Photographica: The Lure Of Soviet Cameras

This week I purchased a Soviet era Moskva 5 from a camera dealer in the Ukraine. The Moskva line of cameras was made by the KMZ camera works as a copy of the Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta medium format rangefinder line. The Moskva 5 went beyond mere imitation, adding a self-timer, removing the flip-up view finder and moving the internal view finder off to the far right side of the camera body creating a severe paralax. Despite the paralax, affcianados swear by the Moskva 5 and so I took the plunge, too. I'm looking forward to its arrival.

I've been looking at other Soviet era cameras, too. Zorkis, FEDs, Zenits and such all of which were copies of German Leica or Zeiss Ikon Contax 35mm rangefinder cameras. There are those who swear by the Soviet cameras and the example photos I've seen are truly remarkable. For those who can't afford a genuine Leica or Zeiss Contax, these Soviet cameras seem to be a very good second choice.

Wayne Cornell has an excellent site devoted to Soviet era 35mm cameras and Valdis in the Ukraine has a marvellous site on a wide variety of Soviet cameras ranging from medium format cameras such as the Moskva and Kiev to 35mm cameras such as the FED, Zorki and Zenit.

Communication

Within the White Room

Reflection

Untitled

Photographica: The Exakta V Returns

This week I've been photographing more alleys and whatnot with my Exakta V 35mm camera. When I began collecting and using vintage cameras my initial intent was to stay away from 35mm cameras. I still have my Pentax K-1000 and MX ... if I wanted to shoot 35mm why would I need another camera, much less a vintage 35mm? That was a year ago and today I have several vintage 35mm cameras: An Argus C-3, a Zeiss Ikon Contaflex Super BC, a Nikkormat FT, an Olympus XA and an Exakta V. I certainly don't need any more vintage 35mms!

The Exakta V was the first vintage 35mm I bought. I went to drop some film off at my local camera store and sitting on the shelf was the Exakta V. It looked like something out of WWII, all leather and chrome, heavy and weapon-like. Considering it was made in Dresden in 1950, that's not far off the mark. Like all German engineering from that time the Exakta V is durable, dependable, precise and functional. It does what it does and it does that incredibly well.

I was intrigued by the Exakta V and the camera store owner said I could put some film through it and try it out. The camera was an immediately learning curve. First of all one needs to advance the film before the mirror drops down. That's easy enough, but the second thing was the P. Angenieux 35mm lens. One has to open the aperture to f2.5, focus and then stop down to the desired stop and take the photograph. I was severely perplexed at first but once I got this routine down, it became second nature. In fact, this slow process is actually a help rather than a hindrance since it forces one to properly compose the shot rather than fire off a series of shots and hope that one comes out. In this regard the Exakta V reminds me of a medium or large format camera. The 35mm lens was the perfect lens, just wide enough to get a lot of information into each shot without distortion. One can stand quite close to the subject or get near panorama shots. I really enjoy the 35mm lens (the Olympus XA has a 35mm lens, too. Another reason I enjoy that camera so much).

It didn't take too long to get me sold on the Exakta V and the camera store racked up another sale. And I began to carry it around with me everywhere. The Exakta V has a number of unusual features. First is the left hand film advance a shutter button. This seems awkward until one gets used to it. There's a self-timer on the right hand side of the camera ... I'm not sure why the engineers didn't swap locations for the film advance/shutter button with the self-timer, but they must have had some reason in mind. A question for the ages. There's a small knife blade within the camera which is used for cutting film. The Exakta V is designed with a replacable take up spool ... one could put an empty film cannister in place of the spool, shoot a few frames of film, slice the film, wind it into the cannister, remove it and develop the film. I've read that the Exaktas were the 35mm camera of choice among European press photographers in the 1950s and I assume this curious feature is the reason. All in all, the Exakta V is a spiffy camera and one well deserving of contemporary use!

Thorns

Barn

Shadow Of the Street Lamp

Window

Stairs

Photographica: Box, Box Camera

Is is possible to have too many box cameras? The answer, I believe, is a resounding no. Although the technology is incredibly simple, every box camera has its particular charm. From the luxury of Kodak's Beau Brownie with its leather covering and enamelled Art Deco face plate, to the whiz-bangery of the Conley Kewpie to the minimalist Agfa B-2 Cadet to the efficiency and precision of the Zeiss Ikon Box Tengor, box cameras are, frankly, amazing and once you're under their spell it is impossible to escape. Here's a wonderful site on vintage box cameras.

This Friday I received a spiffy Zeiss Ikon Box Tengor 54/2 (late 1930s). Cosmetically, it is in gorgeous condition, the only flaw being the missing leather carrying strap. Like most box camera leather carrying straps, it probably broke and was removed by its previous owner. The late 30's version of the 54/2 Box Tengor features a few refinements to the concept of the camera. The late 20's version featured a pull-up tab that changed the f-stops and a second pull up tab that adjusted the focus to one meter for a portrait setting or 12 meters for a group setting. This adjustability is great, but my experience has been that I have to be spot-on with my distance measurement. A few inches forward or back either changes the focal point or puts it out of focus entirely. The late 30's version of the 54/2 has three f-stops: 11, 16 and 22 which one can change by adjusting a dial below the lens. Focus can be adjusted in a similar method by a dial around the upper part of the lens, but now one can zone focus: one to two meters, two to eight meters, eight mters to infinity thus increasing your chances of obtaining an acceptibly focused photograph. Also, the ground glass viewfinders of the late 20's 54/2 have been replaced with a brilliant viewfinder which is a vast improvement in low light conditions. I'm looking forward to putting a roll of film through my new Box Tengor.

Speaking of Zeiss Ikon cameras, Zeiss Ikon Cameras 1926-39 by D.B. Tubbs is a wonderful guidebook on the wide variety of Zeiss cameras produced in the years between the World Wars. My single quibble with the book is that it doesn't explain the infuriatingly obscure numbering system of Zeiss Ikon cameras. For the collector of Zeiss Ikon cameras this is a priceless book.

While at a local Barnes and Noble yesterday I picked up a book of essays on Cindy Sherman's photographs, October Files: Cindy Sherman. I've only read part of one essay, but it looks to be quite a good book. However, beware! Post Modernist theory and critique are rampant within the book and if Roland Barthes, Arthur C. Danto, memes and signposts are the stuff of nightmares for you, stay away! Cindy Sherman's The Complete Untitled Film Stills is now available ... sans theoretical text no doubt.

Blue Door, Blue Window

Hidden Among the Leaves

Underwood Typewriter

Number 185, Second Street

Photographica: Vintage Camera Repair Forum

This week disaster befell my beloved Rolleicord V in the form of a jammed film advance. At first I thought the problem was a bad roll of film, but after repeated occurances and jamming at random exposures, I concluded that the problem lay with the Rolleicord. Doing a Google search I came across an interesting forum dedicated to repair and restoration of vintage cameras. A posting of my Rolleicord's problem received a reply which indicates that the jammming may be caused by a faulty release switch within the Roleicord and that it should be a simple thing to fix. While I'm not going to attempt this, at least I know that the problem is most likely repairable.

Behind That Curtain

The Drain

Broken Concrete Wall

Metal Birds

Zeiss Ikon Cocarette: Superstar!

Photo Friday: Alone

Number 108 East First Street