Classic Camera Revival – Episode 33 – That Awkward Moment – Alex Luyckx

We are not fanboys of any camera system and half the fun of running a podcast about classic cameras is being able to both praise the cameras we like and point out the more difficult aspects of others. Now don’t get us wrong, all these cameras are actually decent machines on their image quality but sometimes you just have to ask, what were the designers thinking when they started to make these cameras.

Cameras Featured on Today’s Show
Olympus XA – The smallest ‘full frame’ rangefinder out there, with solid optics, and a cult following. But you have to contend with a hair trigger, that would just as soon shoot every other frame without you wanting it to do so.

Make: Olympus
Model: XA
Type: Rangefinder
Format: 135 (35mm), 36x24mm
Lens: Fixed, Olympus F.Zuiko 1:2.8 f=35mm
Year of Manufacture: 1979

Olympus XA – Olympus F.Zuiko 1:2.8 f=35mm – Ilford Delta 400

Olympus XA – Olympus F.Zuiko 1:2.8 f=35mm – Kodak Plus-X – Kodak Xtol (1+1) 7:15 @ 20C

Olympus XA – Olympus F.Zuiko 1:2.8 f=35mm – Ultrafine Extreme 400 – Kodak Xtol (1+1) 9:30 @ 20C

Mamiya Universal – An attempt to draw away press photographers from their large format rigs. This highly customizable roll film rangefinder takes all the humbling parts of a large format camera and slaps it onto a medium format camera without taking advantage of most things that would make a medium format rangefinder great.

Make: Mamiya
Model: Universal
Type: Rangefinder
Format: Medium (120/220), 6×7, 6×9 or Polaroid (Type 100)
Lens: Interchangeable, Mamiya Press Mount
Year of Manufacture: 1969

Mamyia Universal – Mamyia-Sekor 90mm 1:3.5 – Rollei RPX 100 @ ASA-100 – Kodak Xtol (Stock) 8:00 @ 20C

Mamiya Universal – Mamiya-Sekor 1:4.5 f=127mm – Fuji FP-100c

Mamiya Universal – Mamiya-Sekor 1:4.5 f=127mm – Fuji Acros 100 @ ASA-100 – FA-1027 (1+14) 9:30 @ 20C

Barnack Leicas – An iconic camera in any circle, the Leica III has remained true to the early design of Oskar Barnack as a compact camera designed at the time to accept motion picture film (35mm). While of high optical quality, these things can be a bit of pain, especially when it comes to loading your film.

An example of a Leica IIIc with a mounted Leitz Summitar f=5cm 1:2 lens

Make: Ernst Leitz GmbH
Model: Leica I through the Leica IIIg
Type: Rangefinder
Format: 135, 36x24mm
Lens: Interchangable, Leica Thread Mount/M39
Year of Manufacture: 1930-1960

Leica IIIf – Leitz Elmar f=5cm 1:3.5 – Kodak Tri-X 400 – Kodak Xtol (1+1) 9:00 @ 20C

Leica IIIa – Voigtlander Helios 15mm/4.5 lens – Kodak Tri-X 400 – Pyrocat-HD 1+1+100 16:00 @ 20C

Leica IIIc – Leitz Summitar f=5cm 1:2 (Yellow Filter) – Fuji Neopan SS – HC-110 Dil. B 5:30 @ 20C

Exakta VX1000 – The camera made famous by Alfred Hitchcock’s film, Rear Window, is designed to throw any photographer into fits because it’s designed to be used left handed. Yes, everything is switched around with this camera from how you would normally operate an SLR. But don’t look past it yet, those lenses are Carl Zeiss.

Make: Ihagee Dresden
Model: Exakta VX1000
Type: Single Lens Reflex
Format: 135, 36x24mm
Lens: Interchangeable, Exakta Bayonet
Year of Manufacture: 1967-1970

Ihagee Dresden Exakta VXIIa – Steinheil Munchen Culminar 135mm ƒ/4.5 – Kodak Gold 200 – Jobo C-41 Press Kit

Ihagee Dresden Exakta VXIIa – Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 50mm ƒ/2.8 – Kodak Portra 160NC

Exakta VX IIA – Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 2/58 – Kodak TMax 100 @ ASA-100 – Kodak D-23 (Stock) 9:30 @ 20C

Cambo Legend 8×10 – Well it goes without saying that anything with 8×10 in the camera model is going to be awkward because when it comes to using a monorail camera in the field, you need a mule, or in Donna’s case a husband. But still, there’s nothing better in the standard camera sized better than an 8×10 negative.

Make: Cambo
Model: Legend 8×10
Type: View Camera, Monorail
Format: Large Format, 8×10
Lens: Interchangeable, Cambo Lens Board
Year of Manufacture:

Black & White Slides
While the summer has gone, we still have the memory through beautiful slides. But wait, black & white? Yes, it is a thing! In the past there’s the legendary Agfa Scala 200x, today there are still two black & white reversal stocks on the market with Fomapan 100R and Adox Scala 160. However, there is a small lab that specializes in turning your black & white negative films into reversal slides, and that’s Dr5. Throughout the spring and summer the gang has been shooting, sending, and waiting. And Dr5 delivered some beautiful results!

For Alex, he selected to shoot Ilford HP5+ because it was a rainy dull sort of day. The Results speak for themselves in his view.

Bill decided to shoot some of the new dedicated black & white slide film from Adox, Adox Scala 160x. This film stock is based on the legendary Agfa Scala 200x.

John, like Alex, took a normally B&W Negative film, Ilford FP4+ and had it turned into a Positive. FP4+ is already a beautiful film but this made it all the better.