Camerosity

By Mike EckmanTV & Film Technology

Camerosity episodes

September 05Episode 113: GAS Never Takes a Vacation
After a six week break, the Camerosity crew are back with another episode, but unlike most, we decided not to send out invites and instead just got everyone together and hit the record button. As it turned out, we hit record so fast, we forgot to make an intro!
On this, the 113th episode of the Camerosity Podcast, what we lacked in callers we more than made up for in massive amounts of GAS! Who would have thought that keeping five camera collecting lunatics away from each other for a month and a half and we would get ourselves into so much trouble?!
We start the show with a brief summary of what each of us have been up to and Mike dominates this section complaining about being without power for over 10 days in mid August due to a massive storm called a derecho which decimated the area he lives in. We quickly get to more interesting discussions, recapping recent pickups both through Japanese auctions and more traditional channels including Theo's beautiful new black chrome Leicaflex SL2 and Anthony's "bucket list" Rolleiflex SL66.
We get into more obscure cameras too, such as a beautiful French folding rangefinder called the DeMaria-Lapierre Telka III, a late Voigtländer rangefinder called the Vitomatic III CS, and a Honeywell inspired and Zeiss branded camera built in Braunschweig, Germany called the Zeiss-Ikon Contessa S310.
There is a ton of GAS in this episode, but you'll just have to listen to the show to know what it is, but in addition to specific camera models, we talk about the differences between Ai and AiS lenses, the merits of aperture priority AE vs shutter priority AE, and even a hearty discussion about our favorite midlevel DSLRs including a comparison between the equally awesome Nikon D300 and D7000.
As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are into shooting or collecting cameras, no matter how long you’ve been doing it, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!
The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you’d like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, the Camerosity Discord server, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.
We don't yet have a topic for the next episode, but whatever it is, we will record it on Monday, September 21st at 7pm Central Daylight Time, 8pm Eastern Daylight Time, and 6pm Canada Saskatchewan Time. For more time zones, please consult the World Time Buddy calculator and plug in your time. Make sure you set your calendars and look out for the show announcement at the usual locations and be prepared to join us!
In This Episode
Camerosity is back after taking several weeks off / What exactly is a derecho?
Mike survived ten days without power / Generators, sump pumps and keeping the camera collection dry
Buying cameras from Japan / Buyee shipping options / ECMS versus air shipping
Lithium batteries can dramatically change your Japanese shipping options
Documenting damaged packages when buying through Buyee
Theo gets cameras from Japan to Australia surprisingly quickly
Shipping cameras from the United States to Australia can take considerably longer
Theo's beautiful Leicaflex SL2 / Black chrome versus black paint
Leica black chrome wear / Early Leica M6 finish problems
Leica R4, R4S and R4SP / Which version should you buy?
The Leica R4's relationship to the Minolta XD / Why some cameras have noticeable shutter lag
Minolta's "Final Check" metering system / Feature or workaround?
Aperture priority versus shutter priority / Which does the Camerosity crew prefer?
Canon AE-1 / AV-1 / AT-1 and the Canon A-series exposure modes
Konica's preference for shutter priority
Nikon Ai versus AiS lenses / Why AiS mattered for shutter priority and program exposure
Olympus OM cameras and why Olympus never offered conventional shutter priority
Learning f-stops with pizza mathematics
Mike buys an Olympus M-1 from Japan / M-1 versus OM-1
Leica's objection to the Olympus M-1 name
Olympus M-system lenses / Other subtle M-1 differences
Stephen buys a broken lens just to get the lens hood and accidentally fixes it
When a parts camera turns out to be better than the camera it was supposed to repair
The Honeywell rangefinder that wasn't a Pentax
Zeiss Ikon S312 / Zeiss Ikon Contessa S310
Anthony's Zeiss Ikon Voigtländer Vitessa 1000 SR
Theo's Pentacon Six TL / Carl Zeiss Jena 80mm f/2.8 Biometar
Repairing a Pentacon Six using a donor body
Shooting expired Kodak Panatomic-X in medium format
Getting thirteen exposures from a 12-exposure roll
Pentacon Six shutter sounds / Thankfully not as violent as a Pentax 67
Adapting medium-format lenses to Micro Four Thirds and Nikon F
Biometar versus Biotar / The history of the Zeiss Biometar design
How the Biometar design ultimately contributed to the Flektogon
Paul is tempted by a Rolleiflex SLX on Facebook Marketplace
Rolleiflex SLX batteries and modern replacement options
Paul finds an extremely nice Contax IIIa with 50mm f/1.5 Sonnar
Anthony finally gets his bucket-list Rolleiflex SL66
Anthony trades his Leica M4-2 for the Rolleiflex SL66
Why Anthony never got along with the Leica M4-2 film loading system
Rolleiflex SL66 macro capability / Reversing lenses / Lens movements
The Camerosity camera circle continues / Anthony's old cameras find new homes with listeners
Finding the correct Rolleiflex SL66 strap
Stephen rediscovers early Nikon DSLRs / Nikon D70 for $25
Nikon D200 versus D300 versus D300S
Why the Nikon D300 might be one of the greatest digital camera bargains today
APS-C isn't necessarily a disadvantage / 28mm becomes a useful 42mm equivalent
Nikon D300 autofocus fine tuning / Using Ai and manual focus Nikon lenses on digital bodies
Theo used the D300 as one of his main digital cameras for years / Nikon D300 versus D7000
Why the D7000 blurred the line between consumer and professional Nikon bodies
Nikon's excellent inexpensive 18-55mm DX kit lens
Nikon 18-200mm DX superzoom / Better than pixel peepers might suggest
DxO PhotoLab profiles can transform older lenses
Correcting chromatic aberration, softness and distortion with modern software
Buying a camera because you already own the brochure for it
Mike's final Buyee shipment... supposedly / Telka III
Asahi Camera annual camera guides / Researching obscure Japanese cameras
Why old camera magazines remain invaluable historical resources
The decline of blogs and disappearing online camera research resources
Mike's Voigtländer Vitomatic III CS / Ultron f/2 lens / A working Voigtländer rangefinder is apparently possible
eBay Global Shipping sends a camera on a tour of North America
Stephen's month-long shipping odyssey from the United States to Canada
Mike buys a Certo Six, a beautiful camera, perfect bellows, dead rangefinder
The increasing difficulty of finding technicians willing to repair obscure cameras
Camera repair options have noticeably declined during the lifetime of Camerosity
Sarah Davis begins learning Hasselblad repairs
Why the next generation of camera repair technicians is so important
Jeremy Scott rescues auction purchases for several Camerosity listeners
45 Argus cameras weigh approximately 51 pounds
Jeremy apparently now has a pile of Olympus OM cameras to repair
Links
The Camerosity Podcast is now on Discord! Join Anthony, Paul, Theo, Stephen, and Mike on our very own Discord Server. Share your GAS and photography with other listeners in the Lounge or in our dedicated forums. If you have questions for myself or the other guys, we have an “Ask the Hosts” section as well where you can get your question answered on a future show! Check it out! https://discord.gg/PZVN2VBJvm.
