I always attempt to source vintage cameras within the European Union and if possible in Greece so as to save on shipping and Customs duty. It is rare that I find anything in Greece but I have recently sourced a Fed 5 from Athens. It was described as ‘film tested’ and ‘fully functional’. I am…
Category: 35mm
Voigtländer Vito IIa
I have often heard that vintage Voigtländers are built like Volkswagens. Personally, I think that they are built like a combination of a Volkswagen, Mercedes and Audi! They were built to last; they are very well designed and they ooze quality! Let’s not forget that Voigtländer have been making cameras since 1849 and the company…
Voigtländer Vitomatic 1a
I could opt for my usual claim to have bought my Voigtländer Vitomatic 1a on a whim but in all honesty, that would not be true. The truth is that I really like Voigtländer cameras! That doesn’t mean that I have a lot of them but what I have, I am very pleased with. My…
Exa IIa – The Baby Exakta
I have lost count of how many times I say that this was another camera bought on a whim! I must confess to having a liking for older Soviet and German cameras. I saw this offered with another identical camera and a third one that came minus the lens. The deal was ‘Get the lens-less…
Flexaret Accessories Have Arrived!
I am truly impressed with my Flexaret VI and as a result I decided to splash out on some accessories for it! One of the unique things about this model is that can also shoot 35mm film and to assist in this endeavour, those clever people at Meopta created a specific tool for the job….
Size Isn’t Everything … Or Is It? – UPDATED 29/5/2022
I have been contemplating this post for quite a while and it concerns what film size we choose as film shooters as well as the rapidly increasing cost if the majority of film stock. I was always a 35mm (135) film user until about three years ago when I discovered the Joys of medium format…
Only Just Vintage – The Praktica BX20
Previously, I wrote about the Praktica MTL5 that I had purchased on a whim. I was so impressed that I have been looking into other cameras from this manufacturer – some older, some newer. This is all about a newer model, the Praktica BX20, produced between 1987 and 1990. They were suppled with a variety…
The Voigtländer Bessamatic (Deluxe)
I acquired a Voigtländer Bessamatic (Deluxe) in October 2021 to add to my collection of vintage cameras. The kit included a 35mm/f3.4 Skopar X, a 50mm/f2.8 Color Skopar X and a 135mm/f4 Super Dynarex lenses. The lenses came with their cases and the camera came with the ever-ready case. I am pleased to say that…
The End of the Line!
Those of you that know me will recognise that I have a passion for vintage cameras. My understanding is that ”vintage’ refers to something that is at least twenty years old and so I guess that today’s ramblings are a bit of a mystery as they relate to a camera released in 2004. I will…
Further tales from the East…
This was another case of me acquiring an East German camera on a something of a whim! (The low price had something to do with it!) This time, it was a Praktica MTL5 which was sold with the standard Pentacon 50mm F1.8 lens, a Pentacon 29mm F2.8 lens and a Peak 135mm F2 lens along…