Let me introduce you to my latest acquisition;
And it is in very good condition, no light leaks, no holes in the leather bellows, clean lens, crispy shutter and everything works just as it should - which is quite amazing really when you consider this camera is 105 years old.
Designed to use 120 rollfilm in a 6x9 format, as far as I know this is only the second camera designed for this film, the first being its predecessor. 120 film is still widely available.
Aside from careful use and storage, perhaps the immaculate condition is down to its original leather case. There's a lot to be said for leather camera cases.
More than half a million models were made between 1915 and 1926, with various design tweaks made along the way. In January 1917, the square ended cases changed to a rounded version from serial number 133,301 - as my camera is serial Number 33082 I guess that puts it either late 1915 or very early 1916. The lens is a Bausch and Lomb Rapid Rectiliner f8 with no coatings. The Rapid Rectilinear is a famous lens design that is symmetrical about its aperture with four elements in two symmetrically opposed groups, invented in 1866, the symmetry of the design greatly reduces radial distortion.
It has a 'ball bearing' shutter with two speeds - 1/25th and 1/50th second. It also has a 'bulb' setting and a 'Time' setting which make long exposures very easy. The shutter is self energising, so it cocks and fires in one stroke.
It has a very simple form of zone focus with two positions on the sliding front standard - the small apertures ensuring that everything that needs to be in focus, is in focus.
Framing is taken care of by a tiny brilliant viewfinder which rotates to facilitate both portrait and landscape orientation. This is the only camera I have ever owned that requires the use of reading spectacles.
I have so far only put one film through it to check everything works as it should - I wasn't sure what to expect, but wow - that lens is amazing.
This is an unsharpened scan, shot on 120 Fomapan 100 and developed in FX-39 II
It's a tricky little camera to use, but I am looking forward to seeing what it can do for me - 105 years old - how little things have changed.
I wonder what other scenes this little camera has witnessed in its long history?
Rob