If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group, Instagram page, or Discord server.
Order Your Very Own Camerosity Podcast T-Shirt! - https://www.zazzle.com/z/tbykl0hg
Sarah Davis Photo Repair - https://www.sdavisphotorepair.com/
The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast
Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/
Camerosity in Spanish Podcast - https://camerosity.es/
Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/
Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/
Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/
1 hr 27 min
July 27Episode 112: Fixed Lens Rangefinders and SLRs
Whenever you get a bunch of camera collectors together to talk about rangefinders and SLRs, the focus of the conversation almost always centers around those models with interchangeable lenses. Thread mount Leicas, Contax rangefinders, Nikon F-series and Zeiss-Ikon Contarexes almost always dominate the discussion. While certainly worthwhile cameras to talk about, lens swappable cameras overshadow their fixed lens counter parts, and for Episode 112, the Camerosity crew decided to take a deep dive into those rangefinder and SLR models where the lens can't be removed.
Joining Anthony, Paul, Stephen, Theo and Mike are regular and first time callers A.J. Gentile, Aaron in Idaho, Basile from Montreal, Ben Ryerson, Fernando Villava, Greg Harp, Howard Sandler, Marty Olsen, Ron Gee, Sarah Davis, Vlad Kern, and Wayne Scheipers.
We start off the episode asking if anyone who listened to Episode 111 was inspired to buy anything from a Japanese auction, but then we hand over the virtual mic to Vlad Kern who had a crazy eBay story regarding an extremely rare Smena camera he ended up selling, buying back, and then having to sell a second time. In addition, we were joined by Sarah Davis who came back on to check in with how her repair business has been going. Since her first appearance on the show in Episode 108, several Camerosity listeners have reported being very happy with her repair services.
When we finally got on topic, we shared our love for a large number of mostly fixed lens rangefinders including the Minolta Hi-Matic 7, Yashica Electro series, the Mamiya Super Deluxe, Konica III, and even though we primarily stayed with 35mm cameras, we discussed Fuji's lineup of excellent 6x4.5, 6x7, and 6x9 rangefinders including the popular "Texas Leica". In addition to covering GAS, Anthony asked the question if any fixed lens rangefinders ever had telephoto lenses, and Mike gave a quick lesson on what exactly the Yashia Electro's "Pad of Death" is and what it sounds like.
For fixed lens SLRs, we covered models by Mamiya, Zeiss-Ikon, Nikon, Canon, and a few others. Mike shared one of his favorites, the strange Fujica ST-F with the Ihagee Exa style shutter and in body flash.
It wouldn't be a Camerosity show if we didn't get off topic, and our listeners were quick to ask questions about adapting Soviet lenses, what the difference is between an Industar and a Jupiter, whether or not Zeiss lenses for Contax SLRs are better than Yashica lenses, and whether the Vectis APS SLR was responsible for Minolta going out of business.
As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are into shooting or collecting cameras, no matter how long you’ve been doing it, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!
The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you’d like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, the Camerosity Discord server, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.
We don't yet have a topic for the next episode, but rest assured whatever it is, it will likely involve a bunch of adults irresponsibly spending their money on half century or older cameras! When we know what we plan on talking about, we will be sure to update you through the usual channels, but we will record Episode 113 on Monday, August 10th at 7pm Central Daylight Time, 8pm Eastern Daylight Time, and 6pm Canada Saskatchewan Time. For more time zones, please consult the World Time Buddy calculator and plug in your time. Make sure you set your calendars and look out for the show announcement at the usual locations and be prepared to join us!
In This Episode
Has anyone bought anything from Buyee since the last episode? / Nikon F90X
Vlad Kern's crazy eBay story / Soviet Smenas / Paul's experience with International shipping
Cameras are one of the only collectible things that do their job as good or even better than when they were new
Most cameras, even when new weren't very accurate at their maximum shutter speeds
Pentax SP 500 with missing 1000 speed / Fujica ST605 with 700 shutter speed and f/2.2 lenses
VF Moto Shutter Speed Tester / Shutter speed testers with LED light sources
Using a CRT monitor to check shutter speeds
Minolta Hi-Matic 7s / Voltage differences with Mercury batteries
Theo bought the Agfa Makro 110 camera and it needs 3 Mercury batteries
Paul really hates the Konica Auto S2 and S3 / Yashica Lynx 5000 and 14 Rangefinders
Yashica Electro 35 series / Theo has an Electro 35 GL / Pad of Death
Konica II and III series rangefinders / Konica IIIM Half-Frame Model / FED Mikron 2
Mamiya 528TL SLR / Mamiya Super Deluxe Rangefinder / Majamatic
Other Fixed Lens SLRs / Contaflex / Kowaflex / Nikkorex / Canonex / Fujica ST-L
Fuji GS645S / Fuji's lineup of medium format rangefinders / Fuji GL690 Professional / What is a "Texas Leica"?
Kowa made two fixed lens rangefinders with telephoto lenses / Kowa T85 and T100
Why do Fuji Medium Format Rangefinders have a shutter counter on the bottom?
Voigtländer B / L / BR / Vitomatic IIa / Vito III / Voigtländers with Ultron lenses
Vitoret 110 Camera / Marty bought a Minolta Vectis off Paul / Other APS SLRs
Bridge SLRs / Olympus iS-Series / What is a Bridge Camera?
Why didn't Pentax make Rangefinders? / Many Japanese companies "stayed in their lane"
Teraoka Auto Terra Super / Minoltina-S / Greg Makes Lemonade from Lemons
How do Yashica Lenses compare to Zeiss Lenses for Contax SLRs?
Industar 50 and other Soviet Lenses / Adapting fixed rangefinder lenses to M39 and M42
The next episode of Camerosity in Spanish will be about Soviet cameras and lenses
Links
The Camerosity Podcast is now on Discord! Join Anthony, Paul, Theo, Stephen, and Mike on our very own Discord Server. Share your GAS and photography with other listeners in the Lounge or in our dedicated forums. If you have questions for myself or the other guys, we have an “Ask the Hosts” section as well where you can get your question answered on a future show! Check it out! https://discord.gg/PZVN2VBJvm.
If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group, Instagram page, or Discord server.
Order Your Very Own Camerosity Podcast T-Shirt! - https://www.zazzle.com/z/tbykl0hg
Sarah Davis Photo Repair - https://www.sdavisphotorepair.com/
The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast
Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/
Camerosity in Spanish Podcast - https://camerosity.es/
Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/
Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/
Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/
1 hr 39 min
July 16Episode 111: Buyeeing Camera Auctions From Japan
We're back in time for both the 111th Episode and the belated 5th Anniversary of the Camerosity Podcast! Even though we forgot about our own anniversary, we commemorated the occasion with a topic from the Discord suggestion box, buying cameras from Japanese auctions! If at first, this seems like a dry topic, then clearly you aren't the target audience for this show as any option for more GAS is always welcome here!
Joining Anthony, Paul, Stephen, Theo, and Mike are a combination of regular callers and a couple newbies, A.J. Gentile, Bryan Hewitt, NP from Discord, Greg Harp, Heath from Maryland, Ira Cohen, Jeremy Scott, Jody Oliver, Marty Olsen, Nick Marshall, Ron Gee, and Will Pinkham!
