gary green

I mentioned this in a similar thread. I have been extremely satisfied with 3-In-One Dry Lube for lubricating metal sliding parts. It goes on wet but dries very quickly. I typically wet a cotton swab and dab it on. It will wick into joints so use sparingly to avoid it spreading too far.

After being delayed by the holidays, illness, bad weather, and a mission trip, I finally finished the roll in my Retina Type 010 only to discover that the bellows had separated from the back of the film plane on one side ruining the entire 36-exposure roll. Oh well. I glued the bellows back in place with some black adhesive sealant and will try again.

@Mike Gammill I'll bet you installed a CB radio at some point too! My handle was "Doughboy", given to me by my friends because I worked the kitchen in my parents' pizza business.

@Mike Gammill Is that an 8-Track player under the dash? I hope so. My family had a '72 Impala sedan.

I have had excellent results with 3-IN-ONE Dry Lube. It is very thin and has excellent wicking properties but dries very quickly so use sparingly. I typically wet the end of a cotton swab and then touch the pivot points in the exposed shutter assembly (not the shutter blades though). Of course, only apply after cleaning the shutter.

Beautiful camera, John. It has an amazing resemblance to the Agfa Isolette while the shutter release is somewhat similar to the Kodak Tourist. I'd bet it's capable of fine results.

According to the web, it's a half-frame 35mm camera. Re-badged Ricoh Auto Half E2.

For the 12th of December, my last shot from the Aires 35-V loaded with Flic Film UltraPan 100 and developed in HC-110.

This coming week I plan to use this post-war Retina 1 Type 010 with Compur-Rapid shutter and the "Made In U.S.A." Ektar 50mm f3.5 lens. This is another of my collection that I purchased years ago and have never run a roll of film through. I was drawn to this camera by the USA Ektar lens which seemed unusual since Kodak introduced the "Anastigmat Ektar" lens in 1937 on the pre-war Retinas. However, after further research, it appears that the "Anastigmat Ektar" was simply a rebadged Schneider Xenar. I'm not sure why Kodak did this other than to minimize the fact that the camera was completely manufactured in Germany due to political tension that was mounting in Europe. Kodak did a similar thing prior to the U.S. entering WWI by eliminating the "Zeiss" name from the identifying ring on the lens faces. This is just a guess on my part however. I also liked the looks of the USA Ektar lens. With its bright face, black lens surround, and coated ("Lumenized") surfaces, the lens simply sparkles. Also, because it's an "authentic", Kodak-made Ektar, I was expecting great performance from it. However, my enthusiasm was dampened a bit when I came across the following Consumers Research Bulletin review of the camera from 1949. While the review was generally favorable, it skewered the USA Ektar lens saying that it "... was inferior to the 3-element Cintar and Novar lenses previously listed by CR on the Argus Markfinder and Ikonta 35, respectively." Here's the full review: Inferior to an Argus Cintar?! Ouch! That had to hurt. Now, I'm really curious to see what results I get or if I will even notice any issues. The review itself doesn't specify how they tested the lens or if they tested multiple copies of the camera. Since it's a scale focus lens, it seems plausible that a poorly calibrated example made it into their hands. Keeping my fingers crossed.

For Dec 11, Aires 35-V with 45mm f1.5 S-Coral lens, Flic Film UltraPan 100, HC-110. Old County Jail, Licking County, Ohio

For the 8th, Aires 35-V, Flic Film UltraPan 100, HC-110.

A few samples from my Aires 35-V with S-Coral 45mm f1.5 lens that was featured in the "What camera ..." thread. All images shot on Flic Film UltraPan 100 and developed in HC-110. EVs' Dirty Little Secret Rudolph The Red-Nosed T-Rex Triangles Shades Of Silver Z-Up Don't Look Down

@rick_drawbridge @bruce_z._li2 I've actually got no problem considering all film cameras as "classics". I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to give Rick a little ribbing. I agree that we want to encourage participation in this forum and including all film cameras may stimulate some new discussions. I think the word "manual" is most confusing. Maybe, as Rick suggests, we can eliminate that word or just (in)formally define "manual" as the act of loading/unloading the film?

@rick_drawbridge A "classic manual film camera" with eye-controlled auto focusing?! Way to "push the envelope", Rick! 😀

@chuck_foreman1 Hi Chuck. The only modification that Hillary reportedly made was to the film advance release lever on the back of the camera under the viewfinder. You can see a picture at this LINK (scroll down). Evidently, this was the only modification required for him to fully operate the camera with gloves on. Amazing.

Hi Niels @Niels - NHSN. The story is that Hillary bought the camera at an Auckland, NZ secondhand store. He loaded it with Kodachrome 25 and preset the shutter & aperture to 1/100 and f8 for pictures at the summit, knowing that the weather would be clear. At the summit he also took pictures of the surrounding landscapes to prove they were actually on the summit. His support team brought other still cameras to document the ascent up to near the summit. These included two Retina II rangefinder models and a Contax rangefinder. The shutter is typically released using the plunger button that is screwed into the cable release socket using your left index finger. However, you can also use your right index finger to trip the shutter via the other lever.

A recent find in a local antique shop, this Retina 1 Type/Nr. 118 was the 2nd model Retina produced after the original Type/Nr. 117. Production was from 1935-36 and supposedly only 9144 units were made. This example has the Compur shutter and Xenar 50mm f3.5 lens. Also available were the Compur Rapid shutter and Tessar lens. This is the model (albeit with Tessar lens) that Sir Edmund Hillary used to take the famous picture of Tenzing Norgay on the summit of Mt. Everest. I'm fairly certain he had to take a glove off to work the controls.

If the weather clears, I plan to use this slightly blemished Aires 35-V interchangeable lens rangefinder with the S-Coral 45mm f1.5 lens and behind-the-lens leaf shutter. I bought this camera about 20 years ago and haven't put a roll through it yet. Other than some minor pitting in the chrome finish, the camera is otherwise fully functional. This camera is substantial in size and weight but feels very comfortable in the hands. Also, the viewfinder has good eye-relief and I can easily see the entire frame with my glasses on. The second photo below shows the size difference with the Atlas 35 Deluxe rangefinder that I used last week. Goliath & David

For Nov. 29, yet another frame from the Atlas 35 DeLuxe. Flic Film Ultra Pan 100, HC-110.

Catching up for the 28th, Atlas 35 DeLuxe, Flic Film Ultra Pan 100, HC-110. Pleasantville

What a lovely camera, John. It seems a shame not to shoot with it. Regarding 127 film, I recently shot my first ever roll of ReraPan 400 and was happy with the results. The price however, ouch! Once I use up my remaining three rolls, I'm going to try cutting down 120 film.

Some results from the Atlas 35 DeLuxe miniature Japanese rangefinder featured in the "What camera..." thread. Flic Film Ultra Pan 100, HC-110 (new formula).

For Nov. 23, VPK Autographic Special, ReraPan 400, HC-110. Half & Half

For Nov. 22, VPK Autographic Special, ReraPan 400, HC-110.

@bruce_z._li2 Thanks Bruce! That's a very generous offer. I'll let you know how it goes. @Rick_van_Nooij I've added some self-adhesive foam to the inside of the autographic door. The foam is slightly thicker than the door and goes into the slot. I've used this method to seal my other autographic cameras with good success.