TLR on the world? Oh, yes, Mamiya.... and Gowland. Nuff said!

 

I like my old (almost silent) Retina and Werra rangefinders. Shame the pseudo-interchangeable lenses weren't a bit better and didn't offer a wider range.

Edited March 10, 2017 by rodeo_joe|1

[rossb]

My son gave me a Nikon N80 today. I owned it before and came into it as a gift from somebody that was just giving away film stuff for digital. I shot if for a few months back then and gave it to my son. He did not use it but kept it around while he earned his Masters in Montana. Anyway he gave it back to day and it works fine. It has a power winder on it which makes the grip real nice. The auto focus is kind of clunky. However I loaded it up and am shooting some photos with it . I am pushing HP5 to 1600. I am not going to give it away again and will just keep it around. It will be nice to use with my Nikon flash as it will provide ttl flash for me. The FM2n is auto flash only which actually works very well. The eye relief is fine to shoot with glasses on.

[rossb]

I went through the custom features and have it set up well. Forgot it had a pop up flash and used that once already. It's all good. I am surprised really that it is held in such low esteem. But whatever I am going to use it along with my FM2n. It's been fun using today as we have family over for a barbecue. My Grand daughter is wearing her ballerina outfit as she starts ballerina class tomorrow at the YMCA. I am not going to the first class although I really want to. I am going to baby sit my Grand son while Mom and Dad go to ballerina class. I will get my turn. I think I would like to shoot some slow shutter speed shots with the kids twirling and see how the blurr tuns out. Regular shots also of course. Always B/W.

[rossb]

So I put a roll of bulk load film in the N80 and shot the roll and it rewinds. Then I open the door and the power winder pulled my film off the roll. I then closed the door and put it all in the changing bag and processed the film onto my developing reel and ready to develop and see if anything survived. I will do it tonight. Probably the camera is retired or maybe I will use it with regular roll film.

[rossb]

I lost 6 frames. Next time loading film onto the spool I think I will put the tape on so that it attaches to the film and goes around the spool and then attaches to the film again..It cannot pull off the spool and it will have a double attachment to the film.. I am sure that will work even with a power winder. Always something to learn on how to make things work out well.

[rossb]

I put a new roll of film in the N80 with the film taped the way I mentioned. I also noticed that even though it sounds like it was rewinding the numbers did not count down. So in the future before opening the door I will look to make sure that occurred. It will not be a problem in the future. School of hard knocks. Now to facebook to see how my photos of my Granddaughter are doing in popularity. Today was her first day of Ballet. She is 5 y/o and I saw some video of her and she was was having a ball out there.