For those who have only experienced buying cameras through eBay, the first thing you should know about buying on Japanese auction sites is that if you are not in Japan, you need to use a proxy and while there are many out there, they're not all the same. Starting off the show, we attempt to explain the differences between the most popular options, what's similar about them and more importantly, what's different.
On the show were a large number of people who have experience with these types of proxy sites, so the various callers shared their experiences, both good and bad, with them, detailing what they liked and where things can go wrong.
In our attempt to explain how all these proxies work, we did a pretty poor job of promoting them, and by the end of the show, we may have turned people off from ever wanting to use one! But hey, the more information you have, the better you are able to make a decision.
While a majority of the show stayed on topic, we did get to some recent GAS near the end, including Mike's white whale and pickups from A.J., Greg, Will, and a purchase that Stephen made during the show!
As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are into shooting or collecting cameras, no matter how long you’ve been doing it, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!
The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you’d like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, the Camerosity Discord server, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.
The recording for the next show is just a couple days away, but for Episode 112, we are going to discuss fixed lens rangefinders and SLRs. While collectors and users often get the most excited over interchangeable lens cameras, there were a huge number of excellent fixed lens cameras and since many don't get a lot of love, we hope to change that on the next show. We will record Episode 112 on Monday, July 20th at 7pm Central Daylight Time, 8pm Eastern Daylight Time, and 6pm Canada Saskatchewan Time. For more time zones, please consult the World Time Buddy calculator and plug in your time. Make sure you set your calendars and look out for the show announcement at the usual locations and be prepared to join us!
In This Episode
5th Anniversary of the Camerosity Podcast / Introducing the returning callers, and a couple of new ones
eBay is the de facto used camera marketplace, but Japan has their own auctions
Stephen’s GAS is extreme
What are Buyee, From Japan, and ZenMarket? / What about Yahoo! Auctions Japan and Mercari Japan?
Proxy services are above board and welcomed / Sometimes items are restricted, but you have other options
Yahoo! auctions are a soft close, unlike eBay, and it affects sniping
Coupons from the proxy services, and the tricks to using them
Why junk can be near mint, and near mint can be junk
What experiences have we all had with the condition of items?
Mike spotted an issue with a Baldaxette through the photos that wasn’t in the description
NP’s expired film-buying experience
Lack of buyer protections and lack of contact with the seller compared to eBay
Consolidated shipping is a huge plus
Why you can end up paying for shipping twice, and options for tariffs
Packaging can vary when you consolidate, and beware of batteries
Deals can be had with items that are less desirable in different regions
Camera models sold in Japan can have different names than in other countries
Some items can be listed on both Yahoo! and eBay at the same time, and it’s not always legit
Fun with translations
Anthony takes us to Europe with Catawiki, and compares notes with Ira Cohen
Greg Harp and Ira share their big wins with mislisted items: a 1950 Canon and a Leica IIId
The Arco 35 with View-Arco is becoming Mike’s White Whale
Superbuy is a proxy service for China
Stephen goes over Inspection and insurance options on Buyee
Greg got some cameras he didn’t buy
Paul’s domestic Mercari misadventure with the Rolleiflex SL66
Sharing the GAS: A.J. Gentile’s Kiev 4a and Aires 35-V
Marty Olsen snagged a Minolta Maxxum 500si from a $5 bin
Will Pinkham had a banner week, getting Canon 110ED 20, Agfa Karat 36, and Lavec Mini Spy XR8
Jeremy Scott ran into Norris Liu on Whatnot
Bryan Hewitt modified a Mamiya film back with the Mercury Works 135 Pano Conversion Kit for RB67 Back and uses it on his Graflex
Theo picked up an Agfamatic 5008 Makro pocket after the 110 episode
Ron Gee got a King Regula after reading Mike’s review, and bought a Rollei 35 T from Paul, a Universal Minute 16 is Greg’s latest
Mike finally found a MIOJ Konica I
Links
The Camerosity Podcast is now on Discord! Join Anthony, Paul, Theo, Stephen, and Mike on our very own Discord Server. Share your GAS and photography with other listeners in the Lounge or in our dedicated forums. If you have questions for myself or the other guys, we have an “Ask the Hosts” section as well where you can get your question answered on a future show! Check it out! https://discord.gg/PZVN2VBJvm.
If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group, Instagram page, or Discord server.
Order Your Very Own Camerosity Podcast T-Shirt! - https://www.zazzle.com/z/tbykl0hg
The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast
Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/
Camerosity in Spanish Podcast - https://camerosity.es/
Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/
Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/
Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/
1 hr 41 min
June 23Episode 110: Tiny Negatives, Giant Opinions
We have returned with the tiniest episode we've ever done, covering 110 Pocket Instamatic and other 16mm subminiature cameras. This was a topic which the Camerosity crew had no idea would be so popular, but our loyal listeners came through and delivered a full show of giant opinions about cameras which make tiny negatives!
On this episode, Anthony, Paul, Stephen, Theo and Mike were joined by A.J. Gentile, Edward Michelet, Eric Schneck, Fernando from Germany, Greg Harp, Ira Cohen, Pat Casey, and Will Pinkham where everyone spoke about their favorite Pocket Instamatic and 16mm subminiature cameras.
We started things off with a bit of history and moved into one of the most consistently popular 110 cameras, the full system Pentax Auto 110 SLR. We talk about other premium 110 cameras like the two Minolta 110 SLRs and the Canon ED, along with a really neat German camera called the Agfamatic 6008 Makro Pocket, a camera that was so awesome, it inspired Theo to buy one while the show was recording.
We talk about challenges with the format, including its extremely small size, the lack of a pressure plate, and how 110 opened the door to the ill fated Kodak Disc format which in turn, brought us T-Grain film still used today with film stocks like Kodak TMax.
We cover a wide variety of other cameras, including some interesting 16mm cameras made by Minox, Yashica, and KMZ in the Soviet Union and even a few bizarro ones like the Tasco binocular camera and the Voltron Star Shooter 110. It wouldn't be a Camerosity Podcast episode without us getting off topic, and for this episode, our diversion ended up being all about camera batteries!
As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are into shooting or collecting cameras, no matter how long you’ve been doing it, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!
The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you’d like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, the Camerosity Discord server, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.
The next episode is coming soon, and as of this writing, we don't yet have a topic, but I am sure it will be something to stretch your GAS budget even farther than before. We will record Episode 111 on Monday, June 29th at 7pm Central Daylight Time, 8pm Eastern Daylight Time, and 6pm Canada Saskatchewan Time. For more time zones, please consult the World Time Buddy calculator and plug in your time. Make sure you set your calendars and look out for the show announcement at the usual locations and be prepared to join us!
