After having exclusively used digital cameras for a very long time, I recently switched back to using real film after restoring an old twin lens reflex camera camera. Since I work on largely intangible digital products for a living, I found repairing old cameras, to be somewhat satisfying. And, as happens with many things, since I recognized that vintage cameras exist, I have noticed them in more places. So, I have been picking up the cheap ones - ones that are clearly defective in some way. In most cases I have found that it only takes a little bit of work to make them operational again. Though it can definitely take more work to make them reliable and fun to use. Below are the cameras which I have worked on so far, plus a few that have I owned but did not work on.
| Year | Make | Model | Film | Lens |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1934 | Zeiss Ikon | Ikoflex (Coffee Can) (twin lens reflex) |
120 | 80mm ƒ/6.3 – ƒ/22 1/100, 1/50, 1/25, B, T |
| 1937 | Rollei | Rolleiflex Automat (twin lens reflex) |
120 | 75mm ƒ/3.5 – ƒ/22 1/500 – 1s, B |
| 1953 | Zeiss Ikon | Ikoflex Ia (twin lens reflex) |
120 | 75mm ƒ/3.5 – ƒ/22 1/300 – 1s, B |
| 1954 | Voigtländer | Vito B (scale focus) |
135 | 50mm ƒ/3.5 – ƒ/16 1/300 – 1s, B |
| 1958 | Fujica | 35 Automagic (scale focus) |
135 Speeds: 10 – 200 |
38mm ƒ/3.4 – ƒ/16 1/200 & 1/40 |
| 1958 | Minolta | Auto Wide (scale focus) |
135 Speeds: 10 – 1600 |
35mm ƒ/2.8 – ƒ/22 1/500 – 1s, B |
| 1960 | Yashica | Lynx 1000 (rangefinder) |
135 Speeds: 10 – 800 |
45mm ƒ/1.8 – ƒ/22 1/1000 – ?, B |
| 1963 | Minox | B (scale focus) |
8x11 Speeds: 25 – 400 |
15mm f/3.5 1/1000 – 1, B, T |
| 1965 | Minolta | 24 Rapid (rangefinder) |
135 (rapid) Speeds: 25 – 400 |
32mm ƒ/2.8 – ƒ/22 1/250 – 1/30, B |
| 1965 | Minolta | Autopak 700 (rangefinder) |
126 Speeds: 64 – 400 |
38mm ƒ/2.8 – ƒ/22 1/250 – 1/30, B |
| 1966 | Minolta | Hi-Matic 7s (rangefinder) |
135 Speeds: 25 – 800 |
45mm ƒ/1.8 – ƒ/22 1/500 – 1/4, B |
| 1966 | Minolta | Hi-Matic 9 (rangefinder) |
135 Speeds: 25 – 800 |
45mm ƒ/1.7 – ƒ/22 1/500 – 1s, B |
| 1966 | Yashica | Electro 35 (rangefinder) |
135 Speeds: 25 – 1000 |
45mm ƒ/1.7 – ƒ/16 1/500 – 3s, B |
| 1966 | Yashica | EZ-matic (scale focus) |
126 Speeds: 64 – 400 |
37mm ƒ/2.7 – ƒ/16 fixed, B |
| 1968 | Kodak | Instamatic 134 (point and shoot) |
126 Speeds: fixed / unknown |
43mm ƒ/11 1/50 |
| 1970 | Yashica | Electro 35 GS (rangefinder) |
135 Speeds: 25 – 1000 |
45mm ƒ/1.7 – ƒ/16 1/500 – 3s, B |
| 1975 | Canon | 110ED (rangefinder) |
110 Speeds: 80 |
26mm ƒ/2 – ƒ/16 1/500 – 8s |
| 1976 | Rollei | A110 (scale focus) |
110 Speeds: 64-100, 320-500 |
23mm ƒ/2.8 – ƒ/16 1/400 – 4s |
| 1977 | Agfa | Optima 1535 Sensor (rangefinder) |
135 Speeds: 25 – 500 |
40mm ƒ/2.8 – ƒ/22 1/1000 – 15s |
| 1981 | Olympus | XA (rangefinder) |
135 Speeds: 25 – 800 |
35mm ƒ/2.8 – ƒ/22 15000 – 10s |
| 1983 | Minolta | CLE (rangefinder) |
135 Speeds: 25 – 1600 |
Leica M mount lenses 1/1000 – 1/2, B |
| 1984 | Minolta | AF-Sv (Talker) (viewfinder) |
135 Speeds: 25 – 1000 |
35mm ƒ/2.8 – ƒ/?? 1/625 – 1/8 |
| 1984 | Minox | LX (scale focus) |
8x11 Speeds: 12 – 400 |
15mm f/3.5 1/2000 – 1/30, Flash |
| 1985 | Minolta | X-700 (single-lens reflex) |
135 Speeds: 25 – 1600 |
Minolta SR/MC/MD mount 1/1000 – 1, B |
