Andrew in Austin

<p>Wow! The fifth photo with the reflected buildings on the pool is a money shot. As I have said before, the 21mm Contax mount Biogon and Super Angulon which was made from 1958 - 1963 will absolutely spank most modern 21mm lenses made for an SLR.</p> <p>Look at the size of that rear lens cap. The rear element must come with only a few millimeters of the shutter.</p> <p>Today's lenses use a retro-focus optic and really stick out from front of the camera.</p>

<p>A small camera with big results. I sold mine and kept a less well made Rollei 35 S.</p> <p>The above photo doesn't do justice to how small and compact a Retina Ia really is.</p> <p>Also, its smallness does not do justice to the quality of the images rendered by either the coated 3.5 or 2.8 Xenar.</p> <p>I had totally forgotten about the frame counter until you mentioned it. Correct me, if I am wrong - but to load a roll of 24 frames, one has to set the counter to 27.</p>

<p>1960 - we got to see how a selenium meter is incorporated into a 35mm camera.</p> <p>By 1965 - we see the packaging of a CdS cell of the early Leicaflex, located within a forward facing window at the top of prism - while Pentax becomes an early adapter of TTL metering.</p> <p>Unlike today's razzle dazzle charts, the magazines still used simple lpmm measurements for the center and edges of each lens tested.</p>

<blockquote> <p>"When using the reverse focus method is it necessary to use another camera?"</p> </blockquote> <p>Yes, it uses a second camera that is a SLR with a lens known to accurately focus at infinity. The lens on the SLR must be focused to the infinity setting while adjusting infinity focus of the repair camera.</p> <p>If you lack a SLR, then you'll have to revert to using a ground glass focusing screen on the film gate. Then with a loupe magnifier set the infinity focus on a distant object outdoors - such as far away building or other landmark - while peering through the back of the camera, as you would on a larger format camera.</p>

<p>My target is clear sheet of plexi that is both lightly scratched and has magic marker lines.</p> <p><img src="http://static.photo.net/attachments/bboard/00W/00WDB4-235831684.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="482" /></p> <p>The target is held on film gate with both rubber bands and masking tape.</p> <p>And I found the link that I was looking for:<br /> http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/collimator2.gif</p>

<p>To collimate the lens to infinity, try the "reverse focus method" mentioned by Winfried.<br> <br /> http://elekm.net/zeiss-ikon/repair/collimate/<br> <br /> Use a SLR with a long focal length mounted that is at least f/3.5.<br> I use a 135mm / 2.8 lens mounted to a 35mm SLR with a split focusing screen at the center.<br /> <img src="http://static.photo.net/attachments/bboard/00W/00WDAa-235825584.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="420" /></p>

<p>Bill - I like the work that you doing with Ercona II. It's not the easiest camera to compose with.</p>

<p>From my Voigtlander Bessa II with a sluggish shutter. Two old paddle steamers that were retired from the Mississippi River during the financial crisis of 08/09. - 40 years ago, I raced the Mississippi Queen along the top of the levee with a 10 speed bike, as she was chugging up river.<br /> <br /><a title="Bessa2_RivrQueens by Andrew Yue, on Flickr" href=" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8820/17080885378_85a3cd7da2_o.jpg" alt="Bessa2_RivrQueens" width="900" height="605" /></a><br /> <strong>River Queens No More</strong></p>

<p>One more from the old 6x6 folder<br> <br /><a title="SuperIso_TioLionel by Andrew Yue, on Flickr" href=" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8805/17053198357_098f0cc053_o.jpg" alt="SuperIso_TioLionel" width="746" height="800" /></a><br> <strong>Uncle Lionel Batiste, 1931 - 2012</strong></p>

<p>First, let me comment about the stunning composition and performance with the Vitessa. Great work.<br /> <br />Below are couple frames from my Agfa Super Isolette, a.k.a. an Ansco Super Speedex with 400TX.<br /> <br /><a title="SuperIso_TubaFest by Andrew Yue, on Flickr" href=" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7586/17260077201_733e428144_o.jpg" alt="SuperIso_TubaFest" width="800" height="778" /></a><br /> <br /><strong>Tuba Fest / with Uncle Lionel on base drum</strong></p>

<p>The Hasselblad 500C advert clearly marks a new era for medium format photography. </p> <p>Look at the difference between 1950 and 1960. By 1960, the Japanese manufacturers have clearly arrived with their own in-house designs.</p> <p>I find it interesting how various manufacturers have packaged their on-camera selenium meters.</p> <p> </p>

<p>From the same IIIf BD with a failing second curtain and cloudy Elmar lens.</p> <p><a title="IIIf_Natchez by Andrew Yue, on Flickr" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/130979946@N07/17052071499"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8804/17052071499_54217d0589_o.jpg" alt="IIIf_Natchez" width="900" height="593" /></a></p> <p><strong>Riverboat Natchez passing the Bywater</strong><br /> http://www.steamboatnatchez.com/photo_gallery.html</p>