In This Episode
The History of 110 Film / Kodak introduces Pocket Instamatic in 1972
Limitations of the Cartridge Design / Film Flatness Issues
Pentax Auto 110 SLR / Lenses Lack a Diaphragm
Best 110 Cameras: Canon 110ED, Minox 110, Voigtländer 110
Agfamatic 6008 Makro Pocket, Minolta Weathermatic 110, Pocket Fujica 110
The Unreliability of the Rollei 110 Camera
European Perspectives on 110 / Agfa's Significant Investment in Premium 110 Designs
110 Slide Film / Kodachrome and Ektachrome in 110
Problems Caused by Projecting 110 Slides in Standard Projectors
Reloading 110 Film / Single Perforations / Film Speed Notches
Which Cameras Can Accept Reloaded Film
Other Subminiature Cameras: Minolta 16, Kiev 30 & 330, Vega 2
Who Was the Target Audience for 110 Film?
Kodak Was a Film First Company / Comparisons to Disc Film / T-Grain
Tasco Binocular Cameras / A Horse Race Radio Camera
Mike Wants a Cyclops Binocular Camera / Theo Bought an Agfamatic 6008 During the Show
Stephen Loves the Voltron Star Shooter 110
Where to Buy Batteries / Kodak's K-Type Battery / Storing Batteries
Links
The Camerosity Podcast is now on Discord! Join Anthony, Paul, Theo, Stephen, and Mike on our very own Discord Server. Share your GAS and photography with other listeners in the Lounge or in our dedicated forums. If you have questions for myself or the other guys, we have an “Ask the Hosts” section as well where you can get your question answered on a future show! Check it out! https://discord.gg/PZVN2VBJvm.
If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group, Instagram page, or Discord server.
Order Your Very Own Camerosity Podcast T-Shirt! - https://www.zazzle.com/z/tbykl0hg
Adam Paul's 110 Camera Round Up - https://quirkyguywithacamera.blogspot.com/2018/04/small-format-size-big-format-results.html
The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast
Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/
Camerosity in Spanish Podcast - https://camerosity.es/
Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/
Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/
Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/
1 hr 36 min
June 07Episode 109: Canon Rangefinders Part Deux
Way back in the early days of the Camerosity Podcast, we did a show with Canon historian and author Peter Kitchingman, and recently as the gang looked back at what topics were worth revisiting we decided to come back to Canon rangefinders. But what expert would we get this time? As it turned out, Peter was available and willing to come back so we decided to retread this bountiful topic and deliver a "Part Deux" to Canon rangefinders.
Joining Peter and the regular hosts were Greg Harp, another excellent resource for these cameras who has a great deal of knowledge, plus listeners A.J. Gentile, Ben Ryerson, Ira Cohen, Jeremy Scott, Joan, John Roberts, Norris Liu, William Smith, and Will Pinkham.
We start off with some brief history and then get into some of the earliest Canon rangefinders like the original Canon and the slightly later Canon J and JII. Moving onto the historically significant S, SII, and IIBs and eventually covering the II, III, and IV series. We move along to the back loaders like the V, VI, P, and 7 series, covering various lenses, including the 0.95 Dream lens, a very rare original Canon mount wide angle lens, and others. Greg and Peter even share a bit of knowledge about Canon's X-Ray cameras which they made during and after the war.
Although a majority of you probably wanted to hear the most about the interchangeable lens models, we give some love to the fixed lens Canonet models like the trigger wind Canonet, the Canonet QL17 G-III, and even some of the more economically priced models.
Unusual to a Camerosity episode, we largely stayed on topic for this only only slightly veering into one Argus lens (blame Mike for that), but we answer a bunch of questions such as why is having different magnification ratios for the rangefinder useful, why is having separate viewfinder and rangefinder windows better, and what role did Nippon Kogaku play in Canon's history.
As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are into shooting or collecting cameras, no matter how long you’ve been doing it, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!
The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you’d like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, the Camerosity Discord server, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.
Our next episode will be number 110, and we listened to you all for a topic and you chose 110 "Pocket Instamatic" cameras. This means the Pentax and Minolta 110 SLRs will definitely make an appearance, but in the event we can't fill a whole episode about 110 cameras, we are opening up the discussion to all 16mm subminiature cameras. We will record Episode 110 on Monday, June 8th at 7pm Central Daylight Time, 8pm Eastern Daylight Time, and 6pm Canada Saskatchewan Time. For more time zones, please consult the World Time Buddy calculator and plug in your time. Make sure you set your calendars and look out for the show announcement at the usual locations and be prepared to join us!
In This Episode
Peter Kitchingman is Back / Peter Still has Hundreds of Copies of His Book for Sale
A Show Listener Recently Picked up a Canon JII and Asked What it Was
The Origins of Canon's Early Models / Rangefinder Less Canon J
Nippon Kogaku's Role with the Early Canon Cameras / Serial Numbers are Difficult to Track
Canon J-Mount vs Leica Thread Mount (24 tpi vs 26 tpi) / The Canon SII Was the First LTM Canon
Canon Remained Profitable During the War Making X-Ray Cameras
Mike Thinks the Rotating Prism Was One of Canon's Best Features
Which Canon is Good for a First Time Canon Rangefinder Owner?
Quick Ways to Differentiate a Canon II, III, and IV / Canon IV Sb
The Never Ending Questions About the EP Mark
Some Canon Sleeper Lenses / Canon Often Launched Cameras with Wide-Angle Options
The Canon V-Series / Lever Wind Models and the VT Trigger Wind Models
Japanese Summilix 50mm f/1.4 Canon Lens / Trigger Film Advances
CR Skinner and the Canon 1950 Model / Origin of the Name "Dream Lens"
Canon 7 / Canon f/0.95 Lens and its Use in Hollywood / Stanley Kubrick's f/0.7 Zeiss Planar Lens
Differences Between the Canon 7s and 7sZ / Lenses with Hoods Which Block the Viewfinder
Why Do Some Lenses Inexplicably Skyrocket in Value? / Influencers
The Helios-44 is Influencer Proof / Getting Stuff from Ukraine
Canon Made Some Decent Fixed Lens Rangefinders Too / Trigger Winds
Canonet 19 / Canonet QL17 GIII / Canonet QL25 and 28 Models
Canon Cameras at the Leitz Auction / Repainted Black Cameras
Tips on Identifying a Repainted Camera vs an Original Painted Camera
What Are the Advantages of Having Multiple Magnification Ratios in a Rangefinder?
Auxiliary Viewfinders / Canon V and VIs Have Built in Automatic Parallax for Viewfinders
Experiences with Canon or Konishiroku Collapsible 50/3.5 LTM Lenses
Keeping a Record of Camera Provenance and History
Links
The Camerosity Podcast is now on Discord! Join Anthony, Paul, Theo, Stephen, and Mike on our very own Discord Server. Share your GAS and photography with other listeners in the Lounge or in our dedicated forums. If you have questions for myself or the other guys, we have an “Ask the Hosts” section as well where you can get your question answered on a future show! Check it out! https://discord.gg/PZVN2VBJvm.
If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group, Instagram page, or Discord server.
Order Your Very Own Camerosity Podcast T-Shirt! - https://www.zazzle.com/z/tbykl0hg
Camerosity Podcast Episode 18 w/ Peter Kitchingman - https://camerosity.podbean.com/e/episode-18-canon-rangefinders-with-peter-kitchingman/
If you would like to order Peter Kitchingman's book, email him at [email protected].