| 1986 | Minolta | X-370 (single-lens reflex) |
135 Speeds: 12 – 3200 |
Minolta SR/MC/MD mount 1/1000 – 1, B |
| 1989 | Canon | Snappy AF (viewfinder) |
135 Speeds: 50 – 1600 |
35mm ƒ/4.5 – ƒ/32 1/125 – 1/40 |
| 1995 | Minolta | Freedom Zoom 140EX (viewfinder) |
135 Speeds: 25 – 3200 |
38 – 140mm ƒ/3.5:9.4 – ƒ/9.4 1/500 – 4s |
| 2001 | Canon | PowerShot Pro90 IS (through the lens) |
CCD Speeds: 50 – 400 |
37 – 370mm ƒ/2.8:3.5 – ƒ/8 1/1000 – 8s |
| 2003 | Sony | Cyber-shot DSC-P72 (through the lens) |
CCD Speeds: 100 – 400 |
39 – 117mm ƒ/2.8:5.6 – ƒ/10 1/1000 – 2s |
| 2005 | Canon | PowerShot S2 IS (through the lens) |
CCD Speeds: 50 – 400 |
36 – 432mm ƒ/2.7:3.5 – ƒ/8 1/3200 – 15s |
| 2011 | Canon | EOS Rebel T3i (single-lens reflex) |
CMOS Speeds: 100 – 6400 |
Canon EF-S mount 1/4000 – 30s, B |
A quick note on the photos in these posts. The photos were selected to give an idea of how the camera performs under different conditions, not to demonstrate the photographer’s [lack of] ability making photographs. Given that the photographer is a slightly below average amateur, if the photos are pleasing then that is a testament to the camera. On the other hand, if the images are terrible it’s probably due to the photographer, but it could also be due to the camera. Most of the cameras are really old.
Since the intent it to showcase the cameras, no manual editing is done on the images, except for dust and watermark removal. The negatives are digitized using a light box and a T3i. Then, the digital images are inverted using a custom python script and the frame borders are cropped out. The images are also optimized for the web prior to being uploaded. Unfortunately, the optimization process can sometimes exaggerate banding of color gradients which is not present in the analog originals.
If you have old cameras then you’re also going to have old light meters. I have tested the meters I have against my dSLR and when used properly the selenium meters would all underexpose by at least a stop. So, I cut the ISO (ASA actually) I use on the meter in half. For example, when I have ISO 100 film in the camera I set the meter to ASA 50. This makes sense to me since according to the Wikipedia article on ASA film speeds, “an Ilford HP3 that had been rated at 200 ASA before 1960 was labeled 400 ASA afterwards without any change to the emulsion.” Conversely a modern 400 rated film would have been rated 200 prior to 1960. So the meter needs to use the old, halved number. I will further guess that even though ASA PH2.5-1960 was introduced in 1960, it probably took a while to take effect. Even if it were possible to determine the exact manufacture date of a particular light meter, it probably wouldn’t be clear exactly when a manufacturer may have implemented the new standard. It’s best to test an old meter before trusting it.
| Year | Model | Type | EV | ISO | ƒ-stops | seconds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| c1950 | GE PR-1 | selenium | 7 – 17.5 | 0.2 – 1600 | 1 – 128 | 1/3000 – 120 |
| c1962 | Bewi Quick | selenium | 5 – 16 | 10 – 3200 | 1.4 – 22 | 1/1000 – 30 |
| c1966 | Sekonic Micro-leader |
CdS | 3 – 18 | 6 – 12,800 | 1 – 32 | 1/2000 – 8 |
| c1982 | Gossen Luna-Pro |
SBC | -5 – 24 | 0.8 – 100,000 | 0.7 – 128 | 1/4000 – 8 h |