gary green

A trio of glamour shots of my VPK Autographic Special with fixed-focus f7.7 Kodak anastigmat lens. I found this camera recently in the basement of a local flea mall ... $29 USD plus tax. It appears to be an early version Autographic Special given its low 5-digit serial number (45,xxx) on the back of the foot stand and the latest patent date inscribed on the back is 1913. As near as I can tell, this indicates a production year of 1916. The camera is in excellent condition for its age and appears to have seen very little use. The leather bellows are intact and a flashlight test shows them to be light-tight. It also came with the stylus. My guess is that the small amount of brassing on the edges and viewfinder is due to rubbing inside its leather case. After a quick CLA, and adding some foam light seal to the autograph door and around the frame counter window, it's ready for a test roll. This is my first 127 film camera. I've tended to shy away from them due to the limited availability and high cost of the film. However, I couldn't pass this one up so I gritted my teeth and ordered 4 rolls of Rera Pan film. If things work out, I may invest in a film slicer to cut down 120 rolls. I'm hoping to finish the first roll by the end of this coming holiday weekend.

This coming week I'll be using the camera that almost put Leica out of business.* That's right, it's the Atlas 35 DeLuxe 35mm rangefinder! Excepting the lens barrel, this petite camera is only slightly larger than the famed Olympus XA and is fully featured with a 1/10 - 1/300 speed shutter (plus B) and a crisp 3-element 45mm f2.8 Colour-Luna lens. Legend has it that HCB** used this camera to capture the "incisive moment". I'm just hoping my results live up to the high expectations of using such a fine piece of machinery. * Possibly a slight exaggeration. ** Allegedly, Homer C. Bunbutter, of Muncie, Indiana, used this model camera to catch the moment when his wife's upper dentures came out as she bit into a caramel apple at the county fair.

A smattering of pics from my Agfa Solinette II with 50mm f3.5 Solinar lens that was featured in the "What camera ..." thread. Film was expired TMax100 souped in my last batch of old formula HC-110.

For Nov. 14, Agfa Solinette II w/Solinar 50mm f3.5, expired TMax 100, HC-110.

I recently acquired this very fine condition Agfa Solinette II with 50mm f3.5 Solinar lens in a Prontor SV shutter. The lens/shutter combination seems unusual in that, in my (limited) internet research, I have not found it listed as a standard configuration for this model. However, I do believe this camera is original as it showed no signs of previous tampering/modification. As purchased, the only problems were a slow shutter and a frozen focus ring due to the infamous "Agfa grease" issue. After restoring a handful of Agfa/Ansco cameras over the years, I have found a suitable combination of solvents/lubricants that soften the original grease without disassembly and seem to keep the grease soft indefinitely. I can now easily focus with a single finger. After reading Rick Drawbridge's @rick_drawbridge "The Surprising Solinette" (LINK), I am anxious to give this petite folder a tryout.

For Oct 31, Kodak Junior Six-20, doublet lens, Kentmere Pan 400, caffenol-C.

Thanks for taking the time to test and share your results, Rick. Your images look good, especially considering the wide range of tones in each. It's difficult to tell with downsized images but I suspect the grain structure is similar to HC-110 (dilution H). How would you compare it to your PMK Pyro results?

@rick_drawbridge Thanks for sharing the info and your initial test results. I had never heard about Acurol-N but your images look very nice, especially the mid and dark tones. It would be nice to see an example with more light tones as well.

@chuck_foreman1 Very nice, Chuck! I especially like the tulips and the church through the bare trees. I also have a Retina IIc in my collection that I've never used yet. I've read opinions that the 50mm f2.8 Xenon is better than the f2.0 Xenon on the IIIc.

A couple of frames from the Ansco VP Speedex No. 3 6x9 folder. Kentmere Pan 400, caffenol-C. Inside Outside Pond

I haven't run much film through my circa 1918 Ansco Vest Pocket Speedex No. 3 since I wrote the review for it back in June. The 100+ year old bellows kept springing new leaks and the original body covering was badly worn & torn so I decided to give it a makeover. Here it is with new skin and bellows. This is my first attempt at re-covering a camera body and it's not perfect but looks much better than before. I hope to put a roll through it this week.

Thanks Bruce. When I bought it, I was expecting images similar to a "toy" camera like the Diana. I think the Kodak engineers did a good job of designing a simple point & shoot that delivers respectable quality for album size snapshots. At $5.75, it was probably a good value at the time.

What can you deaux with a Kodak Duex? Here are some frames from my last roll. The fixed-focus lens on the Duex seems to be calibrated for sharpest focus from around 6ft to 25ft. Arista 100 developed in HC-110. The little boy in the next to last picture is my 3 year old grandson.

Just finished another roll on my Kodak Duex 6x4.5. The Duex is about as simple as it gets ... two shutter speeds (B & 1/30), single aperture (f11), and fixed-focus 73mm periscopic doublet lens. I'm not sure if it was due to poor sales and/or the start of WWII, but the Duex was only produced for two years from 1940 - 1942. The Duex natively accepts 620 film but a simple modification allows a trimmed 120 spool to fit on the supply side. Shooting with this camera is a real pleasure. It fits the hands comfortably and, with no settings to mess with, let's you concentrate on lighting and composition. The main decision is the film speed to use. I use 100 speed for mildly sunny days and 400 speed for heavy overcast.

For the 29th, Kodak Junior Six-20 with doublet lens, Kentmere Pan 400, HC-110.

I'm really becoming fond of my Universal Meteor camera. Here are some shots from a short walk through a local park this morning. Kentmere Pan 400, HC-110. Nostalgia Isn't What It Used To Be One If By Land Spent Urban High-rise

Nice shots, Rick @rick_drawbridge. I'm fascinated by "Houseboat". Is it available on Airbnb? I like the composition of "Waiting for the Wind" as well. The background really adds to the interest.

For September 19th, Kodak Junior Six-20 with doublet lens. Kentmere Pan 400, HC-110.

A frame from my Kodak Junior Six-20 with fixed-focus doublet lens. Film was Kentmere Pan 400 developed in HC-110.

Took my Kodak Junior Six-20 out for a test shoot after replacing the bellows. I have finally accepted that patching old bellows is a fools errand. My previous tests with this camera show that the fixed-focus doublet lens is actually pretty decent. This camera is just a step above an upscale box camera and, with its small apertures, plays well with 400 speed film.

Lovely flower shots, John. I assume the adapter is causing the vignetting because the lens should cover full frame?

Hi Chuck @chuck_foreman1, I have to say I really like the bar shots, especially the first one! Good save.

For September 8, Ansco V.P. Speedex No. 3, Kentmere Pan 400, HC-110.

Funny how with all this surveillance of ordinary people in public places, we still don't know how Jeffrey Epstein died or who left the cocaine baggy in the White House at two of the most highly secure places in the USA.

Hi Chuck @chuck_foreman1. I use a quality double-sided foam tape (not the cheap white stuff that disintegrates) that is plenty strong enough. I have been able to remove it without damaging the leather(ette) but generally it's on to stay.