The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast
Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/
Camerosity in Spanish Podcast - https://camerosity.es/
Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/
Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/
Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/
1 hr 39 min
May 11Episode 108: The TLR Episode
Episode 108 is all about a topic we've touched upon in a large number of Camerosity Podcast episodes, but after reviewing our show notes, we realized we had never covered thoroughly in a single show. Since you've probably already read the title of this post, I can't really hide that I'm talking about TLRs, or Twin Lens Reflexes for those of you who are acronym-adverse.
Theo was absent for this one because he only likes cameras that involve 7 of something, but joining Anthony, Paul, Stephen and Mike are callers A.J. Gentile, Brian MacDomhnail, Chris Sherlock, Ethan, Joao Gomes, Howard Sandler, Jeremy Scott, Norris Liu, Robert Rotoloni, Sarah Davis, and Will Pinkham.
We quickly get started with some TLR history and then introduce a couple of our first time callers. One such caller for the show was long time listener/first time caller, Sarah Davis who repairs cameras and specializes in TLRs. What Sarah lacks in gray hairs she more than makes up for in experience. Studying under some well respected camera technicians, Sarah has learned from the best and can now tear down most mechanical TLRs and Nikon film cameras, bringing them back up to life. We regularly hear of long time technicians retiring or passing away and it is refreshing to have a new option for your camera repair needs.
As you should expect, we cover a tremendous amount of GAS including some of our favorite models medium format, 35mm, and subminiature TLRs. In the roughly hour and forty minutes runtime, we cover the gamut from some of the most popular Rollei and Yashica TLRs to some really wild and rare models like the Welta Superfekta, the Tessina 35, AGFA Flexilette, and we even take the opportunity to talk about our beloved Chuzhao (which isn't actually a TLR). Mike discusses the closest he'll ever come to shooting a Nikon TLR, why he hates the label "Pseudo TLR", and shares some trivia about interchangeable lens TLRs.
If you were to assume that an entire episode about TLRs would attract everyone who loves shooting TLRs, you'd be mistaken as we hear from a couple callers who aren't fond of the design, especially the horizontally flipped viewfinder, and why it can be difficult to get perfectly straight horizons.
In addition to TLRs, we cover topics that are TLR-adjacent such as some of the different designs of focusing screens, why Rick Oleson's screens are better, and some fascinating pros and cons to leaf shutters, including why most of them can't actually move any faster than 1/500th of a second.
As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are into shooting or collecting cameras, no matter how long you’ve been doing it, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!
The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you’d like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, the Camerosity Discord server, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.
For our next episode, we will be revisiting Canon rangefinders (again). We tried to do this for Episode 108 but had to push it back due to a scheduling conflict, but we're giving it another go! The last time we spent a majority of an episode on these wonderful cameras was way back in Episode 18, so we thought it was time to invite some newer fans of the show to call in and share which models they love and whatever else they want to talk about! We will record Episode 109 on Monday, May 18th at 7pm Central Daylight Time, 8pm Eastern Daylight Time, and 6pm Canada Saskatchewan Time. For more time zones, please consult the World Time Buddy calculator and plug in your time. Make sure you set your calendars and look out for the show announcement at the usual locations and be prepared to join us!
In This Episode
Quick TLR History / The Original Rolleiflex Used 117 Film
Original Rolleiflex compared to Rolleiflex T (photo)
First-time caller Ethan has four TLRs, but confesses he doesn’t like shooting them
Stephen Strangways find he tilts not only film TLRs, but also the digital Chuzhao and Paul Rybolt figures it’s due to shutter button placement
Paul likes the Rolleicord and Rolleiflex, but hates identifying them. Xenons, Xenars, Planars, and Tessars, oh my!
Sarah Davis fixes Yashica, Rollei, and Mamiya TLRs, as well as some Nikon and Canon SLRs
Chris Sherlock of Retina Rescue has repaired some Tele Rolleiflexes: “try and take note of what I took apart, and put it back together so it works.”
Sarah shares why the Yashica TLRs, after the Pigeonflex and Yashima Flex, are so durable
Brian MacDomhnail took Mike’s advice to pick up a Yashica-D to replace his Lomo Lubitel
Mike finds the non-Mat TLRs are simpler and smoother, Sarah recommends the Yashica-Mat LM and EM
Anthony Rue had a Rolleiflex 2.8E that he traded for a Leica M4-2, but kept his Yashica Mat 124, but shoots his Meopta Flexaret VI the most,
Anthony also loves his Voigtländer Superb, and Mike has a theory as to why it’s so different
Zeiss Ikon Ikoflex “coffee can”
Focusing screen brightness, Fresnel lenses, Rick Oleson Bright Screens, Martin Seelig’s mirrors
A.J. Gentile has tips on shooting with TLRs
Howard Sandler thinks the Minolta Autocord and Ricoh Diacord have great ergonomics, Sarah has some repair insights into them, and Mike explains the Autocord’s backwards film loading
Leaf shutters vs. focal plane shutters, and the tricks used to get leaf shutters beyond 1/500th, as on the 1/800th Kodak Chevron and Tourist, the Graflex Super Speed Graphic’s 1/1000th, and the Minolta V2 and V3
Are the Mamiya C-series cameras, TLRs with interchangeable lenses, huge and reliable, or just huge?
The Koni-Omegaflex M is even bigger / Rex Reflex
The reason for TLRs, and medium format film
Going smaller: Agfa Flexilette, Bolsey Model C, Samocaflex 35, the Gakkenflex DIY kit
Even smaller yet: Tessina 35, GemFlex, Goerz Minicord
Is it a pseudo-TLR, or something else? Argus 75, Voigtländer Brillant, Lubitel, Kodak Duaflex, Bedfordflex, Windsorflex
Paul’s Rollei Magic Rant, and why it breaks Mike’s brain
João Gomes on the underappreciated Zeiss-Ikon Contaflex and Ikoflex III
Norris Liu’s funky Toyocaflex 35, Welta Superfekta and Perfekta
Paul’s 1937 Minoltaflex (photo he sent in FB group chat)
Jeremy Scott brings up f/2.8 TLRs with his Rollei, and Mike has a Fujicaflex
Anthony’s Ansco Automatic Reflex 3.5 regret, Mike expands on the history of them, and Norris has a Rocca Super Reflex
Will Pinkham opens a can of worms about viewing and taking lenses
Stephen didn’t think his Mamiya C330f was too huge, just too convoluted, and servicing simpler cameras to keep them working
Wrapping it up with some one-off TLR models
A surprise guest swoops in like a Seagull
Links
The Camerosity Podcast is now on Discord! Join Anthony, Paul, Theo, Stephen, and Mike on our very own Discord Server. Share your GAS and photography with other listeners in the Lounge or in our dedicated forums. If you have questions for myself or the other guys, we have an “Ask the Hosts” section as well where you can get your question answered on a future show! Check it out! https://discord.gg/PZVN2VBJvm.
If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group, Instagram page, or Discord server.