<p>1955 was definitely the Golden Era for rangefinder cameras. I agree with the above comment that the Contax rangefinder camera was a bit over designed. However, I'm not so sure that the reason for that is due to Leica rangefinder patents. If you count the Contax I, both 35mm rangefinder cameras arrived on the market at the same time. </p> <p>I'm no longer collecting - but the Nikon S2 shown in a full page advert looks to be a fine shooter.</p>

<p>In April of 1951, I doubt that Zeiss Ikon was able to produce very many Contax IIa bodies with the Sonnar 50/1.5 at $460. So, I'll bet dollars to donuts that the supply side of that combo was limited.</p> <p>On the other end of the scale, Argus was probably cranking out a good number of C-3 outfits for $59.95 - which included federal excise tax. - an amount that was close to a week's pay or a monthly mortgage payment on a 2 bedroom house.</p> <p> </p>

<p>P.S. Thanks again for letting us read through another time capsule.</p>

<p>Karim - with an old-school Barnack, the photographer would first set the focus and then wait for the subject to land or walk into the desired spot.</p> <p>Alas Marc, the 1950 article on inexpensive speedlites arrived about 10 years too late for me to save an old strobe that had the FT110 xenon tube. Had I known the tube #, I would have tried to find the tube through a surplus catalog.</p> <p>The complete Simon Omega line up of enlargers was shown one of the adverts. Sadly, those enlargers today are, more often than not, headed to the landfill. I rescued a small Durst M300 about a month ago to build a suit case enlarger in case I have to move within the next couple of years.</p>

<p>The vase by the window and the bench are classic shots with the Rolleinar close-up attachment. I love the look of rust and old wood in black and white.</p>

<p><strong>Another from an old folder, an Agfa Super Isolette.</strong></p> <p><a title="NedFl2 by Andrew Yue, on Flickr" href=" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8671/16275502038_1a77c40f7f_o.jpg" alt="NedFl2" width="500" height="508" /></a></p> <p><strong>Ned working with a Bridgeport mill</strong></p>

<p>Here's a better description of the KMZ turret finder:<br> <a href="http://www.erikfiss.com/foto/cams/turretfinder/e.html">http://www.erikfiss.com/foto/cams/turretfinder/e.html</a></p>

<p>I haven't kept up with prices - but in the realm of universal viewfinders for an old-school Barnack 35mm rangefinder camera - I prefer the KMZ turret finder shown above to the Leitz/Leica Imarect . </p> <p>The two are very different. The image in the Imarect with its static lens is cleaner - but unlike the turret design in the above photo, which uses multiple lenses - there is no magnification of the image as one increases the focal length, which is why I prefer the KMZ finder. </p> <p>The KMZ turret finder:<br> <a href="http://cameras.alfredklomp.com/universal/">http://cameras.alfredklomp.com/universal/</a></p> <p>The Leitz Imarect, VIOOH:<br> <a href="http://cameras.alfredklomp.com/viooh/1.htm">http://cameras.alfredklomp.com/viooh/1.htm</a></p> <p> </p>

<p>One more exposure from the banks of the Big Muddy.</p> <p><a title="IIIf_Miss_Boy by Andrew Yue, on Flickr" href=" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8718/17160466202_1544f06482_b.jpg" alt="IIIf_Miss_Boy" width="603" height="900" /></a></p> <p><strong>Boy playing by the levee.</strong></p>

<p>A selfie taken under US 90 - the same IIIf and Elmar</p> <p><a title="IIIf_VW_MissBridge by Andrew Yue, on Flickr" href=" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7601/16974304258_ed4b4e1ea3_o.jpg" alt="IIIf_VW_MissBridge" width="900" height="596" /></a></p> <p><strong>Big River, Big Bridge</strong></p>

<p>The Mississippi River - using a worn out IIIf and cloudy Elmar.</p> <p><a title="IIIf_FortuneEpoch by Andrew Yue, on Flickr" href=" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7595/16539630394_f9f90f3751_o.jpg" alt="IIIf_FortuneEpoch" width="900" height="571" /></a></p> <p><strong>The mighty Forturne Epoch passing Algiers Point</strong></p>

<p>Clare - This is a manual camera and a half. It requires requires more attention by the photographer than even a camera from the mid-1960'ies.</p> <p>It may be the camera in this link: <a href="http://elekm.net/pages/cameras/sikonta531.htm">http://elekm.net/pages/cameras/sikonta531.htm</a> - read away.</p> <p>The Xenar, if it's original, would place the camera from the early post WWII Era, a time when the German were just beginning to dig out from the rubble. Zeiss Ikon cameras typically used their own in-house lenses on their top of the line models.</p>

<p>When I think of selenium light cells surrounding the front lens element, the Olympus Trip 35 comes to mind. It soldiered on in the entry level market until about 1980. After that, Olympus introduced an XA-1 version of the XA for brief period. </p> <p> </p>