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Vintage film cameras

Kodak Retna Reflex IV

My Dad's old camera, purchased in the early 60's. Used it until his death in 86 and took a lot of great color slides and photos. Also had Schnider 35 MM and 135 MM lenses. Beautifully made in West Germany

Real Leather Hard Shell Case
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Unusual bottom crank film advance, took some getting used to but worked well.
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With out case
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Notice the small window in the center of the pentaprism housing; used to display shutter speed and f stop in viewfinder. Exposure indicator also displayed in viewfinder.
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Bayonet Lens Mount
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Beautiful Fit and Finish

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Camera Still Works!
 
hwirt said:
My Dad's old camera, purchased in the early 60's. Used it until his death in 86 and took a lot of great color slides and photos. Also had Schnider 35 MM and 135 MM lenses. Beautifully made in West Germany
Camera Still Works!
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A most excellent camera, and one that was greatly underappreciated.
 
Mark W. said:
Braun Super II the camera I used in my first high school photography class. I have 4-5 of them. NEVER attempt to clean the rangefinder mirror a single touch with a Q tip will totally waste it. I have 3 of them that I need to install new beam splitter glass in as well as new first surface mirrors. PIA but yu get a new viewfinder rangefinder when done.

The shutter on these are terrific alkalies heels. Prontor used part time workers int here factories to make these so the quality is terrible.

Ivor Mantell did a great article on the Paxette line (the Super II is part of that line) for Amateur Photographer (UK) a few years back I loaned him all my material on the Paxette for his research I got a nice thank you in the article.

I have most of the lenses avialable for the line from 35-135mm in both rangefinder coupled and non coupled

The one I can't seam to find is the Carl Zeiss Tessar the two times I have seen on on eBay the price was nuts.

the Xenar Wigman has is a very nice lens.
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I have about 20 Paxettes, of different model and vintage. With light meter, without, meter in the middle, meter on the side, etc. All share the same shutter, as you said, a pain to keep happy. However, I have more problems with the viewfinder than anything else. The Super II, as you know, the top is glued on to the camera body. How cheesy. My few attempts at removing it have resulted in utter failure. The later models, IIBL, etc, can be removed for cleaning, but they're usually in nicer shape, paradoxically.

I read Ivor's article with great fervor, and really appreciated it. I've got a few lenses he hasn't, and some he listed I've never seen. I do have a Carl Zeiss 50mm f/2.8, but my example has some chewed up aluminum body, not a good example of the type. I have a Roeschelein-Krueznach Luxor 50mm, but it is uncoupled. I have heard rumors of a coupled version, never seen one.

I also have a relatively unusual USA imported IIBL, marked "AMC" for brand, and model M235 for model. Otherwise identical to the Braun Paxette IIBL.

I love the irritating little boogers. Don't know why, they're not all that.

I have been told that the De Jur D-3 was also capable of using the Paxette lenses, same M39 mount and registration distance. Haven't been able to capture a D-3 to find out.
 
Mark W. said:
OH gee's now you've gone and done it.

Here's some of my vintage cameras. including in the pile are 11 Canon FD mount bodies from the black FTb with the chrome nose 55mm f1.2 on the corner of the little shelf. A pair of New F-1's with winders on the shelf(one is a US NAVY veteran) and of course the pair of T-90's (the most advanced manual focus 35mm camera ever made) and about 38 lenses from 17mm to 600mm including a 35mm f2.8 tilt and shift and 85mm f2.8 soft focus (only about 2400-2500 made) And a couple apple boxes of flashes macro gear and other accessories for the Canon system.

The longest white lens is a 600mm f4.5 nFD that after I worked for 2 weeks removing the horrid black and green paint some moron put on it and had my repair guy completely tune it up I discovered it wasn't as sharp as my 500mm f4.5L if I blew those prints up farther so off it went to eBay.

Far left on the wood box is a 1957 Canon L-1 Rangefinder with I believe the Leitz Elmar f2.8 I finally sold off a while back to buy my Scott 233 amp. Then on the wall of note is my 1955 Leica Ig RD sporting a Canon black and chrome 35mm f1.8 and my pair of Canonet G-III QL-17's one chrome and one black (very rare) also hangin up there is a 1951 Canon model III with the uber rare rapid winder and my 1956 Rolleiflex 3.5E and Yashica 44 in pearl gray TLR's a pair of Canon Demi's (1/2 frame) There are a couple dozen more hiding in cases and that wine box. Lots of Braun Paxettes. a Retina a real nice Voigtlander Vito II with all the accessories a couple Kodaks and Zeiss folders.

Anyway you made me do this.

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Oh did I mention I collected cameras before I got into stereo stuff?
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Nice collection Mark especially the big white lenses $$$ :thmbsp:
 
Yes the Dejur's do use the M-39 mount as does the first version of the Zenit SLR I have been told.

I once almost had a coupler that would allow a coupled M-39 lens to be mounted on a Leica LTM. But as with many things the bid went over my head.
 
and a couple from mine:

* Afga Super Isolette: TOTL Folder from the 50's (takes 120 film -- chromes are *amazing*)

* Leica IIIf w/ 50MM collapsible Summicron -- I find it to be an amazing bit of craftsmanship & design that just happens to take great photos (sometimes even when I'm behind it)

-- Steve A.
 

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Hi,

Very nice Olympus Pen. Designed by Y. Maitiani (he also designed the OM system). A favorite of Leica enthusiasts. I love them as they are lightweight, make nice images, and are design icons. Yours appears in superb condition!
 
hwirt said:
My Dad's old camera, purchased in the early 60's. Used it until his death in 86 and took a lot of great color slides and photos. Also had Schnider 35 MM and 135 MM lenses. Beautifully made in West Germany

Real Leather Hard Shell Case. Unusual bottom crank film advance, took some getting used to but worked well. Beautiful Fit and Finish. Camera Still Works!
Click to expand...


Hope so, the German Kodaks are superb. Sold my Retina Reflex kit a few years ago to a collector in Hong Kong. Still going strong and taking great photos. Got to love the bottom crank. Along with some Ricoh rangefinders, that bottom crank made a big difference when taking a series of photos :)
 
Vintage cameras are SO cool! :smoke:

Mine are nothing fancy like previous posts, but I picked up this ol' Canonet G-III QL model a few weeks ago at the local GW for a Lincoln just because it looked pretty neat and I thought it would be fun to tinker with.

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Today I dropped off a bunch of stuff at the GW and zipped inside and found a vintage Olympus 35mm with the case, flash, and original paperwork. I snagged it up along with some fresh LPs from the vinyl rack. I'll post a picture of it tonight. :thmbsp:
 
Really nice looking Pen FT. I had one on black and one in silver as well as a set of Pen FTVs and Pen Fs. The cameras were a pleasure to use and the lenses some of the nicest glass you could find. I only retired them from use when I got my Minox ML and Bronica systems. The half-frame made a lot of sense after WWII when film was scarce and for a travel format. The little rf series remind me of the little digitals we have today.
 
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