Order Your Very Own Camerosity Podcast T-Shirt! - https://www.zazzle.com/z/tbykl0hg
Sarah Davis Photo and Repair - https://www.sdavisphotorepair.com/
Chris Sherlock - Retina Rescue - https://retinarescue.com/
The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast
Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/
Camerosity in Spanish Podcast - https://camerosity.es/
Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/
Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/
Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/
1 hr 45 min
April 15Episode 107: Chris Sherlock No Longer Repairs Retinas
For over a year, one of my most sought after guests to come on the show has been Chris Sherlock of Retina Rescue. Way back in December 2019, I had a chance to sit down and have a discussion with Chris and I have wanted to have another opportunity ever since and it finally happened!
Episode 107 is all about Chris Sherlock and his experience repairing and collecting the Kodak Retina system. I promised Chris, I would make it very clear that he is still retired and is not taking in any new work, but Chris is still active on YouTube, publishing complete walkthroughs of CLAs on Retinas and other cameras.
Joining Chris are Anthony, Paul, Stephen, Theo, and Mike and a long list of callers, including A.J. Gentile, Aaron Knesal, Ben Ryerson, Doug Willoughby, Eric Schneck, Fernando Villava, Joao Gomes, Greg Harp, Howard Sandler, Michael Boudreaux, Norris Liu, Pat Casey, Robert Rotoloni, and Will Pinkham.
Chris starts things off with how he got started repairing cameras, all the way back in the 1970s working for Kodak in Wellington, New Zealand and then continues onto his first Retina models and why he started his site.
We discuss a wide range of Kodak Retina models, from the folders, solid bodied rangefinders, to the SLRs. Chris, Mike, and others share their favorite models and which ones we recommend for first time shooters and which ones have issues to look out for. Chris explains what kinds of problems the Retina cocking rack may cause and why the later cameras have a long silk cord in them.
It wouldn't be a Camerosity Episode if we didn't get off track, so we can thank Howard for bringing up the Voigtländer Ultramatic, Theo gives an update on the most recent Sydney Camera show, Greg Harp shares his recent 1930s Canon Standard pickup, and Aaron talks about his Yashica 44 TLR he bought from Paul.
As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are into shooting or collecting cameras, no matter how long you’ve been doing it, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!
The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you’d like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, the Camerosity Discord server, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.
For our next episode, we are will be revisiting Canon rangefinders. The last time we spent a majority of an episode on these wonderful cameras was way back in Episode 18, so we thought it was time to invite some newer fans of the show to call in and share which models they love and whatever else they want to talk about! We will record Episode 108 on Monday, April 27th at 7pm Central Daylight Time, 8pm Eastern Daylight Time, and 6pm Canada Saskatchewan Time. For more time zones, please consult the World Time Buddy calculator and plug in your time. Make sure you set your calendars and look out for the show announcement at the usual locations and be prepared to join us!
In This Episode
We Are Recording While Artemis II is Coming out of Radio Blackout / Anthony's Artemis Launch Photos
Chris Sherlock is Not Coming Out of Retirement / Chris Still Gets Requests Daily to Repair Retinas
How Chris Got Started Repairing Cameras / Working in Wellington Repairing Instamatics
Chris's First Retina was a Retina Ib / Started Selling on Auction Web (Predecessor to eBay)
The First Version of Retina Rescue was an ISP Personal Page
Spare Parts Are Important to Camera Repair / Chris's Tips for Starting to Repair
Anthony Gets his Dad's Retina Reflex III Repaired by Chris
Paul Barden Also Repairs Some Retinas / Chris's YouTube Videos Are Incredibly Helpful Too
Not All Retina Cocking Racks Are Weak Points
Is the Retina IIIC the Best Retina? / Differences Between the IIIc and IIIC
Using Auxiliary Wide or Telephoto Lenses on the Kodak Retinas
The Retina With the Most Problems with Haze / Cleaning Lenses
Were the Early Ektar 3.5 Lenses Actually Made by Kodak?
What Would be Chris's Favorite Retinas to Shoot? / Kodak Retina IIS and IIIS
How Far Did Chris Tear Down the Shutter when Doing a CLA?
Doug Can Recognize Chris's Hands in a "Hand Lineup"
Kodak Retina Automatics / Other Contemporary Cameras to the Retina
The Kodak Retina II Type 122 is Unobtanium for Chris
How Long Did it take Chris to CLA a Kodak Retina?
Where were Chris's Customers From? / Selling Cameras is Difficult
Retina Reflexes Had a Silk String Inside Them / Voigtländer Ultramatic
You Can't Just Repair One Part of a Camera, You Must Do it All
Chris Likes Jigsaw Puzzles But Not Zeiss-Ikon Contaflexes
Mike's Favorite Retinas are the IIa, Ib, and IIIS
Greg Picked Up a Canon Standard Rangefinder / Joao's Ansco Super Speedex
Theo's Update on the Sydney Camera Show / Seagull TLRs
Aaron Buys a Yashica 44 from Paul / Shooting 127 Film
Links
The Camerosity Podcast is now on Discord! Join Anthony, Paul, Theo, Stephen, and Mike on our very own Discord Server. Share your GAS and photography with other listeners in the Lounge or in our dedicated forums. If you have questions for myself or the other guys, we have an “Ask the Hosts” section as well where you can get your question answered on a future show! Check it out! https://discord.gg/PZVN2VBJvm.
If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group, Instagram page, or Discord server.
Order Your Very Own Camerosity Podcast T-Shirt! - https://www.zazzle.com/z/tbykl0hg
Chris Sherlock's Retina Rescue - https://retinarescue.com/
Chris Sherlock's YouTube Page - https://www.youtube.com/c/ChrisSherlock
The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast
Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/
Camerosity in Spanish Podcast - https://camerosity.es/
Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/
Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/
Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/
1 hr 40 min
March 30Episode 106: Camerosity Invades Europe
Ever since the very first episode of this show, we've aimed to include as many of our listeners in our shows as possible, but that our hosts are located in three different countries and in four different time zones makes finding a time that works for everyone difficult, especially those of you in Europe and other European-aligned time zones where it is often the middle of the night when we typically record.
In an effort to give more people in these areas of the world the opportunity to join us, on occasion we change our recording time. For Episode 106, we did just that and saw a large number of people show up!
Joining Anthony, Paul, Stephen, Theo, and Mike on this show were returning and first time callers, Brendon Wilson, Brian MacDomhnail, Fernando Villava, Ira Cohen, Joey Alvillar, John Wade, Josh Calvetti, Krijn Vogelaar from Holland, Kamil from Norway, Norris Liu, Pat Casey, Stuart Pratt, Vlad Kern, and Wayne Scheipers.
On this show, we covered a wide array of topics including one of Paul's most hated Nikons, John Wade shares with us a very interesting Ilford monorail camera which supports shooting on 35mm film, Ira shares his love for Eigenbau cameras, and we admire Krijn's beautifully painted Kodak box cameras.
In addition, we cover a large range of cameras from the AGFA Automatic 66, to the Kodak Medalist, Hasselblad SWC, Leidolf Lordomat, Mamiya RB67, the Tom Thumb 'radiocamera', and Mike shares a quick preview of a neat rangefinder camera he picked up called the Wenk Wenka.
