joseph_tucker

I'm a huge fan of the color skopar but, in defense of the Agfa, it may have the edge as far as film flatness and lens rigidity. They're both four element tessar designs with very good reputations so, I would suggest going with the camera that's in the best shape.

Agfa Isollette Manal:1 Load camera. 2 Set aperture. 3 Set shutter speed. 4 Focus 5 Shoot! ;) Try www.manualsrus.com -He has a large inventory and sells them for a small fee. I ran across a site for the free sharing of camera manuals awhile back but, I'm sorry, I can't remember the name or url. Try a google search.

A simple, insulated (padded) nylon lunch bag, 5"x8"x6"h, with a front pocket for film and a meter. A perfect fit for the Fuji GS cameras and less of a target for thieves. Usually available at Wal-Mart or the like. For lots of gear of all types, my wife just bought me a Tenba Medium Photo Backpack. Outstanding build quality and standard extras like integral rain cover and tripod fastener.

Another vote here for the old folders. Pick one with a good rep and in good condition, learn to scale focus and use fast film. The portabilty and simplicity, imho, outweigh any disadvantages and some of the better ones will fit in a zip-lock sandwich bag. The qualifier here is "in good condition". Buy one that's been recently serviced by an old pro or have it serviced and you will be rewarded with many happy outings. My favorites are the Perkeo II and Bessa 66 w/heliar. Oh yeah, metering?.. look inside any kodak film box! Good luck!Joe Tucker

The wheel on top is a depth of field scale, a reference with no physical connection to the mechanics. Load the film over the rollers from right to left. To judge the lght without a meter, search the archives for "sunny 16". I have three different versions of this camera, and yes, it should out-perform your Holga. My favorite has a heliar. Anyone know how the Voigtar 3.5 stacks up? ~ Joe Tucker

Hello!A few questions regarding a Bessa RF 6X9 (1st model), Compur Rapid shutter, Helomar 3.5Is it ok to set the speeds and apertures between the numbers?There are two red windows for frame counting, both in-lne horizontally rather than offset. Which one is for 6X9?There are no provisions for covering the windows. Should I stick to slower films?How does the Helomar stack up to it's contemporaries?Does anyone know of another forum for vintage user/collectors? Thanks! -- Joe T

I recently aquired a Voigtlander "baby" bessa 66 that was designed for 620, and I came here looking for answers to the 120/620 question. After reading a couple of threads, I loaded a dummy roll of 120 and it seems to fit and function just fine! -- Joe T