curt_saxton

Hi Mark,

I own a Balda Baldinette, Baldessa 1a, Baldessamat and Super Baldina. I've used all of them, but used the Baldessa 1a and Baldessamat last week. Both take a nice, clean picture with good contrast, about on par with an early Retinette or Zeiss Tenax. Enjoy, they're a fun old camera. Curt in Canada.

Cool camera Gene. Hi Donald. You could always get as bad as me, for some reason I pick up every old Brownie Hawkeye I run into for under $5.00 Can. I have 16, I know too many but they're cheap and with the flash they look funky sitting on one of my shelves with my Kodaks.

Curt in Canada.

Hi Patric,

Nice assortment of classic cameras. Quite a few Rollie's you have there. I see a few cameras I own too, but I have no Certos, Zecas, or Erconas, yet...I think my favourites would have to be the Voigtlander Bergheil and the Rollies. My current favourites are my Recomar 33 and my Voigtlander Bessa RF. Enjoy the classics, they're much more fun than the new point 'n shoots any day. Curt in Canada.

If you want to try the more affordable version you could always buy an Exa, same lenses and accessories, just less features. Shutter clunks like an army tank hitting a pothole. Personally I like my Exa, but I preferred the Exakta VXllb i had before w/Biotar. I still have 3 waist level viewfinders, but I've never tried either camera with a prism finder. Also if you intend on trying this camera with the Tamron line of lenses, I have a Topcon/Exakta adapter and they will not fit the Exa as the locking mechanism for the lens to body hits the adapter flange. Not sure about the Exakta though, as I sold mine years back. Hope this helps, Curt in Canada.

High point: buying a Contax ll rf for $0.50 w/Summitar (broken shutter curtain ribbon) then trading to a good friend for a functional Olympus OM10 w/50 and 200 mm lenses.

Low point: trying to loosen the rear mount ring to remove the shutter/lens assembly from my Balda Juwella, slipping and tearing the bellows from one end to the other. Can you say "parts camera?".

Other low point (and one we've all done but I should know better by now): Lately as I've been off work with back trouble and trying to keep busy, I've been shooting approx. 4-5 rolls/week with all my oldies mainly 35mm. I managed to grab a Kodak 35 (non-rf) as I was going out the door to take my dog to a local nature reserve. I had three cameras on the kitchen counter set up for grab 'n go situations so needless to say, I got 5 miles from home and about 1/4 mile from the car when I realised I had grabbed the only camera on the counter with no film in it. Doubly displeased to see a blue heron (very close) and several deer since I had absolutely no film with me.

Most recent "best moment" was buying three Canon SLR's (AE1, AE1Program, AV1) and a Pentax ME all for $15 Can. apiece as broken cameras from a local resale shop. After new batteries and light seals, all four work excellent and the three Canons all came with 50mm lens, one an f1.4. Curt in Canada.

Hi Oliver,

Judging by the Doppelanastigmat Citonar, I'd hazard a guess that you have an " Onito-circa 1919-26. 9x12 cm. Lenses include: Double Anastigmat Citonar f6.3, Nostar f6.8, or Nettar Anastigmat f4.5/135mm. Derval 25-100, Gauthier or Ibsor 1-100. The 6.5x9 cm and 10x15cm sizes sell in the same range." quoted from McKeown's 97/98. Hope I'm right and this helps you. Curt in Canada.

Hi Joseph,

According to McKeown's Camera Guide, the Astra 35 FX circa 1953-57 is the same as the KW Praktica FX. There were three versions: 1953 had 3 front sync. contacts, 1955 has only 1 and 1957 had a large sync. contact.

As far as cheaply priced but good lenses, try the Takumar 50 f 1.4 from Pentax, 50mm f1.4 Ricoh,Fujinon 50 f1.4,Pentacon 50 f1.8,Jena 50mm f2.8 (slower but nice), any Zenit Helios, or for 28,35 or 135 any Vivitar (by Komine if possible) should give you excellent results for the price. P.S. I'd avoid Hanimex like the plague as every one I've ever come across was broken or fell apart instantly. Good luck and enjoy your camera. Curt in Canada.