As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are into shooting or collecting cameras, no matter how long you’ve been doing it, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!
The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you’d like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, the Camerosity Discord server, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.
For our next episode, we are returning to one of the gang's favorite camera families, the Kodak Retina. To help us navigate the nuances of so many Retina models, we are happy to welcome Chris Sherlock, of Retina Rescue. Chris has many years of experience repairing Kodak Retinas and other leaf shutter cameras and is sure to have a great deal of insight into these wonderful cameras! We will record Episode 107 on Monday, April 6th at 7pm Central Daylight Time, 8pm Eastern Daylight Time, and Tuesday April 7th at Noon New Zealand Standard Time. For more time zones, please consult the World Time Buddy calculator and plug in your time. Make sure you set your calendars and look out for the show announcement at the usual locations and be prepared to join us!
In This Episode
Happy Birthday to Pat Casey / Kamil and the Olympus mju Zoom / Minolta Dynax 5 / Nikon F80
Paul Really Hates the Nikon F70 / Mike’s First DLSR was the Nikon D40x
Fujifilm Finepix Pro early DSLRs were F80 bodies
John Wade has stopped writing books, but still writes for Amateur Photographer
Ilford KI Monobar, a 35mm monorail camera
John has Stanley German’s (Botanist in 1940s) specially made one off camera with all his slides
Ira's Eigenbau and Frankencameras / Machinists Who Make Good Cameras at Home
John showed a stereo camera which was converted to a Panoramic Camera
Paul likes the pretty Kodak Model F 620 box camera
Kodak pushed 620 across the world
Agfa Automatic 66 and the Goerz Minicord
Krijn's Hand Painted Kodak Brownies
Brendan has a Mandelar Leica M lens, they are a hot item
Third party lenses are really good value
Wayne is shooting a Zeiss-Ikon Contessa 35 and a Kiev 88
Vlad has had a few problems with US Customs
Mike has gone 3D printing crazy
Josh has a new Minolta Rokkor 40mm f/2 CL Leica mount
Joey picked up a Hasselblad SWC which could have gone through the Camerosity rounds
Leidolf Lordomat / Brian has reduced his camera collection a lot, he is enjoying the Pentax MX
Wishing the I Dream of Cameras podcast congratulations for 100th episode
Some cameras have strange battery compartments
Fernando has a new Kodak Medalist
Many photographers used the collected cameras as workhorses
Good photographers do not rely on the camera alone for the results
Kamil scored a Mamiya RB67 Pro S
New seals are often needed for older cameras / Don’t put cameras in the sun
Norris brought in a radio camera called the Tom Thumb
Mike Picked Up a Wenk Wenka / Stuart has a Rolleicord 5b and some Zeiss Ikoflexes
Links
The Camerosity Podcast is now on Discord! Join Anthony, Paul, Theo, Stephen, and Mike on our very own Discord Server. Share your GAS and photography with other listeners in the Lounge or in our dedicated forums. If you have questions for myself or the other guys, we have an “Ask the Hosts” section as well where you can get your question answered on a future show! Check it out! https://discord.gg/PZVN2VBJvm.
If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group, Instagram page, or Discord server.
Order Your Very Own Camerosity Podcast T-Shirt! - https://www.zazzle.com/z/tbykl0hg
The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast
Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/
Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/
Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/
Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/
1 hr 44 min
March 10Episode 105: John Minnicks and the Aero-Liberator
For Episode 105, it finally happened! As eluded to on a great number of previous episodes and on our official Facebook page and Discord server, the Camerosity Podcast finally dedicated an entire show to large format cameras! And not just any large format cameras, as a special guest for this show, we welcomed John Minnicks, creator of the Aero-Liberator, a home built custom version of a Graflex SLR using aerial Kodak lenses!
Joining the gang and John for this episode were a huge number of other guests, several of which own or have shot their own Aero-Liberators. In alphabetical order by first name, we were joined by some guy named Erie, João Gomes, Howard Sandler, Lloyd Greene, Mark Cornelison, Mark Widhalm, Mat Marrash (from FPP), Parker Pfister, Pat Casey, Ron Gee, and Will Pinkham.
In addition to hearing John Minnicks origin story, he shares many stories about people who he has sold cameras to and what has been done with them, including taking portraits of Barack Obama at his inauguration and at impeachment hearings in front of Congress.
Mat Marrash from the Film Photography Project joins us and gives us his insight into large format and how well it does from the retail perspective. We were also graced with the presence of Parker Pfister who shares his tales of developing film using his own urine! This is the first ever mention of "pee" in a Camerosity episode!
We eventually do get into a little bit of GAS, including some pickups by Mark Cornelison from the Chicago Camera show including the Camerosity favorites like the Voigtländer Perkeo and the KMZ Zorki 4.
As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are into shooting or collecting cameras, no matter how long you’ve been doing it, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!
The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you’d like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, the Camerosity Discord server, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.
For our next episode, we are going "across the pond" to a European time zone friendly time which will allow for more of our European listeners to join us. We'll keep the topic wide open to encourage as many people as possible to join us. If you are in Europe or other "European time zone friendly" areas of the world, we will record Episode 106 on Monday, March 16th at 2pm Central Daylight Time, 3pm Eastern Daylight Time, 7pm Greenwich Mean Time (London), 8pm Central European Time (Berlin), and 6am Tuesday the 17th Australian Eastern Daylight Time (Sydney). For more time zones, please consult the World Time Buddy calculator and plug in your time. Make sure you set your calendars and look out for the show announcement at the usual locations and be prepared to join us!
In This Episode
What is Large Format?
John Minnicks, Creator of the Aero-Liberator 4x5 SLR Cameras with Kodak Aero-Ektar Lenses
Going from a standard Graflex Super D to a custom camera with swings and tilts for a unique lens
Three Owners of Aero-Liberators Ron Gee, Mark Cornelison, and Parker Pfister
Common Problems with Aero-Ektars / Bringing People Together
Photographing Barack Obama with Only 4 Sheets of Film
David Burnett and his Aero-Liberator in front of Congress
Timtypes / Giving João Gomes some tips on adapting Leitz Hektor projector lenses and Tessar barrel lenses to his Graflex
Getting into 4x5 Press Cameras / Crown Graphic and Speed Graphic / Omega and Sinar Monorails
Wista, Tachihara, and Linhof Field Cameras
Lloyd Greene is shooting a Sinar monorail, Howard Sandler recommends the Graphic as a companion to a Crown Graphic, and how he shares his Fujinon lenses between them
Parker shoots 8x10 paper and develops it with help from pee
Paul Rybolt misses Cibachrome, Mat Marash from Film Photography Project recommends RA4 reversal
X-ray film and trying to prevent scratches
Monobath single-shot processing kit as an introduction to developing and a great way to test a camera
Sourcing large format films / How to shoot paper instead of negatives and tame the contrast / Light sources for enlargers
Erie is a large format nerd and commercial photographer
Many different methods for developing and scanning
Mark’s trials and tribulations with wet plate collodion
Exposure, Computers, and the Kodak Master Photoguide
Will Pinkham asks about large format lenses / Schneider, Rodenstock, Kodak, Wollensak, Ilex, Fujinon, Nikkor, even Turner Reich can suit what you’re shooting
How do you manage focus when shooting portraits on large format?
A bit of GAS: Kodak Retina Reflex III / Nikon Nikonos
Mark Widhalm got a Voigtländer Perkeo, which Anthony and Ron love / Howard got an Adox Golf
Links
The Camerosity Podcast is now on Discord! Join Anthony, Paul, Theo, Stephen, and Mike on our very own Discord Server. Share your GAS and photography with other listeners in the Lounge or in our dedicated forums. If you have questions for myself or the other guys, we have an “Ask the Hosts” section as well where you can get your question answered on a future show! Check it out! https://discord.gg/PZVN2VBJvm.
If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group, Instagram page, or Discord server.
Order Your Very Own Camerosity Podcast T-Shirt! - https://www.zazzle.com/z/tbykl0hg
John Minnicks - https://johnminnicks.com/
The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast
Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/
Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/
Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/
Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/
1 hr 40 min
February 07Episode 104: Cheap Modern Lenses
We are back with Episode 104 of the Camerosity Podcast. Unlike the last few shows where we didn't come prepared with a topic to discuss, this time we took a suggestion from our Discord server listeners and attempted to tackle all the new lenses that keep appearing from Chinese companies, With ever faster maximum apertures and wider lenses selling for insanely cheap prices, are these lenses any good, and why suddenly is the market flooded with them?
Joining Anthony, Paul, Stephen, and Mike are callers Andy Howarth, Brendon Wilson, Fernando Villava, Mark "Cletus" Widhalm, Martin Olsen, Norris Liu, Pat Casey, Robert Rotoloni, and Will Pinkham. We start off the show with a quick announcement that Fernando has started a Spanish language version of the Camerosity Podcast called "Camerosity in Spanish". They've already recorded two episodes, and if you speak Spanish, it is worth checking out what him and his guests are talking about!
For this show, we briefly start off our lens episode talking about Retina Reflexes, but thankfully we don't stay distracted long as we move into the wonderful world of modern Chinese lenses. We attempt to cover different brands of lenses and what kinds of options there are out there and which ones we've personally had experience with.
Stephen and Norris have a wealth of technical knowledge and historical perspective for how the Chinese manufacturing industry works, and we get into a bit of why you're seeing so many options these days. While many of the new ultra-fast lenses are extremely affordable, they are built to be disposable and likely won't last nearly as long as the classic lenses many of us collect. Paul shares with us one (non-Chinese) brand that he doesn't like and Stephen tells us what "onion ring bokeh" is.
Eventually we do move off from Chinese lenses to talk about extremely wide angle fisheye lenses and Stephen tells us about a clever use of his Olympus Air A01 and we briefly mention strange cameras like the Nikon KeyMission 360 Double Fisheye lens.
With Bob Rotoloni on, Paul asks about a Nikon M he is interested in buying and we get into a discussion about the Nikon M and different variants of that particular camera. We keep meandering topics before finally ending up Mike's first purchase on the Japanese auction site, buyee.jp.
Come See Mike at the Chicago Camera Show: I will be heading up to the Sheraton Suites Chicago Elk Grove hotel for a camera show on Sunday, February 22nd. At this show will be several callers from this episode, Bob Rotoloni, Norris Liu, Mark Widhalm, and past Camerosity guests like Vlad Kern and possibly others. Mike won't have a table at this one, but I'll be walking around chatting with people so if you're near the area and want to stop by, come see us!
As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are into shooting or collecting cameras, no matter how long you’ve been doing it, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!
The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you’d like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, the Camerosity Discord server, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.
We don't have a topic for our next show, but we at least know it will be Episode 105 and we will record it on Monday, February 23rd at 7pm Central Standard Time and 8pm Eastern Standard Time. Make sure you set your calendars and look out for the show announcement at the usual locations and be prepared to join us!
In This Episode
The Spanish version of Camerosity Hosted by Fernando Villava / Cletus and His Broken Retina Reflex IV
Repairing Retina Reflexes / The Risk of Testing an Unserviced Camera / Leaf Shutter SLRs Are Very Complicated
Modern Lenses Have Combinations of Focal Lengths and Speed Unheard of in the Classic Era
How We Got to Today / Cheap Chinese Lenses Started with Low Quality C-Mount Lenses
The Legalities of Making Third Party Lenses / Why is Nikon Going After Viltrox?
Who Are the Most Respected of the Current Third Party Lens Makers? / Different Priorities for Film vs Digital
Some Third Party Lenses Require You to Calibrate Your Lens to Your Own Camera
What is the Difference between 7Artisans and TTArtisans? / DJ Optical
Voigtänder Cosina Lenses Are Less Expensive Alternatives to Genuine German Lenses
Some Chinese Lenses Feel Nicer Than They Really Are / Excessive Lubricants
The Chinese Make a Lot of Their Own Glass / Mike Has No Idea How Glass is Made
Leica No Longer Makes Their Own Glass but they Polish It / Onion Ring Bokeh
Are There Any Companies to Stay Away From / Paul Doesn't Like MS-Optics Lenses
Differences Between Western and Chinese Manufacturing Philosophies
Chinese Manufacturers Typically Didn't Offer After Sale Support or Warranties
China's Manufacturing Today is Far More Advanced Than Anywhere Else in the World
Norris Goes to CES and Admires Hair Dryers / 40% of Exhibitors at CES are Chinese
For Vintage Camera Users You Don't Always Want a Technically Perfect Lens
Stephen's Olympus Air A01 and a 220 Degree Circular Fisheye Lens
Nikon KeyMission 360 Double Fisheye Cameras / Go Pro / Ricoh Theta Camera
Brandon Jumped into the Nikon Zf Using Chinese Lenses / Nikon Z-Mount Adapters
Fernando Adapted Leica R Lenses to Leica M and the Results are Great
Leica SLRs and Alpas are Almost Always Sold Without Lenses on eBay
Come See Mike, Bob, Norris, Vlad, and Cletus at the Chicago Camera Show on February 22nd
Paul Wants to Buy a Nikon M / The Three Different Types of Nikon M Rangefinders
Mike Made His First Ever Purchase on Buyee of 5 Cameras
Links
The Camerosity Podcast is now on Discord! Join Anthony, Paul, Theo, Stephen, and Mike on our very own Discord Server. Share your GAS and photography with other listeners in the Lounge or in our dedicated forums. If you have questions for myself or the other guys, we have an “Ask the Hosts” section as well where you can get your question answered on a future show! Check it out! https://discord.gg/PZVN2VBJvm.
If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group, Instagram page, or Discord server.
Order Your Very Own Camerosity Podcast T-Shirt! - https://www.zazzle.com/z/tbykl0hg
Chicago Camera Show on Sunday February 22 - https://www.facebook.com/events/sheraton-suites-chicago-elk-grove/chicago-camera-show/774123451683491/
Camerosity in Spanish - https://camerosity.es/
The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast
Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/
Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/
Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/
Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/
1 hr 33 min