Hi Gene,

I'm a sucker for old car/truck photos, plus the airplane in the archway is great too. I have a Diana, a Diana F w/2 flashes, and two Diana clones. I got lucky I guess as I bought each of mine like yourself for under $3.00 Can. years back. Curt in Canada

Hi Bojan,

I have an Orestor f2.8/135 in M42 mount. Nice lens, about on par with my Tokina f2.8/135 or Jupiter 11 f4/135 for image quality. Over on the Zenit group on Yahoo there have been several positive responses about this lens. Hope this helps. Curt in Canada.

I haunt flea markets/yard sales/estate auctions in the summer and pawn shops/thrift stores/Ebay the rest of the time. Last week at a flea market I bought an Agfa Optima 1A for $10 Can. and a Kodak Vigilant Jr. Six Twenty for $3. At a local Cash Converters thrift store they were clearing out SLR's they said were broken. I bought a Canon AE1 Program w/1.4 50mm for $15, a Canon AE1 w/1.8 50mm for $15, a Canon AT1 for $15, and a Pentax ME for $15. Turns out both AE1's and the Pentax all had dead batteries and needed light seals, otherwise like new. The AT1 has a broken battery door hasp and needs seals also, otherwise great shape. At the Salvation Army thrift store I picked up a Canon TLb w/1.8 50mm. My best classic was a Contax II prewar RF with Summitar that I traded for an Olympus OM10 and two lenses.That one cost me $0.50 Can. at an estate sale since it needed shutter curtain ribbon replaced. At the same estate sale I also picked up 40 years worth of negatives from a retired local photographer (every size, but mostly 4x5), darkroom supplies, 23 filters, an Exa w/Meritar 50mm, books, flashes both studio and hot shoe mounted style, etc. Enough that it filled the front seat and hatch of my Mazda so I had to make two trips. Total cost was $65.00 Can. Also hit another estate sale last summer where I picked up my Speed Graphic, 46 filters in boxes, books, etc. in two large boxes for $35 Can. Deals are out there, you just need to put in the time and leg work.

Hi Brian,

Also you might try http://www.rolandandcaroline.co.uk/isoletteii.html as this site shows the two different markings on the door front. Curt.

Hi Brian,

Seems to me like you have an Isolette II as they came with either Agnar, Apotar or Solinar in Vario, Pronto, Prontor-S, Prontor-SV, Compur Rapid or Synchro-Compur shutters. Hope this helps. Curt in Canada

Hi Vance,

It so happens that a camera I bought on Ebay was shipped as an Agfa Optima 500 Sensor but turned out to be the correct box and instructions but wrong camera. I received an Agfamatic 1A in the Sensor box. GRRR. That said, in the instruction book it says" A Mallory PX 13 button-type battery is used for the light meter; it is included in the new camera. As an average it lasts for one year. Should you notice, however, that the red signal in the viewfinder is also visible in bright sunlight (although the shutter has been cocked), the battery is exhausted and must be replaced. The battery compartment underneath the red sensor spot may be removed entirely by pulling it out with your fingernails. The new battery must be inserted with the + pole pointing downwards. Then insert the battery compartment again as far as it will go."

The picture of the battery compartment shows a tray on the top right rear side of the camera, about 1/4 inch below the camera top. Hope this helps and if you need any other info on this camera, feel free to contact me. Curt in Canada

Hi Seamus,

Just curious, can you make out what the engraving on the brass shutter surface says just below the word "junior"? Trying to see if a hunch about it being similar to a Thornton-Pickard Automan or College is correct or not.Thanks. Curt in Canada.

Hi Dan,

Not a lot of info but try http://www.oceans-away.com/camera/ .Hope this helps. Curt.

Hi Dan,

I do have a bit of a storage problem for all my goodies and from time to time I have to resort to the old Ronsonol to loosen a shutter or two as I find it too easy to forget to exercise the shutters on some of my oldies. I have a 4x5 Anniversary Speed Graphic myself but haven't used it much since the bellows developed a small tear. I had a chance to buy another with the full kit and kaboodle (tripod included) for $60.00 Can. last summer and passed on the chance as I wasn't sure I'd ever use it enough. Still kicking myself for that one. As far as keeping track, that's relatively easy since I list everything that I buy in a spiral book as soon as it enters the house.

My first camera was a Polaroid 80A Highlander, followed by a 95A Pathfinder. Still have both. Followed those with a Praktica in the late seventies that I foolishly sold. Since then I've collected/used cameras for all these years and now have 540+ (till my next Eb** goodies arrive). Can't really name a favourite although the two I've used most lately are a Minolta SR-1 and a Yashica FR-I. Lately I collect mainly rangefinders and SLR's although I still grab old folders if they have a decent shutter/lens combo.

Hi Dan,

Sorry if it came out sounding like I was flaming you for your preference in cameras. I really didn't mean to, I just find that almost all cameras have at least one good point, so I had a hard time agreeing with your point of view. I'm not saying run out and shoot weddings with an Argus C3 or shoot assignments for National Geographic in the jungle with a Lubitel, I'm just saying that you can appreciate them for what they were intended for: lower priced cameras with less features for the masses. Obviously if you really need top optics, blazing shutter speeds and 100% reliability, so called "crappy cameras" may not be the wisest choice but if you were needing 100 % reliability, chances are you wouldn't be using anything old enough to qualify for this forum anyway. Personally I have a few over 540 in my collection (so far) with the bulk of them in user or average condition but I try and shoot with 1/week or so, weather and time permitting. Yesterday it was a Ciro 35 mm, today a Tower 57, and tomorrow a Lordomat. I don't expect to get the pictures I might with an SLR (I have 64 SLR's also) but I really enjoy just getting out there and using them rather than having them sit on a shelf. My shooting partner has several Nikons, a Nikon S2, 2 Leica lll's, and a top Olympus digital, but still gets a kick out of me plodding along with my old stuff. I respect your point of view and for yourself, it's probably the way to go, just for me I need something a little different in my camera bag once in a while. Again sorry to sound so jaded, I really enjoy reading your postings as well as everyone else's. We're all different and thank goodness for that or we'd have nothing to discuss. Enjoy yourselves and I hope to read all of you again. Curt in Canada.

Oh come on Dan, not everyone owns or even wants to own Leica, Nikon, or Rollie. Some of us find just as much fun collecting and using everything from Argus to old Zeiss folders. If everyone had to conform to one or two ideals, there would only be three or four cameras ever discussed here. While I agree on receiving something from E*** that doesn't meet my expectations as being a bummer, I still take just as much joy from unwrapping my latest Yashica Electro GS or Fed as you might from receiving an M6 or Summitar. The point of collecting/using is diversity and we can't all collect the same thing. Where is the fun in that? Just my take anyway. Life is too short to be caught up in following the crowd, it's more interesting to march to a different drummer.

1. Cosmic 35

2.Detrola model G

3.Spartus 35 F

4.Lubital 2

If you can get a Voigtlander Bessa RF for a reasonable price they're pretty decent.

Hi Chris,

I really don't believe so as the Nagel Vollenda used a Schnieder Radionar Anastigmat while the Vigilant Six-20 used either a Kodak Anastigmat or a Kodak Anastigmat Special which I believe is a Tessar formula. Hope this helps. Curt in Canada.

Loved W. Au's collection and the Sarnia, Ont. picture. Like most, I need to stop buying, start fixing, and cold weather or not, I need to get my tookus outside and start using at least one roll through each camera. That said, I also need to go to the border and pick up the 11 oldies I have sitting there waiting for me to collect them. Doh, darn E..Y! I will not buy any more, I will not buy any more,..

Curt in Canada

Hi James,

In my 97/98 Mckeown's Camera Guide, page 404 it says, "Sterling Camera Corp. (Sterling, Illinois)-Sterling Miniature-Black plastic "minicam" for 28x40mm exposures. $1-10." It also has the exact picture of your camera. Hope this helps.

Curt in Canada

Hi Dan,

I have a Toyoca 35-S myself (as well as a Pax M3) and in my opinion, it is on par with my early rangefinders like the Ricoh 500 or the Bolseys and Retinettes. Not exactly a Konica S3 or Olympus SP, but for the price, a very nice shooter.